International Sports Sciences Association
Reviews and Complaints

Great fitness instructor programs! Excellent student service and engagement. Look forward to enrolling in more certification modalities!

From the student experience to the actual course material I feel like ISSA stands above their competitors. With out questions would recommend to anyone looking to pursue a career in health and wellness.

I have been an ISSA trainer for 16 years now! I have had so much success with my certification. I love the self-paced option in these courses. I can get through them quicker or take my time. The level of education is so great, it gets you ready for real world application. I have had nothing but great customer service from this company also. They are truly there for my success, throughout my career! I highly recommend ISSA for your training education needs! Let's Go!

I signed up for the personal trainer certificate in April . Yes, I was told that there is a 7 day cancelation fee. However, I do not want to complete the program and am less than half way through. I called to cancel and knew I wouldn't be able to fully back out, but there is no way to back out, at all! I would have been willing to let go of half the cost. So just for all you who are considering taking this program just know once you commit, that's really it. No money back, no backing out. "

I completed the AS in Exercise Science and earned 6 professional certifications along with my degree. The class room instructors were extremely knowledgeable in the course subjects and very helpful through out class. I thoroughly enjoyed the online the discussions with fellow classmates and the instructors. The customer service was excellent. For the 2 years that I attended ISSA I spoke to the same people every time I called. Additionally, I felt like they new who I was as well. I recommend this school to everyone I know that expresses interest in the health and fitness field.

Buyers beware this company does not stand behind their words they falsely advertise on their website. Its not a transparent Corporation. I have asked to take the refund they advertise that will happen if you do not get a job and based on this Covid situation I think it falls in line with and reasonable request to have a refund. However the management does not seem that is fit and therefore making the worst they have printed not accurate. I thought to get a refund again and however conveniently now its a six months window or when a refund could be offered. So I guess have to make the best of it.

I purchased the course only to find the very same course advertised for half the price. I called to cancel and was rudely told to call back at 1:00 pm, which was ten minutes away. He then, to my astonishment hung up very abruptly. This was about five days after purchase. A few days later I called again to cancel and was told that I only had seven days to cancel and that time had passed. When I questioned this I was told that this is a standard practice by all businesses and that was all the information I was given. Very bad customer service and not even inquiring as to where I found the course for half the price they sold it to me for. Why?

Would not recommend pursuing any type of certification through ISSA. I enrolled in the Indoor Cycling Instructor course and was shocked by the poor quality of the course. The textbook that accompanies the course is an atrocity. It is poorly written and outdated. There are no in-text citations and the list of references is incomplete. The online video lectures are awkward and uncomfortable to watch. You can certainly pay >$400 for this course, pass all the quizzes, take a final exam, and end up with a certificate, but you will not learn anything of value that will help you to become an effective instructor. I was able to obtain a refund for the course, but not without a fight.

Buyer beware! I signed up for ISSA in the summer of August with *** who was very slick with his words. He lied to me and told me I would be able to cancel if I needed to and I would just have to pay x amount, which would have been a percentage of my remaining balance. I was okay with this as it offered me a chance to get out if there were any unforeseen circumstances. Little did I know that I would be diagnosed with a BRAIN TUMOR the following spring in April . I was physically unable to walk and see properly and begged them to get me out of my contract as I was unable to work. They refused to cancel my contract and told me I could pay a minimum fee instead. The thing is, I didn't want to pay a minimum fee! Now I am stuck without a certification and hundreds of dollars down the drain that could have gone to my *** instead. DO not buy from them if they tell you otherwise because it will just be a lie that they will just deny.

Not Happy with This So Called Learning Institution, more like a /rip off! If you miss a payment, they lock your account, lock you out of your own classroom, and don't allow you to even study to be a trainer anymore, until you pay. They give no help if you lost your job due to Covid or have serious financial hardships! Then to make it worse, they keep adding more and more money onto your existing balance, until it gets so expensive and out of control, you cant even pay it anymore. I started out very excited and hopeful in this program, and quickly became discouraged and unmotivated to even be a trainer anymore because of them locking me out of my own portal! I would not recommend this trainer program to anyone, unless, you have the full amount up front. Also forget about getting your extremely large *** broken down into smaller payments, so you can pay it off. Forget it, they wont do it. You have to pay the full amount due at once. Ridiculous. They really need to change the way they do business in these times. Very Upsetting. All I wanted to do was learn and be educated so I could get a certificate to teach people.

Buyers beware This company was recommended to me by a gym I was looking to do part time work in. I came to them for a diploma but did not want to commit to anything because I was not certain I would get the job at the time. The sales people here lured me in by lying to me, not explaining the full terms or contracts I was entering and now have left me with a 700 bill which I am getting charged every month for a service I never even used. They are liars and get you to agree to things with no transparency. I tried speaking to people in their organization and they said there was nothing they can do. We are now going through a pandemic and they continue to charge my card even though I cancelled the previous two cards they had on file. I am jobless at the moment and the only money I have left to pay for actual bills I need to survive are being affected by these thieves. They find a way around it and steal your money. They are thieves, they have no type of customer service skills and do not want to help you. I recommend you go to another company who is more transparent than ISSA was with me and probably others. STAY AWAY!

