The College Network review: scam 22

Dear Pamela,

I am sorry to hear that you are dissatisfied with your purchase, but I have to disagree with you on a few points. The paperwork provide by The College Network indicates that we are not affiliated with Excelsior College and it also states that you have 3 days to cancel your purchase agreement.

We do care about the educational and financial needs of our customers and we have several forms of assistance available as long as you are current in your financial obligation.

I am forwarding your complaint to our Customer Care Unit and asking them to contact you to attempt to resolve any issues you may be having.

Sincerely,

Rick
The College Network

Mrs. Hopkins,

I am not aware of any school, or business for that matter, that provides services free of charge. We are more than willing to work with our customers who are having financial difficulties and we have programs in place to provide assistance. I'm not sure if the same can be said about a school.

As stated in reply to your other comments on this site, I have forwarded your complaint on to our Customer Care Unit and they will be contacting you.

Sincerely,
Rick
The College Network

this is so true and now i am seeing it has happened to many people i was called this week and the ### represented hiself as the Texas Board of Nursing and said my license would be revoked if I did not pay him 7ooo.oo in 20 minutes. somebody get them.

Pam,

I am unable to locate you in your system simply by the name Pam and the city Denton, Texas. Please provide me with an email address and/or a phone number so this matter may be investigated on this end.

Calls to our customers and/or prospective customers are documented and recorded. I am eager to look into this matter.

Sincerely,
Rick
The College Network

To Both Parties,

I must say that I am a customer of TCN, somethings were represented as promised, but many things were not. I was not made aware of several costs involved with the program. I was shocked to learn that I had to pay over $1800.00 just to do 2.5 days of clinicals.

Over the past 8 months, TCN has "accidnetly" pulled double payments from checking account causing me over $150.00 in overdraft fees and TCN stated even though the withdrew the money on accident, refused to reimburse the overdraft fees they caused.

On top of this, I cant take out my "testing fees" when ever I want as initially indicated by the Customer Service Rep. I must pass the class, present the test results, and receipt of the previous payment to receive my money. This is very, very horrible service that I cant get my money at my convienence.

I will in no way recommend TCN any more!

Philip

Philip,

With regard to your concern over the cost of the clinical weekend, please refer to your copy of the form titled "cost estimate form." If you no longer have a copy, please contact Academic Support at [protected] and request a copy. This form lists the estimated costs of your degree program, including the cost of the clinical weekend.

After reading the documentation on your file, I do see that you account has been drafted twice in the same month on 3 different occasions. Clearly this was done in error and you have been refunded the monies that were drafted in error. I also see that you have been reimbursed for $50.00 in overdraft fees and according to the records I have reviwed, you have only $35.00 in overdraft fees that were a result of being double drafted by your TCN lender.

As far as the testing fees, those are only eligible to be issued once proof of payment and your exam score have been provided for the previous exam. It is documented that we have made an exception for you and have issued you as many as 3 exam fees at one time - one for Anatomy & Physiology, one for Microbiology, and one for Health Safety. We are trying to work with you, but we have to adhere to the policies and procedures that were agreed upon when you requested to finance your exam fees.

I have forwarded your concerns to our Customer Care Unit. It is our sincerest hope to attempt to resolve your concerns to your satisfaction.

Sincerely,
Rick
The College Network

So rick you supposedly work for TCN but you have nothing important to say. you keep telling everyone that your company is going to call us and take care of the situation like its going to make things better. You're not the one getting scammed out of thousands of dollars. TRUE half the stuff that people are complaining about is in writing. The other half..you have people that are professional con artist that go into peoples homes and make them feel comfortable. they start small talk and try to "connect" and be trusted by these people that are trying to make an honest living out of their lives and your company and you ...yes you..are STEALING money from hundreds of people everyday. You're sales associates lie about everything from how many days to cancel the contract, to where the loan is coming from, to how the program actually does work. Its sickening how you can work for a company who scams lies and steals. Have you even read any course material for any "courses" that your company provides? It doesn't make sense, its horribly written, the questions do not pertain to the information given, there are ridiculous amounts of grammatical and spelling errors throughout the chapters, and so on and so forth. I mean, with the thousands of money you guys STEAL from people daily, you would think you would be able to have someone who is literate read over and correct them. I have no intention of paying over $14, 000, yes $14, 000, to some company who has not been truthful with me about what exactly i am signing up for. i REFUSE to pay a company money for a course that i have chosen to drop. i have finished only 1 chapter of one course and i actually feel that i have lost knowledge rather then gained. You and your company are PROFESSIONAL SCAM ARTISTS WHO LIE AND HUSTLE INNOCENT HARD WORKING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY FOR YOUR OWN GAIN. Then you hide behind this façade of this company who actually cares about the academic success of its "students", who actually cant be students because you're not a SCHOOL . If you truly think you're working for a company that isn't a scam, then welcome, you are now a part of the thousands of people who have been scammed, deceived, and "ripped off" by the college network. Now i have to go to a real school with real teachers and real course work and real college credits so i can get a better job so i don't live on the streets trying to pay off this loan before it slowly drains my credit and my wallet. i'm looking into taking legal action against TCN. and rick, i don't think you're "academic support" can fix this situation, but i'm greatly anticipating this call.

