Envision EMI

Review: Our son was registered to attend a conference in March of 2014. The fee for this conference was $1595.00. We paid this fee on November 5, 2013 via credit card (receipt attached), Due to a scheduling issue, we had to defer our enrollment to the conference date which was for March 2015. We received an email verification that our transfer was processed and approved on March 10, 2014 (email is attached).

On October 16, 2014, we contacted via email to confirm our attendance for the March 2015 conference. We received a reply on October 16, 2014 from Mandia Y[redacted], Admissions Adviser, that our transfer was in fact not processed contrary to the prior notification. Ms. Y[redacted] advised us that she was working on the transfer and that she would prepare a new transfer. On October 17, 2014, Ms. Y[redacted] emailed us that the transfer was being prepared and that we would be notified upon completion. We never received a notification.

On

February 12, 2015 I called the Envision office to inquire about the status of the enrollment. I spoke to Whitney P[redacted], another admissions adviser, who notified us that no transfer was ever processed and our son was not enrolled. At that point, we requested a refund of our $1595 fee which Ms. P[redacted] verbally agreed to do. When we did not receive our refund, we contacted Ms. P[redacted] on February 25, 2015 and again on February 27, 2015. We received a response on March 2, 2015 stating that we would be contacted shortly regarding the status of our refund.

When we received no response, we telephoned the office on March 3, 2015 and spoke to Ms. P[redacted]'s supervisor who said we would not receive a refund and offered us a conference in April of during the summer. The dates offered were not feasible for us from a schedule perspective.Desired Settlement: We would like the company to honor its commitment and refund us our fee of $1595. As you can see from the attached emails, we were lead to believe multiple times that our admissions were in fact confirmed when they were in fact not. We made every effort to attend this conference and were misled several times. There has been no service rendered for the fees that have been paid and expect our funds to be returned.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern,

Review: As an educator who has been approached to recommend students to attend your programs I was shocked and appalled by last night's news story and the familiar face on the screen[redacted] World News Tonight with [redacted] featured the story (link below) and listed the person as "Jane W[redacted]" then interviewed her on camera and profiled her as a mother with two kids and an entrepreneurI recognized her from the [redacted] program as one of the staff who runs the [redacted] program in various locations
Growing the Pot Industry: A Test of American Business Ingenuity
Amy D[redacted] is the registered owner of the Jane W[redacted] company and current employee of [redacted]Of particular interest is MsD[redacted]'s position with [redacted]; SrManager of the company's MED program which caters to high school students exploring the medical fieldMsD[redacted]'s involvement in educational programs for high school students, her personal involvement with a marijuana catering company and the legalization of marijuana certainly raise questions about her involvement with the education of youth and potential influence on young mindsIt definitely raises doubts about the validity of this company and the educational programs run by employees such as MsD[redacted]
After doing some initial research I found that MsD[redacted] is the owner of the Jane W[redacted] company which was featured on [redacted] news and again on the C[redacted] documentary, "Marijuana in America" or "Colorado Pot Rush"On the news program she admits to being a regular pot smoker and even goes so far as to smoke on cameraAt one point MsD[redacted]'s mother is profiled as a pot user as well and seems to celebrate the drugIf MsD[redacted] has been known to use these kinds of drugs and been allowed to be around children I can never support [redacted]'s programs in the futureI am bringing this news story to the attention to parents and administrators in my school district and will encourage them to investigate all of Envision's staff and policies because this speaks to the care and and well-being of children attending these programsIf this is the example of the staff hired to oversee children [redacted] should close its doors immediately and loose it's ability to advertise these programs to parents and administrators
Relevant Links:
[redacted]Desired Settlement: I would like for Envision EMI to explain the justification for keeping this person on staff for medical educational programs around the country
Business
Response:
March 28, 2014Dear MrDennis:We are in receipt of the concern filed by [redacted] on February 26,regarding Envision employee Amy D[redacted].We were as surprised as [redacted] to learn of MsD[redacted]'s other occupaltional pursuits in ColoradoClearly these do not match with our organizational values as we strive to provide students with skills and experiences to enhance their future success in college and career.Effective February 28, 2014, MsD[redacted] is no longer an employee of Envisition.We place the safety and security of our students and staff as our top priority, to include significant background screening and rigorous training and we emplace the strictest standards and highest expectations on them as they instill critical skills for success in the students who attend our programs.We were notified via [redacted] of [redacted]'s concerns as well and attempted to establish communication with him on February 28, 2014.Should any additional information be required, please let us know how we may assist.Sincerely,Philip MExecutive Vice President, Education Operations
Consumer
Response:
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's responseIf you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Regards,

Review: I want to file a complant about this Envision experience for the young global leader conference. My daughter received a letter like she's done in the past but this time it was for more options like China, Europe and the United states. She was so excited about and she choose to go the China, Little did I know that this was quite 10,000.00 trip. I was told that the program was 4,000. For her to go and I only need to take her to the airport from where we live, not from [redacted] NH to China. I call them confused with this email that they sent me so I called and they told me I call not get a refund no matter what. I'm so disappointed that they are fooling people and end trapping them in confusing contracts that are verbal and very easy to confused a poor woman like me and disappoint my child that works very hard to be better than her mom,being illiterate and mentally challenges.Desired Settlement: I truly need my money back that my child won't ever participate in her live. The form of way they talk is unclear to my in how things were being done.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern,

Review: My grandson has attended this program for the past 3 years. We gave a $200 deposit for the 2014 program only to find out that the cost had risen substantially & the program did not offer the experiences equivalent to the previous programs. We decided (much in advance) not to enrol him in the 2014 program and were told by their representative ( [redacted]) that our $200 deposit was not going to be refunded.

