Charm School, Inc.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
At this time, I have not been contacted by Charm School, Inc. regarding complaint...

ID [redacted].  I have attempted to obtain a refund, but to no avail.  This company is fraudulent, and I need to obtain assistance in receiving a $2,600 refund for a training program that wasn't completed, nor was the contract honored.  
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: I signed up with Charm School, Inc., in February of this year to become an Etiquette consultant with a fraudulent company whose owner lied and told me that she was just an instructor. She neglected to tell me that she was the owner and the only instructor since the inception of the company. She lied and told me that 2 [redacted] men owned the company. Then she told me that the "board" rented a building for us to operate out of and had me waiting to get my certificate while using me to help her instruct classes, rent vehicles and drive out of town for events (and pay for those events). I kept asking about my certificate and when I was going to start getting clients. Then, the owner, who was STILL pretending to be just an instructor, told me that I owed over $500. I told her that I paid the last installment that she asked me to pay and that I was starting to feel scammed. Then, she sent me a "corrected" invoice with charges that I never signed paperwork to pay. I only owed her $134 once I reviewed the invoice. And that was only because she asked me for a final payment of $540, and realized that it was the wrong payment amount. I expressed to her that I was feeling scammed and asked when I was going to get my certificate. She did not like the messages that I sent her about how I felt, so she called me yelling at me telling me that I was fired. Well, she never hired me, she never provided my training certificate to me, she never did tax papers on me or anything. I asked her for my money back or for us to sit down and discuss what is going on, and she ignored me. I realized that she is a fraud and has been taking money from people for years and never hiring them. She has been the only instructor and never intended on hiring anyone else. She also lies about being the owner. Since this happened, I have researched her and found out that she is fund raising for $75,000 in order to do a laundry list of things with her NPO, to include hiring new instructors and renting a building space (which she told me was already rented by the "Board"). I asked her how she took my money for training as an etiquette consultant when she has nothing to offer me because she can't pay me. And she did not respond again. She has lied repeatedly. In her article, she refers to "We'. There is no we, only her. She is the owner and the only teacher. She is running a scam and being dishonest with the public and needs to be stopped. I am not sure how many people she has done this to, but she must be stopped. She is now trying to collect $75,000 from the public for this scam of a business for which only she is allowed to rate. She has rated herself on other sites and her own site, which is riddled with lies and false pictures that she has cut and pasted on her website. She is a fraud, her company is a scam, and the public MUST be told. I have rented vehicles for her, driven the van that I rented for her, taught and assisted in trips and classes for free for her because she said that I had to "shadow" before being assigned clients, and now it has been 8 months and she still has not provided my certificate, nor officially referred any clients to me (nor has she officially hired me, but fired me!!!!).Desired Settlement: I would like to get my $2,600 back from her company. She has failed to attempt to work this out with me, has ignored me and kept my money without providing a certification. She lied to me and is unethical in her business practices. I would also like the public to know what she is doing. Living above her means on working people's dollars for all of these years and falsely rating herself. This is a travesty to say the least.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

At this time, I have not been contacted by Charm School, Inc. regarding complaint ID [redacted]. I have attempted to obtain a refund, but to no avail. This company is fraudulent, and I need to obtain assistance in receiving a $2,600 refund for a training program that wasn't completed, nor was the contract honored.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],We adamantly refute these allegations as demonstrated from the facts presented herein. This company is and always has been a reputable company. We have maintained the highest degree of credibility and integrity in our business affairs. Some people do not know how to recognize their blessings nor analyze the blessing of others. Charm School has been a blessing to 100’s of satisfied customers. We deliver on our promise to provide impeccable training and exposure to various industries. We make dreams come true!The FactsThis is the first instance in the history of this firm that a complaint has ever been brought against this firm. This client is the first & only client who has ever filed a complaint with the Revdex.com.This client expressed interest in our services and indicated that she performed her research on our company practices, prices, in relation to other competitors. [redacted] had many issues fulfilling her agreed upon payments. Because of her financial circumstances we arranged extensions on her payments, She is the first client we offered such an extended specialized arrangement in order to receive our services. Since being in business, we have served 100’s of satisfied clients. She is the first disgruntled client we are aware of[redacted] received more value added training opportunities than most. Over and above those included within her training package. She enjoyed being involved with the company so much so that she asked to be involved in company related meetings and volunteered to participate in and pay for several out of town activities,Having shadowed the Executive Director in a number of worthwhile learning experiences, she was thrilled, excited and eager to fast track her trainings. As promised, we completed offering services to her although she still owes an outstanding balance, her certificate was mailed.The company is managed by professional advisors and consultants who are specialists within their fields of endeavor. Our record is unblemished and we hold true to our standards of fair and ethical business practices with integrity.Her misconceptions of the company are the premise for these allegations. In part, [redacted]" had difficulty distinguishing our contractual agreement from the friendship she once had with the Executive Director-inadvertently thinking that the friendship would entitle her to extra privileges, price discounts, etc. So much so, that she thought she could sway the Training Director into partnering with her own business concern. When taking a tour of the new building space [redacted] stated:“we don't need a building” we can do this consulting on our own together. I will find restaurants and hotels we can operate from".When she discovered that she was inviting the Executive director to team with her instead of continuing with her original plans to become a consultant with Charm School – she revealed to us her intention to break away from the company prior to completing her contractual - no compete agreements. Essentially, she entangled herself and became frustrated with her own mess-up.Prior to this complaint, we did attempt to have a professional dialogue with her but her repeated texts, emails, & phone calls, Further in retrospection, her screaming in front of the students on the van at the parking attendant in New York, her excessive drinking, patronizing bars, to say the least, demonstrated to us that she was not the caliber contractor we want associated with our company,Response to Complaint.1. Charm School contracted [redacted] to become and etiquette trainer/independentcontractor on March 15, 2014 (see: please attachments) 2. She received a plethora of trainings in accordance with her agreement (attached) 3. Her agreement called for (3-5) day training timeframe. Instead we went the extra mile to help her live up to her financial payment plan by offering her extended meetings, trainings, over a period of months, per her request. 4. She frequently complained of being a single mom with a daughter in college and not having the funds. Again, we went the extra mile to stretch her payments out. We have never done this for any client other than [redacted]. Yet she is trying to demise us.5. This customer did receive her certificate and acknowledged receipt via certified mail on October 16, 2014 6. Upon receipt of her certificate, she was notified to return all company property including company business cards to avoid breaching any competitive covenants. To date she has not returned any company property. 7. Initially we brought her on board to help cover the MD market, instead she moved to VA. This move jeopardized her ability to fulfill her contractual agreement. We were reviewing business opportunities in MD and DC, she wanted to do business in VA, this was not a part of the plan.8. Completing her etiquette training program was essential to growing our company, meeting our client base. Instead her breaking away breached her agreement. 9. When she informed us that she allegedly contacted our movie industry client without permission or instructions, she again breached her contract with Charm School, Inc. 10. She is requesting a refund. Her agreement clearly States – There are no refunds.We ask that the Revdex.com dismiss this complaint and instruct [redacted] to:a. Cease and desist all derogatory efforts to demise this reputable company to remove all negative publicity from all sources,b. Return all company propertyc. Notify us of the name of her company when it becomes establishedThanking you in advance for your assistance given this important matter.Sincerely,Cheryl HExecutive Director