Complaint Review: Smart Certify - Clearwater Florida

Throughout my bankruptcy, I received weekly calls from these liars, insisting that an $80/hour job awaited me if I took their course.  They "negotiated" a $600 price for the course.  Yeah, just $600.  They even agreed on 12 months, no interest at $50 a month (direct payment, of course - mistake number 2).  After signing their course and software agreement (which contained two little tiny windows of FOUR more pages of clauses in their agreement), I was still hesitant to sign, as I had NO credit, and my job was VERY shaky, thanks to the economic recession.  "Tammy" reassured me that CBT would "work with" me in the event of a financial hardship.

Two months later, after the bankruptcy, business dried up, and I was forced to close the account from which I paid CBT Direct's "tuition" (which was actually a financing contract, even though 4 pages of the agreement could not be printed thanks to their embedding of the additional material within the initial agreement).  I had notified them that I would be unable to make payment, and that the account was closed, which they said that they would note my CBT account, and await news from me that I had improved my situation.

IN THE MEANTIME, CBT DIRECT DENIED ANY ATTEMPTS BY ME TO ACCESS THE COURSE MATERIAL, CUTTING ME OFF FROM ANY ADDITIONAL STUDIES ON THE COURSE I HAD BEEN PAYING FOR.  (I include this statement, because I feel that it bears accentuation, since I did not have access to the uncompleted material, thus eliminating any gain I could have seen from the course material, including CERTIFICATION!)

The following month, I was contacted by CBT because my payment had been denied.  I asked why they had attempted to deduct it from my depleted (and closed) account, and they stated that they HAD to attempt to collect, as past students had lied about accounts being closed, and they had to assure themselves that I was not a liar, despite stating that they would await news from me.  I was curious as to why CBT Direct's past dealings with other students who were unable to pay would prompt such a blatant and disrespectful action, but I was told that it was "none of my business."

30 days later, after losing my car and health coverage due to lack of funds, I received a call from a collection agency asking about the remaining $500 that I supposedly owed CBT Direct.  I was dumbfounded, as I thought I was paying a TUITION, and thought that since I was unable to PAY, that I would just be denied access to the course, just like any other reputable educational institution.  But, alas, I was wrong, because I was dealing with CBT Direct, who does not charge tuition for education, but rather "licensing fees" to their "software" (which I no longer had access to).

Now, many months later, CBT Direct has conveniently used excerpts from my telephone conversations with their representatives to nitpick partial details and twist my own words to use against me with the Better Business Bureau and the New York State Attorney General's Office.  They have conveniently forgotten to mention that in those same recordings is their sales representative insisting that if I sign up and agree to the financing plan, that CBT Direct would work with me in the event of a financial hardship, and would NEVER do ANYTHING that would negatively affect my credit.

They lie.  Straightforward and simply put.  They will say WHATEVER you need to hear to get you to sign the agreement which contains a lot of wording designed to force you to pay, or sacrifice your credit, without regard to your education, welfare, family, or anything other than them getting their money.

Save your money.  Save your credit.  Go elsewhere.  Do NOT work with CBT Direct.  There are MANY more reliable, trustworthy, and caring educational resources out there!