Hello first I like to say Id like the program would love so much to get the physical training program but? I had talk to the company and asked for a refund.The reason behind this I cannot read the book. They are using a very large word with No Pronunciation its hard to understand the book.Tried so hard to explain through the employee of the company that the words do not have pronunciation. I asked them to help me but they do not want to help. Explain to them that I love the program we love so much to finish it but do not understand their big words. This is when I ask for my money back because of the big words with no pronunciation. Can you help me get my refund because of the way they wrote the book its not fair to me as a customer. Do not understand why they would use such big words for something so easy as a persons body. Nobody uses them words when we talk. Thank you *** you

I purchased textbooks from ISSA and was told that I was able to return the texts before they were shipped. I called, emailed and called and called to have the order cancelled. I called the ISSA services, I emailed the bookstore and even called the printing company in California to stop the order (many times). They lied to me, they drove me in circles. They delayed time and time again until the books were shipped (many hours after I initiated the return/refund request and was told, "refunds cannot be offered after books have been shipped". I tried to explain that I have been trying to cancel the order but now when I try to engage in resolute conversation, the agent continuously closes the conversation chat. I am being ignored and am being told I am in the wrong. I asked for copy of the term and conditions and that is when I began to feel ignored. I was charged $138 Canadian and want a refund.

Hi! I signed up for ISSA in June using a package deal which included 3 course + CPR certification at a reduced rate. Well, the pandemic kept rolling, in addition to contracting COVID, I lost family, and job. However I paid for all my courses. I tried to access now March 2022 and I cannot, and Im told that deep in the fine print they house pertinent details that the courses expire. With the courses completely paid for I called and emailed to get access and was told Id need to pay again. I plan to work with my credit card provider to see what options I have as Ive paid for a service that has not be rendered, however Id prefer access and to take the courses. Im submitting this complaint here because with classes paid in full, I dont see why they wont allow you access to take the exam and complete without paying again? My desire outcome is access to the courses and exam to complete what I paid for month ago.

I called the company and inquired about a personal training certification course. I signed up for the course with information given over the phone. I was informed I had 7 days to cancel to receive a full refund. I cancelled three days later. I then receive an email from the accounting department with the breakdown of my refund which indicates they will withhold 10% ($40) for whatever reason they gave. I called and talked to at least 5 different people requesting a full refund, as promised in my conversation, but all saying that is their policy, or that I need to speak with someone else. I paid for the course before I had the opportunity to read their terms of service. I have not accessed any material. No goods have been delivered or used. To charge 10% fee is unfair, especially since the person I spoke with told me I would receive a full refund. I have emails to show documentation of communication with this company.

I signed up for the program in January this year and on Feb 22nd they charged my credit card in the amount of $72.55. I have been out of work so I am not able to keep up the payments. I called to speak to someone about cancelling the membership and getting a refund for this month. I was transferred over to another person and I told her that I wanted to cancel and I was informed that I can not cancel nor am I able to be issued a refund. I asked to speak to her supervisor and he told me the same thing. I explained to him that I will not have the time to continue plus I dont have the resources to do. He offered me lower monthly rates but I told that I didnt want that. They refused to cancel my membership per the enrollment agreement which I never signed one. I havent even taken one of their classes. What I didnt tell him because its none of their business but I am about to go into rehab and that is why I wont have the time nor the resources to continue.

I originally signed up to take the certified personal training program and had later called to have my payments adjusted, which they did. However, at that time I asked if there was a deadline to completing the programs or taking any exams, I was told that there was not and that I could do the entire training on my own time. I am now trying to access my account and it is locked and I am now being told that the material had an expiration date and so did the exam. I am being told that they can extend two of the certifications (glutes and nutrition) but that I need to pay a monthly fee of 10 dollars with some change and that for the certified personal training I would need to pay for the entire course, again. I am already paying *** plus for the program. I was not aware that the programs had a due dates to them and am now required to repay for the certification programs to have them extended and have to repay the personal training as that one is not extendable.

I signed up for an online personal trainer class Jan 2020 for the amount of $829... It was my understanding that i signed up for a year class.. When I went to resume my studies in Nov.. I saw a message indicating that the class had expired in July and that I needed to call to re enroll.. I called the office to re enroll and they stated I would need to pay an additional $399 if I would like to have an opportunity to finish the class..There is nothing on this company's website prior to ordering which indicates that this class is a 6 month class and there is nothing indicating that it is a 6 month class once you have purchased the program.. They don't give you a deadline date at all throughout the process.. They refused to give me extra time to finish the class when I made them aware that they never indicated that this is a 6 month class.. They advised me to look at their terms and agreement section which still doesn't verify that I have signed up for a 6 month class.. I paid $829 for this class and would like a refund or I would like for this company to allow me to finish the class without any additional payment.. This class is totally self paced.. There are no instructors or class times or anything so it makes no sense that they can not allow me to finish this self paced class without paying additional money.

