Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: Sales Rep. Was only authorized by me for the 1st. time service on June/23/2011. Then they charged me

on and on without a explanation until Aug/2013

They put me on the Gold package without explaining that we will charge you without notice and authorization. They use the FAFSA which is very confusing with the Government FAFSA.

Only June/23/2011 Application fee of $79.99 was authorized by me,the charges of Nov/08/2011 $67.99, Oct/04/2012 $69.99 and Oct/12/2012 $84.99. Was not approved by me I am requesting the Phone Voice of me that I approved those charges to be released. The co. Sales Rep. use FAFSA to confuse and bring up their sales scores. Desired Settlement: Refund of the charges of Nov/08/2011 $67.99, Oct/04/2012 $69.99 and Oct/12/2012 $84.99 back to my Discover cards ASAP.

I do not wish to use their services in the future. Requesting to remove my name and my children's name from their active accounts. I am sure there are other families like me in the USA. That they will come forward and share their stories.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on August 16, 2013 in regard to Mr. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]'s complaint he alleges that our company billed him without his knowledge or authorization on November 8, 2011, October 4, 2012, and October 12, 2012. He has requested refunds for these dates and information be deleted from our company's systems.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company provides a variety of service packages clients may choose from. Some of these packages, such as our Gold Service plan have the feature of annual billing and renewal of services year over year. Prior to any such billing, clients are contacted, via the email contact point provided by our clients, to inform of when billing will occur and to provide clients the opportunity to cancel service before billing or renewal of services. More information about our service packages can be found on our company's pricing packages section of its website.

In Mr. [redacted]'s complaint he indicates that our company placed him on our Gold service plan without notice or authorization and has requested a voice recording of his request for this service package.

Our company records indicate that Mr. [redacted] utilized services for two members of his household, [redacted] and [redacted] throughout the timeframe in question. Mr. [redacted] initially started service for [redacted] online, on June 23, 2011. At that time, Mr. [redacted] opted to be a part of our company's Gold program and agreed to our company's terms of use that informs of annual billing and renewal. Our company sent email contact informing Mr. [redacted] of renewal for the XXXX-XXXX form on October 7, 2011, of which billing took place on November 8, 2011. Mr. [redacted] contacted our company by telephone and worked with our staff on February 13, 2012. Our company prepared and submitted the application, as per our advertised services on February 15, 2012. Our company sent email contact informing Mr. [redacted] of renewal for the XXXX-XXXX form on September 20, 2012, of which billing took place on October 4, 2012. Mr. [redacted] interacted with our company, via his website account online, on October 6, 2012 and by telephone, on October 8, 2012, to provide information regarding the application. As per our selected service plan the application was prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor on January 6, 2013.

Our records indicate that Mr. [redacted] initiated service for [redacted], via telephone, on February 13, 2012 for XXXX-XXXX FAFSA preparation. Our records indicate that Mr. [redacted] opted for our company's Gold service plan to benefit from price discounts related to that service package. The application was prepare and submitted to the Federal Processor on February 14, 2012. Our company sent email contact informing Mr. [redacted] of renewal for the XXXX-XXXX form on September 25, 2012, of which billing took place on October 12, 2012. This application was found to have been previously submitted to the Federal Processor by Mr. [redacted].

Mr. [redacted] contacted our company, on August 2, 2013, to initiate services for 2014-2015 timeframe for both [redacted] and [redacted] prior to any notification of annual renewal and submitted payment for services. During the interaction he changed his mind regarding services and these charges were voided prior to credit card settlement on August 2, 2013. Also, during this interaction, Mr. [redacted] was provided a refund for [redacted]'s XXXX-XXXX service.

Mr. [redacted] contacted our company on August 5, 2013 and informed that he did not wish to participate in the Gold service plan any further and the service plan was canceled as of August 5, 2013, so that no further billings or services would occur.

Due to the facts that Mr. [redacted] opted for the Gold service plan online, there would not be a voice recording of a telephone interaction. However, Mr. [redacted] did accept our company's terms of use which describe our company's automatic renewal process. Our company's terms of use can be reviewed on our company's website online. Due to the facts that Mr. [redacted] selected the service package, was in contact win regard to the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 applications, did not request to cease the plan during his interactions and services were provided as described, our company does not feel a refund for the billings on November 8, 2011 and October 4, 2012 is warranted at this time due to it being well outside our company's refund timeframe, detailed in the terms of use Mr. [redacted] agreed to.

In regard to Mr. [redacted]'s claim that he was set up on a Gold Package for his student [redacted] on February 13, 2012, this is something that is not a part of our company's policies and procedures. Due to the age of the telephone interaction, our company is unable to research a specific phone interaction to research Mr. [redacted]'s claim; however, our company does note that, as indicated above, the renewal charge related to the renewal of the XXXX-XXXX application has already been refunded to Mr. [redacted] after his interaction with our company and both of the students have been removed from the Gold service package.

In regard to Mr. [redacted]'s request that information be deleted from our systems, due to our company being listed as the preparer of record related to the student's forms, our company will not be able to accommodate his request that student information be deleted from the system. Our company has removed his billing information as per his request and due to his indication that he does not wish to utilize our company's services further. Our company has also opted Mr. [redacted] from any future marketing from our company.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry and acts in an ethical manner regarding its billing and the services it provides the public. Our company's research on Mr. [redacted]'s claim does not find any evidence of improper billing practices as he has alleged and has taken appropriate measures to cancel services upon the date of his request to prevent any possible future billing.

We feel our explanation and actions should alleviate any concerns Mr. [redacted] have regarding our company. We feel our company has addressed Mr. [redacted]'s concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: Website disguises itself to be the government fafsa. Put in all personal information and find out to get their service you pay $80. They email you saying you have an incomplete fafsa application and call you telling you they have all your information. They talk about advisors, getting you help, etc. I just hope they don't use the information to steal our identity! It should be shut down!!!!!!!Desired Settlement: Would like the $89.99 refunded for false advertising

Consumer

Response:

This was resolved over the phone before [redacted] received the Revdex.com email. They were very accomodating and refunded our money. Please forward this email to the same address the complaint was sent.

Review: I was attempting to file a FAFSA and their website came up and I didn't know they weren't agency I was supposed to file with and they took my money

They misrepresent that you need their services in order to file for financial aid. I have never filed for financial aid before and when I Googled FAFSA they were the first link that came up. They make it look like they are FAFSA and since I have never applied for financial aid before, I paid them $79. They never filed my application and sent me emails trying to extract more money from me because of alleged errors on the application. I only knew I was scammed when my tried to inquire about the status of my application.Desired Settlement: They agreed to refund all but $10 of the $79 because they said they had to spend time on my application. They should have to refund the rest and put out of business.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on June 11, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted] concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted] statement she alleges that our company is deliberately misleads the public in order to fraudulently bill individuals. She has requested that our company issue refunds for the retained service fee during her interaction with our company and that our company be put out of business.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive� service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA� service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck� error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before

electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Ms. [redacted] complaint she claims our company looks like the U.S. Department of Education website in order to fraudulently bill individuals. If you review our company's homepage you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online or accept payment unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and application information was submitted to our company online on June 8, 2013. The application was reviewed, prepared and found that clarification was needed on her application. Ms. [redacted] spoke with our company on June 10, 2013, during which time, she requested a refund.

Our company's refund policy, posted in the terms of use agreed to by Ms. [redacted] states the following:

"Effective as of June 17, 2009, if you notify us that you are not satisfied with the Services within seven (7) days of any billing of our Services, SFAS will issue you a refund of the Fees paid by you for such Services, less a service charge. The service charge will be $10.00 if your application has not been reviewed and submitted to ED or $35.00 if your application has already been reviewed and submitted to the ED. If for any reason the service charge is greater than the Fees paid by you for such Services, then SFAS will cancel the application with no refund due to you."

