Center for Study Abroad

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:I was indeed provided with a confirmation letter and a map, however their use of the term "instructions" is used very looselyThe only instructions I was given in regards to the school were to show my confirmation letter upon check-inI showed the confirmation letter to every person I spoke to when I went to the school and no one I spoke to could tell me what to doI could not find where I was supposed to check inI emailed CSA twice asking for more detailed instructions on what to do and my emails were ignored both timesAs for the third email that I sent on June 1st that CSA has no record of, I sent it on June according to the time zone Paris is inI sent the email early in the morning on June 1st, meaning it would have been May in the pacific time zone when it was delivered to their email accountI don't believe it is good business practice to ignore your customers' questions as soon as they move to a foreign country and would very easily be lost/confused about what to do.And again, I would like to point out that several of the positive reviews for this company that are posted to other websites were clearly written by the same person who responds to their emails, which is also a very shady move.A refund of my tuition to the school might not be possible but part of what I paid went to CSA for the services they provide, services which I feel were not completed by themAnd even if a refund of that money is not possible, I would hope that their Revdex.com grade would be lowered because they are not a trustworthy company.Sincerely, [redacted]

This complaint is silly and ridiculous It is common sense on how to "check-in" and where CSA confirmation documents clearly tells students where to check-in This student is the "only" student in over years that has had any difficulty in knowing how to check-in Again, this complaint is not valid....and should not be accepted by the Revdex.com

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: CSA makes several claims that are contradicting what I was told by them when I signed up for the programI wanted to pay CSA directly and they said that was a service they offered so I would not have to send money overseasNow they say I have to pay the program in the other country directlyI wanted the specific program in Floripa that they advertised then when the program in Floripa said they do not even work with CSA other programs were suggested but I wanted the program in Floripa as advertised they were unable to deliver that service CSA told me to get a tourist visa as student visas were more complicatedThe school in Floripa then told me they do not let anyone study there on a tourist visaBy this ***e I had already logged the tourist visa and it was too late to make a change The school in Floripa was only willing to accept me if I was on a student visaThis was impossible because CSA advised me to get a tourist visaThe school in Floripa also says they do not work with CSA at allThe school said the no money should be paid to CSA for any of the school's services CSA did not provide adequate service to get me into the program they advertised in FloripaI should be entitled to a full refundThe new direct service they are offing maybe good but this service was not available when I was trying to enrollI used CSA so I would not have to deal with enrollment problemsThe expedience was very bad and they did not provide an adequate serviceNow they still have dollars that I paid them and they do not want to refund the moneyThey did not provide me with any constructive service at all [redacted]

This complaint is NOT valid CSA serviced this customer Customer was confirmed in the Tokyo program, but the customer then failed to pay the balance due by July 17thStaff in Tokyo could not keep her confirmed in the program without the balance payment by the due dateCustomer was canceled by the Tokyo staff due to no balance payment Balance payment is required by the Tokyo office in order to arrange (book) activities, excursions, and housing for the customer This policy is clearly explained in the CSA docs, and the docs sent from the Tokyo office...to the customer in advanceCustomer paid CSA a deposit of $This deposit is the "confirmation deposit" that is used to register and confirm the customer in the programAgain, customer was confirmed, but she failed to pay the balance payment to keep her confirmation "valid"CSA staff serviced the customers registration and confirmation.....services were "rendered" (provided) CSA staff spent much time and effort in providing our services, and we even worked with her funding source ( [redacted] ) and completed additional paper-work to get her funding approved But at the end, she was not able to pay the balance by the due dateThus, she was canceled by the Tokyo office CSA does not control the staff in Tokyo, for our vendor school in Tokyo controls the program and student bookings....and they also communicated with the CSA customerOverall, this is not a valid complaint CSA serviced the customer But the customer fails to accept responsibility for not paying the balance by the due date CSA can not refund the deposit, for it was used to confirm her in the Tokyo program Services were "rendered" (provided) by the CSA and Tokyo staffIn addition, CSA tried to locate another suitable program for her CSA staff spent additional (not required) time and effort to try and get her in another program But most other programs were booked....except an option in Kyoto, whereby we asked our Kyoto contact to email the CSA customer and provide a suitable program for the dates she needed We gave the customer the contact info for the Kyoto liason.....and asked her to book a program directly with the Kyoto contact person But she decided not to do this...and file a non-valid complaint instead Ridiculous.......CSA tried to resolve the issue with the customer.....but she failed to understand that services were provided.....and she has too accept personal responsibility for her inability to make the balance payment-------------

