ComplaintsforCheeky Scientist, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date of transaction: June 8, 2023 Amount of money: 6503.26 USD (total loan amount) Commitment: Cheeky Scientist said they would help me find a job with career coaching and direct industry connections, but as I showed in the attachments, I requested help with an application and a Cheeky Scientist employee missed the deadline and acted like she didn't understand, but further more they lied to me about the so called membership. Most importantly, I got extremely sick and quickly realized I would not be able to use the so-called "program in full" because of my illness. I am only now starting to recover and I also, of course, do not have a job. I quote from Rayanne Hoopes, the supposed membership person with Cheeky scientist (which is also in the email attached): "We did provide and will honor a 12-month refund guarantee in the agreement. For confirmation, the guarantee that you signed is that if you use the program in full and you do not have a job offer within 12 months of starting the program, you will receive a full refund." If I am literally disabled with multiple illnesses and cannot use the program, how is this ethical? On top of that, if I get a job before June 8, 2024, which I will probably because I need a job, BUT without their help, I technically also don't qualify for a refund!!! I tried to get a refund through Affirm, but they lost my case the first time and provided no confirmations for my record, then conveniently didn't get back to me during my second case with them until after their 60 day window that I supposedly needed to meet in order to get a refund. Additionally, Affirm ran me around for weeks saying they were escalating my case, only to tell me that I didn't meet the deadline. To this point, Affirm actually has terminated their relationship with Cheeky Scientist because all of this (find news article attached). Cheeky has not contacted me at all or tried to resolve this. Why would they?

  Business response

  04/08/2024

  4/6/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21475119
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of Alterra *******. 
  Ms. ******* was given 3 days to cancel her membership, which she declined to do. Evidence of this is below. Ms. ******* also used the program extensively. These are the two main reasons we have denied her a refund. Further details are articulated below. 
  As Ms. ******* has stated, she availed herself of all the program’s products and services including meeting with our PhD mentors on 6/8/23 and 6/9/23, as well as receiving weekly mentorship invites to our live mentorship meetings. Please see below of Ms. ******* received mentorship from one of our PhD mentors and her accessing our members only emails below. You’ll see she opened and clicked on these emails, including the “Association Diamond Meeting” emails. You’ll also see she has logged in to our training dashboard multiple times from her IP address of 64.64.116.136. We also have the IP address she signed her contract from of 73.170.16.217, which is further below.
  
  Ms. ******* requested the call with our team, including filling out an application for a call prior to the call. In her request, she indicated she was willing to invest in our program. This is presented below in Exhibit 1. She was provided with our full Terms and Conditions prior to purchase. She also signed a full contract of those same Terms and Conditions. Both are presented below in Exhibit 2 and Exhibit 3, respectively. 
  Importantly, as mentioned, Ms. ******* was given a three day cancellation option in her contract which she chose not to use.
  Finally, Ms. ******* continues to receive support via Voxer and email. Please see the resume Ms. ******* submitted and received feedback on in Exhibit 4. She has continually been offered more support in the program as shown in Exhibit 5 and we are here to support her now. 
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Ms. ******* purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Ms. ******* through her job search. We would be happy to hear from her and support her in any way in her job search.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  04/08/2024

  
  Complaint: 21475119
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have not been using their services, that is an absolute lie. The last contact I had with them was last June, and the one time I tried to use their services my "mentor" messed up the application deadline and I couldn't even apply!!!  have been fighting for my life due to multiple illnesses ever since, not even thinking about a career. This is shameful!!!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Alterra *******

  Business response

  04/21/2024

  4/20/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21475119
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond further  to the complaint of Alterra *******. 
  Ms. ******* was given 3 days to cancel her membership, which she declined to do. Evidence of this is below in Exhibit 1. Ms. ******* also used the program extensively. These are the two main reasons we have denied her a refund. Further details are articulated below. 
  Ms. ******* herself said both to Cheeky Scientist and to the BBB that she will need to continue to work and to get a job. Please see both instances below:
  
  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Ms. ******* purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website* *************************************************
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Ms. ******* through her job search. We would be happy to hear from her and support her in any way in her job search.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  04/22/2024

  
  Complaint: 21475119
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have not used their services at all. I have been extremely ill. This is unethical.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Alterra *******

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Cheeky Scientists has a history of using predatory (overly aggressive and pestering) and deceptive business practices, as referenced by the following articles from the premier scientific publication, Science: *************************************************************************************************** ** ************************************************************************************************ ** ********************************************************************* The articles are true. I was promised a job in industry in 3 months so left grad school early. They did not help me as they said they would. Isaiah refused connections bc he doesn't really know anyone. They owe me a refund over breach of contract, inferior product, and disrespectful service. I bought a lifetime subscription to the Diamond programs worth $5k and I want a refund because they canceled my account for no reason and tried to cover it up by deleting my existence in the program. I sent many ignored emails asking for a refund and threatening complaints to regulatory consumer agencies. They denied the refund for breaking the contract, sending me an email filled with gaslighting drivel. They accused me of disparaging posts (in groups I didn't know existed) and said I was kicked out because I was allegedly calling and texting them at all hours of the night. Please refer to the attachments. After the very interesting email, I magically had access to the platform's materials back, but I did not buy that product. I bought the Diamond Program, and there is proof below that I did so. They created a new profile for me after my complaint, as it's blank. Then how do I have Google Docs on my drive that are gone from my profile? Additionally, these people use my name without permission to advertise my "success story" in their program. I didn't know I worked at Beach Body as a food chemist, but they say I do. My name links to a fake LinkedIn. This behavior makes no sense. I'm in contact with Science as well.

  Business response

  03/20/2024

  Dear BBB,
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms. *****’s complaint. Importantly, in terms of the major points of her complaint:
  Ms. ***** joined the program on 3/29/22 and used it extensively, including adding our training badges to her LinkedIn profile for Medical Writing. She then got hired into a Medical Writing role in 2023 and announced it on LinkedIn. She did not ask for a refund until 2/6/24. Images of this are below.  
  Ms. ***** was never promised a job within 3 months. Her contract was clear that she had a 12 month guarantee.
  Ms. ***** claims she left grad school early because of a promise of a job. This is not true. We have a recording of her explaining that she quit because of a conflict with her advisor. The transcript of this recording is below. 
  Ms. ***** claims there is no value in our network but she also claims to have received help getting interviews from referrals in another recording we have. The transcript for this is below. 
  Ms. ***** has full access to the program and mentorship. She has 12 recent logins for her from her IP address as shown below, with the most recent being on 2/24/24.
  Ms. ***** has been removed from the forum for being disruptive, including contacting members to disparage us. This is not allowed under the group rules and our terms & conditions for our website, which are below, state that we may remove members disrupting the learning environment of other members. 
  Ms. ***** has repeatedly contacted our team members by text and phone calls, including early morning calls and late evening calls. She has contacted our team members under fake emails and fake names, such as “Pickles”, and she has referred to other members in her emails as “terrorist sympathizers” and more. Images of this are below as well. 
  Please see longer answers to the complaint below:
  Ms. ***** shares unfavorable articles published against us by our direct competitors. We do have favorable articles published for us as well such as this one in Nature: ************************************************** Importantly, Ms. ***** did not use Affirm to pay for our program, nor did her contract have a non-disparagement clause, the two main issues of the articles she shared. As mentioned above, Ms. ***** was never promised a job within 3 months. Her contract was clear that she had a 12 month guarantee.
  Ms. ***** claims that we are imagining that she got a job offer. However, you can see below her celebrating a Medical Writing role in 2023 on Linkedin after joining our program on 3/29/22 and using it extensively, including adding our training badges to her LinkedIn profile for Medical Writing. Both are shown below. 
  
  
  Ms. ***** claims she left grad school early because of a promise of a job. This is not true. We have a recording of her explaining that she quit because of a conflict with her advisor. The transcript of this recording is here:
  Speaker 1:
  “Hey, my advisor just sent me three really nasty emails. One of them saying that he thinks I'm incapable and shouldn't even bother going to this conference that I was going to. Oh, this isn't true of me being incapable. I've done a lot of work in his lab, in my previous PI's lab, and I actually kick ass.
  Hey, I got an MD, must say something, but I quit because I'm not letting somebody talk to me that way. So, yeah, I need to find an interim job now, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.”
  Ms. ***** has access to our full training program; she just needs to click on the Member Dashboard and/or Member Home tabs as shown below. If she has trouble accessing this material via these tabs, we can further assist. Ms. ***** also claims she hasn’t been able to login but we have 12 recent logins for her from her IP address as shown below, with the most recent being on 2/24/24. Ms. ***** also claims we do not have her billing address on file, perhaps indicating she didn’t purchase the program, but it is recorded below.
  
  
  Prior to her removal from the forum, she had the ability to control what is on her profile at any time. If she entered a typo in her LinkedIn URL, this may have resulted in errors. However, we can and have helped Ms. ***** address any issues and will continue to do so.
  Ms. ***** claims that we don’t have an extensive job referral network. However, below shows we have a network of over 17,000 members. The recording transcript above also shows her using referrals to get an interview and as she mentioned in her own emails, she’s made friends with our members. All shown below. 
  
  
  Speaker 1:
  Totally forgot today was Friday. I was like, "Crap, there is class." But I'm glad I caught the last end of it. So I've had one interview so far at Genentech ***** and it was a little weird. I don't know. It was my first interview in four years, so it is what it is. But I got a referral from somebody and next I'm interviewing at Teva, so we shall see. The guy who's giving me the referral has talked to all of the superiors about me, so there is hopefully a very high chance that I will get this job, which is crazy, but awesome. So that's where things are going with me. But in the meantime, I'm still looking at things and applying for things just in case, because you never know. But I do hope this pulls through.
  