Due to the fact that our company had reviewed the application, she was issued a refund of $69.99 of the original $79.99 service charge as per the posted refund policy.

In the interest of client satisfaction, I have arranged for the remaining $10.00 service fee to be refunded to address Ms. [redacted] concern.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry, and utilizes a URL that is relevant to the industry it operates in. Our provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Because of these facts, our company does not feel Ms. [redacted] request for our company to be shut down is reasonable or warranted.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted] concerns regarding our company and are considering this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN HONEST AND TOLD ME THAT FAFSA WILL NOT PAY FOR MY CLASS AT ALL AND I AM SURE THAT THEY WERE ALREADY AWARE OF THIS FACT SINCE THEY AHVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 20 YEARS.

Review: I understand the spill on what this company represents. I think that they should not let a costumer go all the way through the application thinking it is Fafsa and then require a payment. It is dishonest. If you truly are trying to help students require the payment BEFORE they enter personal information. This would allow people to know that you are a service and not the real fafsa.gov. I entered the site thinking that this was the real fafsa website and that help was an option I had, not that you were a service to help fill out the fafsa. My concern is all of my personal information... You ask for way more that why the real fafsa wanted. And I have no idea if it will be secure! This is very scary as a customer. I have no problem with your service and what you stand for, but please make it a policy that you must pay before you enter information. You will gain customer respect! When I called consumer service she was very blunt and rude. Saying we are good with the Revdex.com...Desired Settlement: I would like the policy to be changed. I want the site to require payment upfront and not allow students to enter all there personal information before they realize this is not the real fafsa site.

Business

Response:

August 4th, 2014

Review: I have not received any correspondence informing me of any charges I owe or will be charged. I have not been asked to authorize a payment.

There is a debit in my bank account for $69.99 that I have not authorized. I have not used this service. I have not received any correspondence by mail, phone, or email letting me know of any charges that will be incurred and I have not been asked to authorized this charge. This is fraud. Desired Settlement: I have contacted my bank and they will be reviewing this fraudulent charge on their end. I am expecting my bank to reverse the $69.99 charge and block any future attempts to charge my account by this company.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on November 4, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]'s complaint she alleges that our company billed her without her authorization or notification. Ms. [redacted] has requested a refund for the service fee of paid to our company.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

One of our company's available service packages is our FAFSAGold service plan. This plan has featured benefits of preparation of FAFSA forms over multiple years through automatic renewal and discounted rates of up to 15% ($10 to $15 depending on the pricing package). Prior to any billing, our company emails notification informing of the pending charge. In our company's terms of use it states the following in regard to annual billing.

"Clients may select service level options that include automatic annual billing* and access to special discounted fees for services relating to future student aid applications. If you request one of these payment options, you expressly agree that we are authorized to charge you a discounted annual fee, any applicable tax, and any other charges you may incur in connection with your use of our Services. You will be notified at least 10 days in advance of any billing via an e-mail sent to the address you supplied upon registration. You will have the opportunity to opt out of additional billing. If your e-mail address changes, you are responsible for updating your account details in order to receive these notifications. The subsequent annual fees, as outlined in your chosen pricing package, will be billed as early as September of each year for the next year's Services unless and until you advise us of your desire to cancel our Services. We reserve the right to cancel your service at our discretion, at any time, without notice to you. We will bill our Services to any credit or electronic check account that you provided to us in your account profile. We may also use commercially available services to update your credit card details.

*Please note that if there is another FAFSA application available for which you have not applied at the time of purchase, it is possible that you may be billed more than once in a calendar year.

For questions or to cancel our service, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company online on February 23, 2012. At that time our company's Gold service package was selected. Emails informing of impending billing were sent on September 26, 2012 and October 4, 2013 to the contact email address on file, which our company notes is the same listed by Ms. [redacted] in her complaint. Our records do not show a record of Ms. [redacted] contacting our company prior to billing to inform that she did not wish to continue with her selected service package. Our records do indicate that Ms. [redacted] contacted our company on November 1, 2013, the day after this complaint was filed with your office, and requested a cancelation of services for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 FAFSA services. Our company complied by canceling service for the these form and refunding the service fee of $69.99 for each of the applications. Ms. [redacted] was also removed from our GOLD service plan to ensure she will not incur any future billings related to that service package.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions listed above address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted]'s concerns once it was made aware of her concern and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: I noticed they charged me 69.99 three years in a row for a service I never completed.

I started to fill out a fafsa three years ago. They kept telling me the information was incomplete. I tried for months to give them correct information. It was so confusing I decided to not go to school and gave up. They charged me $70 to file it and never did. Three years later I went to sign my daughter up and noticed they had charged me 3 more times for incomplete applications.Desired Settlement: I think they should not charge people for information when the application is not complete . They never notified me the application was incomplete or gave me an option to opt in or out they just charged my credit card three years in a row for no service.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on November 8, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]'s complaint she states she was charged for multiple years without any service being performed. Ms. [redacted] has requested a refund for the service fee of paid to our company.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

One of our company's available service packages is our FAFSAGold service plan. This plan has featured benefits of preparation of FAFSA forms over multiple years through automatic renewal and discounted rates of up to 15% ($10 to $15 depending on the pricing package). Prior to any billing, our company emails notification informing of the pending charge. In our company's terms of use it states the following in regard to annual billing.

"Clients may select service level options that include automatic annual billing* and access to special discounted fees for services relating to future student aid applications. If you request one of these payment options, you expressly agree that we are authorized to charge you a discounted annual fee, any applicable tax, and any other charges you may incur in connection with your use of our Services. You will be notified at least 10 days in advance of any billing via an e-mail sent to the address you supplied upon registration. You will have the opportunity to opt out of additional billing. If your e-mail address changes, you are responsible for updating your account details in order to receive these notifications. The subsequent annual fees, as outlined in your chosen pricing package, will be billed as early as September of each year for the next year's Services unless and until you advise us of your desire to cancel our Services. We reserve the right to cancel your service at our discretion, at any time, without notice to you. We will bill our Services to any credit or electronic check account that you provided to us in your account profile. We [redacted] also use commercially available services to update your credit card details.

*Please note that if there is another FAFSA application available for which you have not applied at the time of purchase, it is possible that you may be billed more than once in a calendar year.

For questions or to cancel our service, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company online on May 8, 2012. At that time our company's Gold service package was selected. Emails informing of impending billing were sent on October 12, 2012 and October 9, 2013 to the contact email address on file, which our company notes is the same listed by Ms. [redacted] in her complaint. Our records do not show a record of Ms. [redacted] contacting our company prior to billing to inform that she did not wish to continue with her selected service package, nor to attempt to provide additional information related to her applications as indicated in her complaint. Our records do indicate that Ms. [redacted] contacted our company on November 5, 2013, the same day this complaint was filed with your office, and requested a cancelation of services for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 FAFSA services. Our company complied by canceling service for these forms and refunded the service fees of $69.99 for each of the applications. Ms. [redacted] was also removed from our GOLD service plan to ensure she will not incur any future billings related to that service package.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions listed above address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted]'s concerns once it was made aware of her concern and will consider this issue closed. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] may have experienced with our company. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: Rezolve Group has a false website disguised as the federally funded FASFA to fraudulently obtain my personal information. Rezolve Group is a fraud.

I went online to complete a FASFA form. Rezolve Group represented themselves on their website fraudulently as a federal site associated with FASFA in order to fraudulently obtain ALL of my personal information. Their website, while disguised as a federal FASFA website, requested my name, address, dob, phone number, mother's maiden name, my SOCIAL SECURITY number as well as all of the information needed to steal someone's identity. I have left several messages with [redacted] (sp?) to REMOVE ALL OF MY INFORMATION THEY STOLE FROM ME FRAUDULENTLY MISREPRESENTING THEMSELVES.Desired Settlement: Remove ALL of my personal data from their database that they fraudulently obtained while falsely representing themselves as a federal agency. I WANT ALL MY PERSONAL DATA REMOVED as of the date of receipt of this request effective IMMEDIATELY!!