I feel that the value of the program was misrepresented to us, the program was not to begin until July, we have given them plenty of notice that we were not enroling our child this coming year and therefore feel it is an unfair practice to keep our $200 dollar deposit.Desired Settlement: We would like our deposit to be refunded.

Business

Response:

[redacted] (the "Undersigned") enrolled her child, [redacted] in the National Young Leaders State Conference that Leadership Platform Aquisition Corporation dba Envision EMI ("Envision EMI") organized. Prior to the National Young Leaders State Conference/ the Undersigned made a claim seeking a refund of the tuition paid for [redacted]'s attendance due to alleged failures on the part of Envision EMI before the National Young Leaders State Conference : (the "Occurrence"). The Undersigned desires to resolve this claim.

NOW, THEREFORE, for the consideration of $200.00 paid to the Undersigned, individually and in her capacity as parent and guardian of her child, [redacted], the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Undersigned individually and as parent and guardian of [redacted]e hereby agrees as follows:

1. That the Undersigned, individually and as parent and guardian of her child, [redacted], hereby fully releases and discharges Envision EMI and their past present and future agents, officers, director employees, predecissors, successors, parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and insurers (collectively the "Released Parties'’), from any and all claims of any kind whether known or unknown, asserted or unasserted, that the Undersigned or [redacted] had, has or may have gainst the Released Parties through the date this Release Is executed, including, but not limited to, any and all claims relating to the Occurrence.

2. That the Undersigned agrees that this Release represents a full and complete settlement regardless of the adequacy of compensation, and the Released Parties have no obligation to make any payment or do any act other than as set forth herein.

Review: My son was nominated by his History teacher at school to attend the [redacted] Forum: National Security for the week of March 24, 2015 to March 29, 2015. Suddenly and unexpectedly my son became ill, and taken to our nearby hospital. Once there, my son had to be transferred to University Of [redacted] pediatric cardiology unit by ambulance. My son was diagnosed with acute Myocarditis. His cardiac enzymes were extremely high, his EKG and Echo showed abnormal function. My son spent 6 days as an inpatient; between our area hospital and University of [redacted] Hospital PICU and was discharged on Wednesday evening, March 18, 2015. I called Envision while my son was an inpatient to tell them what had happened and that my son would not be able to attend, not knowing even then just how serious his condition was and how long his recuperation period would be. His discharge instructions were Restrictions - bed rest, and discharged to home to follow up with cardiologist in one week. When we followed up with his cardiologist on March 23, 2015, he EKG and Echo were still abnormal and since then have schedule a Cardiac Treadmill Stress Test. I had offered several times on the phone to fax the discharge papers from the hospital, and I was told that, that was unnecessary.

I have called Envision 3 times and spoke with Darlene, and requested that a refund be issued due to the gravity of the health situation with my son. This was just not a "virus" or just not feeling well, or something that would have cleared up before his scheduled attendance. This was serious and life threatening.

I was told since I did not buy the Travel and Tuition insurance, I would not be given a refund. $1841.20 is an extreme amount of money for a single parent, and had to borrow the money for my son to attend, and for them not to refund the amount, is poor and unacceptable. While my son was in isolation and in the PICU, I had the decency to call Envision because I was worried about my son not being able to attend, and I wanted to respond quickly, in case there was another student who may have wanted to attend but may have been on some sort of waiting list.

Since I only live an hour away, I didn't purchase the insurance, thinking it was more for travel and not tuition.

This has put such a hardship on me financially, especially since I have exorbitant medical costs now and continue to with his follow up care that is not covered by insurance or applied to my deductible. In either case, I have a lot of out of pocket expense due to my son's serious health issues.

I don't think it is too much to ask and request for Envision to make an exception and refund my money - they offered a transfer to next spring. For goodness sake, how does one know where he will be in one week, versus one year.

I need intervention with Envision. I waited another week for them to call me, after I was told by two different people that they would call back. I called again, and was told they were contacted 2 days prior from the higher administration that they would not refund my money. Why they didn't call immediately, and I had to call back twice ? and why wasn't a supervisor available to talk to me.

