Wellington Group International Grace Love Charged excessive amounts for BLS card - never received Miami Beach Florida

There are significant issues I have experienced with this AHA-certified course provider in my area. When I moved to Florida and was hired by a large hospital corporation, I had to update my BLS certification (I am an RN). Via an online search I found Wellington Group International in Miami Beach, and called them on July 9th, after completing the online test to schedule a skills check-off. I spoke with Grace Love, and reiterated with her several times that it was very important I receive my BLS card the day of the class, otherwise I would need to go through a different company. She stated that as long as I paid the fee over the phone with her, along with a late registration fee, that the card would be available. I gave her $75 via credit card that day. Two days later when I arrived at the skills class, the instructor, Patricia Love, said that she did not have a card for me, and that I would have to have it mailed. I immediately called their home office and reached Grace Love again, who told me that she had said I "might" have a card available for the skills class and that there were no guarantees. This was not at all what I was told when I was paying for the class; in fact I was quite clear at that time that if they could not provide the card that day I would need to use a different company, as I had two more on my list. She stated that she "didn't know what I thought I heard" but that there were no refunds, and that if I wanted to cancel the class there was a $75 cancellation fee. If I continued I would have to wait for the card to be mailed. I told her I would drive to their office to pick the card up myself on Monday (this was a Friday) and she said that was fine. When I filled out the review section at the end of the skills course, which I elected to finish, as I had driven an hour to do so, I wrote a succinct explanation of why I would not recommend their company to others. Two days later  I drove down to Miami Beach (on Monday); the office was closed and no one answered their phone.

 

Five weeks has gone by and I have not received my card. Generally my phone calls are not picked up, and my requests via voicemail for someone to call me back are ignored. Via email I was told that the original card was returned to them because my address was invalid (I receive mail from all other sources and have had no other mailing issues). Another email stated that to receive my card I would have to pay additional fees, including another processing fee, special postage, tracking, and insurance, all payable to Wellington Group. My final conversation with Grace Love on Tuesday the 19th of August culminated in her telling me to "go to another company" - again, with no way to get the card that I have, at this point, paid a total of $110 trying to obtain. 

 

I have discussed this situation at length with my employer, who has made a point of directing subsequent new hires away from this company. I am writing to you only in order to make the AHA aware of the business practices of one of their certified providers. After researching the company myself (after the issues previously discussed transpired, unfortunately) I've discovered other complaints, and have noted that the people involved in this company (who are all related) have done nothing to make right any of these issues and instead call the complainants liars (per google review). I would be happy to share the emails from this company. I strongly caution any healthcare provider needing independent certification to stay away from this company.