  
  
  Ms. ***** has contacted our team members under fake emails and fake names, such as “Pickles” shown above, and she has referred to other members in her emails as “terrorist sympathizers”, also shown above. Ms. ***** has also repeatedly contacted our members by both early morning and late night text messages and phone calls, which we’ve asked her to stop. 
  Ms. ***** has been removed from the Cheeky Scientist forum for being disruptive, including contacting members to disparage us. This is not allowed under the group rules. Additionally, per Cheeky Scientist’s Terms of Use of its Website, Cheeky Scientist reserves the right to block access to its website, at its discretion. We are aware on multiple occasions that Ms. ***** has used our forums to disparage Cheeky Scientist. This is not the intended use of these member communities and resulted in the removal of her access. She is, of course, free to express her opinions and exercise your rights in a public forum, but use of Cheeky Scientist’s forum for this behavior is contrary to its purpose and we may exercise its discretion to block access. Our Terms of Use are available here: *****************************************
  However, we are here to continue supporting Ms. ***** in any future job search through private mentorship and remain available to her by email for questions, and she maintains access to the training dashboard. We have fulfilled our obligation to get her hired as shown above and she does maintain access to the program and mentorship.
  
  

  Customer response

  03/23/2024

  
  Complaint: 21397525
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Ms, Hoopes,

  in a professoinal communicatio by  prooer of Thank you for permitting my response. I would like to direct you once again to examine carefully the files I attached on my initial complaint form as they illustrate what I have seen from my end. It is true that if I so chose I could change items in my profile. Then the converse is true, I see it is now filled out and I did not do it. One anomaly is the welcome email  accompanying  the sudden re-access to my account after my  email complaint was finally acknowledged. I was blocked from their system and I have a "junk" email I use to put into articles that ask for mt personal info and i was the only way I got a response: picklesantimony/ as well as the need to reset my login information which ha never changed. Most of all, and I  not get in. This sequence of events lead me conclude that there was breach of contract on the part of this company as they promised lifetime access to all Diamond Materials and I was locked out of the regular materials and only returned to regular, not diamond status .It was obvious my account was fetie  and I did not have This message is in regard to your complaint submitted on 3/7/2024 against Cheeky Scientist, LLC.  Your complaint was assigned ID 21397525. 
  
  BBB has received a formal response from Cheeky Scientist, LLC. We ask that you review the response and understand that BBB is here to assist both parties in reaching a fair and reasonable resolution.
  Please review their response to your complaint and advise us of your position in the matter within 10 calendar days. If we do not hear back from you, BBB will assume you are satisfied and will close your complaint as answered.
  Please be sure to indicate whether the business' response is satisfactory or not and how you would like to proceed in this matter.
  Sincerely,
  ******* ********
  ********************
  
  
  

  I am so tired as I have been working long  hours, I am not articulating well  and will email later, II still stand by my orihinal I It is asininve that hey over someghin 

  Sincerely,
  

  
  Jacqueline *****

  Customer response

  03/25/2024

  My official response is at the bottom, I added comments in reviewer mode. Now in addition to breach of contract, using my name without permission for advertising and giving me a fake identity, I have libel or defamation, as well as whatever crime it is when someone goes into my private profile on the website and changes things without my knowledge, and has gone through a LOT of work to cover up the fact that they deleted my lifetime membership because they do not want to refund me. The answer to one offense is to commit more crimes? I am shocked. I don't see the point of this. Why? If this goes to court, what is their plan? They can't corroborate any of these false allegations towards me and their dire situation worsens. Over $5,000? Prison is worth $5k? I don't know what to say. After all of this, how can they possibly say at the end that I am welcome in their organization for mentoring and career help? Are they insane? The lifetime membership was supposed to be for career assistance during my lifetime. This is what I paid for. And, now, I absolutely want a refund because after this ordeal, they have destroyed all sense of trust or credibility, I apologize that I throw professionalism out the window, it is inappropriate, but it gets to the point where I am unsure if this business is serious or if they are joking. It isn't very clear. So, I do realize that I am throwing caution to the wind. It is not customary for me to sling mud and crack jokes around a professional bureau, but I have never been in a situation where this is normal. I don't know how to respond. If political debates are now soap operas, and presidents send mean tweets and pretend they don't understand how the government works, all bets are off. This is me rationalizing, as I know better and should do better. Try reading this article by the owner. I guess it makes sense. ***************************************************************************************************

  Business response

  04/08/2024

  4/6/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21397525
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond further to the complaint of Jacqueline *****.
  
  Ms. ***** has brought no new information with her latest response. Ms. ***** claims we “deleted my lifetime membership”. However, as shown below, Ms. *****’s accounts are accessible by her and she has logged into them as recently as 2/16/2024 and 2/24/2024. Overall, as shown in our previous response, she has 12 recent logins from her IP address of 76.184.96.104, with the most recent being on 2/24/24.
  
  From here, please allow us to reiterate a few key points important to her complaint. Ms. ***** joined the program on 3/29/22 and used it extensively, including adding our training badges to her LinkedIn profile for Medical Writing. We provided evidence of this in our last response. She then got hired into a Medical Writing role in 2023 and announced it on LinkedIn. We provided evidence of this. She did not ask for a refund until 2/6/24. We provided evidence for all of this in our past complaint response. Ms. ***** was hired after joining the program, which means we fulfilled our contractual obligation to her.
  Ms. ***** had full control over her forum profile and had the ability to update her LinkedIn profile URL or work information at any time. A typo in a LinkedIn profile URL would lead to the wrong information. As soon as Ms. ***** reached out about a correction needed to her profile, the correction was made. Currently, Ms. ***** does not have access to the forum and her profile does not show as she was being disruptive in the forum, including contacting members to disparage us. This is not allowed under the group rules and our terms & conditions for our website, which was provided in our previous complaint response and states that we may remove members disrupting the learning environment of other members. 
  Ms. ***** claims we are using her success story for gain. We are not and we will not in the future. If there is anything else Ms. ***** would like us to remove in terms of personal information at any time, we are happy to do so per the terms on our FAQ page and have always accommodated member’s requests in this way. 
  It has been 2 years since Ms. ***** joined our program and over this time, despite her using our program and getting hired, she has made many false accusations against us. She has contacted our team members by making early and late phone calls to them, at times making 3 phone calls in a row, she has emailed our team under fake names such as “Pickles”, which we provided evidence for in our last response, and she has disparaged other members, which we also provided evidence for in our last response where she called one of our members a “terrorist sympathizer”. We are unable to support this behavior. 
  Further, Ms. ***** continues to fabricate accusations then ignore the evidence we provide showing that what was claimed is a fabrication. For example, in her previous complaint, Ms. ***** claimed she left grad school early because of a promise of a job from us. This is not true. We provided a recording of her explaining that she quit grad school because of a conflict with her advisor. The transcript of this recording was provided as well. We have other recordings of Ms. ***** discussing such conflicts and her intent to do to others what she is doing to us here - continue to make accusations and make extreme comparisons until she gets what she wants.
  For example, Ms. ***** has now written the following in her most recent BBB complaint: “If political debates are now soap operas, and presidents send mean tweets and pretend they don't understand how the government works, all bets are off.” We do not know what this means, nor do we know how to respond to this as a formal complaint through the BBB’s website. Ms. ***** has also written in her most recent BBB complaint that she is prepared to “sling mud and crack jokes around a professional bureau”. We do not know how to respond to this either. 
  We have been very responsive to Ms. ***** and we have responded in detail to her complaints here. The facts remain the same: Ms. ***** joined the program 2 years ago and received a job in the program. She maintains access to the training materials. We ask that this matter be closed and both parties move on. Thank you.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  04/10/2024

  
  Complaint: 21397525
  

  Thank you for allowing me to respond to Ms. Hoopes.

  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I am sensing a great deal of anger in this reply. It is curious to me that the same items continue to be brought up as distractors and ad hominem fallacies seem to hold up the majority of this argument. I appreciate the use of my quotes, which I believe are already accessible to readers, and the threat of using recorded conversations (Did I know I was being recorded at the time? And what could I possibly say that would incriminate myself in whatever I am being accused of? Were you planning on revealing more details of my traumatic experiences that I told you in confidence? Also, if you are going to use these recordings as "evidence" against me, the entirety of the recordings should be revealed.). 

  I am not sure that my other response was received, but I can attach it for posterity. I am not sure how many times I must repeat that my issue is not with the continuously parroted replies. I believe that I have already discussed that my argument has nothing to do with getting a job, using the resources, and that it was my own naivety that I fell for an oral promise of a dream job in industry in  three months. That is a rather cruel thing to tell someone in a vulnerable place, with $500k in student debt. But it was a silly thing for me to believe. I did not trust nor believe most of what this man spewed at me with such aggressive, frenetic, and peculiar energy. But the Gell- Mann effect is alive and well, as are crackpot fantasies. I fell for it. I was the sucker and that I have taken responsibility for. I am a much savvier consumer now. I was vulnerable, traumatized, and broken back then. Not anymore.

  My issue circles back to breach of contract. I have presented enough evidence to show that I was deleted until I messaged Rayanne, and then I was reinstated with a brand-new account. Lifetime access means lifetime access, and there was a clear period where I did not have access. Furthermore, I was promised lifetime access to the diamond program which I do not have. I am not sure what my recent log-ins have to do with anything, as these are the times I went in to take screenshots of my empty new account. What would be more convincing is for you to produce clear evidence that I was logging in over the entire time period that you claim I was belligerent on the forums. I do appreciate that you have now added to your libel. You state that I have been saying these things as well. And yet, again, you fail to provide any evidence.

  As I stated before, this product is entirely useless to me now because of the way you have responded. What rational human being would return to receive "mentorship" from a place that would lie and seek to hurt me in such a way? Reveal private conversations that only my therapist and my graduate school advisors know, as they were concerned for my well-being during this time? You have discussed things in a public forum related to traumatic events that occurred and are well-documented by the Dean of Students, where I was referred to talk about what I wanted to do about the continuation of grad school and receiving proper treatment for PTSD. I can procure these documents as they exist. I also think it is unprofessional and inappropriate to use my name without my permission when I was not in the program, and connect it to a fake person and a fake profile. I firmly stand by my original argument and I find you in breach of contract. A court of law would find you guilty of several more crimes. 

