Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Envision EMI's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Envision EMI

  1919 Gallows Rd Ste 700 Vienna, VA 22182-4007

  
• 

  Envision EMI

  1511 K St NW Ste 724 Washington, DC 20005-1403

  
• 

  Envision EMI

  1101 Pennsylvania Ave NW Ste 600 Washington, DC 20004-2544

  
• 

  Envision EMI

  1 Market Plz San Francisco, CA 94105-1101

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:07/23/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Our son was nominated by our teacher for what we thought was a prestigious and exclusive camp. He wanted to make his teacher proud and thought it would look good on his college application. We should've looked more in to the company and looked at reviews but honestly we thought it would be legit given the referral from a teacher, someone we respect. We made every monthly payment on time and towards the end of June, our son decided, after looking at the itinerary that he didn't want to go anymore. He said it was just like school with some stuff afterwards. We also got a call from a friend whose child went to another location for the same company and said it was not worth the $3500. They weren't organized, they didn't follow their plan, no pictures were taken and the parents weren't even allowed to see the final project. We decided to cancel and we were thankful that we had purchased the full refund option in case something came up. We spoke with a gentleman who said it would have to be approved by a manager and there was no confirmation number or email that he could give me. Hm...suspicious but ok. Fast forward to July 10, I called inquiring about an update on our refund. I was told that the refund was issued and was still processing. July 19, still no refund so I called again. They explained that it was batched on July 2 and usually takes a week and then it's up to the bank that it was refunded to. This is where it gets odd. Most of my payments were done through our AMEX card but our last one was through our bank. AMEX can only refund what was charged through their end but that's neither her nor there because our AMEX *** said there were no refunds waiting to be processed. So I called back. The gentleman said that management had told them to tell us that refunds were all pushed back to October meaning we wouldn't get our money back until October. A manager finally called and said it was because of reasons out of their control. Makes zero sense to me.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  Thank you for reaching out and we apologize for the delay that was caused by a high volume of hurricane related refund requests. We are pleased to inform you that your refund was processed today in the amount of $3,278.54, which is the tuition minus associated nonrefundable processing fees you paid, including the $359 Full Refund Program fee. Please let us know if you do not receive it in the next 7-10 business days and note that it will be received via the original forms of payment. Thank you and have a safe school year.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/19/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/12/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 enrolled my son in the Envision Pathways for the summer of 2024. I needed to cancel my son's enrollment to reasons outside of our control. I did purchase the full refund policy which was $325.00 additional on top of the $2,745.00 for the session. I called on June 21st to process a refund in which I was told that it was processed. I think called back a week later because I was still receiving emails about the session, in which the representative told me that he had to do something additional in the system to allow the refund to process, which he did. I call back on 7/10 to check on the status in which I was told that the refund was never processed and that he just then officially processed the return and it should be released in 1-2 days and then I should see it in my bank account within 10 days. I called on 7/11 to see if it was processed in which he said it was too soon to see and to call back the next day. I called back on 7/12 (today) in which I was told that I would need to wait 6 weeks for a return because they are backed up due to the hurricane in ***** (which just happened this past Monday). I keep getting the run around and have been getting different answers for the past 3 weeks. I WANT MY MONEY BACK NOW!

  Business Response

  Date: 07/25/2024

  Thank you for reaching out, and for your patience as we navigate an unexpectedly high volume of refund requests due to the recent hurricanes. I'm pleased to inform you that your refund was processed yesterday and you should see it in your account within the next 3-5 business days. Please let us know if you don't. Thank you and have a safe summer.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/12/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Envision by World Strides Pathways to STEM program My daughter received a formal letter stating that she had been nominated by her teacher to participate in a Pathways to STEM - summer camp as part of the National Youth Leadership Forum. After talking with teachers and other parents whose children had previously attended we decided to sign up our 11 year-old daughter.Timeline of events:*January 31st - Paid deposit of $499 for the June ***** camp held at ******************** in ********, **** May 7th - Pay balance of camp fees $2,850.90 (for a total of $3,349.00)*May 31st - Received email ("eml") from NLYF - link to parental permissions, camp form etc. June 9th - Received eml from NLYF - What to pack information, clothes needed etc We purchased clothes specific for camp dress code *June 16th - Received eml from NLYF - "Arrival around the corner"*June 16th - Sent eml to NLYF with questions regarding details on arrival date logistics *Tues June 18th - Received response eml - camp at ******************** is canceled; offer that we could fly our daughter to *********** (*****+ miles away) on 5 days notice to attend a camp at ********************June 21 - Sent response eml expressing our disappointment and dismay at their communications and late cancellation. We request a refund and apology letter to our daughter. My wife speaks with Envision Representative -***************************** who states it will *********** weeks to process refund. We request a call from her manager. She states we will receive a call within 72 hours.*June 22nd - Received an eml from NLYF for STEM kick-off and arrival day "just around the corner"*June 24th - Sent eml about no call from manager and request a call.*June 28th - Received an eml from NLYF - delays in manager fw *** due to busy season *July 5th - Receive an "Please share your experience" eml *July 8th - Sent eml to ******* - have not received confirmation of refund nor a call from a manager. No reply, no refund deposited to date.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/25/2024