Dear Maria,

I would be happy to have someone contact you to address your concerns, but I am unable to locate you in our system with the information provided in your complaint. If you would like to provide me with your email address, phone number, or last name I will have someone contact you.

To address some of your concerns, I will start by saying that our representatives do not lie about the program. All the information presented to you at the time of enrollment is spelled out in black and white to ensure that you are a well-informed customer. Please refer to the copies of the forms you have been provided titled Purchase Agreement, Customer Courtesy Checklist, and Loan Application. These documents address your issues related to the cancellation period, the financial aspects of your program, and how the program works. Your Academic Guidance Planner also serves as a "road map" for the completion of your program.

Our materials are written by subject matter experts and are subject to a rigorous editing process prior to being made available for sale. If you would like to provide specifics with regard to grammatical or content errors, I would be happy to forward those to our editing department for review.

We do care about the success of our customers and their satisfaction with our products and services. However, with any distance learning or online educational program, you are responsible for your own success. You will get out of the program exactly what you put in. If you apply yourself you will earn your degree.

Again, if you would like to provide me with additional contact information, I would be more than happy to have someone contact you.

Sincerely,
Rick
The College Network

Rick, I have read many blogs you have posted to and it is amazing how you cannot locate 90% of the authors in your system. How convienent to say that you will look into the matter and they will be contacted by customer support. One of the very things you guarantee in your comments has been one thing I have been denied by your company. The people you have answering the phones are clueless and repeat the same crap that you do in these blogs. I have visited many sites, and you always offer the same answers. I have not publiclly blogged against the company or made any negative comments until this point, I have been reading, and gathering information only. I imagine you spend all day defending your worthless company, and sit back with a obnoxious grin and think you have us beat. But there is power in numbers and we are collecting them, and we will be heard by many.

I too have been scammed by this company. Two years ago I signed up for the LPN to RN program and I have been paying on this loan every since. I am a single mother with three children and I just wanted to further my degree and therefore my family's financial situation. A man named Tim Harmon (I still have his card) came to my house and told me how this school is fully accredited and that upon completion I would be able to sit for the florida state board. This is a flat out lie! Excelsior college (who is a completely seperate bill, by the way) is not accepted for the board in this state. Therefore, I still have another year to pay on this loan or my credit score will be wrecked, for NOTHING! $3000 gone from my family and now I am enrolling in a local college to finish this degree! If a class action suit is started, please allow me to be a part of it. I am filing a formal complaint with the BBB and I suggest you all do the same. It's free to do and you can do it online. If nothing else, let's get this "company" shut down so they cannot do this to other people!

Tally, I sent you an email. Please respond.

In 2006, a man representing the College Network also came to my home. He too had mentioned that the College Network was affliated with Excelsior College. I contacted Excelsior and spoke to a Yolanda, who stated they are not. There is even a scam warning on the Excelsior Website to warn us of this scam. I am also a full-time employee and thought that this would be much easier on me and my family. I made numerous contacts into Customer Service for student support and received the same answers- I don't have records of you calling before or nobody is available from student support to handle your request at this time. I even requested to send back the modules and switch to the AS program because I didn't open any of these books. They are useless- at this point, I can only use this material for paper weights. I finally gave up on this program. After paying over $7, ooo for the LPN-BSN program and obtaining nothing out of it, I went back to my local community college. These people lie, cheat, and steal from innocent people every day. After paying my debt in full to this company via my loan at Lifeway Credit Union (came out of my bank account automatically), I was passed on to a collections company out in Las Vegas (American Exchange) to pay even more money. The people who would call were rude and would tell me that I need to pay my bills. Clearly, they didn't touch base with Lifeway Credit Union. They sent me a final notice at the beginning of this year to pay $750 to settle my debt. What debt? More recently (in June 2009), I have been getting calls from John Hughes Office (Lockhart, Morris, and Montgomery). This "John Hughes's" real name is Eric. He is not an attorney, but a bill collector. He will lie, threaten, and manipulate you with scare tactics to force you into paying a bill that was already paid. He has even admitted to me that my CBR shows paid in full but I still owe $3, 000. I told him to send me a bill- he can't produce a bill, but says I owe the money. How did my bill go from paid in full to $750 to $3000? I contacted my attorney, and this Eric is still calling. He illegally contacted my employer (and yes, in this state it is illegal once a collection agency contacts the debtor as he was already aware of my location). They just don't get the hint, so now I will be pursuing a lawsuit- not only against the College Network, but also against this fradulent collections company.