  Sincerely,

  Jacqueline *****, MD MS

  Business response

  04/22/2024

  4/22/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21397525
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond further to the complaint of Jacqueline *****.
  
  Ms. ***** has brought no new information with her latest response. Ms. *****’s accounts are accessible by her and she has logged into them many times, not once to take screenshots, and has logged in as recently as 2/16/2024 and 2/24/2024. Overall, as shown in our previous response, she has 12 recent logins from her IP address of 76.184.96.104. Ms. ***** had access to the Diamond program upon signing up 2 years ago and she has access now. 
  
  
  Ms. ***** made false claims in her previous disputes, including in terms of why she quit her academic program. Her claim was that we were at fault for this. We have proven this claim to be false. We have a responsibility to dispute false claims against our organization and have done so. 
  We have been very responsive to Ms. ***** and we have responded in detail to her complaints here. The facts remain the same: Ms. ***** joined the program 2 years ago, received a job in the program, which fulfills our obligation to her, and she maintains access to the training materials. Thank you.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  04/23/2024

  
  Complaint: 21397525
  

  Dear Better Business Bureau,

  Thank you for yet another opportunity to respond to this business and its evolving narrative. 

  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am an American citizen, and I refuse to put up with this kind of treatment because I have the liberty and freedom to say that I won't. A corporation's hubris must get the better of them if they believe they can get away with  breach of contract. We can explore contract law further at this point. This is a contract I have not seen, but it states in their terms and conditions LIFETIME ACCESS which I was denied completely. No, not the terms Mr./Mrs./Ms. Hoopes keeps bringing up. I checked the source code on that, and it's sometime in January 2024. When a company changes anything in their terms, and by the way, you are supposed to have EITHER terms of use OR terms and conditions, not both, and all of your disclosures must be consistent through all versions, ALL users must be notified whenever you make a change. I see on the source code that they were all created in 2020 and the others were modified in 2023, but I don't think anyone who was actually able to access the platform (as I was not, I have not received any of the emails that members have been receiving, etc.) was sent the obligatory emails that anything had changed. This is poor practice and the type of thing that gets one in trouble for deceptive and unfair business practices.

  Mr./Mrs./Ms. Hoopes continues to reference a contract they cannot produce and they continue to blatantly lie about what they say I have done (with no proof) and what they have done (I think "user deleted" means what it says).  hey will not even produce this contract they say I have signed for us to examine, but in the terms and conditions it seems to say lifetime access, and I am still alive.

  I despise liars and charlatans. I despise manipulation of the truth for personal gain. I do not stand for those who seek to take advantage of those they view as weak because they are the real cowards. I still believe in truth and justice for all, and that includes myself, and I believe that this Constitution will uphold my rights as the founding fathers intended. This company does not get to make that choice, they don't deserve the honor as they have betrayed my trust as well as the trust of the American people, as you can see again and again on this website, Reddit, LinkedIn, and Science. (Catherine has a rebuttal to the single article in Nature, so we do not need to hear that again, I will simply repost her article and this will go on forever.) My father was a brilliant neurosurgeon, scientist, and World War II veteran in the Pacific. My mother's side? Most of them lie in a mass grave created by the same Axis force my father fought that was one unplanned naval exercise and three air craft carriers away from demolishing the liberty we all enjoy today. We are facing the possibility that this liberty is threatened not only by foreign forces, but by corporations like your own. It is a free country, but we still have rules to follow. It is your choice to do what you will with your rights, and whether or not you follow the rules, but remember that when they impinge on the basic rights of another human citizen, we have a problem. My family already bled and so will I as I will continue to fight for We, the People.

  Also, there is a bit of an issue with the "transcripts". These "transcripts" were not recorded during one of the many days of transition calls, were they? I think you know the answer to that. The legalities of whether or not you have the ability to share these recordings taken before I gave you money (after several days of haranguing) is debatable. Were we under any obligation or contract then, where you could lawfully use whatever it is now you are babbling about to distract from the point? (You broke our agreement that you eventually made and you lied about it. Refund. End of story.)  The majority of "evidential statements" and pieces of "substantiative" evidence the company continues to reiterate and embellish are false or inconsequential. (I also remain confused as to why you would respond to an entity named Pickles Antimony, but ignore and block Dr. Jacqueline *****.)

  I am not in the habit of making NOR taking false allegations. So I don't, and I won't. Tom Petty said it, and he's spot-on. You can stand me up at the gates of hell but I won't back down. I will stand my ground. Refund, please. Additionally, I now request a full and public apology for your attempts to smear my reputation and share personal and traumatic information that was not yours to share, and more importantly, to the rest of the American people you have swindled and hurt. Stop lying. It doesn't suit. The truth hurts, but a courageous man or woman can take it. I come from a long line of them. We do not appreciate your words or actions and continue to condemn your business (on this platform only) for its harmful and illegal activities, words, and behavior.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Jacqueline ***** MD MS

• Initial Complaint

  02/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In June of 2023 I signed up to be a member of the cheeky scientist diamond program. The sales tactics used included high pressure selling, unauthorized video recording, and misleading information. I was told I would be introduced to high profile industry connections, this never happened. Articles were used to further sell the "benefits" of the program. Once joined I barely used the material before learning how poor the quality of material was. "Mentorship" meetings were performed with members of the association who were outside my time zone completely, this was never mentioned in the calls. I have reached out multiple times to cheeky scientist to request a refund, most of which has been met with further upselling tactics. Importantly I and many others have experienced the same issues, lack of communication, and misleading see: *************************************************************************************************** *** ************************************************************************************************ . I have asked politely and kindly for a refund for a service that was missold and I no longer need. If cheeky scientist were so great, why is this refund such a big issue? Note, I signed up using affirm and in total this is now costing me $3,796.67. Notably, affirm have now stopped dealing with Cheeky Scientist.

  Business response

  02/26/2024

  2/25/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 221281825
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of Ben ** ******. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below.
  As Mr. ******** has stated, he availed himself of all the program’s products and services including meetings with our PhD mentors on 7/11/23, 7/12/23, 7/23/23, and 8/17/23, as well as weekly mentorship meetings that were recurring. Please see Exhibit 1 of Mr. ******** receiving mentorship. Mr. Ben ** ****** used the program’s products and services 2 full months prior to expressing any concerns about the program. When he did express his concerns, we responded to them promptly. Mr. ** ****** has also repeatedly been offered mentorship times with a different mentor per his request. 
  
  Mr. ** ****** requested the call with our team, including filling out an application for a call prior to the call. Please see Exhibit 2.
  
  Mr. ** ****** was provided with the terms and conditions prior to purchase and provided with his contract during purchase. He agreed to all of these policies and confirmed that he understood them. Please see Exhibit 3 of the Terms and Conditions that Mr. ** ****** agreed to prior to his purchase outlining the refund policy.
  Our representative was also very clear with Mr. ** ****** about the nature of the agreement, the loan, and that there are no refunds prior to 12 months. Exhibit 4 shows the transcript between the representative and Mr. ** ****** where he is told about the agreement and refund and he agrees to each point. 
  Please also see Exhibit 5 of Section 4 specifically with a Lender disclosure in plain language.
  
  Finally please see Exhibit 6 of Mr. ** ****** receiving help from our mentorship team, as well as accessing his program materials and dashboard using his computer’s IP address, and engaging with 78 mentorship posts during this time. And submitting his resume and receiving feedback from the team. 
  
  Importantly Mr. ** ****** was in the program for over two months prior to expressing any concerns about the program. When he did express concerns, we responded to them promptly and Mr. ** ****** proceeded to ignore all reach out attempts to schedule further mentorship meetings for months until placing this complaint. 
  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Mr. ** ****** purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Mr. ** ****** through his job search. We would be happy to hear from him were he to reach out for any resolution. 
  
  Finally, for clarity, Mr. ** ****** retains all access to his program, he is able to utilize all materials and receive mentorship at any time.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

• Initial Complaint

  12/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  'm Emmanuel, an international PhD student studying at Middle Tennessee State University. I fell victim to Cheeky Scientist's overpriced program after a transition call on February 6, 2023. I realized they were a fraud after a couple of days and have been seeking legal advice to void the contract and cancel my loan since then. I emailed them several times, and as expected, they told me that I agreed to all the terms and was aware that I couldn't quit the program like that after I signed. I asked for a copy of the Zoom meeting where I asked if I could hold onto the payment anytime and the said yes, but they never release the zoom meeting. I've also reached out to Affirm for loan cancellation, and they said they need written confirmation of the cancellation of the merchant, which, of course I'm not able to get. I am no more on assistantship and I owe a lot of money. I have paid more than $1000 and this is stressing me out. Please I need some advice on what to do next. If possible, can we have a phone or zoom call to discuss this in detail? Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you Best Regards, Emmanuel

  Business response

  01/09/2024

  1/8/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21051925
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of Emmanuel *******, Cheeky Scientist takes that responsibility very seriously and have responded in detail. Most importantly, Mr. ******* and Cheeky Scientist are working together as recently as this week on 1/5/24, including live mentorship meetings. He also continues to have private mentorship meetings with our mentors and has another meeting scheduled on 1/12/24; a meeting he’s agreed to. Please see Exhibit 1 of Mr. ******* receiving mentorship on 1/5/24, exhibit 2 of Mr. ******* agreeing to his 1/12/24 meeting and exhibit 3 of Mr. ******* having multiple other mentorship meetings. 
  In terms of the complaint, to ensure we respond, please consider that as laid out below in Exhibits 4-6, Mr. ******* signed a contract, agreed to our terms and conditions, and verbally expressed agreement with our key terms. He’s also been offered help continuously. As shown in Exhibit 7, he’s engaged in 141 posts in our mentorship forum and had access to his private dashboard. 
  As mentioned, Mr. ******* has continued to take advantage of the program. As shown in Exhibit 1, Mr. ******* has continued to have mentorship including after his complaint was raised on 1/5/4. Mr. ******* maintains access to his program and is actively utilizing it. We are excited to be working with Mr. ******* and to get him hired into one of the roles we are seeking for him together.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258
  
  

  Customer response

  01/10/2024

  1/10/2024
  
  
  RE: Emmanuel *******
  ID: 21051925
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Cheeky Scientist's reply. Yes, Cheeky Scientist and I have been working together as recently as this week on 1/5/24, including live mentorship meetings. This was agreed upon because of the email exchanged and the agreement to work with me to secure a job.
  