  Thank you for reaching out, and for your patience as we navigate an unexpectedly high volume of refund requests due to the recent hurricanes. We believe our  director ***************************** has already informed you of this in his conversations with you, if not we are pleased to inform you that your refund was processed yesterday and you should see it in your account within the next 3-5 business days. Please let us know if you don't. Thank you and have a safe summer.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/06/2024

  Thank you for following up on this matter. I was on vacation and did not receive your email within the 10 day response period. I can confirm that after 5+ phone calls and many many emails, we did receive our refund.

  We remain dissatisfied with the company which continues to market camps as "full" when they have been cancelled. Additionally, it took 10+ hours of phone calls, emails, video conferencing and a complaint to the BBB to get our refund check for a camp that was known to be canceled by the company in February 2024.

  The company reported to us they have "canceled or consolidated" 23 different camps this year. - that is substantial.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/09/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  My child recently went to the **** Envisions Pathway to STEM program at ****************. He was nominated by his teacher. The program cost over $3000. We were told he would learn leadership, strengthen critical success skills, and develop a vision for his future career path in a STEM field. I also had to fill out SEVERAL forms. I filled out many forms about a gluten free diet which I was told would be provided. Many forms were outdated and others were signing your kid's life away. Ex: Most employees have background checks but some don't and if anything happens we aren't liable. Sounds great! But I signed because my child wanted to go. He had friends go in the past and they loved it. It must've gone way downhill since then. First, all he had to eat all week were sweet potatoes. Thank God we picked him up daily or he would've starved. Drop off and pick up was unorganized and we were told the wrong time or place half the time. His "teachers" barely spoke English. My child (and his friends he made) couldn't understand the teachers and the teachers couldn't understand the students. He didn't learn anything. How could he? He said he just built stuff he already knew how to build. There were hardly any pictures taken of my child so I'm glad I didn't pay for the picture package. I emailed the program about the ************ and illness restrictions. My son missed a day unnecessarily. Due to all their sick forms I was scared to send him though he was fine. He was probably just hungry from only having sweet potatoes available. They didn't email me back until after the program was over. This program is a total scam. Pay for a local summer camp.Don't spend money on this. They also say you can only get in if you're nominated but you can get in if you pay. I sent another email about all my concerns and complaints. I told them I should get my money back. They replied simply that they would take my complaints into consideration for the future programs and made no mention of refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. Our records are showing that your son was enrolled as a day student, which entails daily interaction with our staff during check in and check out, and that he completed the entire program aside from time missed due to illness. Our notes from you about his illness do not mention additional concerns.  We're also showing that any concerns were not shared with our on-site team until after the program had ended, so we unfortunately were not able to make any changes to his experience before the end of the program. In light of this, including our subsequent conversations with you and the fact that he completed the program without complaint, we feel that a refund is not warranted at this time. If you feel that there are additional details that have not been previously communicated that you would like us to consider, please feel free to reach out again. Thank you and have a safe school year.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/19/2024

  [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: 21962584
  
  I am rejecting this response because: it is not true. I called at least three or four times DURING the program. I kept being redirected. I honestly don't know if I was talking to **** or Emory staff and I don't know what state the people I spoke to were in. Im pretty sure they weren't in *******, **, and they were polite but they weren't very helpful. I complained about the food. I complained about the ridiculous illness protocol. I complained about the pictures. I even have an email I sent on June 27 (during the program) which I still have not gotten a response from. 

  
  Regards,
  
  **** ****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2025

  We are not sure where the disconnect is occuring  but our records do not match what is being stated in the claim. We are showing that we received the attached email on 7/3, after the program ended, stating the complaints listed above. Upon receipt, we called on 7/3, 7/29, and 8/7 leaving voicemails each time with the director's phone number. On 8/16 the student's father called back to discuss their concerns, a partial refund request was forwarded to the director, a partial refund of $300 was approved/ offered on 8/29 and processed on 9/3. It is not our policy to offer full refunds to students in circumstances like this, where the program was completed. Instead we offered and processed a partial refund for the missed day and communication delays. 