I have officially written a letter to Envision requesting a refund, but I fear that will go no where.Desired Settlement: Full Refund of money due to unexpected and serious hospitalization

Business

Response:

Mrs. Schroeder,

Review: I was informed if I transferred the class from last year to this year I would still be able to receive the partial refunt I declined only because of this information I received from one of their personnel over the phone last year when we moved our daughters class. If I would have know this I would have never moved her and just taken the partial refund. In addition I see it as an issue that a company has policy for complete non refundable money of over 2500$ for absolutely no services rendered of any sort. This seems to be somewhat of a scam. I can understand them have a portion non refundable for some of the upfront work but for the entire amount to be non refundable seems to be quite the set up. We are unable to attend the session we signed up for under the assumption we could still receive a partial refund but this organization takes the 2500$ and will not return any of our money even though out child has not received a singe thing from them in regards to any services.Desired Settlement: I would like to see the money we spent refunded, there is no way they have provided anything close to 2500$ worth of service and should not be allowed to continue this practice as this is not good business and they should be ashamed for essentially stealing peoples money.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

We have reviewed the transcripts of the call [redacted] made to our Call Center last year when he transferred programs. We went over our policy that states once transferred he would not be eligible for a refund and he agreed and acknowledged that, at the point he was transferring, he was within the no refund zone of the cancellation policy so he would not get a refund even if he cancelled. Additionally, he agreed to the attached Terms & Conditions when he enrolled in the program which includes the cancellation and transfer policy. We will not be able to issue a refund.

Kind regards,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:I remember that if I transferred it may not be refundable at that point. Regardless I reread and that is their policy. My point is that I want this documented and information available to future perspective victims of this organization. As while this may be their policy to take 2500$ from families when they are unable to attend and no services have remotely been rendered for the money they paid even if these families have unforeseen circumstances which prevent them from attending the camp, as is our case. It is highly likely families fall upon hard times and have circumstances which prevent them from attending and this money is a lot of money to be out with nothing in return for it.

Review: On 1/16/15, I received a supposedly "prestigious" invitation by Envision, who directs the [redacted] Program ([redacted]), to attend a Conference on [redacted] held in China in May 2015. The trip was priced at $5064, for which [redacted] offered scholarships. I submitted my application for the trip & scholarship within the required 24 hours after receiving my invitation. The initial $500 deposit, which was "imperative to secure my spot", was due no later than 2/27, despite that the scholarship decisions wouldn't be announced until the 1st week of March. I called the Admissions Office on 2/25, prior to paying my deposit, letting them know that my attendance was contingent upon receiving the scholarship. The lady I spoke with assured me that I should finish my enrollment anyway & include the $149 trip insurance because if I wasn't able to attend, any money paid would be refunded, minus a $25 non-refundable admin fee. On 2/26, I paid a total of $674 & finalized my application. Tuition & Trip Protection Insurance (and cancellation coverage) was automatically included by [redacted] unless the box was unchecked during checkout. On 3/4, I received an email stating that my scholarship was denied. I tried to find another way to afford the trip, but had to call on 3/13 & cancel. I spoke with David, who assured me that the entire amount less the $25 fee would be refunded to my account within the week. I called again today, 3/23, because the credit never showed up. I spoke with 3 different people who all said it was now too late for a refund unless I transfer my $674 to next year's trip. Bottom line - I called & let them know I could only come if I got the scholarship, & was assured that it wasn't a problem - when I called to cancel, I was promised that, no problem, the refund would definitely happen in 3-4 days - when I called today, I'm told that David never cancelled it on the 13th & is now past the deadline for cancellation so they will not give me ANY of my money back. Please help!!Desired Settlement: I would like my $674 back, less the non-refundable $25 fee, as I was promised by two different people in the Admissions Office. Additionally, in several emails sent to me by [redacted] throughout the admissions process, it is stated that the only portion that is non-refundable is the above-mentioned $25 admin fee. After I called on 3/13 to cancel & was promised that the refund was en route, I got notice on 3/20 that they tried to charge my card again. I'm not paying $649 for their deceit & mistakes

Business

Response:

[redacted]

Review: Envision sent my daughter a package that said that she was selected for the NYLSC for her academic achievements. I decided to go ahead and enroll her into the program. I had difficulty enrolling online because the website would not accept payment ( Creditcard was clear with more than enough money). I had to call the next day and have the funds manually processed ( with rep apologizing for the website issues). I recieved an email that said thank you for my down payment and that I would be charged every 30 days until my payment was made in full and that a $25 non refundable payment for the payment plan would be taken. a few days later I recieved another email that said I would be charged again in 5 days. after contacting the representative she apologized ad said payment will be deducted every 30 days and to ignore the prior email. I continued to monitor my credit card account and made sure I kept my balance very low to make room for the next payment of $381.00. I never saw it go through so I called to find out what happened because I was senrt an email saying my card was declined ( event though there was more than enough funds available and there are no records for any charges rejected on my statement nor from the card rep which I spoke to at capital one/ you can see all tranactions both approved and rejected). I called them back on 11/06/2014 to complain that I was insulted when there was more than enough money on my card. I was told that they dont know what happened and that I coud not make a payment that night due to some financial hold. I woke up the next morning to find that my card was charged and when I called to cancel due to my horrible experience, I was told that I would get a full refund but the representative hesitated in giving me an amount until I pressed and questioned her, then she said I would not get my additional $450 deposit, only the 381 charged on 11/7/14 ( same day I called to complain anfd cancel). I have no prior email that states this. right after I spoke with them I magically recieved an email letting me know that my 450 will not be refunded. I recieved no service, no explanation for me to lose $450. this is very unethical and seems like a startegy put in place to scam children and parents who are looking to succeed in a tough economy. I also have the message where the rep called again to apologize for the inconvienience we experienced but still went and charged my card the same day before speaking with me direct. This is such a scam.Desired Settlement: I want my full refund of 856.67 minus the $25 non refundable fee as agreed originally.

