Career Transition Center, Phoenix AZ CTC Took my money upfront and then didn't provide services promised Phoenix Arizona

I was contacted by CTC for a potential job opportunity.  There was none but this got me in their office.  Rick is a great sales guy and during the sales process provided considerable attention.  They have a couple payment approaches.  With one approach you pay considerably more only once they find you a job.  The other approach is that you pay upfront.  I decided to pay upfront and paid $4,475.

I was very disappointed with their lack of service and started the cancellation process.  Enclosed is the letter I sent them.  I then went to the BBB and they tried multiple times to contact them but CTC refused to respond to the BBB.  

____________________________________________________________________________________________

July 23, 2013

Dear Rick,

I am officially informing you that I am cancelling my business relationship with Career Transition Center and requesting a full refund. 

Although there was no guarantee given that I would find employment, I agreed to sign based on the commitment and expertise that was communicated in the initial meetings.  There were statements made that only very few were unable to get jobs and that 9 out of 10 the hiring employer would pick up the cost for the fee. 

The reason that I am cancelling the services is because I am not seeing due diligence on the part of Career Transition Center in fulfilling the contract. 

1.  Career Situation Analysis:  I stated why I was looking for employment and provided my background.  We did create some SAR’s but I actually performed the typing on your computer and generated additional ones.  I had been looking for the prior 9 months so I was expecting some guidance on how I can improve and what I can do to be more marketable
2. Marketing Research Analysis:  I was given a list with the government job classification and asked to pick companies and industries that I thought were a good fit.  There was little direction on what industries were booming and what I should avoid.  There was no marketability assessment or a clear expectation on what salary I could expect.  We did initiate the letter campaign but there was only one that resulted in a phone interview and this was a senior quality manager.  What was sold is that there would be high level face to face interviews.  Only when I called or expressed frustration on the phone would I get an update on the status of these phone calls.  I expected that CTC was networked into these companies such that they would be able to set up these information interviews.  With the responses CTC was getting, it really questions their level of network into these firms.  Even bad news is better than no news and had I received a response such as “not interested unless he is a black belt” I would have had something to work with.  No information was provided on what to say who to improve my personal image.
3. Contacts Through High Technology:  I did not receive any advice on what companies to consider, any that might be hiring.  Outside of the informational interview process, there was no advice on what to do to gain employment. 
4. Preparation of Written Materials:  Much of what was included in the Bio Narrative was either from my resume or from the SAR’s that we jointly created.  There were 15 key campaign letters written and distributed.
5. Interview and Negotiation Strategies:  I was to be videotaped twice to improve my interview skills, this never happened.  There never was any discussions on negotiating skills
6. The Executive Briefings and Negotiating:  In going through the bullets: 1) No discussion on career advancement strategies, 2) no discussion or direction on how to change career direction, 3) no feedback on how to prepare for a new industry, 4) I was provided the admatch template but even after sending to CTC, there was no feedback on whether I wrote them well, 5) no discussion on how to use recruiters nor were any provided, 6) no discussion on improving my image, 7) no training on how to communicate better, 8) zero training on interviewing skills, 9) no direction on how to negotiate, 10) Not sure what you means by handling personal and business references, 11) No guidance on telephone follow up, 11) no real opportunity outside of the quality manager to even consider having a position opened up for me, 12) I would love to have help in getting promoted in a new organization.  I would have loved to have had this opportunity to even have some exposure and 13) I would have welcomed knowledge on career problems.
7. Secretarial Assistance:  Outside of the 15 campaign letters there has been no secretarial assistance.
8. Professional Counsel Throughout Your Search:  I never received any cancelling from the staff.  There also needs to be a better process to accommodate those outside of the area with respect to the seminars.  It is very common these days to have Webinars and there are other secure means of being able to provide information for those that are seldom in Arizona.