Complaints

This profile includes complaints for The Society for Collegiate Leadership's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  The Society for Collegiate Leadership

  1775 Tysons Blvd Fl 5 McLean, VA 22102-4285

• 

  The Society for Collegiate Leadership

  777 6th St NW Ste 1100 Washington, DC 20001-3706

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/21/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I signed up and paid their $95 however the site isnt working and the membership cones with no real benefits Ive called several times during business hours but to no avail Ive sent emails and still nothing all I want is my $95 back and to be completely done with this mockery of a honor society

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2025

  The Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement (SCLA) appreciates the opportunity to respond to this concern. ***** membership support team reached out to the individual via email to confirm payment details and offer assistance but has not yet received a response. The organization remains committed to resolving the matter and welcomes continued communication from the individual in order to move forward.

  SCLA is a nationally recognized academic and leadership honor society with over ******* satisfied members. Members gain access to a variety of benefits designed to support academic, professional, and personal development. These include exclusive scholarships, internship opportunities, leadership certification programs, career development tools, and resources to enhance resumes and professional networks.

  **** also takes website accessibility and technical performance seriously. If the individual experienced issues with the site, the membership team would be happy to investigate and provide support. The organization encourages the individual to respond to prior outreach so that the matter can be resolved promptly and appropriately.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/05/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On June 6th, 2025 I accepted an invitation to ********************************************** (SCLA). In the invitation it never stated that the fee was $95. I signed up initially due to the encouragement of my family, but started second guessing after I submitted the payment. You would think that they would have a nicer website for the amount they scam from their victims. I would not only like a full refund of the $95, but also have my account on their page closed.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/09/2025

  We appreciate the opportunity to respond and provide clarification.
  
  The Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement (SCLA) strives to be transparent about membership fees and program benefits throughout the invitation and registration process. We regret that this individual had a negative experience and felt that our fee was not clearly communicated.
  
  Upon receiving this complaint, we promptly reviewed the situation and issued a full refund of the $95 membership fee on June 6, one day after the concern was brought to our attention. The individuals account has also been closed as requested.
  
  **** is committed to supporting students and recent graduates through academic recognition, leadership development, and career advancement. We value all feedback and use it to improve our communication and member experience.

  Thank you,

  The SCLA Support Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  7/17/2024 I bought a service from SCLA and realized it's a scam. Need my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/29/2024

  The account was activated on 7/17/24 after the account was created and membership fee was completed. The member did not contact The **** directly for a refund. The refund has since been processed on 7/29/24. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I recently made a purchase of membership to ********************************************* for $95 on 3/13/2024. Once I made the payment I waited a few hours to access my account. I mainly wanted to get access to their scholarship benefits for college. However, upon doing a quick ****** search I realized that its a scam and doesnt actually offer anything of value. I tried sending a refund request but I cant find any way of doing that.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2024

  We have refunded *************************** the $95 membership fee as requested. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/14/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Wednesday, January 10, 2024, I received an email to join the SCLA. I paid the $95 fee, but I haven't been able to access any of the "benefits" they offer. I have attached my receipt as well as the email I received from them. They are not meeting any of the expectations they set forth.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/15/2024

  The customer (**********************************) did not reach out to us regarding her membership benefits or requesting a refund of the $95 membership fee. We have processed the $95 return for the membership fee on the customer's behalf. Along with the refund, we have deleted their account with SCLA. Attached is a receipt of the return. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/11/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I received an invitation to this honor society after my first semester of graduate school. I was grateful and submitted payment to the honor society. I have continued to receive emails asking for payment and promises of a plethora of access to courses, content, career advisors, mentors, etc. I login, and all it asks for is payment. I submitted payment 9/20. I emailed about this after having not received a receipt on 9/22, and the response was that payment was received. I still cannot get beyond the payment page, and I continue to receive emails asking for membership dues. I want a full refund. This is a scam or close to one.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/18/2023

  Hello,

  We have already responded to both of ****************** inquires. However, we never received a response on her end verifying if she was able to access her account or not. I will attach our email correspondences below, to show that we actively attempted to reach out and assist her with her inquiry. We also provided proof that we have a chapter at her school, which this information can be located on her school's website. 