Business

Response:

We apologize for the inconvenience the payment plan caused in terms of the inaccuracy of the payment charges. We have refunded total of $831.67. Refunds will show up as 3 different refund items. Below are the dates Envision refunded and the corresponding amounts that were refunded:

Review: My 11 year old daughter was nominated for the Envision program. I was told that I had to make a payment right away to confirm her spot for summer 2014 leadership conference in D.C. I had very little in savings and it was supposed to be for a trip for spring break to SD. I have 8 children total and my husband is a waiter. It took us a VERY long time to build up our savings to a little over $1000. We felt this was worth it to give our child a life changing experience. So on March 21st I paid $475. I had signed up for a payment plan, so on April 11th another debit of $773 was taken from my account to total $1,248.00. Prior to this on April 5th I filled out a scholarship form for my daughter because as time went on and I received more information I realized I would not be able to send her even if I could cover the trip tuition. I called Envision on April 25th and spoke with [redacted], she suggested that I go to fund raiser status which would cancel the last debit I owed and then ask for an extension, because I had to cancel by May 15 to get a refund. She said that May 2nd was the close for acceptance of Scholarships and to call back about a week after that to find out if my daughter got the scholarship. In the mean time I HAD TO PAY around $200 to be able to show that I had intent on paying everything and that would make the bosses of the company know that I was worth the risk of an extension. So I called my mother in law and asked her if she would give to show that because I had zero money to give. My mother in law gave $260 to show that we were serious and that if she got the scholarship that we would be attending.

I called back May 8th and spoke with [redacted]. I explained to him that if my daughter was not going to get a FULL scholarship then I would not be able to send to her and would cancel everything. I told him that I needed the extension because if I needed to see if she got the scholarship, if she did not get the FULL scholarship then I would just cancel the whole thing when I found that out...that's what the extension was to be for according to my conversation with [redacted]. He told me not a problem and not to worry about a thing, I would get the extension and I was to call him personally on his personal extension because he knew the case and would handle everything for me. I called [redacted] on May 16, 19, and 20 and have to leave a message every time and he never responded. So later in the day on May 20th I called back and talked to a woman named [redacted].

[redacted] told me that May 15th was the last day to even get a partial refund, May 2nd was the day I had to cancel if I wanted a full refund. She said the only she could do was to put in a request for the refund and that someone would call me back.

May 23rd, I get a call from Aubriana. She tells me that I need to pay everything in full that day. I told her everything I had been through. She said that was the agreement I signed online when I enrolled my daughter. I explained to her that ok because I had gotten and extension, I talked with [redacted] and [redacted] and it was all taken care of. She giggled at me and said that is not their policy, that's not in the notes and that I would not be getting a refund. I asked to speak to someone higher up, a manager of something. She told me that would be pointless because they are going to tell me the same thing. After about 3 minuets of this back and forth I demanded to speak to a supervisor, she said she would take my number. She refused to transfer me to a Team Lead at that moment.

About an hour later a Team Lead called me, [redacted]. I told her everything I had told [redacted]. That I got the extension and so I should receive my FULL refund. She said to me that no one would ever tell me that my daughter would get a full scholarship because they don't give FULL scholarships, as well as extensions to receive refunds because they don't do that. I got emotional. I told her that not only did I have to tell my daughter she wasn't going to DC, but I took that money that I DID NOT HAVE TO GIVE and gave it so that she could have chances I never had and maybe she would turn out better than I did. I told her I had 8 kids and my husband made $39,000 last year; and that I didn't understand why a company would know that the dates of the cut offs, tell me I had an extension and that all was ok and take my money with no intention of giving it back. Her response to me was that she did not take my money, that was the agreement I signed.

She went on to tell me that she could assure me that no member of her staff made any of those promises to me. I told her that they did. She said I misconstrued everything and that I was wrong. She kept trying to offer me a $250 grant or a roll over to next year. She continually got took harsh tones with me and told me to stop interrupting her whenever I asked a question about the refund. I told her I was firm on my stance and she said that she would pull the calls but said she already knew what she would find.

She called back about an hour later to tell me she had listened to the calls and it was exactly what she thought that no one had SAID to me that they would do that. I repeated what I said earlier, that throughout ALL the conversations I said I was waiting on a full scholarship and that if she did not get that FULL scholarship that I would be canceling to get my money back and that's why I needed to extension. Said it to EVERY persona I spoke with. They said all was well. [redacted] told me to call back on the 2nd...the day AFTER the deadline for a full refund. [redacted] told me to call back the 16th the day AFTER I could receive a partial refund.