I too signed uo to College Network after Tim came to my home and met with my friend and myself. He explained how wonderful the College Network is and how many people have sucessfully completed my said program. As I began studing, I began to realize that the material was not reader friendy at all. I called to find out my options. I was advised that as the 3 day cancelation period had passed, I couldnt do anything other than pay for a course that didnt suit me. I called the bank, I spoke to various representatives trying to find out other options but their was none, I was so depressed. Finally, I began digging into the firt course, trying to prepare for the first test, all the while being charged monthly, the 2nd time my account was charged the amount was returned I received a $30 fee from my bank and a $50 late charge from College network. A total of $80 in fees for a transaction for $100 dollars. This just created a snowball effect for me financially and before you know it, by the time I was ready to take the first test and my testing check was given to me, I used the check to pay my bank fees. Needless to say I never took the first test. During this period I also lost my job and fell behind in more payments and incured more fees as they are charged automatically. Eventually my College Network Account was suspended, and I had to pay over $500 to get caught up in my payments in order to become active. I was placed back on monthly billing. I made my monthly payments ontime, (one time, I made my payment a day late and they suspended my account) yet all the while American Exchange nor College Network did not reported to the credit bureau any of the $1, 000 I paid . When I inquired why, Americn Exchange could not explain why. I advised Amercian Exchange that I am a single mother, and my family has to go without sometimes, in order for me t0 make these payments, from this point on if they cannot do their part and report my payments, I will spend my money clearing up accounts that will reflect on my credit, and I have never heard from them again. All the monthly calls and letters stopped. While they are probably somewhere selling my account, I have decided not to sell my soul to the Devil. I too feel their is power in numbers and if everyone makes a report it wont be long until their is an investigation into College Network.

I requested a test fee payment a month ago. After two weeks of receiving emails that my test fee payment was in process, i received a email that my check was being mailed to me. Supposedly, my check was mailed to me a week a go and i still have not received it. I just was told to wait a couple more days. I pay my test fee payment out of my pocket; I had my test fees financed into my college network fees; I do everything I'm supposed to do on my end but I feel the College Network is not doing their part. Who know when the check will be mailed or was mailed. If it was mailed to me a week ago I would have received it by now. Someone is not telling me the truth, and I think it's the College Network.

Hi,
I'm Lorie from Alabama. Well I called the next day to cancel. I was told how do you make up your mine when you don't even have the material yet. Then, I was told that my account would be noted that I did call with in the cancellation period but had not reviewed the material. I was told this would give me a chance to make a more informed decision and not being scared away by the contract. It took a week to get the guides and I tried them out then I was convince it was not for me. I called back and they told me my 3 day was up and they had no record of the first call. I told them I just can't use the stuff they sent me it's not enough to learn anything with. I would just like to return it. Needless to say they said I could do what ever I want with the guide but I would have to pay. The are recking my life to the point of me wanting to [censored] and leaving a note leting every know that The stress and the lies the college network put on me drove me to this point. Now those guides could finally be put to good use. Soaking up the blood from my dead body. Now The college network will get what the work so hard for [censored] my life my death and the guide put to great use

This college network is such a scam> I am out 5, 000 simple as that! There is a facebook page called LPN college network scm you can post on. I did!

I am also a victim of this worthless TCN the material just sucks there is numerous spelling errors and there is nothing but boring text. I have only recieved one module and have not taken the first test but somehow i still owe them $8, 000 when i contacted the college network about trying to cancel the classes because i can only recieve one module at a time they told me i would still have to pay in full. I don't understand how they can take out a loan in your behalf before you even recieve the material or use any of their services. This network is a huge scam and i regret fully that i did not research them before the sales lady Tara sweet talked me into this to good to be true bull crap. If there is anyone that was able to get out of this legally or just stopped paying them and didnt get their wages garnished (because i am terrified they will do that) or anyone that has a class action lawsuit against them and need more people let me know asap.

I am also a victim of The College Network. Their resources did not adequately prepare me for the first test. I demanded my money back and was denied. The account has been sold several times to collection agencies that use unfair collection tactics. I recommend that everyone goes directly through Excelsior College. I am sorry that I was mislead!

"The dream-fighter" from North Carolina

Hi. I was also scammed by college network and i have not even started classes but they say i cannot withdraw. If we joined together we can file a lawsuit. If you guys are interested lets organize something.

I was suckered by The College Network. I stopped paying in 2009 and my account was transferred to Lockhart, Morris, & Montgomery and they are a very aggressive debt collector. I was wondering if anyone else has had dealing with this LMM. They claim the Purchase Agreement between TCN is considered a private student loan and they can be more aggressive regarding collection. In addition, has anyone gone to arbitration with TCN?

I am still be harrassed by Lockhart, Morrison & Mongomery whom is only a collection agency! We need a class action LAWsuit I am all in!

I had the same type of experience with the college network. I see that the New York attorney General has filed a lawsuit against them and Southeast Financial alleging unfair business practices against thousands of Nurses who bought their program. I am thrilled to see this and hope they hang them out to dry! Eddie Nester