  Rayanne gave a transcript during the initial process with Ryan. In terms of the complaint, to ensure we respond, please consider that as laid out below in Exhibits 4-6, Mr. ******* signed a contract, agreed to our terms and conditions, and verbally expressed agreement with our key terms. He’s also been offered help continuously. As shown in Exhibit 7, he’s engaged in 141 posts in our mentorship forum and had access to his private dashboard.
  My response: I will request a full zoom recording of my meeting with Ryan prior to and during the signing of the contract.
  
  Yes, I have agreed to participate in the live session mentorship with the hope of seeking a job before the contract expires. Attached are some screenshots of emails.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  In my previous correspondence, I shared the challenging circumstances I faced, including losing a family member. During these difficult times, I reached out to your organization, not seeking a refund or cancellation but requesting a temporary break in payment, understanding that my ability to meet financial commitments has been significantly impacted.
  Regrettably, the response I received solely reiterated the terms and conditions outlined in the contract, without showing any understanding or empathy for the personal hardships I am going through. It is disheartening to feel that my genuine concerns were not listened to, and the focus was solely on enforcing contractual obligations.
  
  Losing a family member has taken an immense toll on my mental health, and I had hoped for some flexibility and compassion during these trying times. However, the rigid stance taken by Cheeky Scientist has added unnecessary stress and strain to an already challenging situation.
  
  I believe that a successful partnership involves not only upholding contractual agreements but also demonstrating genuine care and consideration for the well-being of your clients. I am disappointed that my request for a temporary break in payment, given the circumstances, was not met with the understanding and support I had hoped for.
  
  I will continue to honor the contract, and I hope they honor theirs too.
  
  Thank you
  Emmanuel

  Business response

  01/24/2024

  1/23/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21051925
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to further respond to the complaint of Emmanuel *******, Cheeky Scientist takes that responsibility very seriously and has responded in detail. Most importantly, Mr. ******* and Cheeky Scientist are working together as recently as this week on 1/18/24, including live mentorship meetings. Please see exhibit 1 of Mr. ******* receiving mentorship. 
  In terms of the complaint, to ensure we respond, please consider what as laid out below in Exhibits 2-5, Mr. ******* signed a contract, agreed to our terms and conditions, and verbally expressed agreement with our key terms. He’s also been offered extensive mentorship continuously since joining. As shown in Exhibit 6, he’s engaged in 141 posts in our mentorship forum and has continued to access our private materials via our private mentorship dashboard. 
  As mentioned, Mr. ******* has continued to take advantage of the program. As shown in Exhibit 1, Mr. ******* has continued to have one-on-one mentorship meetings including after his complaint here on 1/5/4. Mr. ******* maintains access to his program and is actively utilizing it.
  Importantly, despite asking for a refund, he continues to schedule meetings and insist on service in helping him find a job. Cheeky Scientist is excited to continue to help Mr. ******* with his search.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  02/02/2024

  1/31/2024
  
  
  RE: Emmanuel *******
  ID: 21051925
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Cheeky Scientist's reply. Yes, I have been working with Cheeky Scientist to help me apply for jobs, and also engaging in live mentorship sessions this week, Jan 2, 2024.
  
  I want to respond to a few concerns in Cheek Scientist second response:
  
  Cheeky Scientist: Mr. ******* signed a contract, agreed to our terms and conditions, and verbally expressed agreement with our key terms. He’s also been offered extensive mentorship continuously since joining. As shown in Exhibit 6, he’s engaged in 141 posts in our mentorship forum and has continued to access our private materials via our private mentorship dashboard.
  
  Response: I acknowledged the terms, but it's notable that Ryan requested an immediate signature without allowing time for review. Subsequently, when he inquired if there was any coercion, it contradicted the earlier lack of opportunity to read the terms. I recall reaching out to him on zoom for one-on-one meeting but to no avail. This suggests a coercive signing scenario where the other party is not granted the chance to review the terms and conditions.
  
  Below are the details of LinkedIn chats:
  
  
  
  
  
  Cheeky Scientist: We are not a bank, lender or financing company of any kind. We encourage you to do your own research and due diligence into choosing the best financing option for any purchase of our services.
  
  Response: I appreciate the information that you are not a bank or financing company and encourage independent research for financing. However, I signed up with Affirm based on Ryan's assurance of no additional fees or late charges, contradicting the details in Exhibit 4. Please clarify this discrepancy.
  
  
  Cheeky Scientist on Service Fee. In consideration of the Service to be provided hereunder, the Customer shall compensate Company in the amount of $9,998 for the Association Diamond Program or the listed price of any other program, minus any discounts or awards recorded during the transactions, and in addition to any bundles or add-ons recorded during the transaction (the “Service Fee”).
  
  Response: I understand that the Service Fee for the Association Diamond Program is stated as $9,998 in the agreement. However, in our Zoom meeting, Ryan mentioned a total cost of $4,000. I seek clarification on this apparent discrepancy in the communicated pricing.
  
  Cheeky Scientist on Lender Disclosure. Customer agrees to and understands that Company is not a bank, lender or financing company of any kind. Company encourages Customer to do their own research and due diligence into choosing the best financing option for any purchase of Company’s services. Customer understands that any loan they agree to has a balance and has interest as indicated by the third-party financing company. Customer agrees that they are responsible for reading and understanding the third-party financing company’s separate terms and conditions, truth-in-lending and other disclosures. Company has no affiliation with Affirm, PayPal or any other lender, nor does Affirm, PayPal or any other lender authorize any Company solicitation.
  
  Response: I acknowledge the responsibility to understand third-party financing terms. However, the claim of no affiliation with Affirm contradicts the immediate recommendation by Ryan to choose Affirm without allowing time for due diligence. Ryan and Cheeky scientist did not allow me even a day to read on these firms. The assertion of non-affiliation appears not entirely accurate given the prompt endorsement of a specific financing option. I seek clarification on this matter.
  
  
  

  Business response

  02/15/2024

  2/9/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21051925
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to further respond to the complaint of Emmanuel *******. We are glad that Mr. ******* has said this, “I acknowledge the responsibility to understand third-party financing terms.” However, we disagree with his accusation that we have any affiliation with Affirm. We do not. We receive no incentive to use Affim over other payment options. Our representative did not recommend Affirm. Mr. ******* preferred to make payments. Affirm was discussed as an option (our standard practice). An option that Mr. ******* freely pursued on his own computer. Importantly, our sales page offered and still currently offers the option for a credit card payment as the standard option first, as shown in Exhibit 1. This was the first option Mr. ******* was presented with on the sales page. Further, Mr. ******* was under no obligation to buy at all. He chose to not only purchase the program, but to sign the contract on his own computer and then proceed to use the program extensively.  
  Per Mr. *******’s claim that we said there were no fees at all. This is not true. Affirm does not offer late fees. They do charge interest. There’s a difference. We were clear that there would be interest and the interest amount was presented to Mr. ******* on his computer screen. Affirm is responsible for their terms, not us. Please see Exhibit 2 of Affirm’s stance on their fees as of 1/11/24. Contractually, and by a second admission in his previous complaint follow up, Mr. ******* is responsible to understand the third-party financing terms he chose and agreed to. 
  We also feel it necessary to discuss again just how extensively Mr. ******* used the program. Please see Exhibit 3 showing multiple group meetings and in depth one-on-one training sessions. He received this help prior to making any complaints to us internally or to the BBB. Please also consider again what as laid out below in Exhibits 4-7, showing that Mr. ******* signed a contract, agreed to our terms and conditions, and verbally expressed agreement with our key terms. He’s also been offered extensive mentorship continuously since joining. As shown in Exhibit 8, he’s engaged in 141 posts in our mentorship forum and has continued to access our private materials via our private mentorship dashboard. Importantly, Mr. ******* has continued to have 1 on 1 meetings regularly including as recently as 2/5/24, including after his initial BBB complaint, and has never been denied a meeting from Cheeky Scientist though he himself has canceled and moved meetings on his own accord more than once. 
  The contract Mr. ****** signed is very clear that “Service Fee. In consideration of the Service to be provided hereunder, the Customer shall compensate Company in the amount of $9,998 for the Association Diamond Program or the listed price of any other program, minus any discounts or awards recorded during the transactions, and in addition to any bundles or add-ons recorded during the transaction (the “Service Fee”).” Because Mr. *******’s unique situation, a discount was applied, which is why he does not owe the $9,998 but only owes the amount “recorded during the transaction” as per the contract. 
  As mentioned, Mr. ******* continues to schedule meetings and insist on service in helping him find a job despite repeated complaints here and wanting a refund, and despite cancelling and moving meetings at an extra administrative cost to us. Cheeky Scientist is excited to continue to help Mr. ******* with his job and hopes you will honor the contract he signed and stop moving his meetings last minute, and stop reopening complaints while he’s having productive, one-on-one meetings with our PhD mentors who are working hard for him.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  02/20/2024

