Complaint Review:
Hempgard University
I tried to resolve this with them directly. Below is the dispute I filed with paypal.
Firstly, FAKE/IMITATION: The Medical Marijuana Course I purchased is minutia. You claim that you wont refund my money because your information is proprietary. Everything in this download can be found on the CA state gov. Health Dept website or on a variety of FREE Cannabis blogs and discussion pages.
Secondly,DIFFERENT VERSION: I asked Elizabeth Cortese Student Services Administrator, about waiting for the MI or AZ version to come out before purchasing. She advised me to do the CA program because it was adaptable. I now realize that was just an attempt to get me to purchase anything. The site advises to do your homework before entering this business, and if you do, you already know more than this course "teaches". A classic bait n switch.
Lastly,As of 6/22/10 11am AZ time, I have copied and saved the html code from the polices page of your website strictly for discovery purposes. It contains the last 4 words of your Refund Policy. They clearly state, and I quote "ask for a refund." Just another example of the say one thing but do another philosophy of your company.I want my money back and if not handled through Paypal, I will seek other recourse.
I found out today WHY they ONLY accept PAYPAL...because if the "material" is delivered...even though not as described...PAYPAL won't do anything to get your money back. Their CLAIMS policy which is the only way to reverse the transaction ONLY APPLIES TO THE SHIPMENT OF GOODS.
I also found out 2 other things today. Even though the crap I bought is delivered via a download, they offer In person seminars SOMEWHERE in WA state. They do not list an address anywhere and when you check the only phone number listed on the site, it is a cell phone listed in San Francisco Ca. Also, they list a "SALE" price of 129.99 for the e-crap...regularly 225....its BOGUS...they just keep changing the date!
To this date I haven't received my money back, so I am just starting the process of spreading the word. PLEASE do yourself a favor and DO NOT use this e-crap course. Go to Oaksterdam or GGECO to get training. Heck, just visit your states website and read the statues, Dept of Health, and other Free sites like American Safe Access... You will definitely save yourself 129 bucks and a lot of grief!
Peace.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
HempgardUniv
California,USA
William "Bill" M. a shill for GGECO University
#5UPDATE Employee
Mon, August 02, 2010
William "Bill" M. you are a Con-artist, a Fraud and a Shill for GGECO University.
Hempgard University
HlempgardUniv
California,United States of America
Hempgard University rebuttal to shill's post for GGECO
#5UPDATE Employee
Sat, July 31, 2010
Hempgard University's Rebuttal to the posting by a shill for another school - GGECO
After some research on our part, we now realize you, William Bill M., are affiliated with GGECO University. As part of your online marketing strategy you have decided to try to defame you largest online competitor, Hempgard University, as a way of driving traffic to your new online medical marijuana school. You couldn't defame Oaksterdam because they are too big and famous, so you chose us.
We have had over 2100 individuals purchase our e-courses and hundreds more attend our live seminars. We have hosted, sold-out, live seminars in Sacramento, San Jose, Monterey, San Diego, Denver, Boulder, and Seattle, to name just some of the cities, over the past year and a half.
We offer complete medical marijuana business training for California, Colorado, Montana and Washington.
William Bill M., you purchased the e-course; thus, you know our e-course offers complete instructions on how to start four types of medical marijuana(MMJ) businesses MMJ Dispensary, MMJ Delivery Service, MMJ edibles business and MMJ Commercial Grow Collective. The comprehensive information Hempgard University provides is much the same as provided by Oaksterdam, but at less cost.
When you corresponded with Liz Cortese, Hempgard University, she informed you that we wouldn't have an e-course for Arizona until after the November election, to see if the MMJ initiative passes. She informed you that the MMJ laws for Michigan, as they stand now, don't really allow for dispensaries. Liz also explained to you that we have several students in Arizona who wanted to get MMJ business training before the law is passed; we recommended the California e-course to them, because of the way MMJ businesses have to be structured in California (not for profit), as opposed to Colorado or Montana. Just as people from all over the country attend Oaksterdam, we also get students from all over the country who want to receive MMJ business training, but can't afford to or don't want to travel to Oaksterdam to get the training.
Our Refund Policy is clearly stated on our website. We do not give refunds for the e-course. Do you think that after taking the Oaksterdam course, and learning the information, they will refund your fee?
The answer is NO. It's bad business.
The only one perpetrating a fraud is you, William Bill M. buy the e-course, learn the information, ask for a refund, defame the organization through libel and slander, and by doing this drive online traffic to check out a brand new medical marijuana school you are affiliated with. You are the FRAUD.
We chose to process our orders through Paypal because of their reputation for security regarding customer information and for ease of processing orders. In other words, most people trust Paypal when placing orders. If you look closely at our website you will see we are Paypal Verified.
With regards to our pricing, we make no apologies for extending our special price of $129.99 for our e-courses. Each month we get a number of emails from people who want to purchase the e-course but won't have the money until after the special offer expires, so we extend it. Lots of people are out of work. It's the economy, Stupid.
Once an individual purchases our e-course we do not try to sell them any additional consulting services, as many of the other schools do. We are more than happy to answer any additional questions students may have and/or give any additional guidance they may need no additional cost.