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: I was instructed by the program in Brazil that I must obtain a student VISAThis contradicted my instructions by CSA to get a tourist VISABy the time I was instructed to get a student VISA it was too late to get one and the tourist VISA was already lodgedI was instructed incorrectly by CSA to get the wrong VISA this is why I was unable to continue the enrollment process Then the school in Brazil told me they did not even work with CSA and would not accept any students through their companyCSA mislead me to think they had a relationship with the school in Brazil and could provide the services for enrollment to the school in Florianopolis Sincerely, [redacted]

This complaint is NOT validCSA is a direct placement agency for many study abroad programs worldwide CSA works with many schools and universities worldwide, recruiting students for them as well as providing additional services CSA works with the schools to set prices, to cover both the school and CSA expenses Prices are set in U.Sdollars to cover expenses, as well as hedge against foreign currency ***ges.....for we pay the school in their own currency, and we have to protect ourselves from any significant ***ges.....and we also take the risk of the USA dollar losing value against the currency This customer does not understand the expenses of running an agency business CSA is a licensed business, and program fees must cover our expenses as best as possibleMOst of the time, we incur losses...due to rising costs of doing business, including a losing USA dollar value This customer is fully confirmed in the Tokyo program he registered for The Tokyo office (school) has already confirmed in the program Customer contracted CSA services to provide his "study abroad confirmation" in the program Services were already provided (rendered) by CSA......and we still have them confirmed in the program with the Tokyo office The Tokyo office and CSA have an agreement, that CSA recruits students for them....and we charge what we need to in USA dollars to cover our end This is how the relationship works If CSA has no margin, then the customer will most likely never know about the program....and the school does not receive students....and the program closes down Customer would have no choice but to join another....more expensive...program provider in the USA Overall, the customer does not understand that the cost of "services" can vary depending on the provider There is no such thing as "same price" for everyone....for the same program Similar example would be air-tickets....people pay different prices for the same ticket in coach class or even more in business or first class Again, the customer has no valid complaintThey contracted CSA when they registered, and agreed to the program price in US dollars Services have been rendered, and the customer is obligated to pay the CSA price

CSA serviced this customer - *** *** - for a program in Brazil The staff in Brazil wanted *** to provide additional info directly to them, as well as pay the program fee in Brazilian currency CSA provided *** with the direct contact information and instructions.
*** was accepted into the program....he needed only to communicate with the staff in Brazil
CSA sent *** a 50% refund of his deposit.....and the remaining deposit of $was used to cover the expenses of confirming him in the program and providing him with the contact info CSA staff spent much ***e and effort emailing the Brazil staff, and this is what the deposit is used for. *** chose not to continue his applicationand canceled from the program.
The CSA accounting office has agreed to give *** an additional refund of $USD.....which will be mailed to his address in Butte, MT......by the end of January The remaining $has to be used to help cover the "registration process" with the Brazil staff Again, *** canceled his application.....after receiving all the direct contact info......and after CSA secured his admission, he only needed to communicate with the Brazil office and send payment directly to Brazil.
Overall, we believe this is a fair resolution.
----------------
Sincerely,
CSA Staff

Hello ***.....CSA assisted you the best we could....even suggested other programs to go on....such as FAAP Sao Paulo.....which we could have helped you with if you pursued it Many students study in Brazil on a "short term tourist visa.....such as Portuguese language programs in various locations CSA does not have any control over the "visa process".....that is under the Embassy jurisdiction Also, the school in Brazil was willing to accept you.....but they wanted you to pay the tuition directly to them by wire transfer.....which is fine with CSA Overall, we refunded you most of the deposit.....but we need to cover some of the ***e that staff spent with you and the school in Brazil.
CSA will soon offer a new service to everybody.......and when done by mid-February......we will email you a "Direct School Packet" for FREE that you can use to help plan your next study abroad venture......the packet is full of information and web links that you can easily use.
If you have not received this resource packet by mid-Feb.....email us.
---------
Philip V***
CSA Staff

