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Report: #86054

Complaint Review: SmartCertify Direct, Aka Skillsoft, SmartForce Direct And ForeFront Direct - Clearwater Florida

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  • Reported By: Deer Park Texas
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  • SmartCertify Direct, Aka Skillsoft, SmartForce Direct And ForeFront Direct 25400 US 19 N Suite 285 Clearwater, Florida U.S.A.

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A David Santor (salesman) called me on 9/25/03, in response to my inquiry online about IT certification. During the conversation, Mr. Santor kept pressuring me; I must make a decision today, so I can take advantage of this once in a lifetime offer. I explain that I couldn't afford it, but Mr. Santor countered with "IT certification is essential for gainful employment" and I could receive a special price for this package if I acted now. I bought into his logic and agreed to have my Visa credit card billed monthly at $149.92 for 12 months. On 09/25/03 Smart Certify charges my Visa $149.92 for the down payment.

I was optimistic at the new opportunities of employment that I could obtain from an IT certification. I went through the CompTIA A+ program within 36 hours, just to refresh my existing knowledge of the subject matter. I became deeply concern over the course materials, being so out dated by today's technology and my own personal experiences for the past 5 years in this field. Other concerns were the erratic errors from their interactive tutorial.

Pondering this for a few days, I contacted David Santor via email on 10/1/03 to request a cancellation. Mr. Santor informed me that a refund could not be issued until I failed 2 exams within 90 days. I explained to him that I couldn't afford to do this and I just wanted to cancel my enrollment. I was made out to be the bad guy because I question the validity of their course materials and their refund policy.

On 10/21/03 Sean Weiland (Customer Service Representative) contacted me about my complaint regarding the pressured sales tactics used by David Santor. Mr. Weiland conveys the same sentiments that I couldn't receive a refund unless I fail 2 exams. I pleaded with Mr. Weiland that I couldn't afford this with my unemployment situation. I explained that I was unable to receive unemployment benefits and now my family depends on the Visa credit card for groceries. Mr. Weiland would not listen to reason or care less about my situation.

Being unable to resolve this with Mr. Weiland, I decided to write complaint letters on 10/24/03 to the Better Business Bureau of Clearwater and the Attorney General of Florida and Texas. The letter stated that I felt pressured and deceived by the salesman regarding the importance of an IT certification for employment and their refund policy.

FYI: What compounded the situation for me was the lack of availability to their site due to technical difficulties and being blamed for this problem. I bent over backwards to resolved the issue by installing Netscape browser, Java and reformatting my hard drive twice. Each time I explained that I have no problems with other java content web sites, such as www.java.com games. SmartCertify to this day blames me for the technical difficulties with my access to their web site. It's my fault that I can't access their Courseware materials, so the problem is my computer and not their web site.

All 3 agencies replied by stating that SmartForce Direct Company, aka. SmartCertify Direct has a long history of consumer complaints regarding refund issues and quality of service. During my 6 month research, I have discovered about 160,000 complaints against SmartCertify, in regards to their services and refund policies. SmartCertify claims to have 4.6 million customers worldwide. According to my research, it is licensing issuances of course materials and not actual customers.

The next step for me was to deny any charges from SmartCertify on my Visa credit card, but I keep getting billed for services that I was unable to use or access due to erratic errors from their Courseware materials. I worked extensively with David McClure (Tech Support Manager) to resolve the technical difficulties, but to no avail. Mr. McClure and Mr. Shields insisted the problem was my computer and I explained that I have no problems with my computer in accessing other web sites, but its still my fault and I have to pay for the service.

I spoke to Jason Shields - Director of Support Operations (final contact 03/19/04) on several occasions expressing my deep dissatisfaction with their course materials, unemployment and the technical difficulties of their web site. As before Mr. Shields conveys the same sentiments as Mr. Weiland, fail 2 exams within 90 days before a refund could be issued. However, Mr. Shields did offer to upgrade my account to Referenceware, which is a text base reader course. I thank him for the offer, but declined. I explain that I signed up for an interactive tutorial lesson package and 1 year of access to MySmartForce and Courseware. Since I can't access the site or the materials, I'm being force to take something I don't want. Again I express my dissatisfaction and request a refund. Again I was denied.