Two weeks ago my 18 year old college freshman, majoring in sports sciences, received a phone call from ISSA talking about their personal trainer program. ISSA was able to talk him into a $1500 program and signing the contract for a 4 week long course to become a Certified Personal Trainer. They did not bother to ask if he had any income, to pay for it. They instructed him that he just had to pay $5 upfront, and that he could start his courses at anytime. He was not aware that after this $5, he would be stuck into a contract paying $100 / month. This is a college student with NO INCOME. Less than two weeks after he signed up, he talked to me about what happened. And I was instructed that there is absolutely no way to cancel the contract, and that if he doesn't pay the money hit will go to collections and on his credit report. Lexi, the person I spoke to, only kept repeating, that he is an adult at 18 and he signed the service agreement. COME ON REALLY! He hasn't logged into the program, doesn't even have time to take it with full college load, but they sold him the dream that he could make $50/hour if he were to complete the course. I kept trying to explain this situation to her, but she was not hearing anything and refused to cancel the contract. I even told her if they wanted to keep the one payment that they made that is fine, but we can not pay $1500 this year (on top of paying college tuition).

In 2019 I was pregnant and decided to take my passion for nutrition and fitness and get certified to make it a career. I signed up during a great promotional deal and started the course. I had my daughter in June and unfortunately we were met with traumatic events. 2 rare chromosome disorders, 2 skull surgeries needed, health issues, early intervention therapies every single day, etc. The ISSA program was not top priority anymore. The courses were paid for but I couldnt complete them in the time allotted. Recently, I wanted to pick up where I left off. ISSA will not extend my program for me and will not waive the fee to start with the new materials and course. I find it vile that they can turn their cheek to my situation and not help me out. They have my money from the initial course payment and I have nothing to show for it. I 100% understand there is a policy and timeline for a reason, but their excuses of not being able to enroll me again because its been too long is unacceptable and frankly down right heartless. My trauma is not a sob story, it is the truth. I want to financially help my family and my daughters medical needs and cannot afford to pay again for the courses. The fact that they cannot waive this and get me the new material to start over is eating at me in such a way I cant even explain. My daughters health for 2.5 years is what needed my attention and *** and understanding from ISSA should be granted.

A month after signing up for the courses with ISSA I ended up in intensive outpatient trauma therapy. I was in for six months with a small break in between. Then I had to go to a residential trauma treatment center and had to work one on one with a therapist for three and a half weeks after that. I was unable to do any of the courses due to all of this and I was literally fighting for my life. I recently went in to do my courses and noticed they had expired, they did not inform me they were expiring and I was in trauma treatment the entire time anyway. They refuse to allow me to access the courses without paying them thousands more dollars that Ive already paid. They initially told me if I had evidence to my medical issues they would allow me access, to which I agreed but explained it would take some time to get everything gathered up, then they told me no matter what Id have to pay more in order to access my courses. Theyre being incredibly cruel, insensitive and careless,and theyre just money hungry. I want to be able to access my classes again and take my exams, at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE, Bc theyve already charged me thousands of dollars for the courses, that they are now refusing to let me take the exams for. Open my courses back up so I can complete them over the course of the next year, even six months if theyll give me that. But Im not paying extra when I already paid a ton of money and have VALID medical reasoning that I was unable to complete the courses with documentation.

I began a training course last year after being laid off in Coronavirus, with the intent to become a personal trainer. I enrolled in a bundle through ISSA, primarily because the website prominently advertises a job placement guarantee. The enrollment staff encouraged me to take a nutritionist course in order to help find a job. I took the first two of three courses, including the nutritionist course, only to find the nutritionist course was worthless and I could not advertise myself as a nutritionist in *** (it would be illegal). I could not find a job other than a couple of hours a week at $15, so I ended up working in a deli while they continued to charge me. Their response was basically "tough cookies, any job is a job." I told them in writing in March to stop charging my card, I replaced my card and did a block through Discover. They continued trying to charge me and I got a $400 charge on my card last week.In the meantime, I have been locked out of my account and couldn't finish the third class if I wanted to.I want a full refund and for them to stop charging my card immediately. I revoked my permission, changed my card, blocked through Discover and fruitlessly searched for a real job in a new profession with what turned out to be worthless credentials, and am being charged against my will for the full amount despite the fact that I haven't even gotten all the training, which is worthless in terms of finding a job that offers more hours or better pay than fast food, retail or the deli.