  If she can reach out to us directly and respond to our emails. We would be happy to assist her with receiving a refund.

  Please let us know if there is anything else required on our end.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/05/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Today, October 5, 2023, I agreed to "join" as a "member" of the SCLA and quickly realized that I was being scammed. Not only did I pay them $95 to do this, but I already am seeing "service" charges on my bank account. Once you have signed in as a "member" no option is provided for deleting your profile or cancelling your "membership", making me their hostage, financially. I have sent them an email requesting that I cancel this practically this (non-)service and have had no reply. I want a refund of $97 for their "membership" and "service" fees, of which I am given no option to back out of on their (far less-glamorous than the marketing) member's portal.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2023

  Hello,

  ****************** had just signed up last night and contacted us about receiving a refund shortly after signing up. He had contacted us out of business hours, so we responded to him this morning and have completed his request for a refund immediately. If members are interested in a refund, they must contact us directly for assistance, as most businesses operate. Additionally, there is no service fee to join, as it is just $95.00 to join, this part of the complaint was not even brought up when ****************** contacted us. I am attaching proof of the refund to our response and to show that the charge is only for $95.00. We believe this complaint to be unfair and untruthful as we were not even given 24 hours to resolve his request for a refund and for the fact that there is no service fee upon joining. 

  If there is anything else we can assist with, please let us know.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/24/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid $95.00 for a membership to the SCLA, I was unaware at the time that this was not an accredited business. I have emailed them and tried to call them with no response as of yet. Every time you try to call its quiet then rings one time, then goes straight to a voicemail. I left a voice mail as well. I just want my money back as this is not what I thought I was getting. I thought I was getting a membership with an Honor Society that was legit. Then you get into the website to find where they are located and its a random place in a shopping center.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/08/2023

  Hello,

  We are unsure why ************** has made a complaint as we have already voided her transaction the day that she had made the payment. She reached out on 08/24/2023 and requested a refund and we responded promptly and voided the transaction. I am attaching our email exchanges the day that she had made the request and proof of the voided payment on the day that it was requested.

  Additionally, our office is located in a shared office building and we are unsure how this information is relevant to her complaint.

  Please let us know if there is anything else required on our end.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/24/2023

  A refund was issued and I am satisfied with how they handled it on their end. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/12/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was invited to this honors society by email and was told the deadline is in 4 days. Ive never heard of scla and ipon reading the website couldnt see info until i paid. This should have been a red flag bit i was so excited to receive honors cords. Which the website never mentioned. After paying I realized that I was charged TWICE within 5 minutes. Ive emailed and called with no response to either. That raised suspicions so i did some research only to find out that it was a scam. I need a refund of BOTH of my $95 payments and my membership cancelled.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2023

  Hello,

  ******************** already reached out to us on 08/10/2023 inquiring about a refund for her duplicate charge. We promptly refunded her duplicate charge after she responded with the required information on 08/17/2023. She clarified that she wanted the other charge refunded and to cancel her membership. We responded and let her know that we could do that for her, however she then said to disregard her second refund request and that she wanted to keep the membership. At no point after did she reach out and ask for a refund. Additionally, she never reached out and asked for the link to our store, which is linked in our Member Support email signature. 

  Our conversation through email will be attached, along with the receipt of her first refund and the one we processed in response to this message.

  Please let us know if there is anything else required on our end.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/31/2023

  
  

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: ***************************** <**************************>
  Date: Wed, Aug 30, 2023 at 3:47 PM
  Subject: Complaint ID: ********
  To: <[email protected]>
  
  

  I wish to cancel my complaint. The company has resolved my issue. 

  Complaint ID: ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/06/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This membership is not at all what I expected. It is giving off scam. An when I tried to reach out for a refund. There is never any reply. I thought this company was supposed to help students and build them up. It looks like theyre just here to scam students out of money. Hopefully this will speed up my refund process seeing as I have been trying to get my money back for the last month. Please do not give your money to these people.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/25/2023

  Hello,

  We have already provided **************** her refund the day it was requested.

  I am attaching the receipt as proof of refund, along with log of our conversation, as we did respond the day it was initially requested.

  Please let us know if there is anything else required on our end.