GeoVisions Foundation, Inc.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Since the customer filed this, we have been in touch frequently.  It is clear to the customer:1.  The program she signed up for will be either cancelled on March 31 and she will receive a full refund of the entire amount she has paid, per our Terms and Conditions.2.  The program...

she signed up for will run and the customer would like to participate on the program with GeoVisions and she has agreed to do so. We continue to communicate with one another.  In my recent communications with the customer, she is happy and understands that if we cancel, according to the Terms and Conditions she will receive a full refund and if the program does run, she has decided to participate with us and we are very happy to have her. [redacted]Executive Director

I paid a fee to GeoVisions for three months of their Tutor a Family in English program in France. GeoVisions did not admit to me beforehand that they couldn't place me. Instead they cashed my check and they persuaded a family who was last on their list and who did not want me, to give it a try. Unfortunately it was bad from the get go. When GeoVisions was contacted by me they had no viable alternatives for me and I had little choice but to leave the program after completing only one month of the three. In hindsight I wish I would have pressed GeoVisions and not been as flexible as I was in accepting their choice. I got a bit caught up in the hype and marketing that often accompanies travel. GeoVisions was very disappointing.

Review: I applied to GeoVisions in the Spring 2013 to be an Au Pair in Italy in October 2013. The company took a very long time finding a family for me but they did find a family within the amount of time that they needed to in their contract. Unfortunately, that gave me no time to get things worked out at my current job to get a leave of absence in order or to find another position. I asked GeoVisions to delay my start date to June 2014 and they told me no and that I would not get a refund either. In the contract that I signed, it states: If you find you cannot go at the time you originally planned, you can easily change your date for a $100 change fee. You can also put your file on hold for up to one year and use your initial payments at that time. Current program fees at the time of reinstatement will apply.No where in my contract does it say that if I sign a contract with a family, that I cannot delay my start date.Desired Settlement: I would like for GeoVisions to delay my Au Pair position to June 2014. I understand that I will not get a refund but I still very much want to be an Au Pair. I just cannot go at this time since I will be terminating my current job if I leave for Italy. Since I am a teacher and have the summers off, I would highly prefer that I delay the start date to June when school is not in session.

Business

Response:

[redacted]i applied May 15, 2013 to be an au pair and to be placed with a host family in Italy for arrival October 1, 2013. We received her documents (except for her Medical Statement) on June 5th.

Review: Geovisions took $1999 from me in exchange for services that were not provided. You can read on their website what fees are for but the most important line item is the Non immigrant B visa support. Without a visa you cant enter the country so it kills the whole program. I applied in December and chose my intake date for March 31. Nowhere during the process did Geovisions say this wouldnt be enough time to obtain a visa. Whats strange is Geovisions has been in business since 2001 and had to know how long the process could take. After submitting my documentation they requested by January 1 Geovisions requested a down payment. The next 5 weeks I received little support and communication from Geovisions. I called/emailed to see why it was taking so long but got vague replies. One reply, the process normally takes 60 days to get approved and were trying to get you done in 2 weeks. So if this is the case, and it took them 5 weeks not 2, then why not move my intake date back? That could allow time to get a work visa application approved (takes 6-8 weeks). February 6th Geovisions sent me the visa support documentation only after I pushed for it. I had everything sent to the embassy by February 11th, next day postage. I rushed as fast as I could knowing Geovisions hadnt done any favors getting this to me so late. This is important because when I asked how long does it take or do I have all the right documents theyd just direct me to the embassy website, or passed off to some guy named [redacted] who told me not to worry, the embassy would contact me if there were any issues. Geovisions charges me $1999 and explains one of the items that fee will cover, and arguably the most important, is Non immigrant B visa support. I dont get a visa in time to leave because they were late getting me the support documents and now they only offer to refund 20% minus the $700 down payment because they are trying to make it look like Im canceling. Im not canceling; I simply told them I cant go, I have no visa!Desired Settlement: Flight is scheduled to leave in a week and I have no visa and passport! (you have to submit your passport to the embassy when applying for the visa) Do they expect me to quit my job and move out of my apartment on the off chance the visa is approved and all my documentation is mailed back to me by next week? They dont understand how one little mishap could adversely affect someones entire life. I'm only asking them to refund me $1299, they can keep the $700 deposit. This is fair.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com

[redacted], ID [redacted]

April 24, 2014

[redacted] states that he did not have enough time to obtain his Non-Immigrant B visa. The program start date was March 31. I sent [redacted], and all my other applicants for this start date, support documents on February 6, 2014. The difference in days between the date I provided his documents to when he was going on program is 53 days, 7 ½ weeks. Which is more than adequate time. I have never had an issue with any other participants with this time frame. I asked [redacted] when he applied for the visa and I did not receive a response. At no point did [redacted] reach out to me to state he was having an issue. I was not given the opportunity to assist him, which I could have resolved had he given me the opportunity . At the end of my emails I state “If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.” All the other participants received their visas without issue. Even those who applied later and received their support documents later. I even provided him with contact information of [redacted], my partner in Thailand, to review the process. [redacted] and I work hand in hand with all placements. So [redacted] was not ”passed off to some guy” as he states in his letter, rather was being given added support as he would be working with [redacted] in Thailand.

In regards to his accusation that he “received little or no support” I have documentation stating otherwise. And phone call logs as well. Throughout the process I was in touch with [redacted] to provide him with feedback about the documents he submitted. There is nowhere in our history where I state we needed 60 days. There are times I have placed participants successfully in less than 30 days. On January 17 I did inform him that my partner had received his documents and I was waiting on final confirmation, which I received over the first weekend of February. So it took 2 weeks for the confirmation, which is not uncommon. [redacted] emailed me over the weekend and I saw the confirmation from my partner upon arriving at work on February 3 and quickly confirmed him.

It was on March 6 that I learned [redacted] would not be participating in the program. I sent out an email introducing the teachers to one another. This is the response I received from [redacted]:

“I will not be going. This is the first I've heard from anyone in a month and I have not quit my job because of so much uncertainty. No one has reached out to me and I'm expected to leave the country for a year with no documentation? I have not received my visa which was submitted 4 weeks ago or any response from anyone and the embassy must still have my passport, but I haven't heard anything. I am in no way prepared to leave in 15 days. I haven't given my landlord notice either because again, I have no passport or visa or anyone communicating with me on these things. I started to get everything arranged but this simply isn't going to work under the time constraints. I understand if you keep the initial 700 deposit, but the remainder of the payment I expect to be refunded.”

He also added on the phone with me that he is “risk adversive.” This is more of an issue with [redacted] than with GeoVisions. I offered him his refund of $324.75 as agreed upon in the Terms & Conditions he signed.

I am happy to provide you with all of our email communications to show how much support [redacted] received, how not “vague” my communication was, and how [redacted] failed to follow through.

Waremst regards,