It has been 6 months and there's no end to this insanity from this company. All I want is a refund of existing charges to my Visa credit card and a cancellation of their service with me permanently without any retaliation or negativity towards my credit history.

I felt pressured and mislead in making an agreement based on my unemployment situation. Even though I couldn't afford it, I decide to make the best of it and go through the CompTIA A+ course, as a refresher to my existing knowledge and experience.

After a few days it became apparent that I have made a big mistake because the Courseware materials were out of date by today's technology and my personal experience in the field. I kept getting erratic errors trying to access their online materials.

After requesting a refund, I was referred to their 90 day warranty of taking 2 exams and failing before a refund could be issued. This is unreasonable because to study and register for exams takes 120. The refund policy is intentionally set against the consumer, with no intention of refunding money.

I would also like to mention that any company who authorize salesman to use misleading tactics on unsuspecting individual customers should be stop. I have read many customer complaints regarding SmartCertify and all have 1 common thread; their refund policy.

Like many of the people here, I have filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, Internet Fraud Consumer Complaint, Attorney Generals of Texas, Florida, New York, Colorado and California; 6 complaints to the BBB of Clearwater (SmartCertify still has unfavorable rating as 3/27/2004), Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice and Bank of America in Norfolk, Virginia.

I can't let go of this fight with SmartCertify because the well being my family is at stake here. Yes, I did make a mistake, but at what cost does a person have to pay and what benefit is it to SmartCertify to intentionally bankrupt a family of a 5 month old, 23 month old, 9 year old, wife an a unemployed husband. Is it to inflict their supreme authority over the individual, who has no resources to fight back!

I would like to close with this thought. An individual has no power, but as group we change the way SmartCertify does business with the individual customer.

Eugene
Deer Park, Texas
U.S.A.

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This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/31/2004 01:28 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/smartcertify-direct-aka-skillsoft-smartforce-direct-and-forefront-direct/clearwater-florida-33763/smartcertify-direct-aka-skillsoft-smartforce-direct-and-forefront-direct-misleading-and-86054. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
2Consumer
1Employee/Owner

#3 REBUTTAL Individual responds

Bad experience too

AUTHOR: Oscar - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, June 13, 2004

I too had a bad experience with SmartCertify. I even worked for them for awhile. SmartCertify are experts at putting words into your mouth and manipulation. When i worked for them, all i got to see of their products was about 5 minutes of the A+ certification. Also don't believe that line when they tell you that the price is only good until the end of the day. A majority of the sales people have no clue what quality of product they are selling to the public. I am joining this because i don't want the same to happen to what happened to me and many other people. I believe i may start a website to make the public aware of SmartCertify's sales tactics.

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#2 Consumer Comment

I have been using this company for 3 years now and have never had any problems

AUTHOR: Paul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 14, 2004

I have to say that I have had nothing but good things happen since I have been using SmartCertify. i also have 3 of my friends who have been using them for awhile now. I have taken exams for CompTia, Microsoft & Cisco and I have seen a increase in not only my income, but in every aspect in my life increase since becoming a student. I would recomend this training to anyone that wants to make a better life for themselves..

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#1 Consumer Comment

What about the terms you agreed to when you bought?

AUTHOR: Jon - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 06, 2004

The statistics in Eugene's report are compltely false with regard to all three agencies reporting the amount of complaints and regarding what the Attorney General's office had to say concerning this companies "long history of complaints"?.

The duration calculated to study and prepare for the core portion of an A+ exam is only 30 days...not 120. Not sure where you got that number from but 30-60 days is the maximum duration whereas the warranty they offered you 90-days. Why would their company offer a full package refund if their material were "outdated" as you so claimed?

I bought from this company twice before and I know I had to sign a payment agreement with the refund policy right smack dab in front of me. After I signed, I had to go online and read the same refund policy and click I Agree before I even entered their learning community.

Reading your email it seems to me that you thought you had some sort of evaluation license or something? If this were the case, why would you pay money with your credit card??? I think that you simply had a change of mind and just assumed if you yelled enough, they would through their policies out the window for you.

You never said why you would not just take the exam? Well, you should have taken the exam and if you failed, you would have got your money back from the company...it's the same warranty all of us agreed to. That's how I got my money back the first time (I passed with my second purchase). Would not be fair for you to just get a refund without having to fail the exam like the rest of us.

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