Moseley Real Estate Schools, Inc.

Review: A number of years of ago I purchased for almost $300 the ability to take the Moseley Real Estate Class online - time has gotten away from me and I finally have time to take the course and am being told I only had 6 months to use the course. I did read it was 6 months but I thought it was saying I had 6 months to complete the course after I started, not that I only had 6 months to use or lose the course. When I contacted the company I was told I could pay even more money and they would re-instate my course. I would like to be able to take my course without paying another $150 to a company that has already taken almost $300 of my money. I am not asking for a refund, I just want to be able to take the course I paid for. This is an online course, not classroom.Desired Settlement: I would like to have the ability to take the real estate course without paying an additional $150 for a 60 day extension.

Business

Response:

This email is in response to the complaint that was filed against our school on 8/18/16.The customer originally purchased the course in December 2013 for a discounted price of $186.75 (not the $295 that was originally stated on the complaint). According to our tuition policy, found on our website, the student has 6 months from the date of purchase to complete the course. We do offer extension options for a minimal fee so that, once tuition is expired, a student can continue to complete the course without repaying the full tuition.Our extension options range from $29-$99 (not the $150 price that the customer originally reported). We are happy to offer the customer a 60-day extension as a courtesy for the tuition-period confusion.Hopefully the customer will find this solution satisfactory and can complete her online course during that time.Please let me know if I can provide any further information in regards to our policies or this particular case.Thank you!Sincerely,MaryglennMaryglenn BlanksPresidentMoseley Real Estate Schools

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The information provided you had 6 months to complete the course - my understanding was it was 6 months after you started not 6 months from the purchase date. Apparently that information is buried in their FAQs and not specifically called out, so that is very ambiguous. The offer to allow me to pay more money is ludicrous and very poor business ethics.

Regards,

Review: I made a transaction to purchase a real estate course as of December 31, 2015. I called back to the same number on January 6, 2016 to cancel my enrollment and was told by a representative that I could cancel at any time or have the option to switch to another course if I could not attend the initial class signed up for. I asked to still cancel the class and wpuld mail back the course book as required to receive my refund but I would also call back if I was interested in rescheduling.My reasoning for canceling was due to my schedule and my manager's schedule conflicting and we cannot both be off at the same timing. I called back to the same number today, January 15, 2016 to inquire about my cancellation and inform them of the return of the course book and was told that there was a 10 day return policy which was never disclosed to me so I was advised that a supervisor or manager would return the call. I missed the call and called back; [redacted] the manager of the facility who left me a voice mail message answered stating that she recalls the conversation and that she was the representative who assisted me. [redacted] explained that she recalled the entire conversation and that I stated a conflict of interest with my workplace and that I would call back with my decision in addition to her mentioning having only 10 days for return. I expressed that she did not clarify or specify a return timing and that I did not specify that my reasoning was due to conflict of interest with my job but due to another reasoning which was the scheduling. She restated her statement of her recalling word for word and was not going to argue with me, so I asked if she had a recording to review the call. She responded with a "no". So I expressed that she cannot simply give word for word if the call was not recorded because her recalled statement for my cancellation was incorrect. She then began talking over me and told me to be quiet and listen, so I then asked for her name and ID number and her last name and to speak with another manager above her. She stated she was the only [redacted] and her last name was not needed. She then provided her phone number and I mentioned that she couldnt resolve my issue so I wanted the next person higher and she said the highest person was her and that the next person above was the owner of the business. I then asked for his office number and his first and last name along with her last name again and she stated that her last name was [redacted] and that she could not give out Mr.Moseley's first name but his last name is Moseley. I then asked to speak to [redacted] another supervisor and she stated that [redacted] works for her, she's [redacted] manager. At that point, I asked again if I could have a number to someone higher than her ([redacted]) and she laughed and said no there is not "just me". I explained that her behavior was unacceptable and unprofessional and she then mentioned is the owner of my job available if a customer needed and I stated that "yes", if I cannot reaolve the issue there is a chain of command all the way up to the CEO. She laughed again and stated while continuously speaking over me that she was going to disconnect the call and that there was no one higher than her and to enjoy my day. This was very unprofessional and her statement of my reasoning to cancel was not accurate so Im unsure if I spoke with Ms. [redacted] or not but I know that she did not advise me of the 10 day return for the book nor would I wait to cancel the transaction knowing that it conflicted with scheduling and my workplace in whole. Her demeanor was very inappropriate and unprofessional;showing very poor leadership, customer service, and communication skills. This is no way to treat a customer. This is both a complaint regarding customer service as well as her lack of communication to further inform me of any return policy and not completing my request to cancel the transaction requested.Desired Settlement: I would like for Ms. [redacted] to not only apologize but to also aquire a refund due to misinformation being provided; along with her neglegence to cancel the transaction as first requested on January 6, 2016. Thank you