  
  Complaint: 21051925
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Cheeky Scientist's reply. In addressing the points raised by Cheeky Scientist, I highlight the core concerns stemming from my experience with the program. Initially, my engagement was fueled by the assurance of job assistance and the potential for sponsorship support for a green card, as suggested by a representative. This expectation was not met, leading to my dissatisfaction, primarily due to unresolved sponsorship challenges, despite my active participation in mentorship sessions and adherence to program activities.
  My concerns also span to the payment options and the undisclosed relationship with Affirm. Contrary to the organization's assertions, I was under the impression that credit card payments were not accepted as stated by Ryan. Moreover, the presence of Cheeky Scientist's name on Affirm's loan documents implied an affiliation, raising issues of transparency.
  The explanation regarding Affirm's fees, particularly about interest charges, was vague. Despite my efforts to seek clarity, I felt misled by the incomplete information and the organization's lack of responsiveness, accusing it of exploiting the vulnerabilities of international students like myself.
  I also contest the claims of my extensive use of the program as a counterargument to my complaints. My reduced participation was a conscious decision upon realizing the program's limitations in addressing the employment barriers I faced due to sponsorship issues. The suggestion that my scheduling of meetings was strategically for appearances or as a defense against complaints does not align with my genuine pursuit of career advancement.
  Moreover, the clarity of the contract regarding the service fee is disputed; the actual cost was not communicated clearly upfront, contributing to my grievances about the program's transparency and perceived value.
  In summary, I seek a reconsideration of my case, emphasizing the need for cancellation of the program and a refund.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Emmanuel *******

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  3/5/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21051925
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the chance to respond here. Importantly, Mr. ******* has received a partial refund for this program and has signed a settlement and release agreement with us on 2/15/24 in this regard. We have already come to terms on this and have resolved it by offering the refund despite not being obligated to do so. He chose this option and signed his understanding to it. Please see Exhibit 1 showing the settlement and release and the check that was sent to him. 
  Given Mr. *******’s statements, we would like to reiterate that all of our check out pages provide the option to pay with a credit card first, with Affirm and other methods being secondary options. Please see Exhibit 2. Our representative did not recommend Affirm. Mr. ******* preferred to make payments. Affirm was discussed as an option (our standard practice). An option that Mr. ******* freely pursued on his own computer. Importantly, our sales page offered and still currently offers the option for a credit card payment as the standard option first, as shown in Exhibit 3. This was the first option Mr. ******* was presented with on the sales page. Further, Mr. ******* was under no obligation to buy at all. He chose to not only purchase the program, but to sign the contract on his own computer and then proceed to use the program extensively.  
  Per Mr. *******’s claim that we said there were no fees at all. This is not true. Affirm does not offer late fees. They do charge interest. There’s a difference. We were clear that there would be interest and the interest amount was presented to Mr. ******* on his computer screen. Affirm is responsible for their terms, not us. Please see Exhibit 3 of Affirm’s stance on their fees as of 1/11/24. Contractually, and by a second admission in his previous complaint follow up, Mr. ******* is responsible to understand the third-party financing terms he chose and agreed to. Moreover, any documents he would have needed for any clarification on payment terms would have come directly from Affirm which Mr. ******* would have in his possession. 
  Please also consider again what was laid out below in Exhibits 4-7, showing that Mr. ******* met with our team regularly to receive support, signed a contract, agreed to our terms and conditions, and verbally expressed agreement with our key terms. He’s also been offered extensive mentorship continuously since joining. As shown in Exhibit 7, he’s engaged in 141 posts in our mentorship forum and has continued to access our private materials via our private mentorship dashboard. Importantly, Mr. ******* has continued to have 1 on 1 meetings regularly including as recently as 3/5/24 (yesterday, with today being 3/6/24 that we’re submitting this response). This includes meetings after his initial BBB complaint, and has never been denied a meeting from Cheeky Scientist, though he himself has canceled and moved meetings on his own accord more than once. 
  The contract Mr. ****** signed is very clear that “Service Fee. In consideration of the Service to be provided hereunder, the Customer shall compensate Company in the amount of $9,998 for the Association Diamond Program or the listed price of any other program, minus any discounts or awards recorded during the transactions, and in addition to any bundles or add-ons recorded during the transaction (the “Service Fee”).” Because of Mr. *******’s unique situation, a discount was applied, which is why he does not owe the $9,998 but only owes the amount “recorded during the transaction” as per the contract. 
  As mentioned, Mr. ******* continues to schedule meetings and insist on service in helping him find a job despite repeated complaints here and wanting a refund, and despite canceling and moving meetings at an extra administrative cost to us. Cheeky Scientist is excited to continue to help Mr. ******* with his job and hopes he will honor the contract he signed and stop moving his meetings last minute, and stop reopening complaints while he’s having productive, one-on-one meetings with our PhD mentors who are working hard for him. His requests for meetings continue to come through as recently as 3/5/24 and are being promptly responded to and accommodated to help in his job search.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  03/13/2024

  
  Complaint: 21051925
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  In my dispute with Cheeky Scientist regarding the Diamond Program, I am confronting several pressing issues: an incomplete refund of the program's cost, discrepancies over payment methods, and doubts about the program's efficacy and transparency. Initially, they’ve shown that I received a partial refund of $1,000 of which I don’t know whereabouts of the check due to a change in my residence. However, my main concern revolves around the deviation from our agreement, which promised a full refund of $4,998 if I did not secure employment within 12 months after completing the program. This breach of contract is my primary grievance, as the issued partial refund contradicts the terms that guaranteed comprehensive financial reimbursement under specified conditions.
  The method of refund issuance, bypassing Affirm—the financial service facilitating the transaction—raises questions about the intention behind this approach, particularly because my ongoing financial obligations to Affirm exceed the sum of the partial refund. I seek clarity on this decision, emphasizing the need to adhere to our original contractual obligations. As an international student, the challenge of securing employer sponsorship adds to my difficulties, making the necessity for a full refund both a contractual and financial imperative due to the significant strain of repaying the loan amid limited sponsorship opportunities.
  I also highlight miscommunications regarding payment options. Despite being told by Cheeky Scientist's representative that credit card payments were not accepted at the time of signup, this was later contradicted, further confused by the visibility of Cheeky Scientist's name on the Affirm loan documentation, suggesting an undisclosed affiliation or endorsement. I dispute Cheeky Scientist's claim that my extensive use of the program disqualifies me from a refund, referencing our agreement that specifies a refund is due if employment is not secured within the designated timeframe. My engagement was aimed at maximizing employability, challenging the notion that active participation negates my refund eligibility.
  Additionally, I address discrepancies in the communication about interest rates and the overall fee structure, advocating for transparency and full disclosure, particularly regarding the financial implications of using Affirm and the total cost of the program. Regarding Cheeky Scientist's assertions about my requests for meetings and additional services, I clarify that my last initiated interaction was on February 9, 2024, with no further requests made post-contract. This counter claims of ongoing engagement and corrects the record of my compliance with the contract and my legitimate request for a refund based on the unmet promise of employment support. I also challenge the portrayal of causing extra administrative costs and misrepresenting my intentions. Despite necessary changes to meeting schedules, I argue that the support received did not effectively address my specific needs or significantly improve my job prospects, highlighting the unique challenges faced by international students in the job market. This dispute encompasses complex issues of contract fulfillment, payment and refund processes, and the effectiveness of career support services, underscoring the need for clear communication, transparency, and adherence to agreed terms, particularly for international students navigating career challenges.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Emmanuel *******

  Business response

  03/28/2024

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the chance to respond here. Mr. ******* has provided no new evidence, nor has he made any new claims that we have not already addressed. 
  Importantly, we have provided extensive evidence that Mr. ******* signed a contract settling the dispute in question, which is receiving a refund. He signed on 2/15/24. We have documented the full contract he signed below (Exhibit 1) including the check that we sent him (Exhibit 2). 
  If Mr. ******* has moved and is at a new address, as he has now indicated, we are happy to send a second check to his new address once he communicates his new address to us. 
  Mr. ******* has made claims that he didn’t understand the terms of the settlement. We dispute this claim as Mr. ******* is a highly intelligent doctor who is capable of fully understanding the agreement he was sent by email. He was able to review the contract on his own time. He chose to sign it under no obligation. Further, Mr. *******’s responses here are very articulate, which shows he has excellent mastery over the written English language. 
  Mr. ******* was under no obligation to buy our program at all. He requested a call with us, requested our services, purchased our product on his own computer, and used our product extensively. Mr. ******* preferred to purchase the product through payments. All of our sales pages offered multiple payment options at the time, with a standard credit card checkout set as the default. Exhibit 3 shows the standard payment option.  Affirm, PayPal and other payment options were available. We had no affiliation with Affirm at the time, nor do we now.  Affirm is responsible for their terms, not us. As shown in Exhibit 4, Affirm communicates publicly that they do not charge “fees”. Contractually, and by a second admission in his previous complaints, Mr. ******* is responsible to understand the third-party financing terms he chose and agreed to. 
  Despite Mr. ******* signing a settlement agreement already and receiving a refund check, we did initiate a standard 12 month refund review of his participation per his original contract by our refund panel. Mr. ******* did not meet even the minimum standards of participation in the program. Please see Exhibit 5.
  We have a long history of helping thousands of international job seekers get hired. We can do the same for Mr. ******* should he agree to participate in the program fully now. The rest of Mr. *******’s points have been previously and repeatedly addressed. We have refunded Mr. ******* despite him not meeting the minimum standards he previously agreed to in order to receive a refund. He has signed an agreement accepting the partial refund. We will not be refunding Mr. ******* further. We are here to continue to support him in his job search.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  04/04/2024

  
  Complaint: 21051925
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I urge for transparency in settlement terms and agreements, stressing fairness and integrity given students' financial investments. Despite my request for clarity during engagement, I felt pressured into using Affirm for payment, with no response from Ryan regarding my concerns. Uncertainty arises from Cheeky Scientist's association with the payment process, highlighting the need for clarification and honesty to maintain trust and a positive relationship.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Emmanuel *******

  Business response

  04/17/2024

  4/17/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21051925
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the chance to respond here. Mr. ******* has provided no new evidence, nor has he made any new claims that we have not already addressed. 
  Mr. ******* has asked for more transparency.  He requested a call with us, requested our services, purchased our product on his own computer, and used our product extensively. Mr. ******* preferred to purchase the product through payments. All of our sales pages offered multiple payment options at the time, with a standard credit card checkout set as the default. He was provided with the terms and conditions prior to purchase, signed a contract agreeing to them and opted into a payment plan which provided very clear terms. The entire transaction was very transparent and Mr. ******* was under no obligation to pay. Importantly, Mr. ******* used the program for months. He never made any claims to the transaction lacking transparency until 11 months after joining.
  Further, Mr. ******* has been given a partial refund and signed a settlement agreement in order to receive that refund. The settlement agreement has already been provided in our previous responses and shows that Mr. ******* accepted the partial refund and released us from any further obligation to him. Despite this, we’ve reviewed his participation per the original agreement since then and he did not meet the terms for a partial refund or full refund anyway. Mr. ******* may refer to the agreements he has freely signed for any further questions.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  04/26/2024

