Complaint Review: Consumer Response Group

I am a college student currently enrolled in summer classes. At the beginning of the summer I decided to look for another job to help pay for living. While searching through the newspaper, I came across an ad that read something along the lines of: "Mystery Shoppers Needed, if interested call 1-800-706-5508". For those who are unfamiliar with Mystery Shopping, it is when companies hire people to buy their products or services and evaluate them.

Unable to find any other work, I decided to make the call. A dishonest salesman (more accurately speaking, a crook) tells me that I can make $30 to $50 an assignment. All I have to do is buy the seventy dollar package (plus shipping and handeling) that educates and tests me on the complexities of mystery shopping, and companies in the area will imediately notify me with available work.

With a 30-day money back guarantee, I trust the man and buy the package. I took the test and sent it back as instructed.

Close to a month passes and still no response (Note that their name is Consumer RESPONSE Group). I call back and indicate that I may want my money back, and I still have not received my package. This, the next liar I delt with, tells me that I should receive the package any day and a list of companies hiring mystery shoppers, and if I am still not satisfied, I can call back and get an extension on the 30-day money back guarantee.

I receive my package with only a couple of days left on my 30-day money back guarantee. Not only have no companies contacted me as the first man indicated, I find the certificate to be about as useless as the Consumer Response Group themselves. The companies that are hiring mystery shoppers don't even ask for certification, unless it is through someone else.

I contact their "Student Support Department" and explain that I want my refund. Then I am told that unless I get the refund form filled out to them on that exact same day, I can not receive a refund because my 30 days were up on that day. Since the party on the other side could not understand that I was told I could get an extension, I asked to speak to her supervisor.

I explain my situation, and he responds with his own bag of contradictions. This man tells me that he can not give me my money back because my thirty days are up, but they do give extensions to people that try applying to mystery shopping companies and still have no luck after the 30 days are up. I told him how I have been applying with no luck, and I was told I could get an extension. He just sticks to his guns and tells me that I can't get my refund.

Now my summer is half over, and I still have no extra job to help me get by. I then searched for information on the web about the Consumer Response Group. The only information I could find is other reports written by dissatisfied customers. I just want my $69.99 back (I won't even try to ask for lost wages).

Derek
Champaign, Illinois
U.S.A.