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon, Ms. [redacted] signed up for our Salesperson Licensing Course on 12/30/15. Her class was set to begin on 1/15/16.When she reached out to the Customer Service Representative on 12/13/15, Ms. [redacted] mentioned a schedule change or possible refund. After listening to the recorded call, she is correct that no mention of our 10-day refund policy was made to her. Although it is written on our website and on our transaction receipts, the representative did fail to verbally communicate it to her on that call.Due to miscommunication during these phone calls, we are happy to refund the cost of the course to her at $379. I apologize to her for any inconvenience the process may have caused, and we hope to provide services to her in the future.Please let me know if I can provide any further information.Sincerely,[redacted]PresidentMoseley Real Estate Schools

Consumer

Response:

I, [redacted] have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

Regards,

Review: I am submitting this complaint about the following business,

Moseley - Dickenson Real Estate School

I paid the full price of 315.00 for a real estate course for my wife [redacted]. The course was advertised on the internet as meeting the full Real Estate Board standards and offered during 7 weeks, two nights a week from 6:15 to 10:00 pm. My wife attended the classes which were taught by the owner of the school ( I think ). Each evening, her class was over at 8:00 pm. Some evenings earlier.

So instead of receiving nearly 4 hours of classroom instruction, she typically received only an average of less than 2 hours of classroom instruction. Bottom line is that what was advertised and paid for in full was not what was received. They offer that you can take the course as many times as you want to pass the exam. It is a waste of my wife's time and my money to take the course over and over again to get the classroom instruction she should have received, that was advertised in the first place.

I have written letters to the school. I was first sent a response that sounded much like a snake oil sales pitch about "50 minute hours" and more "bait and switch" type tactics. Then was told they couldn't speak to me because I wasn't the student. Yet they willingly took my money.

I would like a refund. And for the company to correct their false advertising on the internet.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: Refund

Business

Response:

Our refund policy, which is posted at our place of business and on our website, provides that no refunds are possible once class begins. This is because we have paid for instructors, course materials, etc, and just as there is no way for a student to return the knowledge, there's no way for us to return their tuition.

Our privacy policy provides that we cannot discuss a students account, records, etc. with anyone except the student, unless we have written permission from the student. Over the 23 years that I've run this business (which was started in 1976), we've had instances where an employer paid for an employee's tuition, then half way thru the class fired the employee and then sought a refund, or a boyfriend or girlfriend paid for a course for their partner, there's a break-up, then they want a refund, or a jealous spouse wants to know whether their spouse is actually attending the course...

Both of these policies have been explained to the complainant, no written authorization has ever been presented, so until we receive written authorization from the student, the specifics of his wife's experience with our school are confidential, and we cannot discuss them with either him or the Revdex.com. Further, the fact that we've explained this to him months ago, and still haven't received it, is very disturbing, so I will have to verify directly with the student any authorization we ever do receive, if any.

I think you will find that the above policies are in line with community colleges, trade schools, and others in our field.

-John Dickinson, President

Moseley-Dickinson Academy of Real Estate

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

This is the same "Smoke and Mirrors" response that I have received in previous correspondence with this business.

Bottom line. They took MY money for the class and are hiding behind my wife being the student and a refund policy that does not address the fact that what was offered on their website for class instruction what NOT what was received by my wife.

I certainly understand why they would have such a policy of not refunding money after the class begins. Because if everyone signing up for the class knew ahead of time that the class hours were only going to be less than half of what you were told you were paying for, then no one would pay for it.

The web site advertised that the class was held for 3 hours and 45 minutes. It was 1 1/2 hours or less. Perhaps if the customer was given what was advertised OR you advertise and tell your customer that class is only 1 1/2 hours and not 3 3/4 hours then there would be no compliant here.

This is been dragged on in hopes I will get tired of complaining. I won't. I'll keep complaining to the attorney general and now the real estate commission until I get a refund AND the false advertising is corrected.

[redacted].