  
  Complaint: 21051925
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have sought direct discussions to clarify concerns and misunderstandings about the terms due to a lack of transparent communication, but my requests were not accommodated. The agreement's conditions were not fully disclosed, particularly concerning 'participation performance' requirements affecting refund eligibility, which was supposed to be based solely on unemployment after 12 months. There were discrepancies in payment options provided versus what was claimed, significantly impacting my decisions and financial obligations. Despite claims of a partial refund, I have received none, affecting the credibility of the information provided. I am open to renegotiating a fair settlement, including a substantial refund and interest from Affirm, and I emphasize the need for honest and open dialogue to resolve these issues.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Emmanuel *******

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I hired Cheeky Scientist back on July 6th, 2023. My goal in hiring them was work with them to find me a new career outside of academia. No payment was due immediately, but the total amount is $4000, which amounts to about $4600 when combined with the fees from Affirm, the lending company. Business claimed to provide career support and network. Nature of dispute is that their actions led me unable to work with them (changing meeting times frequently, and within hours of the meeting) which would cause me to look like I’m not engaged which would mean I get no refund because “I’m not engaged in the program”. I think they are doing this purposely to avoid me getting my money back. Second dispute is that the information they do provide is below the level I requested, and they are gatekeeping their network, which I paid for. The business has tried to resolve the issue, said I would get no refund, and offered a scant attempt at reconciliation. I reached out in late October to fix issue, we reached no resolution. I then got sick for 6 weeks with a really bad case of the flu, so I am just getting around to addressing this issue with BBB now. There is no account or tracking number relevant to this, nor does it involve advertising. Attached you will find a longer, more detailed list, of these complaints, as well as my welcome letter with them. I hope you can help me get out of this nightmare soon. Happy holidays <3.

  Business response

  01/01/2024

  12/31/2023
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21022402
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of **** *****. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below.
  Importantly, Cheeky Scientist does not and has not changed meetings times for our members. Mr. ***** did not make it to a scheduled meeting, however the other invitees were able to arrive. This was explained to Mr. ***** and the calendar invite was correct. You’ll see in the Exhibits below him on video attending scheduled meetings with his mentors as well. 
  
  Mr. ***** requested the call from us by filling out an application requesting a call. Please see Exhibit 1. Mr. ***** was provided with the terms and conditions prior to purchase and provided with his contract during purchase. He agreed to all of these policies and confirmed that he understood them. Please see Exhibit 2 of the contract Mr. ***** signed and the Terms and Conditions that Mr. ***** agreed to prior to his purchase outlining the refund policy.
  Our representative was also very clear with Mr. ***** about the nature of the agreement, the loan, and that there are no refunds prior to 12 months. Exhibit 3 shows the transcript between the representative and Mr. ***** where he is told about the agreement and refund and he agrees to each point. 
  Please also see Exhibit 4 of Section 4 specifically with a Lender disclosure in plain language.
  
  Finally please see Exhibit 5  of Mr. ***** received help from our mentorship team, including images of his attendance in mentorship meetings, as well as accessing his program materials and dashboard using his computer’s IP address. And submitting his resume and receiving feedback from the team. Mr. ***** also has constant access to the member directory on his dashboard at all times. 
  Importantly Mr. ***** was in the program for over 3 months prior to expressing any concerns about the program. When he did express concerns, we responded to them promptly and Mr. ***** proceeded to ignore all reach out attempts for months until placing this complaint. 
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Mr. ***** purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Mr. ***** through his job search. We would be happy to hear from him were he to reach out for any resolution. 
  Finally, for clarity, Mr. ***** retains all access to his program, he is able to utilize all materials and receive mentorship at any time.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  01/02/2024

  
  Complaint: 21022402
  
  I am rejecting this response because: attached is an email from Ashley (who works closely with Rayanne here) where she stated she had to move the time up by 30 minutes, causing me to miss that meeting. Now, I'm not here saying changing meetings by 30 minutes is a big deal, but because of my work schedule, it caused me to miss this one, and another one later on (another change from 630 to 7). Between the meeting changes and lack of support (no, I have not been engaging with them during this process, unless through you, BBB), I'm just asking for a refund. I'm asking for this refund because based on Cheeky's rules on refunds, they will refuse me as it appears I've not engaged when a) meetings changed b) I cannot be expected to use their services while I'm in a conflict-resolution dispute with them? I have zero faith my refund will be honored, so I'm just trying to get that finished out now.
  
  We can keep dragging this out or just end it, a contract can be ended if both parties agree to it. Additionally, given what has occurred here, I do not believe I would be given the same services nor help from Cheeky after "rebelling" against them. 

  Hope your 2024 is starting off well,
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****

  Business response

  01/16/2024

  1/15/2024
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 21022402
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to further respond to the complaint of **** *****. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below.
  Importantly, Cheeky Scientist does not and has not changed meetings times for our members. Mr. ***** still has not shown any time where his meetings were changed. Mr. ***** did not make it to a scheduled meeting, however the other invitees were able to arrive. This was explained to Mr. ***** and the calendar invite was correct. You’ll see in the Exhibits below him on video attending scheduled meetings with his mentors as well. 
  
  In terms of the complaint, to ensure we respond, please consider that as laid out below in Exhibits 2-4, Mr. ***** applied for a call, signed a contract, agreed to our terms and conditions, and verbally expressed agreement with our key terms and saw the lender disclosure. He’s also been offered help continuously.
  
  Finally please see Exhibit 5  of Mr. ***** received help from our mentorship team, including images of his attendance in mentorship meetings, as well as accessing his program materials and dashboard using his computer’s IP address. And submitting his resume and receiving feedback from the team. Mr. ***** also has constant access to the member directory on his dashboard at all times. 
  Importantly Mr. ***** was in the program for over 3 months prior to expressing any concerns about the program. When he did express concerns, we responded to them promptly and Mr. ***** proceeded to ignore all reach out attempts for months until placing this complaint. 
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Mr. ***** purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Mr. ***** through his job search. We would be happy to hear from him were he to reach out for any resolution. 
  Finally, for clarity, Mr. ***** retains all access to his program, he is able to utilize all materials and receive mentorship at any time.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  01/17/2024

  
  Complaint: 21022402
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the uploaded photo from my last response has the email from Cheeky about the changed time. So I'm still not sure what you mean by not changing times.

  I uploaded this again in case it did not come through on the last one.

  I'm not denying I signed the contract - I uploaded that as well in my original response. So there is no need to discuss this matter.

  Saying I waited 3 months is the same as saying "why didn't you come forward about this matter earlier?" It's well-documented in several systems (political, social, economic, etc.) that people under duress, stress, or abuse may delay seeking help. The very minute after I hopped off the call I felt like I was locked into slavery. I gave your program a few months of a shot and felt that you gave me nothing worthy of the money I gave you.

  Again, I am happy to pay for the services used from Jul-Oct, that is fair. What is not fair is for me to continue paying you when you are unable to provide adequate service. As previously stated, a contract is only as valid as the two parties say it is. I am agreeing to give you FULL amount of money for Jul-Oct of 2023, and I barely used your services. I'll even say I'll pay Jul-Nov because you and I had emails in early November. What I'm saying is I want my money back for the unused months and the contract void. You GOT money from me already, am I'm not arguing paying those months. 

  Can you not meet me in the middle here?

  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****

• Initial Complaint

  12/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was scammed to sign up for a membership with a company called “Cheeky Scientist” and to pay $4,988 for their service on June 6th, 2022. After reading reviews and feedback from people about this company and realizing that I was scammed with a high interest rate for no service provided, I requested cancellation of service within 48h of enrolling in their unlimited lifetime counseling membership. Additionally, I was assured—during an enrollment Zoom call, which was recorded by them without my consent - that a 30-day cancellation window was available to refuse their service. Nonetheless, I canceled within 48 hours post-enrollment. However, I attempted to dispute this with Affirm, the company from which "Cheeky Scientist" pressured me to take a loan to pay for their service and even filed a fraud report with Affirm, yet my claims remain unanswered. I was misled by the owner of this business, Isaiah Hankel, who made extensive promises regarding resources, help, assistance, and immediate placement in positions I would be applying for, which pressured me into signing a loan. However, my request for a refund was denied, and I was directed to seek one-on-one personal coaching from Isaiah Hankel and Abha Chalpe. Subsequent emails were sent to follow up and inquire about the coaching services offered, as I had no access to any materials at that time. When I reached out to Abha in September 2022, rather than receiving assistance, I found that my Diamond account was removed from their forum discussion and Facebook group. Additionally, my access to the actual Diamond account which I never used was blocked, along with my access to a second lifetime unlimited basic account for which I had paid $330 in 2017. Furthermore, this basic account was removed from the Intellectual Property group discussion forum on Facebook, and I lost access to the IP group on their website, a service I had accessed for $199. Further communication via email resulted in my email being blocked as well.

  Business response

  12/19/2023

  12/18/2023
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 20958974
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of ***** ******. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below. Importantly, we have agreed to refund ***** and have told her this on 12/14/23 and that it's in process and will be delivered shortly after the new year. 
  
  In terms of the other issues discussed in the complaint, Ms. ****** requested the call with our team, including filling out an application for a call prior to the call. Please see Exhibit 1.
  
  Ms. ****** was provided with the terms and conditions prior to purchase and provided with her contract during purchase. She agreed to all of these policies and confirmed that she understood them. Please see Exhibit 2 of the Terms and Conditions on our website. 
  