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:Sincerely,*** ***

This complaint is not valid ! CSA customer - *** *** - was confirmed to attend the French Language course at the Sorbonne, starting June 1st CSA provided him with his confirmation letter, instructions on arrival che(& map), as well as housing web links to book his housing
All confirmed students are supposed to show their "Admission Letter" when they check-in......it is possible *** did not do this, and it caused some confusion at first upon check-in CSA accounting sent full payment to their Sorbonne office to pay for his course, so a refund is not possible from CSA Also, we do not have any record of an email he sent dated June 1st....about cheproblems Again, this complaint is not valid, for CSA provided everything he needed It was his responsibility to cheand show his admission letter Also, all students are responsible to attend the program, or forfeit their tuition payment. ------------

This complaint doe snot make any sense....not valid.   CSA customer - [redacted] registered with CSA to attend programs in France...for 2018 summer......then changed programs a couple of times.....and recently in March changed to Spain (Alicante).....still attending in 2018. In an email...

letter to [redacted], dated March 10th, CSA informs him that confirmation documents will be sent in March, 2018.   His balance due ($1355) by May 2nd, 2018. CSA doe snot have any written record (email) from [redacted].....cancelling his Registration to attend the Alicante, Spain program in September, 2018. So this complaint is a surprise to us, and we feel that it is not justified. This complaint should be deleted, and not used against CSA. [redacted] should email us directly if he wants to cancel. -------------Sincerely,Philip V[redacted]Executive Director

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:  as Agents for foreing schools, the fee should be the same as if booking directly with the school. Agents should not overcharge the price for the school (in this case over 30% the price in the Tokyo Insitute). Since CSA present the case of Airfares, let´s point that it is exactly the same price booking directly with the airline, than booking throught travel Agencies, and sometimes even better since they are wholesalers, but ever more expensive.
On the other side, there are no "additional services ", that may worth that extra cost, than the same services provided by the school.
I feel with the social responsablily to make a public and visible complaint, to avoid more naive people to hire CSA´s services.  Even in the case, this Bureau defines from a legal point of view, that I will loose my deposit, from the moral side it is unfair, and will share as much as I can my experience. Satisfied customers are the best advertising for a bussines, and I´m definitely not satisfied with CSA services.
Sincerely,[redacted]

This complaint is NOT valid. CSA is a direct placement agency for many study abroad programs worldwide.  CSA works with many schools and universities worldwide, recruiting students for them as well as providing additional services.  CSA works with the schools to set prices, to cover both...

the school and CSA expenses.  Prices are set in U.S. dollars to cover expenses, as well as hedge against foreign currency [redacted]ges.....for we pay the school in their own currency, and we have to protect ourselves from any significant [redacted]ges.....and we also take the risk of the USA dollar losing value against the currency. 
This customer does not understand the expenses of running an agency business.  CSA is a licensed business, and program fees must cover our expenses as best as possible. MOst of the time, we incur losses...due to rising costs of doing business, including a losing USA dollar value.
This customer is fully confirmed in the Tokyo program he registered for.  The Tokyo office (school) has already confirmed in the program.  Customer contracted CSA services to provide his "study abroad confirmation" in the program.  Services were already provided (rendered) by CSA......and we still have them confirmed in the program with the Tokyo office.
The Tokyo office and CSA have an agreement, that CSA recruits students for them....and we charge what we need to in USA dollars to cover our end.  This is how the relationship works.  If CSA has no margin, then the customer will most likely never know about the program....and the school does not receive students....and the program closes down.  Customer would have no choice but to join another....more expensive...program provider in the USA. 
Overall, the customer does not understand that the cost of "services" can vary depending on the provider.  There is no such thing as "same price" for everyone....for the same program.  Similar example would be air-tickets....people pay different prices for the same ticket in coach class or even more in business or first class. 
Again, the customer has no valid complaint. They contracted CSA when they registered, and agreed to the program price in US dollars.  Services have been rendered, and the customer is obligated to pay the CSA price.

This complaint is silly and ridiculous.  It is common sense on how to "check-in" and where.  CSA confirmation documents clearly tells students where to check-in.  This student is the "only" student in over 20 years that has had any difficulty in knowing how to check-in.  Again, this complaint is not valid....and should not be accepted by the Revdex.com.