She told me that they never SAID they would do that. And that IF I got a full scholarship that would be great but they don't give full scholarships. I asked her then why at NO point her representatives did not say “We don't give full scholarships” and then tell me to call back the day AFTER the cancel dates. She said that they probably assumed I read the agreement. I then asked about why they would give me an extension then, she said that they gave me and extension on the payments NOT the cancel dates. She told me I misconstrued what was said again. We conveniently got cut off during our conversation and no one called me back, and at that point the business was closed.

I was led to believe that I was getting an extension on the cancel dates. I said repeatedly that if I didn't get a FULL scholarship that I would be canceling. If any one of these people had said to me that they don't do full scholarships I would have canceled right then. Instead they led me to believe all was fine and told me to call back on dates that were AFTER the deadlines, after they told me that I HAD to pay at least $200 more to prove myself. This is wrong. It's all wrong. If someone had told me on April 25th that the company does NOT give full scholarships I would have canceled that day and we would not have a problem. Instead I was told I HAD to give more and was manipulated into waiting until it was too late.

I want a full refund of $1,248.00 put back into my bank account, and a refund of $260.00 to my mother in-law [redacted] who gave to the fundraiser site; who only did so because the representatives of Envision said it was a must.

A customer comes to you in good faith, willing to pay, and says if they don't get a FULL scholarship they have to cancel. And you, as a company, knowing you do not give full scholarships tell that customer everything is ok and to call back the day after they cannot receive a refund. Is that really how you want your company to be known? You really want your company to be known as underhanded schemers that cheat poor people out of their savings? Please tell me that this company has more integrity than that. I made good faith payments, I kept in contact and did what this company told me to do. Please give me the full refund I deserve.Desired Settlement: A full refund of $1248.00 put back into my back account.

A refund of $260.00 given back to my mother in-law [redacted] who gave to the fundraiser site.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

We have investigated this complaint and will grant a refund in the amount of $1508.00 to [redacted]. I have attached a release that will need to be signed and returned back to me. Please note the release must have a witness signature as well as the signature of [redacted]. The release can be emailed to me at: [redacted] or faxed over to me at: ###-###-####. We will issue the refund in the form of a credit to the card used to enroll in the program. While we will initiate the refund immediately upon receiving the signed release, please be aware it can take 7 - 10 business days for the credit to appear on the account.

Kind regards,

Review: My son was nominated by his teacher for what we thought was a very prestigious honor to attend the [redacted] program. We registered the same day due to his excitement. When we initially registered him, we selected the [redacted] Location since it is only 5 hours away from our home. When my husband called the next week to make a payment, we were told he was never registered for [redacted] and now that location was full. So we then picked the next closest place which was [redacted]. We then paid our deposit. We left a few days later for a cruise only to come back a week later to a voice mail that our money had been refunded due to no selection being made. We called back to fix it and was told now that [redacted] was full and the only location left was [redacted]. Well I told them I was not sending my son to [redacted] by himself. After several phone calls (none of which were returned) I demanded a supervisor and they were able to make a spot for him in [redacted] and charged my card again for the deposit. My husband was furious with all of the issues and decided just to cancel the whole thing since he didn't feel we could trust them with our child. At that point they told us the deposit was non-refundable. My husband then asked for a phone call from the director of admissions which he never received. He then spoke to a supervisor the next day after HE called back and they said they would have to pass the message onto another supervisor that would call back in 24 hrs. That was supposed to be today and we did not receive that call either. My husband then called back to inquire about it and they had no record of anything-him calling or a supervisor to call us back. At this point, there is no way I would trust them with my child so far away. If they had done what they were supposed to in the first place and put him in the program in Dallas, I would be fine. But since this has been nothing but a headache from the beginning, I just want my money back now and have it know that it is because of their poor customer service and administrative processes that my son will not be attending and I will not recommend them to anyone. The whole thing seems like a joke!Desired Settlement: I would like the deposit of $450 refunded back to my credit card.

Consumer

Response:

From: [redacted]<[redacted]>Date: Thu, May 14, 2015 at 9:59 AMSubject: Complaint #[redacted]To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>Just writing to let you know that the company has resolved my issue and sent me a refund. Thanks for your help!

Review: I registered my son for a [redacted] Program/[redacted] Delegation for the Australia trip on 2/27/15. We paid a down payment of $674 which was inclusive of an insurance fee. Less than thirty days later on 3/25/15, I called and spoke with Brittany concerning having to cancel and to find out what refund I would receive. I was told that they would be keeping $450 dollars of the deposit with the remaining $224 to be refunded. I was astonished at the amount that we were losing. After no refund was posted to my account, I called again on April 2, and was told that Brittany had failed to process the refund, but that it would be taken care of. This person also changed the amount, saying that an additional $25 "administrative fee" would be deducted, making the refund around $200. By now my suspicions were aroused, and so I made it a point to call back the next day, April 3. I spoke to Steven, who again changed the amount of deposit kept to $500, but said that the refund should have been processed, and that he was going to send an email to the central office where once cancellations were submitted in the office where he was located, the refunds were processed there. He asked for my contact information, and said he would call me back. After two hours, I called again, and spoke to Ashley, informing her of my previous conversation with Steven. She placed me on hold, then returned to tell me that since I had not submitted the deposit by 2/25, a mere TWO DAYS before the deadline of 2/27, that I was not entitled to a refund at all. When I explained to her that that was not what I was told when I made the cancellation, she replied that the representatives don't explain it because they assume that people read the cancellation policy or that it was read to them at the time of deposit. This is atrocious customer service, and I have no idea what would give them the right to keep even the portion that was an insurance payment for a trip that will not be taken. I have been lied to and taken advantage of all because of an unavoidable family issue that caused the cancellation.Desired Settlement: I want every penny of my money refunded to my account, the entire $674.