We are up front and honest. We operate from the perspective that the more people who operate well run medical marijuana businesses, the further legitimized the medical marijuana industry becomes.
The information we provide in our MMJ business training e-course would cost an individual $500.00 to learn at Oaksterdam(not including travel and lodging costs), they'd have to take the basic and the advanced courses. Though a good school, Oaksterdam was not the first marijuana school, Cannabis College Amsterdam was established in 1998. As for GGECO University, the information they are offering in their MMJ course for $119.00 (30-day course time limit) can be found for free on YouTube.
Best Regards,
Faculty and Staff, Hempgard UniversityBill
Chandler,Arizona,
United States of America
Put the Joint Down!!!
#5Author of original report
Sat, July 31, 2010
I am continually amazed with this "company's" deluded perspective of reality. Instead of me being an informed individual seeking more knowledge, that they purported to sell, I am now a SPY for the opposition in some cyber-war against them. This is, of course, only after I complain about the content of the .pdf file I bought. Listen guys...I know of a strain or two of cannabis that will relieve this paranoia. And for $250....no on sale today for $129...I will tell you what it is.
As for the many individuals out there seeking knowledge to actually help people, please learn from my mistake.
Don't send your money to ANY company that reports in its google tagline that it is the "nations largest and most trusted" and isnt
NEVER send your money to a company that doesn't provide any PHYSICAL address or a phone number (a cell phone doesnt count). (((Redacted)))
Check the BBB...even if it is a cannabis related organization it should be listed if its licensed.
Wait, if you can, and check what kind of business practices it employs...Does its "sale" price just repeat itself and never actually is a sale...
I have "chalked up" this $130 mistake to my overly enthusiastic desire to be ahead of the wave as it enters AZ. I now realize that a little extra research into the partners I choose will be worth its weight in gold.
Peace and All the Best!
Bill
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
HlempgardUniv
California,United States of America
Hempgard University rebuttal to shill report for GGECO
#5UPDATE Employee
Sat, July 31, 2010
After some research on our part, we now realize you, William Bill M., are affiliated with GGECO University. As part of your online marketing strategy you have decided to try to defame you largest online competitor, Hempgard University, as a way of driving traffic to your new online medical marijuana school. You couldn't defame Oaksterdam because they are too big and famous, so you chose us.
We have had over 2100 individuals purchase our e-courses and hundreds more attend our live seminars.
We have hosted, sold-out, live seminars in Sacramento, San Jose, Monterey, San Diego, Denver, Boulder, and Seattle, to name just some of the cities, over the past year and a half.
We offer complete medical marijuana business training for California, Colorado, Montana and Washington.
William Bill M., you purchased the e-course; thus, you know our e-course offers complete instructions on how to start four types of medical marijuana(MMJ) businesses MMJ Dispensary, MMJ Delivery Service, MMJ edibles business and MMJ Commercial Grow Collective. The comprehensive information Hempgard University provides is much the same as provided by Oaksterdam, but at less cost.
When you corresponded with Liz Cortese, Hempgard University, she informed you that we wouldn't have an e-course for Arizona until after the November election, to see if the MMJ initiative passes. She informed you that the MMJ laws for Michigan, as they stand now, don't really allow for dispensaries. Liz also explained to you that we have several students in Arizona who wanted to get MMJ business training before the law is passed; we recommended the California e-course to them, because of the way MMJ businesses have to be structured in California (not for profit), as opposed to Colorado or Montana. Just as people from all over the country attend Oaksterdam, we also get students from all over the country who want to receive MMJ business training, but can't afford to or don't want to travel to Oaksterdam to get the training.
Our Refund Policy is clearly stated on our website. We do not give refunds for the e-course. Do you think that after taking the Oaksterdam course, and learning the information, they will refund your fee?
The answer is NO. It's bad business.
The only one perpetrating a fraud is you, William Bill M. buy the e-course, learn the information, ask for a refund, defame the organization through libel and slander, and by doing this drive online traffic to check out a brand new medical marijuana school you are affiliated with. You are the FRAUD.
We chose to process our orders through Paypal because of their reputation for security regarding customer information and for ease of processing orders. In other words, most people trust Paypal when placing orders. If you look closely at our website you will see we are Paypal Verified.
With regards to our pricing, we make no apologies for extending our special price of $129.99 for our e-courses. Each month we get a number of emails from people who want to purchase the e-course but won't have the money until after the special offer expires, so we extend it. Lots of people are out of work. It's the economy, Stupid.
Once an individual purchases our e-course we do not try to sell them any additional consulting services, as many of the other schools do. We are more than happy to answer any additional questions students may have and/or give any additional guidance they may need no additional cost.
We are up front and honest. We operate from the perspective that the more people who operate well run medical marijuana businesses, the further legitimized the medical marijuana industry becomes.
The information we provide in our MMJ business training e-course would cost an individual $500.00 to learn at Oaksterdam(not including travel and lodging costs), they'd have to take the basic and the advanced courses. Though a good school, Oaksterdam was not the first marijuana school, Cannabis College Amsterdam was established in 1998. As for GGECO University, the information they are offering in their MMJ course for $119.00 (30-day course time limit) can be found for free on YouTube.
Best Regards,
Faculty and Staff, Hempgard University