Business

Response:

January 6, 2014

Client Relations Department

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

9738 Lincoln Village Dr. Suite. 130

Sacramento, CA 95827

Ms. [redacted]

C/o Revdex.com of Northeast Sacramento

3075 Beacon Blvd.

West Sacramento, CA 95691

RE: Case # [redacted] - [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on January 3, 2014, in regard to Ms. [redacted] concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted] complaint she alleges that our company disguises itself and represents itself as the U.S. Department of Education website. She accuses our company fraudulently obtained her information and did not make it known that one can file without professional assistance known prior to paying. She has demanded that all information submitted to our company be deleted from all systems.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

In Ms. [redacted] complaint she claims that our company is a fraud and disguises itself as a federal site associated with the FAFSA form. If you review our company's website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also prominently lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

"Free FAFSA Services

If you are looking for free services to assist you with your FAFSA or the financial aid process, be sure to check out these support services.

>> Getting FAFSA help"

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and account information submitted online on December 31, 2013.

Ms. [redacted] left voicemail contact for Mr. [redacted], a non-operational member of our company, demanding that information be deleted from all systems of our company. Said voicemail was forwarded to my attention. To address Ms. [redacted] concerns, our company deleted sensitive information such as Social Security Number(s), Date(s) of Birth and Financial information from our records. Our company does retain basic contact information for the purpose of acting as a record of the interaction with our company, to address complaints such as this one, and to prevent Ms. [redacted] household from any further contact from our company. An email informing Ms. [redacted] of this was sent on January 1, 2014. I attempted to contact Ms. [redacted] via telephone on January 2, 2014 to address any additional concerns she may have and left a voicemail message with appropriate contact details. To date, no further contact has been received regarding Ms. [redacted] complaint other than this complaint from your office.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry and utilizes a URL that is relevant to its industry. Our company provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, that there is a cost for utilizing our company's services, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] may have experienced in her interaction with our company. We would like to assure her that is not our company's intention. Our company believes it makes a good faith effort to educate those that utilize our services on their options and that our company provides a valuable service that has helped hundreds of thousands of students and their families.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions should alleviate any concerns Ms. [redacted] may have regarding our company. We feel our company has expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted] concerns and will continue to consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office on January 8, 2014, in regard to Ms. [redacted] continued concerns with our company.

This FAFSA web site is just a hoax. It does not do anything for you. You should log in directly fafsa.org instead of mistakenly log in fafsa.com (this site). They should not allow this site to operate. It does not do anything to help you instead of getting your money for your mistake selecting the wrong web site. It pays Google so that it comes up on the top of the search and if you do not pay attention you get into its web site.

Review: I logged on to www.fafsa.com. thinking this was the official web site for federal student loans application. I filled out all of my personal info and come to find out at the end, that this is a company that has nothing to do with the federal FAFSA. I want them to delete all of my personal information that I entered. Last year when I used the REAL FAFSA, I set up a password with the REAL FAFSA . How did the FALSE FAFSA get this password? or was it that they let everybody in and now they have my password for the REAL FAFSA?Desired Settlement: They remove the website FAFSA.com so this doesnt keep happening. I would like all of my info deleted

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on February 18, 2014 in regard to Mr. [redacted]’s concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he has indicated concern over information that his household submitted to our company.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint, he indicates that he was not aware that he was not at a government website until reaching the payment page for our services. We would like to assure Mr. [redacted] that is not our company’s intention. Our company places multiple statements throughout its website to inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and that there is a free alternative for those that reach our company’s website and choose not to utilize our services.

If you review our company’s website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education’s website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our company feels that it is clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he indicates privacy concerns related to his interaction with our company.

Our records indicate that Mr. [redacted] interacted with our company on May 6, 2013. During that time, our company was working with the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) to provide FAFSA assistance and a College Cost & Planning Report, free of charge, to High School Seniors preparing for college. A flyer related to this program has been attached for your review. Our company prepared and submitted a 2013-2014 FAFSA application for the [redacted] household to the Federal Processor on May 7, 2013. The ‘password’ Mr. [redacted] indicates in his complaint would have been a login and password he initiated with our company through our company’s website, during the above-mentioned interaction related to the KHEAA sponsored program. Accessing and updating an application with the Federal processor would require a U.S. Department Education PIN, which our company does not ask for, nor would have on file.

Our company respects the information privacy of those that interact with our company. Our company does not provide any personal information to any third-party that may offer related or supplemental products and services unless our clients provide consent. Our company is listed as the preparer of record for the 2013-2014 application that was submitted to the Federal Processor. To address Mr. [redacted]’s privacy concerns, our company has locked the account created with our company and have opted his household out of any future contact by our company. If Mr. [redacted] has any further questions or concerns, we recommend that he contact our company’s Client Relations department directly at 866-943-5320.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Mr. [redacted] may have experienced, and hope that the information above clarifies any confusion.

We feel that our company addressed Mr. [redacted]’s concerns prior to receiving this complaint from your office and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Bob Szrot

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on February 18, 2014 in regard to Mr. [redacted]’s concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he has indicated concern over information that his household submitted to our company.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint, he indicates that he was not aware that he was not at a government website until reaching the payment page for our services. We would like to assure Mr. [redacted] that is not our company’s intention. Our company places multiple statements throughout its website to inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and that there is a free alternative for those that reach our company’s website and choose not to utilize our services.

If you review our company’s website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education’s website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our company feels that it is clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he indicates privacy concerns related to his interaction with our company.

Our records indicate that Mr. [redacted] interacted with our company on May 6, 2013. During that time, our company was working with the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) to provide FAFSA assistance and a College Cost & Planning Report, free of charge, to High School Seniors preparing for college. A flyer related to this program has been attached for your review. Our company prepared and submitted a 2013-2014 FAFSA application for the [redacted] household to the Federal Processor on May 7, 2013. The ‘password’ Mr. [redacted] indicates in his complaint would have been a login and password he initiated with our company through our company’s website, during the above-mentioned interaction related to the KHEAA sponsored program. Accessing and updating an application with the Federal processor would require a U.S. Department Education PIN, which our company does not ask for, nor would have on file.

Our company respects the information privacy of those that interact with our company. Our company does not provide any personal information to any third-party that may offer related or supplemental products and services unless our clients provide consent. Our company is listed as the preparer of record for the 2013-2014 application that was submitted to the Federal Processor. To address Mr. [redacted]’s privacy concerns, our company has locked the account created with our company and have opted his household out of any future contact by our company. If Mr. [redacted] has any further questions or concerns, we recommend that he contact our company’s Client Relations department directly at 866-943-5320.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Mr. [redacted] may have experienced, and hope that the information above clarifies any confusion.

We feel that our company addressed Mr. [redacted]’s concerns prior to receiving this complaint from your office and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Bob Szrot

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: Company disquises itself by using a federal website name to confuse students and parents about services which are in reality free.