This complaint is NOT valid.  CSA serviced this customer.  Customer was confirmed in the Tokyo program, but the customer then failed to pay the balance due by July 17th. Staff in Tokyo could not keep her confirmed in the program without the balance payment by the due date. Customer was...

canceled by the Tokyo staff due to no balance payment.  Balance payment is required by the Tokyo office in order to arrange (book) activities, excursions, and housing for the customer.  This policy is clearly explained in the CSA docs, and the docs sent from the Tokyo office...to the customer in advance. Customer paid CSA a deposit of $500. This deposit is the "confirmation deposit" that is used to register and confirm the customer in the program. Again, customer was confirmed, but she failed to pay the balance payment to keep her confirmation "valid". CSA staff serviced the customers registration and confirmation.....services were "rendered" (provided).  CSA staff spent much time and effort in providing our services, and we even worked with her funding source ([redacted]) and completed additional paper-work to get her funding approved.  But at the end, she was not able to pay the balance by the due date. Thus, she was canceled by the Tokyo office.  CSA does not control the staff in Tokyo, for our vendor school in Tokyo controls the program and student bookings....and they also communicated with the CSA customer. Overall, this is not a valid complaint.  CSA serviced the customer.  But the customer fails to accept responsibility for not paying the balance by the due date.  CSA can not refund the deposit, for it was used to confirm her in the Tokyo program.  Services were "rendered" (provided) by the CSA and Tokyo staff. In addition, CSA tried to locate another suitable program for her.  CSA staff spent additional (not required) time and effort to try and get her in another program.  But most other programs were booked....except an option in Kyoto, whereby we asked our Kyoto contact to email the CSA customer and provide a suitable program for the dates she needed.  We gave the customer the contact info for the Kyoto liason.....and asked her to book a program directly with the Kyoto contact person.  But she decided not to do this...and file a non-valid complaint instead.  Ridiculous.......CSA tried to resolve the issue with the customer.....but she failed to understand that services were provided.....and she has too accept personal responsibility for her inability to make the balance payment. -------------

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
I was instructed by the program in Brazil that I must obtain a student VISA. This contradicted my instructions by CSA to get a tourist VISA. By the time I was instructed to get a student VISA it was too late to get one and the tourist VISA was already lodged. I was instructed incorrectly by CSA to get the wrong VISA this is why I was unable to continue the enrollment process. 
Then the school in Brazil told me they did not even work with CSA and would not accept any students through their company. CSA mislead me to think they had a relationship with the school in Brazil and could provide the services for enrollment to the school in Florianopolis. 
Sincerely,[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I was indeed provided with a confirmation letter and a map, however their use of the term "instructions" is used very loosely. The only instructions I was given in regards to the school were to show my confirmation letter upon check-in. I showed the confirmation letter to every person I spoke to when I went to the school and no one I spoke to could tell me what to do. I could not find where I was supposed to check in. I emailed CSA twice asking for more detailed instructions on what to do and my emails were ignored both times. As for the third email that I sent on June 1st that CSA has no record of, I sent it on June 1 according to the time zone Paris is in. I sent the email early in the morning on June 1st, meaning it would have been May 31 in the pacific time zone when it was delivered to their email account. I don't believe it is good business practice to ignore your customers' questions as soon as they move to a foreign country and would very easily be lost/confused about what to do.And again, I would like to point out that several of the positive reviews for this company that are posted to other websites were clearly written by the same person who responds to their emails, which is also a very shady move.A refund of my tuition to the school might not be possible but part of what I paid went to CSA for the services they provide, services which I feel were not completed by them. And even if a refund of that money is not possible, I would hope that their Revdex.com grade would be lowered because they are not a trustworthy company.Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
CSA makes several claims that are contradicting what I was told by them when I signed up for the program. I wanted to pay CSA directly and they said that was a service they offered so I would not have to send money overseas. Now they say I have to pay the program in the other country directly. I wanted the specific program in Floripa that they advertised then when the program in Floripa said they do not even work with CSA other programs were suggested but I wanted the program in Floripa as advertised they were unable to deliver that service.
CSA told me to get a tourist visa as student visas were more complicated. The school in Floripa then told me they do not let anyone study there on a tourist visa. By this [redacted]e I had already logged the tourist visa and it was too late to make a change.
The school in Floripa was only willing to accept me if I was on a student visa. This was impossible because CSA advised me to get a tourist visa. The school in Floripa also says they do not work with CSA at all. The school said the no money should be paid to CSA for any of the school's services.
CSA did not provide adequate service to get me into the program they advertised in Floripa. I should be entitled to a full refund. The new direct service they are offing maybe good but this service was not available when I was trying to enroll. I used CSA so I would not have to deal with enrollment problems. The expedience was very bad and they did not provide an adequate service. Now they still have 285 dollars that I paid them and they do not want to refund the money. They did not provide me with any constructive service at all.
[redacted]