While my husband,Lewis*, was awaiting his "ship date" near the end of January of last year for the military, he thought with about 5 months til then he could do a couple college courses with University of Phoenix (because they claim to be military friendly). He got in contact with a military student adviser,Gil*, who says he used to be in the military too. Gil told him that he missed the deadline for the next set of classes, so he'd have to go for the ones after that. Gil told him the dates for those classes (they're 2 months long), Lewis says no because those classes end 3 weeks after his ship date and therefore would not be able to finish those 3 weeks.
Well Gil decided to convince him to do them anyway, saying that "oh I'm sure there are computers at training you can get to" pulling the whole tale about how he was in the military and knew he'd be able to get to a computer and "if you can't finish them, then you can finish once you get back". Since Lewis was prior-service, he was going to do AIT instead of having to do basic training again, even though he switched branches. Lewis took Gil for his word and registered for those classes.
Mike* from finance was helping him get his financial stuff together to use his GI Bill. During their many conversations, my husband was told they won't take any money from our account until the GI Bill money goes into our account.
Lewis does his school work up until he leaves. A few days later he's getting multiple emails from another UoP employee, Jackie* stating the attendance policy and he's being kicked for being absent. They know he left, he even talked to someone there a couple days before leaving to remind them. I figure, okay maybe Jackie didn't know. I sent her a very friendly email saying a longer version of "hey, I'm just letting you guys know Lewis' left for AIT on X date, and is scheduled to be gone Y weeks. Is there any proof you need that I can have him fax?"
I didn't hear back from her, but she forwarded the message to Gil. Gil replied to me saying they can't give out any information about Lewis' account since he didn't fill out an online form giving them permission to talk to me. He also wants Lewis to contact him asap.The way he said it was a tad rude, but I sent another friendly reply back telling them I wasn't looking to talk about Lewis' account specifically, that I was just doing a good deed for my husband and for the school by keeping them informed. I let them know I knew they couldn't speak to me about his stuff, so I asked if someone is in the military but has to go away during classes, what exact proof is needed?
I get another reply from him, and he got even more rude. He said something in the tune of "If a military member has to go away during classes, the student should be responsible enough to know not to take classes when he knows he won't be able to finish them. I was in the military and I know that they don't give short notice." [ What military was he in? Because any time my husband has gone away, the most notice he was given as been a week. Over Christmas break alone in Lewis' brigade they gave only a few days notice to guys who had to go to Afghanistan. These guys got short notice on top of having to miss Christmas. so Gil is full of it. Yes a lot of time they give decent notice, but he's saying it never happens. I noticed he often just tried to feed me lies or mislead me to try to make me look stupid and wrong]
I reply nicely saying that Lewis cannot contact him during the schools hours as he is busy. Yes, I got to talk to Lewis every night, but it was late at night,so that is when I replayed information. He continued to use the "we can't talk to you until the form is filled out, but all he needs to do is fax us his orders or a letter from his command to xxx-xxxx". I tell my husband that night, he then tells me his password and other info I need to sign into his school account and fill out the permission form online so that they can talk to me (since ya know, there are no computers there). The next day he faxed his orders and a letter from command. I email Gil letting him know, plus telling him a form was filled out so he can talk to me. Gil replies telling me he doesn't see the form so therefore cannot talk to about the account but yet tells me he didn't receive the fax.
Okay, so for the next few days I keep filling it out (with Lewis' permission) and he still claims it's not there. The weekend is here which gives Lewis free time. He spends $20 on a cab to go to a internet cafe and pays $10 to use a computer and fills out the form himself. Gil claims to not have gotten it. I just think Gil is trying to use tactics to see if I'm lying about Lewis being gone. Gil has sent many messages to Lewis' email address, which I check every night and tell Lewis what is there.
My next email to Gil is telling him that Lewis resent his orders and letter, please reply letting me know if you got them or not,and more permission forms were filled out. I wait about a week. Around that time I see about $2k taken from our account in 4 transactions (the GI Bill hadn't hit our account). When I googled who was taking it out, it came up with a profit sharing company. There was no phone number anywhere. I ask my husband about it, he says he hasn't even used his card, he's just been using the cash he brought with him. I call the bank, report fraud.
I email asking if he received the orders and command letter, and that if I didn't hear back within the week it will be assumed that he did and that everything is in order. He replies that he did receive them, but he mailed Lewis' account letting him know he got them and is waiting on word if it's acceptable. There was no such email in Lewis' inbox (I even check his school inbox).In this time, Lewis gets orders fly across country to his new duty station, while I get our apartment ready for movers to come. A couple weeks pass, we hear nothing. I drive the approx. 2500 miles to our new home. I learn then that all the money taken from our account was the school, they just used a different name. I googled again, nothing online shows the school and the name they used were affiliated with each other. I don't take off the fraud just in case. Especially since they sent a permission slip asking to charge our account 2 weeks after they took the money out.
I contact Gil to see what is taking so long. He doesn't even apologize, he just says it's very unusual that it's taking well over a month to get this situated, but he will let us know. Lewis gets in his unit and is able to talk on his phone during the day if needed. He called Gil, learns that he needs more paperwork. Over the course of a week, he's being told to send all kids of different papers, and to resend them all multiple times. It's getting ridiculous now. I have an email from Gill himself stating that all that's needed is orders or a letter, he sent both, plus much more paperwork than needed. So why did they need all this other paperwork?
I emailed Gil to let him know I have proof of what he said he needed, proof of the papers being sent many times, and proof of them being received. i told him "you, yourself, admit it's unusual for it to take this long". It had been about 2 1/2 months since I first contacted him, and almost 2 months since Lewis sent the first fax. I told him if our money isn't back in our account by X date (2.5wks away) then we'll be taking legal action.
I get an email from Mike. He made a sure to mention several times that "it takes time, it's a process" even though Gil said it shouldn't be taking this long. It probably wouldn't have taken this long had they not changed the paperwork they needed. I'm sure they get students needing to do this often enough to where they don't just "forget". Mike mentioned a bunch of stuff about Lewis' account ( but oohh I thought they didn't get the dozen forms that were filled out! ), and told me that they have the money set to release into our account on Y date (1 day after the date I told them I wanted it by). I know they added that extra day just to spite me. I didn't care, it was just a scare tactic...and obviously it worked.
Lewis let them know he does not plan on going back to them ever again. I had already let them know that I was going to go there, but because of Gils rudeness alone, I won't be attending. About every 2 months or so they send an email "hey Lewis just touching base, seeing when you're coming back!". A few months ago he sent them an email "I am e-mailing to let you know I have decided not to return. Between Gil's demeanor towards my wife when she was just trying to help, the multiple forms filled out online so you could speak to my wife were ignored or "lost", and the constant changing of minds of forms I needed to fax to get my refund... I feel your school cannot meet my needs. My wife is no longer looking to attend either solely based on her communications with Gil. I would appreciate being taken off any mailing,e-mailing and calling lists associated with the school." I guess it worked, he didn't get any replies.
All I can say about Gil's emails is that he was very arrogant,passive-aggressive and demeaning. They lost 2 customers. I was going to attend once we got settled into our new home (which they knew).