MCAFEE INSTITUTE TOOK $2,000 AND MY CERTIFICATIONS BECAUSE I COMPLAINED ----- STAY AWAY FROM THIS UNETHICAL BUSINESS CHESTERFIELD MISSOURI

DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE PAYING FOR CLASSES WITH THIS COMPANY.

I used my time and money on a certification that I finished at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.  Because I complained on the web about their email response after inquiring about a refund, they "expelled” me and took away my first certification.  And kept my $1,000.  I was also in the middle of completing a 2nd course that I spent another $1,000 on, and they blocked me from finishing that.  This company kept $2000 of my money stating that I violated their agreement saying that I have to remain professional and not post or say negative things about the company.

Isn’t it odd that this company makes you agree not to complain about them before you take their classes?  What company operates this way?  And they hold this over your head to justify taking your money when you do complain.  Just like it was report on the BBB website (https://www.bbb.org/us/mo/chesterfield/profile/training-program/mcafee-institute-0654-88652660/customer-reviews), the company seems to have a practice of robbing people of their money and certifications when they don’t like hearing anything negative.  I emailed this company first before coming on the web.  I misunderstood the refund policy, and after sensing some sarcasm in their responses, the email exchange ended with a threat to keep my money and take my certifications if I kept replying to the email.  In short, McAfee’s email basically told me to shut up and go away.  

At that point, I had to take things to the internet.  The company found my posts.  A few days later I got a letter notifying me that I was expelled and that they were keeping my money.  It also demanded that I take down my posts about the company.  What is even crazier is that in the footer of every page it told me ---- "This letter and its contents are considered privileges communications and cannot be shared or disseminated in any way”.  OMG.  THIS PLACE IS SO CONTROLLING.  "Take your post down”, "If you reply back to this email it will be considered as hostile”, "You are in violation of our professionalism policy”.  Very harsh language...repeatedly.  Their efforts to suppress people by signing a "contract” to not complain is meant to try to hide the truth about how this company deals with people. 

And get ready for it.  Just like he did with the posts on BBB.org and Reddit.com (https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=mcafee%20institute), I know the owner will likely come out here with some kind of comment trying to justify this nonsense.  And to that, I say this… NOTHING I SAID ROSE TO THE LEVEL WHICH ALLOWED YOU TO TAKE MY $2000 AND WHAT I STUDIED FOR. Nothing I wrote or said has anything to do with the certification I had already earned and paid for.  Nor does it justify you keeping the money for the class I had just started.  NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER MCAFEE INSTITUTE.  If you want to come out here and say that I signed away my voice to take your classes, have at it.  Since you expelled me and took my money, I am free to speak.  I was always free to speak no matter how much you tried to intimidate me.  But to be honest, your agreement about "maintaining professionalism” is too broad and subjective anyway.  And what's interesting is that you are not even being professional yourself. 

Customers say a lot of stuff you may not like.  But as a business, you are expected to remain ethical and professional in your dealings with people.  You are trying too hard to control people’s voices.  The same language and tone you said I used, you turned around and used the same exact words to me. And far worse.  And I have the email to prove that.  The owner's replies on BBB.org supports that McAfee Institute has a pattern of being belligerent with their customers. You took my $2,000 plus the time I spent studying for the courses.  I am certainly justified to complain.  Refer to that "contract” all you want.  No reputable educational firm requires people to agree not to complain. 

I signed up for classes to improve myself, and I ended up with nothing and lost my hard-earned money.