Complaint Review: Learning Annex

I purchased a ticket to the Learning Annex Real Estate Wealth Expo featuring Donald Trump in Los Angeles on April 8 and 9. The Learning Annex advertised this event like crazy and were clearly successful in getting 10's of 1,000's of attendees (although I don't know the exact attendance). This is all wonderful, except for the fact that the Learning Annex and the Convention Center, where the event was held, were completely incompetent when it came to accomodating and controlling the amount of traffic this surge in attendance created.

When I got off the freeway (I was on the 10 East with light traffic), just before 8am, the city streets were jam packed and cars were going through like 1 or 2 per signal light, if at all. It took me 2 1/2 hours (this is not total travel time, but time on city streets, after I got off the freeway) to get to one of the parking structures, which I believe was on Cherry Street. I waited and waited in line. Finally, I thought I'd made it to the parking structure, but I was turned away and given a pink sheet stating all Convention Center parking structures were full and that I'd have to travel umpteen blocks to the Northeast(?) to another parking structure. Again, I had already been sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, grinding my brakes and wasting gas for 2 1/2 hours on the city streets and how long was I going to continue to sit in this same traffic to get to the indicated parking structure umpteen blocks away which might or might not already also be full -- another 2 1/2 hours or more?

I called the Learning Annex corporate office, then was referred to the local office. The lady I spoke with in the Los Angeles office was wonderful and told me she knew all about the traffic problems, that there had been many calls, and that even the police had to be called in. I told her it was clear I would not be able to attend because of the parking situation and she understood. I asked if she needed me to come right over to her office and give her my Saturday sticker, which I was wearing, to prove I hadn't attended the event (my Sunday sticker was at home, but still affixed to the backing and clearly had not been used), but she said "no", that she knew about the problem, that she noted my name and that I had called, that she needed to talk to the "higher up's" after the event was completed, but that she was sure they would provide a credit for people like me who couldn't attend because of the traffic situation. She told me to call back mid-week after she had a chance to talk to her Superiors. Great, no problem!

That next week, I called back the Los Angeles office for the Learning Annex, but kept missing the woman to whom I had first talked. Finally, I was told by a gentleman who also worked at that office that I was supposed to call the corporate office, for which he gave me the number, and talk to customer service. I called immediately, but was told that customer service was already closed for the day. I called again the next morning, Tuesday, April 18, and was told there was no customer service support available via the phone, that I was to email customer service at customerservice@learningannex.com. I did so that day.

However, I never heard back. I waited and waited. Then I finally called the Learning Annex Los Angeles office again and again. I finally reached the first woman to whom I had spoken. She told me that the "Higher Up's" had said there would be no refunds. I explained that I was not asking for a refund, that I wanted a credit toward future classes at the Learning Annex. I think she felt bad, but what had been decided had been decided and I was going to receive nothing.

I feel completely ripped off and cheated. I have enjoyed other Learning Annex classes in the past and had hoped to continue taking more classes in the future. However, I'm absolutely furious! There've been numerous times the Learning Annex has canceled classes for which I was registered, once I even attended a class, driving all the way from Hemet, and the teacher never showed up. I have always worked with the Learning Annex and been completely workable. But now I'm really upset!

And also, the Learning Annex supposedly has a 100% satisfaction guarantee on their classes. I thought they cared about the people who come to their classes. But clearly I was wrong.

And yes, there was a disclaimer that there would be no refunds on the Expo. But I didn't just choose not to attend. I did show up, I went way out of my way to attend, but the Learning Annex was at fault for making the event inaccessible.

Again, I sat in traffic 2 1/2 hours. If a parking space had been available at that point in time, I would have parked, attended, and written the traffic thing off as an inconvenience. But they were asking me to trek across traffic for who knows how much longer!!!

They could have easily given me credits for future classes. After everything I went through, they should have given me double the amount in class credits. But they couldn't do that. So what options am I left with? I can demand a refund check for my current credits (they just recently canceled another of my classes). I guess I can take them to small claims for the amount I paid for the Wealth Expo -- How long would a Judge have sat in traffic before he said "enough is enough"? -- not to mention that I called in immediately to discuss the problem and was told by their staff at the local office that there would be some sort of credits or compensation.

I'm just furious! I should not have to be wasting my time and my energy trying to contact a customer service which doesn't seem to exist, with calls and calls to this office and that, just to be told, "Too bad, we screwed you!", when *they* made the mistake in not providing adequate parking and traffic controls. And now I'm probably going to have to take them to small claims court.

I hope this will warn others. I know I'm not taking any more classes from the Learning Annex, nor will any of my many friends. And I'm sure none of the other many, many people who experienced my same problem will patronize the Learning Annex again either.

Kathleen
Hemet, California
U.S.A.