This company disguises itself by using a federal government website name in all its correspondence. Even in the name that charges your account for services which is free through the government website. Even though the Revdex.com gives them a A+ rating they are still a scam. The student is contacted believing they are with the FAFSA government aid service. They should not be allowed to use the FAFSA name in their website or any other documentation. They target 17 year old first time college students by emailing them direct convincing parents they need to respond asap to get all the aid which is available. It is my fault for falling for this scam. I do not even remember the tactics which were used to enable them to withdraw funds from my personal checking account not to mention all the other personal information we thought we were giving the real federal government aid department each school year. My son was first contacted in 2011. The first amount charged was 89.99. I recently saw the new charge last week in my checking account which was in the month of October for the 2014-2015 school year. I contacted them today and they assured me they would credit my account for the recent charge of 69.99. Again, my main complaint is that they are allowed to use the FAFSA.com as a disguise for the FAFSA.edu web site and use FAFSA in their notations when charging your account. I am not qualified to make this accusation in legal regards as to how this should be handled, but something should be done! Desired Settlement: I really don't expect a complete refund because I made the mistake of trusting them and giving them personal information. I was charged in some fashion twice for 89.99 and once for 69.99. I have learned a valuable lesson and hope others don't keep falling for the same scam.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on October 16, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]'s complaint she alleges that our company is misleading and does not make clients aware that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education prior to submission of information to our company or in its mailed materials. Ms. [redacted] has requested a refund for the service fee of paid to our company.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

If you review our company's website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Mailed advertisements from our company also identify our company and state that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company on [redacted] 13, 2011. At that time the [redacted] household selected our company's Gold service package that includes benefits of lower renewal fees, and service reminders. Our company's phone system has messaging informing that one can file the FAFSA for free without professional assistance prior to speaking to a staff member. Our records indicate that Ms. [redacted] and other members of her household have spoken to our staff over servicing their applications for multiple years. Our records indicate that Ms. [redacted] contacted our company on October 14, 2013, the same day this complaint was filed with your office, and requested a cancelation of services. Our company complied by canceling service for the 2014-2015 form and refunding the service fee of $69.99 prior to receiving notification from your office.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry and utilizes a valid URL that is relevant to the service and industry it operates in. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification on its website, in its mailings and in its telephony system that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides information regarding the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Information in our records indicate that the [redacted] household has been exposed to this information on various occasions in their interaction with our services and feel that their claim that our company is a scam is unfounded.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years and servicing over 300,000 clients. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] have experienced, but feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company addressed Ms. [redacted]'s concerns prior to receiving the complaint from your office and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: The website copies the real "FASA.ed.gov (for free) website. It also charges a fee and claims to provide a service, which has not been provided.

I started my application online for Fasa.ed.gov which is a "free" financial aid service for my son to go to college. I returned to the website, but didn't realize it was a different site asking the same information, and I thought I was re-entering it. I ended up paying a fee of $79.99 on my credit card. I was confused when I heard that there should not have been a fee, and so requested a credit by calling them. They seem to copy the government website and said they would only refund half of the $79.99 I paid because they said they submitted the application on May 14th. I called the college ([redacted] College) on May 21, and they have never received anything. I am worried because they have all of my information, and my son's information including his social security number. I received an email 5/21 stating that they "received" my request for credit and to log in to see my activity for a credit. I tried to log in and my account was immediately blocked. I believe this is very bad practice, and should really be looked into. I am usually very careful, but the site copied the original FAFSA site and did not do anything for the money. The amount of $79.99 was paid using my discover credit card on May 14, and the sales order # they provided was [redacted]. I spoke with [redacted] in student relations department and he said if I have any more questions to call 866-943-5320.Desired Settlement: I am seeking a refund by disputing it with my Discover Card, however I am worried about the financial information and my personal information getting used for other purposes.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office on May 23, 2013.

In Ms. [redacted] complaint she alleges that our company represents itself ad the US Dept of Education website. She indicates that our company did not make it known that one can file without professional assistance known prior to paying. Ms. [redacted] claims that our company did not provide its advertised services and indicates concerns over information provided to our company.

Ms. [redacted] states in her complaint that she started her application at the Federal Processors website fafsa.ed.gov which provides a free service. The option to file with the Federal Processor for free is not a service it is as self serve option to submit a FAFSA application directly to the Federal Processor.

Our company Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act the US government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application, preparing and filing the application oneself for free or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the US Department of Education website the process is not easy and the US government has stated the 137 tax dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms for over 20 years. Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice expertise and easy to use internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisers who walk one through a simplified process typically within 15-20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy and fled electronically .

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA service where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisers personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal processor without the use of our professional assistance do not received this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

In Ms. [redacted] complaint she indicates that she did not realize when she went to our company's website that she was on a different site and implies that our company's presents itself as the US Department of Education. If you review our company's website you will note that it does not look like the Department of Educations website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services Inc provide student financial aid advisory consultation and preparation services The FAFSA can be filed for free without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service Inc" on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically state "We are not affiliated with the Dept of Education".

USING A FAFSA PREPARER:

Like filing your taxes the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however choose to use a FAFSA preparer just like a tax preparer to provide personal advice consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.

FREE FAFSA SERVICES

If you are looking for free services to assist you with your FAFSA or the financial aid process be sure to check out these support services.

"GETTING FAFSA HELP"

"becoming a client of the nation's oldest and largest student aid advisory service for as little as $79.99.

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems our company's terms of use must be agreed to the terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the US Department of Education, that our company is a private for profit company and informs that one can file free without professional assistance. Our company terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's home page and terms of use have links to our services page that provides a list of service options and pricing our company has available.

Our company's systems will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and account information created online on May 7, 2013. Payment was supplied for service on May 14, 2013. As per our advertised service the application was reviewed prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor on May 14, 2013. Email confirmation of the application being submitted was sent to Ms [redacted] on May 14, 2013. In that email Ms. [redacted] was instructed to submit the appropriate signatures to the Federal Processor.

Our company's refund policy posted in the terms of use that were agreed to states the following:

"For questions or to cancel our service please call 866-514-5954.

Effective as of June 17, 2009, if you notify us that you are not satisfied with the Services within seven days of any billing of our services SFAS will issue you a refund of the Fees paid by you for such Services less a service charge. The service charge will be $10.00 if your application has not been reviewed and submitted to ED or $35.00 if your application has already been reviewed and submitted to the ED. If for any reason the service charge is greater than the fees paid by your for such services then SFAS will cancel the application with no refund due to you."

Our records show that Ms. [redacted] contacted our company on May 21, 2013, to request a cancellation of service and a refund. As per the refund policy listed above Ms. [redacted] was provided a refund of her service fee less the $35.00 service charge. Our records have confirmed that Ms. [redacted] has since submitted a dispute with her credit card company over the charge for the service she initiated.

Due to the fact that Ms. [redacted] has initiated a dispute over the charge with her credit card company our company will not be able to discuss any possible options until that dispute is resolved.

Ms. [redacted] claimed that her school had not yet received information in regard to the FAFSA application submitted by our company and bases her claim of service not being provided on this. Our records show that at the time of Ms. [redacted] request for a refund her application had not finalized processing with the Federal Processor. One reason for this would be that the appropriate signatures were not provided to the Federal processor by Ms. [redacted] and the student as per their responsibility. As stated above our company instructed Ms. [redacted] to supply appropriate signatures to the Federal Processor in an email on May 14, 2013.

In regard to Ms. [redacted] concerns regarding privacy of information supplied to our company. Our company is committed to protecting personal data that is entrusted to our company adheres to the highest industry standards and works with recognized security industry leaders such as VeriSign McAfee and TRUSTe to ensure information is protected. More information regarding our company commitment of information privacy can be reviewed on our company's website.

Our company is a long standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry and utilizes a URL that is relevant to its industry Our company feels that is provides ample clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the US Department of Education that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance that there is a cost for utilizing our company's Services and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our compaction and choose not to use our services.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] may have experienced in her interaction with our company. We would like to assure her that is not our company's intention. Our company believes it makes a good faith effort to educate those that utilize our services on their options and that our company provides a valuable service that has helped hundreds of thousands of students and their families.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and action should alleviate any concerns Ms. [redacted] any have regarding our company. We feel our company has expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted] concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance regarding this issue our Client relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday form 9:00 am to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Review: I paid for services to file my son's FAFSA info for 4 years. They filed only 2 of the 4 years I paid for and now they are no longer able to provide this service. They owe me for 2 years of fees that I pre-paid.Desired Settlement: I would like to be reimbursed for the 2 years of services that I paid for and will not receive.