  Our representative was also very clear with Ms. ****** about the nature of the agreement, the loan, and that there are no refunds prior to 12 months. Ms. ****** is correct that these meetings are recorded which she did consent to. Please see exhibit 3 of the consent Ms. ****** would have had to have opted into in order to join the meeting. However these recordings are used for training purposes and then promptly deleted.
  
  Finally please see Exhibit 4 of Ms. ****** receiving help from our mentorship team, as well as accessing her program materials and dashboard using her computer’s IP address. And submitting her resume and receiving feedback from the team. 
  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Ms. ****** purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  
  Finally, for clarity, Ms. ****** retains access to her program, she is able to utilize all materials and receive mentorship at any time until her refund processes. 
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

• Initial Complaint

  11/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was looking for a job opportunity and was transpired as an aggressive sales pitch person from Cheeky Scientist that played heavily on my anxiety about unemployment and over promising for helping and guiding me with the career. The representative made me an offer Diamond Program, an online mentoring package which is like $4000 and they didn't even discuss about the loan and asked me to just type in the SSN. Later i was found the company was fraudulent in trapping PhD graduates. Now my credit score was badly reported and the damage is done already.

  Business response

  12/11/2023

  12/10/2023
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 20933588
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of *** ***********. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below.

  
  Mr. *********** requested the call with our team, including filling out an application for a call prior to the call. Please see Exhibit 1.
  
  Mr. *********** was provided with the terms and conditions prior to purchase and provided with his contract during purchase. He agreed to all of these policies and confirmed that he understood them. Please see Exhibit 2 of the Terms and Conditions that Mr. *********** agreed to prior to his purchase outlining the refund policy.

  
  Our representative was also very clear with Mr. *********** about the nature of the agreement, the loan, and that there are no refunds prior to 12 months. Exhibit 3 shows the transcript between the representative and Mr. *********** where he is told about the agreement and refund and he agrees to each point. 

  
  Please also see Exhibit 4 of Section 4 specifically with a Lender disclosure in plain language.
  
  Finally please see Exhibit 5 of Mr. *********** receiving help from our mentorship team, as well as accessing his program materials and dashboard using his computer’s IP address. And submitting his resume and receiving feedback from the team. 

  
  Importantly Mr. *********** was in the program for over a month prior to expressing any concerns about the program. When he did express concerns, we responded to them promptly and Mr. *********** proceeded to ignore all reach out attempts for months until placing this complaint. 

  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Mr. *********** purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Mr. *********** through his job search. We would be happy to hear from him were he to reach out for any resolution. 

  
  Finally, for clarity, Mr. *********** retains all access to his program, he is able to utilize all materials and receive mentorship at any time.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

• Initial Complaint

  11/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Cheeky Scientist is a high-pressure sales company that coaxes vulnerable people into buying a program that doesn’t work. I was promised personalized coaching and access to a large network by a high pressure sales person on 8/16/23. I was told that I would get individual help with my materials and connected with 100s of people in my industry and given referrals companies to sponsor my job applications. Within the first few days, I asked for feedback on my resume and denied until I rewrote it into a non-industry standard format - a resume without dates. I did not know that the support would be conditional when purchasing the program. Then, I tried to get connected to the wide community network of 100s promised to assist me and found 14 people, most of which did not offer any support or referrals. In the first few days, I attended a couple classes that were focused on telling the group how bad the market was (fear) and discussing that the only way to get a job was to follow his unconventional path (misrepresentation). The classes were filled with public shaming! I asked for a refund on 8/17 via Voxer saying that “I think I would like a refund because I’m not finding any value in the program” knowing that I had less than 3 days to make a decision. They scheduled a follow up meeting with Isaiah who said that he would absolutely refund me but then continued to stoke fear in me saying “if you could have done it myself, then I would have already gotten another job.” This was 2 weeks after I was on the job market! Then I asked for help with a hiring manager call and was signed up for a generic class. I asked for a referral to a google job and was ignored. I had to rewrite my resume with dates to even apply. I asked again for a refund in Voxer on 8/20. Instead, they said that I would need to send a TELEGRAM or written letter to be eligible. Before starting, I was in late stages with a company. They took credit for the job I got not using their tools.

  Business response

  12/08/2023

  12/5/2023
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 20908387 
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of ***** ****. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below. Importantly, after participating in the program Mr. **** got a job offer which he asked for help with negotiating. Please see exhibit 1 of section 7 of the contract which shows that after any job offer is received in the program a refund is not possible. 
  Mr. **** requested the call with our team, including filling out an application for a call prior to the call. Please see Exhibit 2.
  
  Mr. **** was provided with the terms and conditions prior to purchase and provided with his contract during purchase. He agreed to all of these policies and confirmed that he understood them. Please see Exhibits 3 and 4 of the Terms and Conditions that Mr. **** agreed to prior to his purchase outlining the refund policy, and the contract he signed at time of purchase agreeing to the same refund policies. This contract did include a three day cancellation provision that Mr. **** did not exercise as evidenced by the mentorship meetings he continued to attend until he received a job offer, including meetings on 8/16/23, 8/20/23, 8/22/23, 8/25/23, and 9/5/23. Please note this last meeting was a full 20 days after his membership started on 8/16/23.
  Our representative was also very clear with Mr. **** about the nature of the agreement, the loan, and that there are no refunds prior to 12 months. Exhibit 5 shows the transcript between the representative and Mr. **** where he is told about the agreement, loan and refund and he agrees to each point.
  
  Finally please see Exhibit 6 of Mr. **** receiving help from our mentorship team and participating in the mentorship forum, as well as accessing his program materials and dashboard using his computer’s IP address.
  
  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Mr. **** purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Mr. **** as he moves forward in his career. We would be happy to hear from him were he to reach out for any resolution. 
  Finally, for clarity, Mr. **** retains all access to his program, he is able to utilize all materials and receive mentorship at any time.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

• Initial Complaint

  11/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sept. 26, 2023 Cheeky Scientist pressured me into signing up for their "services" after making false claims on their website. They use high-pressure tactics to get vulnerable people to sign up. Most notably, they never responded to my claims of a disrespectful and demeaning salesperson. The person who pressured me into signing the contract laughed at the salary I had in a previous position and told me that is what managers at McDonalds made. The company website makes false claims. The home page says they aim to “place 1,000,000 PhDs into industry positions”. However, their service agreement claims not to provide or promise employment placement. This contradictory information is a clear example of this company making false claims on their website. On the website you see the numerous success stories that are highlighted, however, nowhere on the website does it state that these are not typical cases. The website very much presents the success as commonplace and what you can also have if you sign up for their services. Their service agreement then states, “Examples of people who have successfully transitioned should not be considered typical and there is never a guarantee of results.” Again, this is very deceptive and contrary to what is presented on their website. Overall, my experience with this company has been very disturbing. I feel demoralized and take advantage of. I am not the only person that this has happened to. The article ****************************************************************************************** ********* shows how this company is receiving a lot of complaints for their deceptive and abusive practices. Affirm should stops doing financing for them. I hope to end all obligations and ties with Cheeky Scientist, it has been awful, compounded by the financial hardship I am enduring at the moment. I would also like to warn anyone from signing up. It is a scam.

  Business response

  11/27/2023

  11/25/2023
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 20853857 
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of ******** ********. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below.
  Ms. ******** requested the call with our team, including filling out an application for a call prior to the call. Please see Exhibit 1.
  
  Ms. ******** was provided with the terms and conditions prior to purchase and provided with her contract during purchase. She agreed to all of these policies and confirmed that she understood them. Please see Exhibits 2 and 3 of the Terms and Conditions that Ms. ******** agreed to prior to her purchase outlining the refund policy, and the contract she signed at time of purchase agreeing to the same refund policies. 
  
  Our representative was also very clear with Ms. ******** about the nature of the agreement, the loan, and that there are no refunds prior to 12 months. Exhibit 4 shows the transcript between the representative and Ms. ******** where she is told about the agreement, loan and refund and she agrees to each point. Please see Exhibit 5 of Section 4 specifically with a Lender disclosure in plain language.
  
  Finally please see Exhibit 6 of Ms. ******** receiving help from our mentorship team and participating in the mentorship forum, as well as accessing her program materials and dashboard using her computer’s IP address. 
  
  Importantly Mr. ******** repeatedly received one on one private mentoring on 7/12/23, 7/17/23 and 7/21/23 and multiple small group meetings including on 7/11/23 and 8/1/23. Please see Exhibit 7 of Ms. ******** received mentorship on multiple dates. You can see images of her getting her LinkedIn updated in real time by our mentors.
  
  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Ms. ******** purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Ms. ******** through her job search. We would be happy to hear from her were she to reach out for any resolution. 
  Finally, for clarity, Ms. ******** retains all access to her program, she is able to utilize all materials and receive mentorship at any time.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  11/28/2023

  
  Complaint: 20853857
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Cheeky Scientist has done nothing to acknowledge the disrespectful and predatory nature of their business practices. They used pressure and fear tactics to make me agree to a contract. I was told if I didnt sign up right away, I would not have the chance to do so in the future (which is a lie, as they are always accepting new clients). The services they provided (access to resources, forums, spreadsheets, network, etc) did nothing to get me a job. One on one mentoring meetings were useless; nothing was gained from meeting with "mentors". Once I realized that Cheeky Scientist offers no benefits, I stopped all communication with them. I made several attempts to get some sort of apology or explanation, but they maintain that I am in the wrong for not making an effort. I will not seek further help or utilize resources from a business that has proven to be unethical and misleading, like CS. Furthermore, they "guarantee" you get a job of YOUR choice. There are no guidelines for taking a low-paying job out of necessity, as was the case with me. They are welcome to revoke all access to resources; I have not accessed them in months and I have unsubscribed from their email list. I have paid $480 through third party financing. I am requesting $2,520 in refund. Meaning, I am willing to pay for the "services" I received. I am not willing to pay the full amount of $3,000, for useless "resources" and a false "expertise" they claim to have.

  Also, I am Dr. ********. CS targets PhDs in the vulnerable state of unemployment.

