Complaint Review: National Auto Academy - Easton Pennsylvania

I applied to a Craigslist ad for a Car Salesman position that the National Auto Academy posted. I went to an interview and the interviewer, Lucia C. Mellilo, asked me if I was to finish the course when would I begin to work. I told her I would have to give my current employer 2 weeks, she opened her computer calendar and asked "So the 21'st of April? I said yes.

After the interview I returned for a 3 day course to obtain my car salesman certificate. On the first day she told us that we would have to pay $699 for the course. She never mentioned this during the interview, if she did I wouldn't have returned for the "course". She also told us that we would have lifetime job placement assistance at any dealership we wanted. The next day I payed the $699, $400 of my own money and $300 borrowed from my brother, she gave me a receipt and we continued the "course".

If I come to you for a job that means I'm either unemployed or under employed, right? Now why would they charge $699 to listen to someone speak for 3 days? They should have just docked it from our first paychecks. They only resason I paid was because Lucia told us that the NAA could help place us at in dealership in the country and that we get job placement assistance for life.

The next day I received my certificate and I had an interview with the BDC Manager at East Coast Toyota and Scion where I took the "course". At the end of the interview I was told to keep an eye out for an email from the manager and that I would have to reply with a written example.

I waited over a week for the email and didn't receive anything. During that time I called Sophia Victorin and Suzanne Hessing at the NAA to find out what was the hold up and if there were any updates. There were times when I would leave a message and they would not return my call. If I did get to speak to someone they would tell me that the are waiting for the manager to get back to them, or to wait another day. Finally I told them that I wanted to be placed at Toyota Universe in Little Falls, NJ and they set me up on an interview. Again I heard nothing. Everytime I would call them they would tell me to wait another day. One day I called them both and of course neither of them returned my calls.

The next day I received a call from Leah and she told me that she could get me an interview at Multi Chevrolet in Union, NJ. During the interview, the interveiwer told me that he would contact me at the end of the week or the begining of the following week. At the end of the week I called Leah and asked her if there were any updates regarding the interview and she told me that they would not contact her, they would contact me. Not once did Sophia or Suzanne tell me that I had to call back after an interview. For $699 shouldn't they be making the calls and the follow-ups? Shouldn't they set me up on an interview everyday since I got "certified", especially since I am no longer employed because they told me to give in my two weeks notice and my job has already found a replacement, instead of sitting on my a*s waiting to here from them?

It's been 5 weeks since I got "certified" and I have been unemployed for 4 weeks! I've only been on 2 interviews in that time. They had me under the assumption that they could find me a job at any dealership in the country, and yet they haven't been able to place me. I saw a new ad on Craigslist, just like the original one I applied to, at a different location. When I called Sophia, to ask for my money back, I told her and she had no idea about it. I told her about another ad that Toyota Universe put up themselves, and she was clueless. She told me that when we see something like that we should contact her. Job placement assistance means that you help me find a job. I should be waiting for you to set me up on an interview. I shouldn't have to call you about a job post I found on Craigslist. She told me that the call the dealerhips personally.

I paid $699 for you to call dealerships in the hopes that they are hiring? I could've done that myself. I told her I wanted my money back and she said I would not get it back because I signed a contract. I told her that she needs to find a way, if not that I will contact the BBB, send in a complaint through Ripoff Report, call the news, newspapers and take legal actions. I've sent in my complaint with the BBB and Ripoff Report. My next steps are to contact the news and find a lawyer.