  Parent's Email (07/03/2024)
  To whom it may concern:
  
  We just completed the Pathways to Stem program at ****************. I am not one to complain unless I'm very disappointed, and that is the case in this situation.
  First of all, we were given the wrong information for drop off and pick up the first couple days. The staff apologized, but I would expect more organization from a university program.
  Second, there were barely any gluten-free options for my child to eat lunch while he was at the program. There were gf buns the first day. After that, he had to eat sweet potatoes because even the fry oil was gluten (he asked). I was told he would have gluten-free options. He came out every day hungry. I am so happy he did not spend the night for a week. He would have starved.
  Next, his teachers did not speak English well. They were hard to understand and they didn't understand the students.
  My child missed a day of camp due to not feeling well and all the crazy Covid restrictions even though everyone is vaccinated at this point. I emailed the program and never received a response and he missed the dissection of the heart he was looking forward to.
  Last, I am so glad I didn't pay for the picture package because he's in two pictures.
  I was excited for this program because my son's friend attended in the past and his parents thought it was great. It must have gone way downhill since then. I did not think it was even close to being worth $3000. I've been paying for summer camps for several years. This was the most expensive one and the worst so far. Very disappointing.
  I'm sure you don't give any reimbursements or money back even for a shoddy program so I guess the reason I'm writing is in hopes of a better program for the future Envision students.
  
  Thank you
  **** ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/25/2025

  [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: 21962584
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I was given $300 for a missed day but what about all the other complaints? The program doesn't even address them or state how they will do better in the future. 
  I did receive $300. I wasn't sure what it was for because it was never explained until now. I just want others aware that this program is a waste and does nothing it promises. Admission is under a false pretense of being nominated by your teacher and expanding your students' STEM knowledge.  However, anyone can enroll if they pay. The children are promised STEM learning but they are left to their own devices as the teachers don't even speak English well. I was asked so many questions about nutrition assuming my child would have gluten-free options but he had to eat sweet potatoes every day. The whole program was just a major disappointment. It is definitely not worth the money. It is more like a summer camp anyone can attend than a prestigious program you are nominated for where students actually learn.
  Regards,
  
  **** ****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/07/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  My son was nominated by his science teacher for what we believed to be an exclusive program. Unfortunately, the invitation arrived late due to an address change, well beyond the application deadline. It's disheartening to learn that the program accepts anyone with money, undermining its supposed exclusivity.Despite my son's admirable fundraising efforts, I had to take out a loan as a single mother to cover the remaining costs. *******, where the program is located, is currently under a state of emergency due to Hurricane *****. Having experienced hurricanes in *********, I prioritized our safety and chose not to attend.Despite assurances on July 5th that the program would proceed as planned, the situation quickly changed due to Hurricane *****'s developments over the weekend. When I requested a refund due to these unforeseen circumstances, I was denied because of their undisclosed April deadline.Their lack of flexibility and empathy is deeply disappointing, especially considering the imminent hurricane threat. I demand a full refund, including the deposit. If necessary, I am fully prepared to pursue legal action under Texas consumer law to protect our rights.It's distressing that they would prioritize profit over children's safety, particularly with concerns about supervision from other complaints. This program's conduct is unacceptable, and I insist on a fair resolution to this matter, including a full refund of the deposit.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2024

  Thank you for reaching out and allowing us to clarify what appears to be a misunderstanding. Your refund request was not denied, however we did communicate that it may take up to 8 weeks due to unusually high volume caused by the recent hurricane in *******. We are pleased to inform you that it was expedited and processed yesterday. Please let us know if you do not receive it in the next 5-7 business days. Thank you and have a safe summer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/23/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 called the program the end of April understanding the policy has a no refund deadline however was told that if I could medically prove my daughter was not able to proceed in the program I can be refunded. I went ahead and sent request to her medical team( which takes time to produce the necessary paper work) and provide to this program for our money to be returned. However when I sent the documents over via email there was a back and forth on how it wasnt being received so I finally was able to get it through. I was told I would hear a response within a few days. That was on May 8 2024. Today being May 23,2024 I was told that they couldnt refund my money (*******) even with the medical notice that was provided but they wanted to put it into a program for next year. My daughter being medically unstable will probably never be able to attend and they inconsiderately still have not responded and unprofessionally never responded and waited for me to reach out just to say it was denied. I will never support this program again my daughter attended twice and loved it and after this I wont recommend it to anyone.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/14/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately our cancellation policy indicates that no refund is due on or after April 3, unless a student purchased ************** or the Full Refund Program, which we are not showing on your account.
  
