Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/29/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been a member in good standing for many years and have never had any sanctions or disciplinary action. In 2019, RID had a 90 day limit for persons to file complaints against interpreters. April ****, 163 days after the event, I was emailed complaint #****-01 labeled the 1st complaint of ****. The complaint was from a hard of hearing man of my age and my neighbor who before was very upset I took a job teaching sign language for a semester. This man believes only deaf people should teach sign language. This man followed me to this event to record me and humiliate me the filed a complaint saying I left the event before he could attend autographs at 530 but my contract ended at 530 and my flight home was at 6. RID did not follow their own protocol of 90 days and conveniently left a date off of his document. I requested mediation as a resolution and *** refused and went straight to adjudication and still would t show the complaint was within 90 days. Years went by, we had an international pandemics, we moved cross country, I finished a masters degree in a different field, I even went through CANCER! RID is the only organization providing a national credential that is REQUIRED in many states. The employee in charge of reviewing complaints has no experience as an interpreter and was an apartment manager before this job. *** spent almost ******* in school loans and CEUs for this credential. On 1/8/2024 4.5 years after the event, RID revoked my credential for 3 years!!! My son and I have nothing else because this is my livelihood! I have thousands in cancer medical bills and life to pay for! No organization should have the power to ruin someone over 1 complaint by a man who clearly had a personal and intentional agenda. RID dont attempt any steps for lesser means of resolution instead they went straight to complete revocation! I cant access my CEUs or the member fees I paid for last July. This is so wrong! The complaining party didnt want this either!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2024

  ************************** is filing a complaint with the BBB against RID in response to sanctions imposed on them as a result of a complaint filed through our grievance system by Ms. ************ consumers for violations of the RIDs Code of Professional Conduct and RIDs Ethical Practices System (EPS) Prohibited Actions and Behaviors. The complaint against ************************ was processed, ruled, appealed, and the original decision was upheld after a review panel reviewed the appeal. Ms. ************ violations and the sanctions issued were published on our website on January 8, 2024 and can be found here: ****************************************************; 

  
  RIDs grievance system was reformed in June of 2023 with the guidance of legal counsel, several ASL interpreting industry Subject Matter Experts, and was written to be in alignment with certification industry best practices and the Institute for Credentialing Excellences National Commission for Certifying Agencies accreditation standards. The timelines and EPS processes were communicated with both the complainant and the respondent, **************************. **************************** case was processed in accordance with our EPS Policies and Procedures found on our website at this URL: ***********************************************. 

  
  Since ************************** was notified of the results of their appeal and the sanctions published on our website, ************************** has contacted us repeatedly with demands that we reinstate their certification. Doing so would blatantly disregard our established grievance system policies and procedures and undermine the purpose of our EPS which is to protect consumers of American Sign Language interpreting services and to protect the credibility of RID certification. We understand that ************************** has cited numerous extenuating circumstances in their life in their BBB complaint and listed an arbitrary monetary amount of $69,000 in dispute. **************************** case was thoroughly and very carefully reviewed in accordance with RID's EPS policies and procedures. The original decision in **************************** case and the decision from the subsequent appeals filed by ************************** will stand. 
  
  Links:
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  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2024

  Hi there, 

  We received the complaint via US mail. Please feel free to also correspond with us at this email: ***********.

  Thank you!!
  

  Star

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2024

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ******** - I have attached the email stating they will only hire 1 interpreter, the agreement showing my contract ended at 5:30pm, and the autographs started at 5:30pm (provided by complaining party Mr. ************** am rejecting this response because:

  At the time Mr. *************** filed his SINGLE complaint, RID provided 90 days, from the date of alleged violation, for complaints to be filed. I received his complaint on day #***. RID has refused to provide proof thAT Mr. ****** complaint was received within the 90 days provided in their *** protocol; furthermore, Mr. **** and I were supposed to have an opportunity to meet and mediate his concerns, in order to endorse the model that the Deaf and interpreting communities hope is to function in ******** *** REFUSED TO OFFER MEDIATION TO EITHER PARTY. Prior to Mr. ****** complaint, a friend of mr. ***** ************************************, filed a meritless complaint, that was also process delayed similar to Mr. ****** complaint. ******************** complaint was dismissed due to the extended time RID took to process her complaint; therefore, Mr. ****** complaint should have also been dismissed since his complaint took even LONGER to process. RID has allowed consumers to weaponize their grievance system by eliminating the 90 day time limit for consumers to file complaints and has egregiously revoked my certification over a SINGLE complaint that alleged I left an event before Mr. **** was able to receive an autograph even though Mr. **** provided an event scheule showing autographs started at 5:30 PM and my contract ENDED AT 5:30 PM. The NEW administrative leaders at RID have shown egregious mishandling of consumer complaint's and have allowed personal vendettas to taint the grievance process meant to educate and support interpreters becoming better versions of themselves. The current RID *** has a personal grievance against me due to the media attention surrounding my family and her personal distaste of hearing people teaching signed language. Had RID offered mediation, Mr. **** and I would have come to a quick, peaceful agreement and I would have been able to address my accuser in a safe, controlled environment. Now I am forced to take Mr. **** and RID to court in order to fight for MY credential to be rightfully reinstated.

  Because RID is the only organization providing a nationally recognized credential, they have a monopoly and have abused this power. I have filed a formal complaint with the antitrust division of the ********** of ******* ***** to bring this abuse to their attention to make sure no organization has the authority to come into someone's life, 4 years after a complaint was received, and interfere in their life in such a way to force a family to move and start over in another field because this credential is required for my contracts. The *** has not only published this egregious violation on their website, they have ordered an edit of the *** page that my name is now the FIRST THING website visitors see instead of having to click through pages to find anyone names. I also have a history of grievance based emails to RID over their unprofessional and unethical behavior online, and on social media, where staff have abused their office by harassing interpreters using gaslighting and public doxxing to admonish their PERSONAL grievances including publishing names of deceased interpreters stating their certs were revoked for non-payment. THEY'RE DECEASED! SHAME ON YOU!

  The current *** specialist has ZERO interpreting experience and only a previous work history of managing apartmnets and processing student transcripts. This person should not be in charge of altering people's livelihoods, members who have paid tens of thousands of dollars on degrees, testing, continuining education units, etc. only to have a SINGLE complaint strip them of a credential they have worked so hard to obtain and maintain.

  Prior to this complaint, 2020-01, I have had ZERO disciplinary actions or sanctions; therefore, this SINGLE complaint does not qualify for an immediate credential revocation, I had NO WARNING this was going to happen and have had to prepare to lose our home, lose my medical insurance (cancer patient in *** status), my son to lose access to his education, and so forth because the *** has cowardly ignored my requests for mediation, offers to discuss this matter to be reasonable and fair. This action has shaken our industry and has not established a precedent that anyone, at anytime, can now file a complaint that can strip a qualified & reputable interpreter of their credential because "RID CAN".

  My colleagues, both hearing and deaf, have created a website www.getridofrid.com in response to this terrifying abuse of power because now anyone can be stripped from a single complaint. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO STRIP A PROFESSIONAL OF THEIR CREDENTIAL OVER A SINGLE COMPLAINT OF "THEY LEFT BEFORE I COULD GET AN AUTOGRAPH" - this is insanity, this is abusive, this is outrageous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Shame on you, Star.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************************

   

   

  PLEASE PUBLISH THIS ON YOUR WEBSITE SO EVERYONE WHO IS FIGHTING FOR INDEPENDENT CREDENTIALS WILL SEE RID IS A HORRIBLY INEPT ORGANIZATION WITH GARBAGE LEADERSHIP.