Review: Greetings,I am a grad-school student. Last year I wanted to apply for financial aid and by mistake, after a short google search got to fafsa.com instead of fafsa.govThe commercial website of fafsa.com was not marked well enough to say that it was NOT be the governmental website and that website led me through the process of filing for financial aid. By the end of that process I was asked for my credit card information and for a payment of $69.99. I was surprised, but went with it, thinking that maybe everyone is charged for applying for financial aid. Only later I realized that I was charged for a service that I didn't really needed or was interested in.I find the similarity in the web name of the commercial website to the governmental one without explicit enough of customer warning of the difference between the two websites and what they offer to be misleading, to say the least.to add a injury to an insult, fafsa.com charged me automatically another $69.99 this year without me even using their services this year!!I consider myself a fairly intelligent guy and if I fell for this company's trap, I'm sure many others did and do too; and I find their practices to be on the verge of criminal.Thank you very much for your time,[redacted].Desired Settlement: I would like fafsa.com to state on their home pages in large print that they are NOT fafsa.gov, but a private company that offers a service for a payment that can be done directly with fafsa.gov for free.I would also like fafsa.com to not charge their customers a yearly charge without the customer's consent.Thank you!!

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on February 24, 2014 in regard to Mr. [redacted]’s concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he claims that our company does not properly differentiate itself from the Federal Processor. He continues to state he was charged for a renewal of service without his authorization. Mr. [redacted] has requested a refund for the service fee of paid to our company.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he claims that our company’s website does not differentiate itself to the Government website. If you review our company’s website, you will note that the webpage design looks nothing like the Federal Processor’s webpage and our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

“The nation’s oldest and largest student aid advisory firm. We are a non-government organization.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

One of our company’s available service packages is our FAFSAGold service plan. This plan has featured benefits of preparation of FAFSA forms over multiple years through automatic renewal and discounted rates of up to 15% ($10 to $15 depending on the pricing package). Prior to any billing, our company emails notification informing of the pending charge. In our company’s terms of use it states the following in regard to annual billing and obtaining authorization for annual renewal.

“Clients may select service level options that include automatic annual billing* and access to special discounted fees for services relating to future student aid applications. If you request one of these payment options, you expressly agree that we are authorized to charge you a discounted annual fee, any applicable tax, and any other charges you may incur in connection with your use of our Services. You will be notified at least 10 days in advance of any billing via an e-mail sent to the address you supplied upon registration. You will have the opportunity to opt out of additional billing. If your e-mail address changes, you are responsible for updating your account details in order to receive these notifications. The subsequent annual fees, as outlined in your chosen pricing package, will be billed as early as September of each year for the next year’s Services unless and until you advise us of your desire to cancel our Services. We reserve the right to cancel your service at our discretion, at any time, without notice to you. We will bill our Services to any credit or electronic check account that you provided to us in your account profile. We may also use commercially available services to update your credit card details.

*Please note that if there is another FAFSA application available for which you have not applied at the time of purchase, it is possible that you may be billed more than once in a calendar year.

For questions or to cancel our service, please call ###-###-####.”

Our records indicate that when Mr. [redacted] agreed to our company’s terms of use and initiated service, our company’s GOLD service package was selected. Emails informing of impending billing were sent on October 7, 2013 to the contact email address on file, which our company notes is the same listed by Mr. [redacted] in his complaint. Our records do not show a record of Mr. [redacted] contacting our company prior to billing to inform that he did not wish to continue with his selected service package. Our records do indicate that our company received contact, via telephone, on February 24, 2014 to request a refund and cancelation of services. Our company complied by canceling service for the 2014-2015 FAFSA preparation service and refunded the service fee on February 24, 2014, the same day this complaint was filed with your office. Mr. [redacted] was also removed from our GOLD service plan to ensure he will not incur any future billings related to that service package.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions listed above address Mr. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company expeditiously addressed Mr. [redacted]’s concerns once it was made aware of his concern and will consider this issue closed. We apologize for any confusion Mr. [redacted] may have experienced with our company. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at ###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because:

-- This company's website name is too close to the governmental website's name - fafsa.com VS. fafsa.gov

-- on the main webpage of this company's webpage the statement that that website is not affiliated with the Dept. of Education is written in fine letters and it's hard to notice AND this statement doesn't inform the reader that this is a private entity that charges money for a service that can be obtained for free.

Review: This website acts as if they are the government website. Does not provide an option for me to cancel, I've been charged for 3 years.

I've been charged for three years now on three different occasions. Once on 02/26/2012 for 79.99 for application ID XXXXXXXXXXXX and the application never was finished. Then again on 10/17/2012 for 69.99 and the application, ID XXXXXXXXXXXX, was sent this time. And finally a third time recently on 10/29/2013, application ID XXXXXXXXXXXX, which will not be sent because I have been told from my school that this website is trying to scam me in making students believe this is something we need to pay for when we really don't.Desired Settlement: 79.99 + 69.99 + 69.99 = 219.97.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on November 26, 2013 in regard to Mr. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Mr. Bahramnias complaint he alleges that our company is misleading and does not make clients aware that it is not affiliated with the US. Department of Education prior to submission of information to our company or in its mailed materials. Mr. [redacted] has claimed that he was billed for multiple years of service without being provided a means to cancel service. He has claimed that service was not provided for any of the applications and has requested a refund for the service fee of paid to our company for all three years.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc has prepared students federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid

possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive service speak to our trained Student Ald Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA's service, where they enter their information on our secure website One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck'" error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor s website. Other comparisons between our company s services and one filing a FAF5A on their own is located on our website.

Our company offers a variety of service packages, one of which is our FAFSAGoId service plan. This plan has featured benefits of preparation of FAFSA forms over multiple years through automatic renewal and dlscounted rates of up to 15% ($10 to $15 depending on the pricing package). Prior to any billing, our company emails notification informing of the pending charge. In our company s terms of use it states the following in regard to annual billing.

If you review our companys website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Educations website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.corn and Student Rnancial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.'

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand comer of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education" .

"using a FAFSA Preparer Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.'

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company s terms of use, must be agreed to.

The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Educations that our company is a private for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company s services.

Our company s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted.

Our company s terms of use are available on our company s website for your review.

Our company's contact phone number is provided on the home page of our website, in all renewal email

correspondence and in our terms of use where it states:

"For questions or to cancel our service, please call 866-514-5954.'

Our company feels that it is very dear in Its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services. Our company also provides multiple means to contact for any questions regarding service orto request to cancel.

Our records Indicate that Mr. [redacted] agreed to our company s terms of use and submitted information and payment to our company on February 26, 2012. At that time the Mr. [redacted] selected our company's Gold service package. That application was prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor, as per our service description, on March 1, 2012. The application was identified as being fully processed by the Federal Processor on March 2, 2012. Mr. [redacted] was sent notification of Impending billing related to his selected service package on September 26, 2012, and October 4, 2013 via email to the contact email address provided.

Our company notes that the email contact email address on fife is the same Mr. [redacted] used in filing his complaint with your office. The email informs of the impending billing, how Mr. [redacted] can contact our company and even provides an option to cancel prior to billing ff he did not wish to continue using the service.

Due to no response by Mr. [redacted], our company billed him, as per his selected service package, on

October 17, 2012 and October 29, 2013 respectively. Our records do indicate that the 2013-2014 application was listed as on file with the Federal processor and our company is currently preparing 2014-2015 applications prior to the Federalfiling window to open.