  Weve attached a copy of our records prior to your call on 5/23,and our manager also listened to the call recordings for additional clarification. We show that your original call was on 5/3, documentation was received on 5/9, and a decision was made on 5/22 just prior to your call on 5/23.

  While we did offer to review your medical records, we did not at any point indicate that a refund would be guaranteed, and approved a transfer to ***************************************** utilizing the funds. We are sorry that she is unable to attend, but did not see evidence for an exception given that we offer insurance to cover unfortunate situations such as yours. 

  Thank you and we hope she feels better soon.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  Our son was invited to attend the **** Engineering program in December of 2023. We enrolled him and were excited for him to attend at **********************, ************. We enrolled in their payment plan and paid all payments on time. In total we paid $4444.00 in tuition and fees. With the recent events going on on college campuses most importantly UoM, ************, we voiced concern during the recent trip webinar, called to discuss with Envision the concern of our Jewish son travelling to a campus, we were met with, they would look into it, train their personnel of what to look out for, and they would "monitor" the situation. When I asked for consideration for a refund (minus deposit and fees), they said they would look into it and get back to me. After 8 days, I had to call them back to reach a manager (***) who is never in the office, interviewing personnel, or unavailable, never able to take a call.Today, (5/15/24) upon calling back asked to speak with her manager or director to which she said wasn't possible, I pressed for someone to call me and *** told me she would send a message. Additionally, after telling them to cancel my son, they charged me again today for $909, which they say is pending refund. Sadly this company is a part of Worldstrides, a company that my son travelled with to ************* and loved, this is a cause to never work with this corporation again. I have been extorted out of over $4000 and no promise of recoupment. While they demand I am outside of their refund window, when asked for a copy of the terms, they cannot produce them, telling me to check my email. While they might have deadlines, these protests and events are outside the normal confines of cancellation policies and fall under special considerations. They still are monitoring if the trip will happen, which lends more to the reason for consideration. I simply want the return of my payments minus what deposits and fees they might with to retain. Some is better than none.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/29/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. Our records are showing that you were already approved for and refunded a total of $2407, the $909 plus an additional $1498. While we are monitoring the situation you reference, we are fully expecting the programs to go forward at this point in time and as such cancellation policies do remain in place if insurance wasn't purchased. As an exception given your concerns, the $909 was refunded on 5/21 and $1498 on 5/28, please let us know if you haven't received them in the next 5-7 business days. Thank you and have a safe summer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/10/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  Envision has been harassing my 16 year old child and trying to get her to sign up to their scam summer program. I'm not sure how this company received my child's information, but it's disturbing. She thought the program sounded great and she was excited to go away to a college for a week. She's told the representatives to reach out to me as I'm the one making the decision and they never have. To make her happy, I gave them a call. It was alarming to learn that this representative had a Delaware number. No where in their info mentions ********. The rep seemed annoyed that I called and I had to pull answers from him. My gut immediately went to scam and all of my thoughts were confirmed once I reached BBB. They are praying on children and young adults for financial gain. It needs to be stopped.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. First of all, please be assured that our company has been providing life changing educational travel opportunities to students for over 55 years. As part of the WorldStrides family, we do have offices all over the country/world and are sorry to hear that our phone number alarmed you. 

  Your daughter was selected through our academic partnership with **********************************, which uses the ************************************ and other student search services to identify students for its admissions as well as for invitation to partner programs.
  
  Our records are showing that we did speak with you directly on May 10 about the scholarship she applied for/was awarded, and made note of the fact that you were not interested in having her attend.

  Per your request, we have removed her name and you will receive no further contact from us. Thank you and have a safe summer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/18/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 signed up my daughters for the ************* program at *********** but cancelled due to the cost. Student IDs: 929871-101968924 929871-101968923 I requested full refunds for the deposit ($499 each child, total of $998) as we enrolled on 12/26/23 under the condition that we would receive scholarship funds due to financial hardship. We applied for the scholarship the next day on 12/27/23. Unfortunately, our scholarship requests were rejected on 1/5/24 and unable to afford the cost of the program so I cancelled enrollment.I read the terms when we enrolled. The terms and conditions did not indicate that the DEPOSIT is non-refundable anywhere so I proceeded to enroll. Terms say 1)TUITION less a $450 fee and 2) Student and Primary Contact further understand and agree that the following cancellations fees will APPLY TO TUITION. It does not explicitly state that the deposit or registration is non-refundable. The language is confusing, not explained well, and makes you believe that its for the tuition not registration fees or deposit. The welcome email at enrollment also refers to it as a deposit. See attachments. I attempted to resolve this and get a refund for the deposit and cancelled in less than 10 days. They refused to do so despite multiple emails and at a loss of $998 (which I charged on my credit card). Please assist.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2024

  **PLEASE NOTE: In addition to the below, no refund is also due because you have already received one in full via credit card disputes.