Business

Response:

We have refunded the customer's credit card as a courtesy, due to the alleged miscommunication regarding our cancellation policy.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. However they state that they have already refunded my debit card and as of today, Monday April 13, no such refund has been received. I would like confirmation of when they plan to process the refund and instructions on how to reopen this complaint if funds are not received in a timely mannerThank you for your assistance.

Regards,

Review: The program in no way represents the claims by brochure, literature and internet. Preying on children and their desire to expand their horizons academically is disgusting. A safe and secure environment was not provided by supposed professionally trained staff. NYLF Explore STEM in no way offered an engaging learning experience and at best, could be claimed to be a glorified summer camp for lower grade level elementary school students. The so-called nomination process for middle school scholars based on academic potential and interest in areas of science, technology, engineering & math is merely a sales pitch geared to unsuspecting teachers. Staff on site were clueless and unable to answer questions from the students. Children experienced the worst possible handling of a fire drill by incompetent staff. Children were unable to sit for meals due to limited seating & were unable to finish eating due to time constraints. Educators provided lessons admittedly also performed for their kindergarten class, yet were supposed to be providing an engaging learning experience. Scholars were bored and falling asleep in class. The program was in no way as claimed to be and was a scam of the worst order, aimed at children with a thirst for higher learning.Desired Settlement: I expect a full refund as goods/services were not delivered.

Business

Response:

[redacted],

Envision provided a full refund at the request of the family.

DIRECTOR, RETENTION & MARKETING OPERATIONS

From: [redacted] [mailto:d[redacted]@myRevdex.com.org]

Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 10:48 AM

To: [redacted]

Subject: [redacted]

Review: On January 25th 2013 I recieved a letter stating that my son [redacted] had been awarded a scholarship to attend the [redacted] Conference. He was awarded a $600 scholarship and the letter said the money could be applied immediately toward the tution and that to redeem the $600 I needed to enroll online and I would see the money deducted. I also needed to enroll by February 8th if I wanted to use the scholarship. I enrolled [redacted] and it showed the $600 applied. It asked for a credit card to bill future payments which would start March 1st. On January 31st I check my online banking account and saw a charge for $469 made by [redacted]. And this charge had also overdrafted my account another $256 in FEES. I called and spoke with Leandra in admissions and Ian her "team leader". Ian informed me that the $600 was deducted from the tuition but that no where did it say it would be applied as my deposit. I explained to him what the letter said and how it does lead you to believe that is the case. I explained to him that nowhere did it say that I had to pay the deposit before the $600 would be applied. If it had I would definatley not have enrolled then!! But the letter said the funds were immediately available to use so wouldn't you think that would mean for the deposit? He said that I had to pay the deposit first and then the scholarship money would be applied. He was not empathetic or did in no way try to resolve this with me. He told me he could cancel the enrollment, but that I would have to file a claim with nationwide (travel insurance) to get any part of the deposit back. He also knew full well that if I cancelled right then nationwide was not going to pay for the deposit as that is not a cover reason.Desired Settlement: I want the $469 and the $256 they caused me in overdraft fees back or at the very least deducted from the conference tuition.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Review: On January 2 of this year, I signed up four students for the Junior National Leadership Conference offered by this company. I paid $8001, but was told that scholarships were available that could pay a total of $2000 of this, and that amount would be refunded to my card once awarded. Several weeks later I received notices that the scholarships would not be awarded because the students didn't have sufficient financial need. These students are refugees, they come from large families, and the parents make very little money. If there are any other students attending this program with greater need, I most certainly would like to meet them. In any event, I contacted the company in an attempt to discuss the matter. My call was not returned. This continued a pattern of behavior since I first started working with the company. Calls were NEVER returned. Customer service was pathetic.

In any event, today I decided to cancel the enrollments and get my money back. I contacted the company and was told that I would only get $6000 back, that they would be keeping $2000 of this as a deposit!!! When I signed up for this, it was indicated to me that I had until April 1 to cancel, and I could get all my money back if I did so. Otherwise, there is NO WAY I would have put that money down for this event. I told the company that this was unacceptable. They didn't indicate there was anything they could do.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of ALL my money.