Date of transaction: 08-16-2022 Value of transaction: $1 (Invoice number omitted) Nature of transaction: A salesperson from ISSA contacted me to follow up on my interest in the ISSA Nutritionist certification program. He asked for a $1 placeholder payment for a promotional offer, with a 7-day refund policy. The transaction was confirmed on my debit card statement the same day. However, the salesperson provided an invalid contact number, and my refund request calls and emails have gone unanswered. I'm skeptical about receiving the promised refund and challenge ISSA to follow through.

I bought a combined package from ISSA - Certified Personal Training and the Nutrition Coaching Program - PN1. When I bought this special deal the marketing around it clearly stated lifetime certification and some of the things highlighted were: work at your own pace and no expiration date. I reached out ISSA over a year ago about this and was told that my course was expiring which left me confused. Due to the lack of communication I was forced to rush through the course in the middle of COVID, an out of state move while also being a full time single parent juggling a sick child. I did end up completing the course and the exam and assumed all was well as I had not heard otherwise. I then began the other course in the package by a different company and just finished that one days ago. I reached out to ISSA again to get a copy of my ISSA CPT certification and was notified that although I completed the course I did not pass the exam. I am extremely upset now as I was not appropriately notified of this nor was I given the steps to resolve this matter at the time it occurred. Now they are insisting I rebuy the entire course for more than I paid for it the first time! This is clearly a shameless money grab when in fact it is stated (in their material) and I was told on the phone prior to taking the exam that there was a complimentary re-take. I asked specifically because I had felt not as thoroughly prepared as this all happened during the global pandemic and we were facing quite a bit of hardship at the time. I still powered through though. They are now refusing to honor the free re-take exam or even a small fee for it and insist that I rebuy the ENTIRE course. I would also like to note that I have medical documentation stating that I was receiving medical accommodations at this time. They refuse to take any of this into account. Also that this error occurred due to lack of communication on their part. I am seeking a fair resolution.

I joined ISSA several months ago to become a personal trainer. The agent on the phone said that ISSA was well recognized and everything can be done on line.He also stated that if I was unable to find a job, there was a 100% money back guarantee. After studying, I passed my test and was looking forward to getting a job.I live in *** and there are many gyms here.I eagerly started applying to many jobs that were advertising for help .After much effort and time applying, I never even received one call from anyone! I called ISSA and explained my situation. I said that it has been some time now since I applied to these jobs and still not one response. I showed them all the jobs I applied to and asked for a refund as they had represented to me . After much runaround by the company supervisor, I received an email stating I could not receive a refund unless I took and passed another proctored exam. Then if I was lucky enough to pass this proctored test, I then have to have 3 potential employers who turned me down for a job submit their First ,Last names, phone numbers and email addresses so ISSA can call an ask them as to why I was not hired. I told them that I was not able to even get one interview and did not know how going through all this would make a difference. I explained that it is almost impossible to get 3 interviews as well as have a person who turned you down for a job contracted. I was told this was their policy and there is no way around it. This guarantee is near impossible to complete .I was then informed , in writing that they " generate many refunds on a daily basis " I asked them to prove this as I didn't believe that anyone could meet the refund criteria and this can be considered fraud if not true. I have not heard back from him since. I have now filed a complaint with the *** State Attorney to investigate the fraudulent refund claims that this company makes . I encourage others to file an online complaint as well with the state!

I agreed to become a fitness trainer and started with ISSA after receiving a phone call from them on May 15. My husband agreed to pay for my classes due to me being unemployed so he spoke with the representative about the payments. We were both told that the payments would be 135$ *** no interest for 12 months and there was a special so we would have a discounted total price (the special was $999 + taxes). She did explain normally the prices cost a lot more somewhere around $*** and my husband said there is no way on gods green earth he would EVER be able to pay *** and would only be able to do this if it was going to be around $1,000. He made sure to have the representative reiterate this multiple times, asking if there would be ANY other fees, he made very clear he would ONLY be able to pay the price we agreed on and no more. He was the only one working and we were already in a hardship. Did this so I would be able to start a career and get a job. The representative said we would receive a receipt to my email address and not to worry because the whole phone conversation was being recorded so we were safe. We made a payment that day, more than required so we could have more paid. The next month when the payment came out on the scheduled day it was $173.36. My husband and I were confused because that is not what we agreed on with the representative. We contacted ISSA and a New Representative said they would fix it but ended up telling me they would have to extend the payments now and we tried to explain we agreed only on the price we originally agreed on, but he changed it anyway. When we found the receipt in my email we realized they had charged us a total of $1957.00 for the whole program. Legally, a telephone conversation between an individual consumer and Representative constitutes a legally enforceable oral contract one which cannot be superseded by written terms emailed after the fact. Why are they still telling me I have to pay $1,957. Want this fix