  Thank you for reaching out. In the interest of space constraints, we have included excerpts of the Enrollment Information, Agreement, Release, and Cancellation Policy Acceptance. The full text, along with your enrollment confirmation emails are also attached for your reference. These are the same terms, and documents, that you acknowledged/attached in your original complaint.

  TUITION In addition,a $49 nonrefundable payment plan administrative fee is due with the deposit.Otherwise, Student should submit payment in full of the Tuition at the time of application. Payment for any optional products or services, such as college credit or the Tuition and Travel Protection Plan, should also be remitted at the time of enrollment.
  
  
  STUDENT CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS Student and Primary Contact further understand and agree that the following cancellations fees will apply to Tuition and any additional Add-On or service as applicable:
  
  Cancellation Received Eligible Refund On or before April 2,**** Tuition less a $450 fee
  On or after April 3, **** No refund
  

  Per the enrollment process itself and attached confirmation emails outlining the payment schedule, the 450 deposit is part of the Tuition, not a separate fee, i.e. they are one and the same. The tuition is $4245 plus applicable fees, and the $450 +49 applicable fee is the first installment toward it.

  And the 49 is a nonrefundable fee for selecting the payment plan instead of providing full payment at the time of enrollment. Therefore, as you have acknowledged above and during the enrollment process, there is a $450 fee for each cancellation, plus 2 $49 nonrefundable payment plan administration fees. Since this equals $998 and you have paid $998, that means that no refund is due. 

  Thank you and have a safe school year.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/05/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 am writing this complaint to express my profound concern with the **** Pathways to STEM, an Envisions by World Strides Program at *** ****** University that my child recently attended the week of 7/17/23, and I have been trying in vain to get a full refund in the amount of $2,445 which I paid to send my son to the program. When confronted over the phone they agreed to a full refund but are now saying they have no record of this and are offering $500. The **** Pathways to STEM, an Envisions by World Strides Program at ***** ****** University was marketed under false pretense, substandard to baseline education, shoddy, and disorganized at best. There was no challenging, motivational, academic curriculum that was presented or followed at STEM camp, class time was filled with random, age-inappropriate, like scrolling on phones to pass unused time deviating from the program's original intent. Despite advertising 'college-level' courses taught by a college professor; the program failed to deliver on wither of these. The modules or “activities” were for 1st to 2nd graders. They also provided instruction and materials that were substandard for example: the lung simulation was a balloon and straws with no explanation as to its function or parts. On the 2nd day the program “teacher” punitively lectured the students for a half hour about him “not being able to pay attention to everyone” as it seemed there were complaints about him and he would stare at children he thought were the complainants. Worst, my son felt continuously degraded. Rather than being called or feeling like a “Scholar” as the program states multiple times in their materials, my son’s teacher would snap his fingers in my son’s face calling him “hey you!” and commanding him with “hey!”, snapping his fingers to guide him like a dog. This was done publicly in front of the class multiple times, which students noticed and mentioned to him.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2023

  Thank you for reaching out. In speaking with our Program Director ********************* and consulting our records, we are not showing any record of a full refund being approved for your son. In speaking with you after the program,**** approved a refund of $500 which was processed to your credit card on 9/8/23. We have attached a copy of the refund for your records.
  
  We also have attached a copy of the Pathways Staff FAQs for your reference. As it is a program marketed to and attended by elementary school students, we do not provide or state that we will provide college level curriculum taught by college professors. We feel that that the activities were age appropriate given that the attendees are in elementary school.
  
  We take concerns very seriously and interact daily with parents during pick up and drop off, giving them the opportunity to discuss their child's experience with us. We are not sure why the staffing and curriculum concerns were not brought to our attention when we spoke with you each day, only afterward, so they could be more fully investigated and addressed in the moment.
  
  In light of your concerns, after a full investigation and given the fact that your son did attend the full program without any concerns being raised, we provided the above mentioned $500 refund. We feel this is fair since we were not given an opportunity to address the concerns you raise in the moment, and services were fully provided.
  
  Thank you and have a safe school year.