Our company Is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government

authorized industry and utilizes a valid URL that is relevant to the service and industry it operates in. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification on its website, in its mailings and in its telephony system that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education that one has the option to fife for free without professional assistance, and even provides information regarding the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Our company does not know why any College or University would make an accusation that our company Is a scam when it is a legitimate business whose industry is authorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act, of which a College or University official should be welt versed. We can only assume that Mr. [redacted] claim is either due to a miscommunication between himself and whomever he spoke to or an error on his claimed source's part.

Furthermore, Mr. [redacted] claim that he was not provided an option to cancel his selected service is completely false. Besides the multiple contact phone numbers posted throughout our company s website and Terms of Use, Mr. [redacted] was sent notification email informing of impending billing and providing contact options related to his service. Our company also posts a contact phone number in the payment descriptor which Mr. [redacted] would have been able to view on his bank/credit card records. Our records do not show Mr. [redacted] opting to utilize any of the forms of communication provided to even discuss his concern with our company prior to filing his complaint with your office.

To address Mr. [redacted]'s concern, our company has issued refunds for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2013

applications. However, due to the fact that service was provided related to the 2012-2013 application and that service was provided as advertised well over a year ago, we do not believe a refund is warranted based on the information provided.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years and servicing over 300,000 clients. Our company is sorry to hear Mr. [redacted] may have experienced any confusion related to our service. We feel that our company provides a valuable service and makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Mr. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company has taken reasonable measures to addressed Mr. [redacted]'s concerns, once it was notified of a concern by this complaint and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance regarding this Issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:O0 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Sincerely,

[redacted]-

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services,

Review: I originally authorized service for a discounted rate and did not authorize auto renew. I later discovered additional debits in my account.

When I first decided to register I had saw an offer for $27.99 which was a $52 discount off of the normal price. I figured might as well and therefore had at that time signed up. I did not agree to auto renew although somehow I was placed on auto renew. I did not discover 2 further unauthorized charges until recently when I attempted an at the pump gas transaction and had to go inside due to lack of enough funds to authorize the pump. Upon reviewing the transactions in more detail I discovered a charge of $69.99 and was like WHY am I getting charged by FAFSA? I looked up the website and the password was not what I figured I would have used so I attempted a password recovery. I was able to LITERALLY reset the access by typing my email address and only 1 personal detail. A password reset link was not emailed to me and instead I was able to reset it on the spot. I know several people that know my email and that particular detail although they would not have access to my email. That seems like a lack of security. It may be protected against hackers although people that have knowledge of me can easily use it to look up very private info including my SSN. Upon it logging me in I discovered that not only was I charged the $69.99, but I was also charged $27.99 the month before and $27.99 the month before that. Transactions unauthorized was 10/07/2013 $27.99, 11/08/2013 $27.99, and 12/16/2013 $69.99. I never actually ended up using your service although I entered the information I had never retrieved the actual Fafsa from you nor did I sign for it later. The authorization on here is 6/17/2013 and the date in Fafsa.ed.gov is 09/09/2013.Desired Settlement: I am requesting a refund no less than the three charges I did not authorize. I am therefore requesting a refund to be no less than $125.97 which covers all three of those transactions. I think I should receive a full refund of all charges since I never actually ended up using it although that is my mistake for the first charge. I also need removed from any auto renew and also please remove my private data from your site.

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on December 23, 2013 in regard to Mr. [redacted] concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted] complaint he indicates that he did not authorize to be billed three charges of $27.99 for his 2013-2014 FAFSA Preparation nor to be placed on our company's GOLD program. He has also indicated privacy concerns related to information submitted to our company. He has requested a refund of $125.97.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

Mr. [redacted] has claimed that he did not authorize three payments of $27.99 for his initial preparation of is 2013-2014 FAFSA form, and that he did not opt for our company's GOLD program with the feature benefit of automatic renewal at a discounted rate.

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information submitted to our company on June 17, 2013. Mr. [redacted] returned to our company's website and opted for our company's GOLD service plan and selected to pay the initial service fee for the 2013-2014 FAFSA preparation service via three installment payments of $27.99. A payment confirmation e-mail was sent to the contact e-mail on file, which our company notes is the same listed by Mr. [redacted] in his complaint. In the payment confirmation notification, it again informs that the 2 subsequent payments would be processed approximately a month from the first payment for the second installment and approximately two months from the first payment for the third installment. The e-mail also provided contact information for our company if Mr. [redacted] had any questions.

As per our company's term of use that were agreed to:

"Clients may select service level options that include automatic annual billing* and access to special discounted fees for services relating to future student aid applications. If you request one of these payment options, you expressly agree that we are authorized to charge you a discounted annual fee, any applicable tax, and any other charges you may incur in connection with your use of our services. You will be notified at least 10 days in advance of any billing via an e-mail sent to the address you supplied upon registration. You will have the opportunity to opt out of additional billing. If your e-mail address changes, you are responsible for updating your account details in order to receive these notifications. The subsequent annual fees, as outlined in your chosen pricing package, will be billed as early as September of each year for the next year's services unless and until you advise us of your desire to cancel our services. We reserve the right to cancel your service at our discretion, at any time, without notice to you. We will bill our services to any credit or electronic check account that you provided to us in your account profile. We may also use commercially available services to update your credit card details.

*Please note that if there is another FAFSA application available for which you have not applied at the time of purchase, it is possible that you may be billed more than once in a calendar year.

For questions or to cancel our service, please call 866-514-5954."

As per our company's terms of use, an email was sent to Mr. [redacted] contact email address informing of the upcoming billing on December 2, 2013. Billing occurred on December 16, 2013, over ten days from said contact. Our company does not show record of Mr. [redacted] contacting our company to change his service package or to inform that he desired to cancel service. Our records show that his 2013-2014 application was prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor on September 9, 2013 and a confirmation e-mail sent to his contact email address. Our records show that Mr. [redacted] household supplied the appropriate signatures to his application with the Federal Processor by September 17, 2013.

Due to statements in Mr. [redacted] complaint related to the GOLD service package renewal, our company has issued a refund of $69.99. However, due to the fact that Mr. [redacted] was informed at time of purchase and via e-mail regarding his selected installment payment plan for the 2013-2014 FAFSA preparation, and said service was provided as advertised, our company does not feel a refund of those installment payments is warranted at this time.

To address Mr. [redacted] concerns regarding information security, our company maintains a variety of procedural and system safeguards to prevent any unauthorized access to information. Mr. [redacted] indicates concerns regarding the security question for access to his account. Our company offers a variety of security questions and allows users to set the security question answer how they desire. The questions available are meant to provide a prompt for user's memory for the answer they have set.

Due to the fact that our company is listed as the preparer of record with the Federal Processor, we will not be able to accommodate his request for deletion of application information, however, we have taken action to further lock his account and prevent any access via our website to alleviate any concerns he may have. Our company has removed Mr. [redacted] from our GOLD service package to prevent any future billing and has opted him out from any future marketing contact by our company.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years, and works with security industry leaders in an effort to uphold high levels of information security. We apologize for any confusion Mr. [redacted] may have experienced.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Mr. [redacted] concerns regarding our company. We feel our company, once it was made aware, has expeditiously addressed Mr. [redacted] concerns and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

They gave charged my account without my permission. I am no longer in college and do not recall anyone assisting me at any point with FASFA services. I remember paying a fee once for the service. However, financial services has taken authority into their own hands by charging my account once again only this time I was uninformed. I have sent an email and tried calling twice and no answer because they close at 8pm. I didn't even receive a phone call or any mail correspondence. I am going to trying calling them again and contains home office. As long as I had attended college before receiving my B degree in 2010, I can fill out a fasfa application on my own. Who would pay 84.99 just to be assisted with filling out and filing because it turns out the same. You are only going to get what they offer you.