  Sincerely,
  
  Dr. ******** ********

  Business response

  12/11/2023

  12/10/2023
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 20853857 
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of ******** ******** further. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below.

  
  Ms. ******** requested the call with our team, including filling out an application for a call prior to the call. Please see Exhibit 1. 
  
  As Mr. ********* has stated, she availed herself of all the program’s products and services including meetings with our PhD mentors on 7/12/23, 7/17/23 and 7/21/23 and multiple small group meetings including on 7/11/23 and 8/1/23.  Please see exhibit 2 of Ms. ******** receiving mentorship. Ms. ******** used the program’s products and services 2 full months prior to expressing any concerns about the program. When she did express her concerns, we responded to them promptly. 

  
  Further, Ms. ******** went to her payment processor and attempted to dispute her purchase. However, due to a preponderance of evidence showing she extensively used the program’s products and services, the payment processor, who is an independent third party, denied her dispute. This processor is solely responsible for collecting from Ms. ********, not us. 

  
  Importantly, we utilize enrollment periods at our discretion to appropriately allocate mentorship resources. This is clearly posted on our website’s FAQ page. Please see exhibit 3 of the enrollment period explanation from the FAQ page here: ********************************
  Ms. ******** was provided with the terms and conditions prior to purchase and provided with her contract during purchase. She agreed to all of these policies and confirmed that she understood them. Please see Exhibits 4 and 5 of the Terms and Conditions that Ms. ******** agreed to prior to her purchase outlining the refund policy, and the contract she signed at time of purchase agreeing to the same refund policies. 

  
  Our representative was also very clear with Ms. ******** about the nature of the agreement, the loan, and that there are no refunds prior to 12 months. Exhibit 6 shows the transcript between the representative and Ms. ******** where she is told about the agreement, loan and refund and she agrees to each point. Please see Exhibit 7 of Section 4 specifically with a Lender disclosure in plain language.
  
  Finally please see Exhibit 8 of Ms. ******** receiving help from our mentorship team and participating in the mentorship forum, as well as accessing her program materials and dashboard using her computer’s IP address.
  
  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided and continues to provide all the services that Ms.******** purchased. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated in plain language in the contract at standard font sizes. As mentioned, this information is also publicly available on our website.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Ms. ******** through her job search. We would be happy to hear from her were she to reach out for any resolution. 

  
  Finally, for clarity, Ms. ******** retains all access to her program, she is able to utilize all materials and receive mentorship at any time.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Cheeky Scientist tricked me into purchasing the diamond membership which does not offer refunds, but this was not stated when sold. I was sold a service that would personally help me transition into industry, but the product is access to a website with only occasional limited personal interaction. Key weekly activity is watching Isiah talk at you for 40 min a week. I am confident that my first 100 resumes went immediately in the trash as they were in a functional format. This is what was recommended in the program, but then when you talk to actual recruiters this is an undesirable format. I was told that I'd have a six figure income in a year or my $ back, but instead I am unemployed and multiple grand in debt.

  Business response

  10/26/2023

  10/23/2023
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 20726595
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of *** ***************. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below. 
  Ms. *************** expressed no concerns in the program after being in it over 10 months and when she did express any concerns she was immediately provided even more support to continue her job search.
  
  Ms. *************** was not solicited for a call. She requested the call with our team, including filling out an application for a call prior to the call. Please see Exhibit 1.
  
  Our representative was also very clear with Ms. *************** about the nature of the agreement and our policies, as shown in Exhibits 2, 3 and 4. Exhibit 4 shows the transcript between the representative and Ms. *************** where she is told about the agreement and refund terms and she agrees to each point. 
  Further Ms. *************** has received extensive help from the Cheeky Scientist team including one on one meetings to rewrite her resume, update her LinkedIn and tailor her job search on 7/6/23, 7/14/23, 7/20/23 and 9/8/23 as well as small group meetings. She also has had access to weekly group meetings which she also attended, twice weekly mock interviews and consistent help in Voxer.
  
  Please see Exhibit 5 of Ms. *************** receiving help from our mentorship team on recorded mentorship sessions, as well as her participating in the mentorship forum, as well as accessing her program materials and dashboard using her computer’s IP address. 
  Ms. *************** also mentions the custom resume written for her. We have a strong record of getting PhDs hired using the functional resume, which is only one of five resumes we provide and that you were provided in our weekly meetings. Importantly, the functional resume’s purpose, as we repeatedly instruct on, is specifically for getting through ATS software.
  The functional resume is highly professional and highly recommended among diverse circles of industry and is commonly featured as a very effective resume for situations like yours. See this leading industry article just recently on July 19th, 2023 where the functional resume template is  #2 on the list of best resume templates to use: *************************************************************************************, it’s also #2 in Forbes here on an even more recent article: **************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  
  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided all the services laid out for Ms. *************** in section one of the Terms and Conditions. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated clearly verbally and in plain language in the contract.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Ms. *************** through her job search. We will continue to provide mentorship to help her transition.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

  Customer response

  10/27/2023

  
  Complaint: 20726595
  
  I am rejecting this response as outlined below: As I am not a lawyer, I am preparing these documents as an individual thus the format may not be as strong as Cheeky Scientist as they likely do have individuals with law expertise. I will provide responses to the points made in the document 20726595
  I did contact Cheeky Scientist about the program as their advertisements were very effective in convincing me the program goal was to help me, not profit. Though this part was not recorded, when I had that initial call I was told verbally how helpful the program would be, how I’d end up with a six figure salary, and if a year later I hadn’t made progress I would be refunded. The details of what did and did not constitute engagement were buried in the lengthy text that was shared by Cheely Scientist in their Exhibit 2 but not highlighted in Exhibit 3 or during the phone call Exhibit 4.  What is highlighted in the materials is how much effort Cheeky will put into helping me find a job. Additionally, in order to pay for the program I was advised to open a Paypal credit account. As displayed in Image 1, my Paypal accounts first charge is from Cheeky Scientist when the account was opened.  
  I participated in a transition challenge in fall 2022 as a diamond member, but did not save the recordings as I did not expect to need to provide proof. I do have a document that is a job spreadsheet in the format of Cheeky Scientist which is included (Exhibit 6). I continued to fil out this spreadsheet making connections on Linkedin as suggested in the program (Exhibit 6).
  They are accurate that life events eliminated my ability to participate in November, December, January, but I was moving forward again beginning in January. Since I was still working full time my efforts were not as strong prior to May but during this time I submitted around 30 applications and grew my network (Exhibit 7). I also made contact with a mentor and was provided help in July and at the time I felt supported and that the refinements to my resume would help. However, after 4 zoom meetings the mentoring was over and I was told to put my materials in what is referred to as “the forum” where someone would reply to my request for review. Though this is nice, it means each time I started from scratch with an individual and so refinement of my materials was limited. Though other resume formats may exist on the webpage, the program focused heavily on functional resume formats, including when I was working with a mentor in July. As provided in their response a favorable Forbes article about functional resumes is included. However, the gold-standard format is reverse-chronological and there is also evidence recruiters do not like the functional format (Exhibit 8).
  I am willing to pay half price for the services I did use, but given the manner in which I was sold this program and my continued unemployment, Cheeky Scientist did not deliver. Frequently in the materials the word mentor is used but has a different definition in the program than is commonly understood. The definition provided by Google is “A mentor may share with a mentee (or protégé) information about his or her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling. A mentor may help with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources.” I did have four such meetings, but overall the program does not offer mentorship, but a website where someone will respond. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ***************

  Business response

  11/14/2023

  11/13/2023
  
  
  RE: The Cheeky Scientist, LLC
  ID: 20726595
  
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint of *** *************** further. We take the responsibility to respond seriously and have responded in detail below. 
  Ms. *************** expressed no concerns in the program after being in it over 10 months and when she did express any concerns she was immediately provided even more support to continue her job search. She clearly states in her own response that she stopped participating not because of the program but because of “life events”. At no point did she communicate these to Cheeky Scientist. She did not participate in the as outlined in the agreement.
  
  Our representative was also very clear with Ms. *************** about the nature of the agreement and our policies, as shown in Exhibits 2, 3 and 4. Exhibit 4 shows the transcript between the representative and Ms. *************** where she is told about the agreement and refund terms and she agrees to each point. 
  Further Ms. *************** corroborates that she has received extensive help from the Cheeky Scientist team including one on one meetings to rewrite her resume, update her LinkedIn and tailor her job search on 7/6/23, 7/14/23, 7/20/23 and 9/8/23 as well as small group meetings. She also has had access to weekly group meetings which she also attended, twice weekly mock interviews and consistent help in Voxer. Only now does she state that wasn’t enough help after abandoning her efforts in the program for months. 
  
  Please see Exhibit 5 of Ms. *************** receiving help from our mentorship team on recorded mentorship sessions, as well as her participating in the mentorship forum, as well as accessing her program materials and dashboard using her computer’s IP address. 
  Ms. *************** also mentions the custom resume written for her. At no point would Cheeky Scientist have asked Ms. *************** to give the functional resume to a recruiter, and it does provide a very specific recruiter resume for those situations.  However, we have a strong record of getting PhDs hired using the functional resume, which is only one of five resumes we provide and that you were provided in our weekly meetings. Importantly, the functional resume’s purpose, as we repeatedly instruct on, is specifically for getting through ATS software.
  The functional resume is highly professional and highly recommended among diverse circles of industry and is commonly featured as a very effective resume for situations like yours. See this leading industry article just recently on July 19th, 2023 where the functional resume template is  #2 on the list of best resume templates to use* *************************************************************************************, it’s also #2 in Forbes here on an even more recent article: **************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  
  
  Cheeky Scientist has provided all the services laid out for Ms. *************** in section one of the Terms and Conditions. There is no fine print in the agreement or terms and conditions. They are stated clearly verbally and in plain language in the contract.
  
  Cheeky Scientist is proud of the services that it provides and is here to support Ms. *************** through her job search. We will continue to provide mentorship to help her transition.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Rayanne Hoopes
  COO
  Cheeky Scientist
  5097200258

*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. ↩