American Board of Opticianry

October 10, Dear *** ***:
We are in receipt of your correspondence sent on October 1, related to *** *** ** ***I serve as General Counsel and Executive Director for the American Board of Opticianry & National Contact Lens ExaminersIn addition to the
attached information form related to ABO & NCLE, please allow this correspondence to serve as the response of ABO & NCLE to the complaint filed by *** ***.When an examination applicant, such as *** ***, registers for an upcoming examination, ABO & NCLE incurs substantial non-refundable expenses from a variety of third parties, including, but not limited to, the actual on-site testing agency, as well as the computer-based exam delivery agencyBecause of the substantial expenses incurred by ABO & NCLE upon registration, ABO & NCLE have prominently identified, throughout the registration site, as well as the e-mail communications provided to the examination applicant, notification that the registration fees are non-refundableThe ABO & NCLE Examination Registration process is set up so that *** *** could not complete the registration without confirming his understanding of the policy related to refunds, and the fact that, while he would be allowed a one-time transfer to a different testing period, he would not be able to obtain a refund of his registration feesFinally, *** *** makes assertions related to ABO & NCLE taking registration fees at the time of the actual examinationHowever, as I am sure that you are aware, it is impossible for a testing company such as ABO & NCLE to secure testing facilities, and test delivery mechanisms, as well as verifying capability of sitting for an exam, (i.e., state licensing requirements, disciplinary matters, etc.) absent advance registrationIn fact, in investigating this complaint, we are unaware of any professional credentialing organization that allows registrants to withhold payment until the date of testing, or that allow for refunds in the event that the registrant simply decides not to sit for the examination without any qualifying medical issue or other extenuating circumstanceIn closing, ABO & NCLE incur expenses associated with each and every examination applicantThe applicant acknowledges that refunds are not provided, and is made fully aware of the option of transferring to another testing time period in the event of an issue related to the specified testing dates*** *** knew of the costs associated with this examination, acknowledged the policies of ABO & NCLE, and his complaint related to the policies is simply without meritIf there are any additional questions or issues that you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact ***, or at the address listed aboveThank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
James M. General Counsel & ExecDir

Review: ABO requires customers to prepay for testing services and the cost of the test depends on how early you pay for it. My complaint is their refusal to refund the test price for any reason. After registering for their test I received a job offer in an unrelated field. I now have no use for an ABO certification, and scheduling a day off a new job to go get a certification in another field would not make any sense. If payment was collected at the time of the test this situation would never have occurred. It was still more than two weeks before the test date when I first asked for a refund but they insisted no refunds will be given. When a company makes someone pay for a service at least a month early and refuses any type of refund I can't help but think they are trying to take advantage of the fact that peoples lives/plans are always going to change. Who or what gives them the right to keep someones money when no product or service has been provided.Desired Settlement: Complete refund of $300.00.

Business

Response:

October 10, 2014Dear [redacted]:We are in receipt of your correspondence sent on October 1, 2014 related to [redacted]. I serve as General Counsel and Executive Director for the American Board of Opticianry & National Contact Lens Examiners. In addition to the attached information form related to ABO & NCLE, please allow this correspondence to serve as the response of ABO & NCLE to the complaint filed by [redacted].When an examination applicant, such as [redacted], registers for an upcoming examination, ABO & NCLE incurs substantial non-refundable expenses from a variety of third parties, including, but not limited to, the actual on-site testing agency, as well as the computer-based exam delivery agency. Because of the substantial expenses incurred by ABO & NCLE upon registration, ABO & NCLE have prominently identified, throughout the registration site, as well as the e-mail communications provided to the examination applicant, notification that the registration fees are non-refundable. The ABO & NCLE Examination Registration process is set up so that [redacted] could not complete the registration without confirming his understanding of the policy related to refunds, and the fact that, while he would be allowed a one-time transfer to a different testing period, he would not be able to obtain a refund of his registration fees.Finally, [redacted] makes assertions related to ABO & NCLE taking registration fees at the time of the actual examination. However, as I am sure that you are aware, it is impossible for a testing company such as ABO & NCLE to secure testing facilities, and test delivery mechanisms, as well as verifying capability of sitting for an exam, (i.e., state licensing requirements, disciplinary matters, etc.) absent advance registration. In fact, in investigating this complaint, we are unaware of any professional credentialing organization that allows registrants to withhold payment until the date of testing, or that allow for refunds in the event that the registrant simply decides not to sit for the examination without any qualifying medical issue or other extenuating circumstance.In closing, ABO & NCLE incur expenses associated with each and every examination applicant. The applicant acknowledges that refunds are not provided, and is made fully aware of the option of transferring to another testing time period in the event of an issue related to the specified testing dates. [redacted] knew of the costs associated with this examination, acknowledged the policies of ABO & NCLE, and his complaint related to the policies is simply without merit. If there are any additional questions or issues that you would like to discuss, please feel free to contact [redacted], or at the address listed above. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely,James M. General Counsel & Exec. Dir.