Review: One day after filing my 2015-2016 FAFSA, I got an email that was very similar in language and style as FAFSA.gov emails telling me that I had forgotten to file my FAFSA for the year. I clicked on the link and logged into the website to find an interface that is nearly identical to FAFSA.gov. After some searching, I found that I had been charged by this company for the past three years, twice a year, for filing my FAFSA, when I know for a certain fact that I used the free government website to do so. I also noticed the very small print in various parts of the page wherein they say they are not associated with the federal government, no doubt a dubious attempt to avoid litigation.When I called, I immediately began by asking who they were and why they were sending me emails that my FAFSA was incomplete when I know for a fact that it is. The agent continually avoided my repeated request to clarify who they were, and when I was surprised to find out I've been being charged for this "service" without my knowledge, the agent seemed to ignore it. Luckily, I have recently changed the card they had registered to my account, and so can't charge me anymore. However, the website, despite having every other convince of the internet, conspicuously has no option to cancel accounts. One has to call in personally to cancel. When I stated that the company seemed shady and that this all seems like a scam, the agent immediately stated that they have an A+ rating at the Revdex.com and are an upstanding company.In short, this company is a scam company that uses a near-clone of the official government website and charges exorbitant fees without properly notifying customers, and, in my opinion, deliberately trying to confuse people into using their website as if it were the actual government website. I believe they are committing fraud. They also owe me approximately $280 USD.Desired Settlement: I request no less than $280 as a refund. Furthermore, I believe that this company is knowingly committing fraud and is deliberately impersonating a government website/agency.

Business

Response:

April 17th, 2015 [redacted]Client Relations DepartmentStudent Financial Aid Services, Inc.[redacted] C/o Revdex.com of Northeast Sacramento3075 Beacon Blvd.West Sacramento, CA 95691 RE: Case [redacted] Dear Mr. [redacted]: I am writing in response to the noticeforwarded to me from your office, on April 15th, 2015 in regard to Mr.[redacted]’s concerns with our service. In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he claimsthat our company’s website is nearly identical to the Government website andthat we are committing fraud. He has requested a refund of $280 for multiple years’worth of service fees. In his complaint Mr. [redacted] indicates he did not useour service to file his FAFSA but instead used the Department of Education’swebsite. Our company, Student Financial AidServices, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated tohelping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue theircollege goals. As per the HigherEducation Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options forfiling the federal student aid application – preparing and filing theapplication oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form isfree on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, andthe U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financialquestions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student FinancialAid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help thembecome eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-useInternet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quickand accurate. Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through asimplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, andfiled electronically. Clients also have the option of usingour ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our securewebsite. One of our knowledgeableStudent Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-pointFAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors beforeelectronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processorwithout the use of our professional assistance do notreceive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’sservices and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website. Our company also proudly provides andsupports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low incomefamilies, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from lowincome families can utilize our services free of charge. In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he claimsthat our company’s website is disguised to look like the Government website. If you review our company’s website, you willnote that the webpage design looks nothing like the Federal Processor’s webpageand our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page: “Please note that this site is notaffiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student FinancialAid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation andpreparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professionalassistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.” Our company also lists its name“Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.If you review our company’s homepage,you will see the following: There is a statement in the upperright hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We arenot affiliated with the Dept. of Education”. “Using a FAFSA PreparerLike filing your taxes, the FAFSA canbe filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistanceat www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, justlike a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review oftheir important FAFSA application.” “The nation’s oldest and largeststudent aid advisory firm. We are anon-government organization.” Prior to the submission of anyinformation into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreedto. The terms of use inform that ourcompany is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that ourcompany is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file forfree without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’swebsite for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’sservices. Our company’s system will not allowusers to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available onour company’s website for your review. Our company feels that it is veryclear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department ofEducation and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to useour services after reaching our website. Our records indicate that our company’sterms of use were agreed to and an account set up with our company on April 19th,2012. At that time payment was made online for our Express FAFSA service. Our records indicate the Gold service leveloption was selected which includes annual renewal and automatic billing eachyear. Prior to automatic billing an e-mail is sent to the client indicating theamount the client will be charged, and the time frame in which they will becharged. Included in these e-mails is the option to downgrade or cancel theservice so that no billing will take place. Our records show confirmation thatMr. [redacted] did in fact utilize our online option to complete three FAFSA applications which we filed onhis behalf after our review process. After the annual renewal process thisyear, Mr. [redacted] did file directly with the Department of Education, and didnot use our services. Because of this we refunded the 69.99 service fee for themost recent application. We feel that the above mentionedexplanation and actions address Mr. [redacted]’s concerns. We feel our company, once it was made aware,has expeditiously addressed Ms. [redacted]’s concerns and will consider this issueclosed. If we can be of furtherassistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can bereached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time at###-###-####. Sincerely, [redacted]Client Relations Manager Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: This website looks like a legitimate government website. It does not disclose to the unsuspecting student that this is a business--not the actual FAFSA government website. At the very bottom of the screen in fine print in very faint font, it states that it is not a government FAFSA site. It needs to be at the top, I repeat, at the TOP of the screen where everyone can see it clearly and without delay. Not knowing it was a business website, I entered all of my private personal identity data such as name and address, my date of birth, my social security number and driver's license number. I did not realize it was a scam until at the very end when it demanded I enter my credit card information. THEN and ONLY THEN did I know that it was a business website. I was not given the chance to delete any of my entered data. They purposely lock the student from being able to go backwards to personally delete the personal data. Why would a reputable company not allow a student to go back to delete their personal identity data from the screen? The answer is: this is not a reputable company. It is a front for a scam--identity scam. They have all of my private identity data and purposely locked me out from deleting it out once I knew they were NOT a government website. That data belongs to me and they purposely LOCKED me out from deleting it. I will be contacting the District Attorney's Office as well. And the federal government DA to investigate companies like these that trick students to type in their identity data and not let them delete it out once they decide not to use the website's services. THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF THEFT !!! OF A SCAM !!!I wrote them an email and they have not replied back. I want to get their assurance that it was deleted out entirely. They have not responded. Please alert everyone of this company's scamwork.[redacted]Desired Settlement: I want the website to tell me in writing that my private personal identity data was deleted. Then I want them to post their disclaimer at the top of the screen page next to their name. Then I want them to allow the student's to go back to delete their personal data once they realize at the end of putting in the data that it is a business website. To keep the student's data when the student changes their mind, it THEFT !

Business

Response:

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on April 28, 2014 in regard to Mr. [redacted]’s concerns with our service.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he alleges that our company does not disclose that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Government and accuses our company of scamming people out of their money and stealing personal information for identity theft purposes.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our Express FAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

In Mr. [redacted]’s complaint he claims our company’s website did not disclose that it is a business and not affiliated with the U.S. Government prior to his submitting information to our company. He claims our company scams people out of their money and steals personal information. If you review the copy of our company’s website that I have included, you will note that our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

“Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov.”

Our company also lists its name “Student Financial Aid Service, Inc.” on its pages.

If you review our company’s homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage, in bold, which specifically states “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education”.

In the upper middle section of the page, it states “The nation’s oldest and largest student aid advisory firm. We are a non-government organization.”

“Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application.”

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company’s terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company’s terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor’s website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company’s services.

Our company’s system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company’s terms of use are available on our company’s website for your review.

Our company feels that it is very clear in its messaging that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and educates of alternate options for those that choose not to use our services after reaching our website.