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Review: My daughter was selected to enroll in the 2015 [redacted] Digital Media,Film & Journalism program. The session selected began July 19th in New York. I began to research the program and although the academics might not transfer to college, my child is very interested in journalism. I spoke with several reps at the phone number listed in invite.My daughter was able to obtain a small scholarship (750.00).A payment plan was optioned for enrollment which totaled 2595.00. the first deposit was to include a Travel Protection Plan-129.00; Plan Administration Fee-25.00 and a deposit of 450.00 submitted on April 29,2015. The next payment would be auto-debit in 21 days. I enrolled over the phone and was notified of cancellation offered within 30 days of deposit but notification of termination would have to be mailed to the Office of Admissions. Unfortunately due to circumstance, I notified by phone and emailed the intent. I mailed a letter of cancellation that arrived at designation by May 29,2015(Delivery Confirmation). I have spoken with several people identified as being with the cancellation team that never the less tell me that all moneys paid are forfeit. They all cited instances of over 30 days although my own was within the time period offered. I have received several emails offering enrollment that cite that the nonrefundable fee is the Administrative Plan Fee-25.00 although none of the deposit I submitted(650.00)has not been refunded to date.This envision experience that began as a "Journey" has turned into a nightmare.Desired Settlement: I am aware of fees that are nonrefundable but I met the time and manner requested for cancellation.

Business

Response:

From: Carl M[redacted] Date: Wed, Aug 5, 2015 at 2:49 PMSubject: RE: [redacted] Complaint ([redacted])To: [redacted] <[redacted]>[redacted],Resolution: Given the misinformation regarding the cancellation policy, we will be refunding the request amount of $604.00. Someone from out office will be contacting the family shortly. CARL *. M[redacted], PMPDIRECTOR, RETENTION & MARKETING OPERATIONS

Consumer

Response:

From: [redacted] <[redacted]>Date: Sun, Aug 16, 2015 at 6:17 PMSubject: Re: [redacted]/Complaint Attn [redacted]To: [email protected] [redacted], I received a complete refund from Envision. I want you to know that this would not have been possible if the Revdex.com and not been involved. I had called several times and had been advised that this would not be refunded, and all payment made would be forfeit. I believed that I followed the process and had to engage Revdex.com as part of that process. I would like to applause your diligence in this manner. I had promised my daughter at the outset of this experience that we would be able to learn something from it. We definitely did ! Thanks again [redacted]

Review: I tried to file this under advertising to children, which is what it is, but the Revdex.com website redirected me elsewhere that was just a news aggregate.

Anyway.

My daughter recently received one of those "You are the best of the best, the elite, handpicked and chosen after a recommendation by a teacher" advertisements in the mail. She collected the mail so I was unable to intercept it in time. She was thrilled, quite literally, to tears, as she has been working extremely hard to exceed both socially and academically in school, planning on a double major in college and hopefully several scholarships. The invitation did not seem out of the ordinary. She was so excited. The "certificate" was all very nice and pretty and seemed quite professional.

Imagine how great it felt to break it to her that no, she was not "specially chosen for this great honor" because of her incredible achievements in the high school medical field. That it was a scam, directed at impressionable children, to get parents to buy into a glorified field trip. I'm sure the trip is quite nice, but it is NOT what is advertised. My nephew, who is failing biology, also received an invitation, and so did several other children my daughter knows who, let's say, have attendance and academic issues. She was devastated.

Seeing that the original company was bought by Envision after the original company had multiple lawsuits concerning the mishandling of the Presidential Inauguration trip, and after they had to give up their non-profit status, AND after they had lost their Revdex.com accreditation, it seems that they've just picked up where they left off, preying on children to pressure parents into buying hideously overpriced trips. It's disgusting.

I'm just glad I did my research before buying into this schlock. My daughter was not so lucky. She was so proud. To say she is now disheartened and discouraged is an understatement.Desired Settlement: Quit advertising that you are sending these "invitations" out to the select, elite few. You are not. You are grab-bagging from mailing lists and sending out hateful spam to impressionable children. They are not invitations, and they are not certificates that they can hang on their wall with pride. Advertise what you are actually doing: organizing educational trips. That's it. You're not according any spectacular honors to these students. You are providing them with a field trip. I think the individuals who came up with this particular brand of advertising to be heartless and cruel in the extreme.

Business

Response:

October 15, 2013

Dear [redacted]. [redacted],

RE: Revdex.com Complaint #[redacted]

Envision has been offering experiential programs to motivated students since 1985. Envisio programs have served more than 800,000 students in more than 145 countries, with programs design d to build skills through experience.

The Envision family of programs offers a complete continuum of leadership and career exploration programs, incorporating the Global Young Leaders Conference, the Junior National Young Leaders Conference, Congressional Youth Leadership Council, LeadAmerica and the National Youth L adership Forums on Medicine, National Security and Law and CSI.

While some of our programs are geared towards high achieving scholars, others are offered to scholars of a particular age group who may benefit from the program experience. Our program on medicine website states:

This program is for you if you are a high school student, in grades 9-12 during the 2013-2014 academic year, and you are ready for a springboard to success in college and a career in health care an medicine. Many of our students are nominated by educators, leaders from youth organizations and participating institutions, but open enrollments are welcome from qualified students who want to make the most of this opportunity.

Additionally, some scholars are invited to our programs because they may excel in other area .

We apologize for any misunderstanding regarding the package your daughter received.