Our records indicate that Mr. [redacted] agreed to our company’s terms of use; and submitted application information to our company on April 25, 2014, the same day this complaint was filed with your office. Our records show that Mr. [redacted] sent an email to our company demanding the deletion of information submitted on April 25, 2014, approximately two and a half hours prior to submitting the complaint to your office. This email was reviewed and addressed on our company’s next day of business, on April 28, 2014, prior to receiving this complaint from your office. Our company addressed Mr. [redacted]’s concerns by deleted sensitive information, such as Social Security Number(s), and financial information received from its records. Our company does retain basic contact information, such as name, address, email address, and telephone numbers for the purpose of preventing any future marketing by our company to Mr. [redacted] and as a record of his interaction with our company to address any concerns raised, such as this complaint from your office.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services. Our company respects the privacy of those that interact with it, and honors requests to be opted out from any future marketing by our company once we receive such a request.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for many years. We apologize for any confusion Mr. [redacted] may have experienced, but feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services and makes itself available to address raised concerns to those who wish to discuss them.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Mr. [redacted]’s concerns regarding our company. We feel our company addressed Mr. [redacted]’s concerns expeditiously and will consider this issue closed. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time at 866-943-5320.

Review: Applied 4 Financial Aid.Searched for update on my file. Called the # on fafsa website to find out they could rush things thru for $89.99 w/results.

Trying to file an online complaint against this company that promised Financial Aid results quicker by paying $89.99. I find out this is a scam, how can such a company exist taking students for this amount of money and do nothing as they promise. This site should not be in existence, let alone be accessible when fafsa is searched to complete a legitimate application for student aid.

They appeared to have knowledge of the application I did file with the correct website and said sometimes it can take a while to complete. If I would pay the $89.99 they guaranteed Financial aid stated everyone gets something.I later find out I had been scammed. They are using fafsa.com - when the legitimate site is fafsa.org.

I want my $89.99 back, they did nothing for me as promised. Ripped off and upset! [redacted]Desired Settlement: $89.99 the amount I paid for nothing.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

I am writing in response to the notice forwarded to me from your office, on September 12, 2013 in regard to Ms. [redacted]'s concerns with our service.

In Ms. [redacted]'s complaint she alleges that our company is a scam, claims that it can rush the financial aid process and and does not make visitors aware that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education prior to submission of information to our company. Ms. [redacted] has demanded a refund of her service fee.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America's families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application - preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive' service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA' service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck' error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor's website. Other comparisons between our company's services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

If you review our company's website, you will note that it does not look like the Department of Education's website. Our website pages contain the follow statement at the bottom of each page:

"Please note that this site is not affiliated with the Department of Education. FAFSA.com and Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. provide student financial aid advisory, consultation and preparation services. The FAFSA can be filed for free, without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov."

Our company also lists its name "Student Financial Aid Service, Inc." on its pages.

If you review our company's homepage, you will see the following:

There is a statement in the upper right hand corner of the homepage which specifically states "We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education".

"Using a FAFSA Preparer

Like filing your taxes, the FAFSA can be filed for free via paper or electronic forms without professional assistance at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Many people however, choose to use a FAFSA preparer, just like a tax preparer, to provide personal advice, consultation and review of their important FAFSA application."

Prior to the submission of any information into our systems, our company's terms of use, must be agreed to. The terms of use inform that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that our company is a private, for profit company, and informs that one can file for free without professional assistance. Our company's terms of use also provide links to the Federal Processor's website for those that review the terms and choose not to use our company's services.

Our company's system will not allow users to submit any information online unless these terms are accepted. Our company's terms of use are available on our company's website for your review.

Our company feels that it is quite clear in its messaging on its website to inform visitors that it is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and in providing links to the Federal Processor's website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services.

Our records indicate that our company's terms of use were agreed to and information initially submitted to our company, without payment, on March 2, 2013. Ms. [redacted] contacted our company and submitted payment on March 6, 2013. As per our company's advertised service, the application was prepared and submitted to the Federal Processor, the day payment was provided, on March 6, 2013. Our company does not show a record of contact from Ms. [redacted] to discuss her concerns directly with our company prior to receiving this complaint from your office.

Our company's refund policy, posted in the terms of use that were agreed to, states the following:

"For questions or to cancel our service, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX

Effective as of June 17, 2009, if you notify us that you are not satisfied with the Services within seven (7) days of any billing of our Services, SFAS will issue you a refund of the Fees paid by you for such Services, less a service charge. The service charge will be $10.00 if your application has not been reviewed and submitted to ED or $35.00 if your application has already been reviewed and submitted to the ED. If for any reason the service charge is greater than the Fees paid by you for such Services, then SFAS will cancel the application with no refund due to you."

Our records do not show telephone contact from Ms. [redacted] being received as per our posted terms of use.

Due to the facts that our company provided the service it advertised, that it did not receive notification regarding any dissatisfaction with service until notification of this complaint from your office one-hundred and eighty-three days (183) outside the refund timeframe agreed to in the terms of use, we do not feel that Ms. [redacted]'s request is reasonable at this time.

Our company is a long-standing FAFSA preparation and advisory service that functions in a Government authorized industry. Our company feels that it provides ample, clear notification that our company is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, that one has the option to file for free without professional assistance, and even provides links to the free Federal Processor website for those that reach our company and choose not to use our services.

Our company is a proud member of the Revdex.com and maintains an A+ rating. Our company has also consistently maintained over a 90% client satisfaction rating for over five years. We apologize for any confusion Ms. [redacted] have experienced, but feel that our company makes a good faith effort to communicate properly with those that utilize its services.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns regarding our company. If we can be of further assistance, regarding this issue, our Client Relations Department can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

Review: I put the fafsa.ed.gov site and I was direct to this site. As I was submit info. I just felt like this was not the right site. So I back out and went into it again and the system was coming up error with site. So I had to go to the history on my computer to get back on this site. That is very scary not sure if my info. was compromise.Desired Settlement: I demand that my information be purged from there records. I want a letter to provide me with a insurance that my information was not sold, giving to third party and use for anything.

Business

Response:

In Ms. [redacted]’s complaint she indicates concerns regarding information provided to our company.

Our company, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. is a fee-based advisory and preparation company dedicated to helping America’s families access the most student aid possible to pursue their college goals. As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the U.S. government authorizes two options for filing the federal student aid application – preparing and filing the application oneself for free, or filing using the services of a paid FAFSA preparer. While filing a federal student aid form is free on the U.S. Department of Education website, the process is not easy, and the U.S. government has stated the 137 tax, dependency and other financial questions can be more complicated that filing federal income tax forms. For over twenty (20) years, Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. has prepared students' federal aid applications to help them become eligible for the most aid possible. We offer our clients personalized advice, expertise, and easy-to-use Internet utilities to make filing the college financial aid application quick and accurate.

Clients utilizing our FAFSALive™ service speak to our trained Student Aid Advisors, who walk one through a simplified process, typically within 15 to 20 minutes. The application is checked for accuracy, and filed electronically.

Clients also have the option of using our ExpressFAFSA™ service, where they enter their information on our secure website. One of our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors personally reviews the information using our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector and contacts the client to resolve any errors before electronically submitting a FAFSA to the federal processor. Those that file directly to Federal Processor without the use of

our professional assistance do not receive this benefit from the Federal Processor’s website. Other comparisons between our company’s services and one filing a FAFSA on their own is located on our website.

Our company also proudly provides and supports a variety of free FAFSA and college planning services to low income families, including the Access for All program. Eligible individuals from low income families can utilize our services free of charge.

I called and spoke to Ms. [redacted] on March 6, 2014 after having challenges locating an account with the information provided in the complaint. Ms. [redacted] informed me that the account was for someone in her household, but did not indicate who or provide any additional information. After further research, our company was able to locate an account related to Ms. [redacted]’s household.

To address her concerns, I have arranged for this account to be removed. As per our posted privacy policy, our company does not sell or share account information unless our clients opt to do so.

I have drafted a letter to Ms. [redacted] to assist in assuaging her concerns.

We feel that the above mentioned explanation and actions address Ms. [redacted]'s concerns and are considering this issue closed.

Sincerely,

Director of Client Relations

Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.

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.

Sincerely,