Kind regards,

Review: My child attended the STEM program over the summer at [redacted]. There were several organizational problems, the were several hazards (which led to my daughter having a mild injury), there were lack of protocols being followed, which could have led to more injuries, and after having attended two previous programs this program was severely lacking. I contacted the company in July 2014 after my daughter attended the program at the end of June 2014 and did not receive a response from [redacted] until Sept 2, 2014. I have tried to continually reach [redacted] after it was clear that she has no clue as to what occurred and she included information that did not take place, which continually shows how unplanned and unorganized the program was during this session. I had asked to speak to her supervisor and she has failed to respond.Desired Settlement: At this point. I want my money back and we will not participate with this program in the future. My daughter could have been seriously hurt and the lack of caring and response to the situation further tells me that I want nothing to do with this company.

Business

Response:

We have refunded Ms. [redacted] $1.870.00 for the cost of the program on 9/17/14.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

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

Regards,

Review: My daughter had enrolled to Envision for a travel to Australia from May 17-24. We had paid total $3890 for this travel. There was no information about fare not included. As the travel date coming closer, we were panicking coz we don't know the travel information yet. A week before that, we were trying to cancel it, because we were told that we had to purchase the ticket ( at that time it cost $2500-3000) which I could not afford. We were trying to cancel and talked to Mr D[redacted] and Mr W[redacted] which promised us to get a refund/ and or probably include my daughter for next year's travel. After 2-3 days, surely they get back to us and email about "WE ARE OUT OF CANCELLATION POLICY ,AND CANNOT GET A REFUND OF OUR $3890'.. It's a nitemare when I got this message. I still trying to get back to them emailing them again and again and demand for my money, and I got the same response.Desired Settlement: I want a full refund of $3840.00

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Review: I paid for a trip to China on 3rd of April 2015. The last date of cancellation for this trip was 1st April 2015. I hadn't even received all the information by the cancellation date. We had a death in the family on the same day I paid for the trip 3rd April 2015. I have been requesting to refund my deposit since then with Jay W[redacted] who offers partial refund (half). As much as I want to go on this trip, I do not understand why they would take away $1000 as they didn't even have my information or payment to have already paid for my stuff ahead. On humanitarian grounds, I request that I be refunded in full. I emailed him the hospital death report which states how sudden the death was. If I would have the slightest idea why would I have paid for something and asked for a refund right away. I understand no or partial refund if the payment was done weeks before or the things were in planning stage and they had made this payment forward but I am requesting a refund even before the payment was collected from my credit card/bank. They did not have any of my information except deposit and I am requesting a refund for the deposit.Desired Settlement: I would kindly request to please get a full refund as I paid after the cancellation date. They usual give a month to cancel without penalty but I paid after that allowed date, had a sudden death in the immediate family the same day and have been requesting a refund since.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern,

Review: The overall experience of not receiving accurate or important information has been very frustrating. Due to be laid off, I was not able to complete paying for the my daughters program. ID # [redacted]. I have been applying for scholarships and then on February 28, 2014 my daughter ([redacted]) received a letter indicating that she won a $800 scholarship. While writing this report, I called Envision (10:20 a.m. CST) to cancel the trip entirely and spoke to a [redacted] and asked what I would get back and he said the minus the deposit and 40% it would be $384. I sent a total of 300 as the deposit and then another $1000. The reason for my complaint today is that each time I called I let them know my financial status in I believe January and February and March 2014. I can recall when I called in 2013. But in early 2014 no one ever told me that I could get my back if I cancel before May 1st. I was told I would lose all the money because I deferred the trip a year due to my financial challenges. I never received any empathy and if someone had told that I still could have at least gotten the $1000 back, I would have cancelled the trip all together instead of trying hard to find a job and make my daughters dream to go a reality. There are not enough characters to explain all of what happened. The bottom line is she never received a scholarship. I never received anything indicating that the letter was mistake which is what I was told when I called. My daughter and I were so excited when I received the email. I was on the train and shed tears,called her and said she would be able to go on this trip. The company is disorganized. The person I spoke to on either May 8 or 9th explained everything and I wish I spoke to him from the beginning. I'm sorry I didn't have his name. I wish someone would listen to all the calls I made. Now I only get $384 back and that is if that is correct which [redacted] doesn't think is accurate and I told him then he never should have tried to answer the question.Desired Settlement: I would like the entire amount paid for the program refunded. The email excerpt is below.Dear [redacted],Congratulations again on your nomination to attend the the summer 2014 National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Careers in Medicine. We have reviewed the scholarship application you submitted, and I am pleased to announce that you have been approved to receive a scholarship award in the amount of $800 that you can immediately apply toward program tuition.This was not true.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

We have researched this complaint and will issue a refund in the amount of $1391.24. I have attached the release that must be signed by [redacted]. [redacted] and returned back to me in order for the refund to be processed. Please note the release must be signed by a witness as well. The refund will be issued in the form of a credit to the card used to enroll in the program. The signed and witnessed release can be emailed directly to me at [redacted] or faxed to me at ###-###-####.

We do apologize.

Kind regards,

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

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

Regards,