Regency Beauty Institute
Reviews and Complaints

REGENCY BEAUTY INSTITUTE IS THE WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVVVVVVVVER HAD IN MY LIFE!
I went to school there and I did graduate, so I know first hand how rotten of a place it really is.

There is no consistency, most (not all) of the instructors are ignorant, cannot cut or color hair, and/or cannot read.
IT IS A JOKE!
they pack the classrooms as full as they can to make as much money as they can but fail to teach any sort of use full skills to students because there are just too many students in the classrooms!
it is impossible to learn when you are all right on top of each other.
There are MOST definitely situations where they play favorites.
it's truly disgusting.
I am a pretty girl, and I was picked on by the assistant manager constantly.
I was sent home like once a week. Because the rules always are changing! (what a coincidence!)
i would wear things that all the students would wear, and when i was sent home for it I would ask, "well why isn't so and so being sent home too?"
the response was, "well i haven't seen her out of dress code but i caught you"
I could tell personal stories for days. It really doesn't matter because if you talk to anyone who has went there, they will tell you the same stories I am telling you.
This school is disgusting!
STAY AWAY!
you are better off going elsewhere! ANYWHERE but Regency!
PLEASE, if you are enthused about the industry I beg you to listen to me!
REGENCY IS A SCAM!

On Friday February 25, 2011 I called Regency Institute in Dayton Oh to schedule an appointment for hair service. My requested student was unavailable, so I requested a few others and they were not available either. Once I arrived at Regency I realized that I ha gotten the students names mixed up, and the student I requested was there and available, so I asked. Sarah the Instructor if the student could still do my hair? Sarah replied no because Ashley was already entered into the computer. Since I was pressed for time with a very hectic week I went ahead and let Ashley relax my hair. After Ashley was washing out the shampoo bowl she had me sit at her station, while at her ostation I noticed that my didn't feel right nor was it straight so I went to Sarah and told her that my hair didn't look or feel right. Sarah said that once Ashley blew dried my hair it should be okay. After Asheley finished my hair I thanked her then gave her a tip

However, once I was halfway home I noticed patches of flakes in my hair and I immediately called and talked to Sarah & the campus manager who were both very compassionate and willing to help. They arranged for me to comeback in the following day so
that they could see my hair, then redo to correct the
problem, especially since I had to attend an event
with my children and the embarrassment of flakes
and an unfinished looking hairstyle.

So today around 12:25pm I arrived at Regency to reschedule the redo appointment and the front desk student didn't know anything about my cirucumstance so I asked if Sarah was there? She returned with Carl. I was trying to explain to Carl what happened he rudely cut me off and said well we are a school. It took me a minute but I asked him if I could reschedule and it would have to be Wed evening, then he was very short and said all of our daytime students are not here in the evening. So then I asked him who does he have available then I continued is there a TaSha...before I could finish he very rudely cut me off again and said No! You are stuck with me today...I said no I am talking about Wed night there is a student that did my hair before...then I continued I told him that I was just disappointed and frustrated because I spent $45 and my hair is a mess, plus the gas and my time I just want to make sure that my turns out okay. He just stared at me then he went to the computer and typed in my appointment I stood there and waited for him to confirm my appointment but he didn't he ignored me and talked to the students all around him while I stood there waiting for him to address me. After about 3 mins I was able to make eye contact with Carl and I asked him if I was all set? Again he very rudely snipped yes. As I was walking out with my children Carl was still talking to the students at the front counter and I guess he didn't think I heard him, but he waved his hand towards me and said that makes you not want to deal with anymore clients!

How rude and embarrassing He made it seem as if this was all my fault. All I did was come into the salon, spend $45 plus tip for a product and service that I hardly received. Then I had to walk around with my hair looking horrible. I did not appreciate his comments

Today

I am doing a review on the Mishawaka, IN campus. My experience has only been for the past 2 weeks, so maybe I did not see enough to be fair. But from my perspective, this is it:

Regency had actually contacted me because I had shown interest in beauty school from some online forum. I would only have a week to get financial aid processed, but they were VERY helpful and expedited the process. I met with the charming campus manager for about 2 hours to discuss enrollment. She already had paperwork ready for me.
My first day: We get our "$1200" kits. I ASSURE you, that kit is NOT worth $1200! (I have a list of what it contains if you would like it!) We spent about an hour and a half unpacking our kits from the boxes. It HAD to be done then and there. "MAKE SURE YOU PUT YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING! WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THEFT", they stressed. I didn't catch on to WHY until later, but as excited as I was, I never unwrapped or unboxed any of the items, just the big box that the kit came in to take inventory. My very first day and I got nothing but horrid details from tenured students. I orginally decided beauty school was right because I was interested in a career in make up and I was assured by my adviser that they did, indeed, have an extensive make-up program. I believed that until I saw that we were only required to complete 11 make up applications and another disgruntled student showed me the make-up counter. I wish I had taken a picture. I have more make-up in my "on the go" bag.
Suddenly, the charming campus manager who had helped me in the beginning didn't seem as sweet as she called me to the office and told me I was not allowed to clock hours until they received my high school diploma. I was told the previous day (by one of my advisers) that if I didn't have it, they could just call my high school to verify. Apparently that wasn't the case. Also, my "clock in" after lunch didn't register, so I lost all my time on my very first day.
The second day I didn't attend, which freaked me out after the preach about "attendance, attendance, attendance" my first day. My daughter's preschool will not take a child with in 24 hours of being sick and I didn't know she was ill till we got up for school, there was no way to make other arrangments for her. I called my advisor to see about starting in the next class, 3 weeks later. She said I could, but encouraged me to continue with this session.
The third day I was able to find someone to watch my baby. I am in workshop and we are practicing fingerwaves. Now, I'm not sure if this is something that is mandated by state boards, but how realistic does that sound? Again, I could be wrong here, but at what point do we update techniques? Also, that day a fellow student forgot to clock in. Its normal, she is NEW and learning. She lost the entire 8 hours for that day, our instructors are not allowed to adust hours (I wonder why that is?)
The forth day I'm learning how to put rollers in. Seriously? I will say this though, the instructor is great, she knew her stuff and was very down-to-earth. That night I stayed up getting ready for my practical and started to see the symptoms of what my daughter had. I called my advisor first thing in the morning, stating I would REALLY like to start the next class. Again, she tells me I can do that. However, it won't be hard to catch up, "just stick with it". At this point I am thinking "is this God's sign? Everything happens for a reason, why am I having health issues (we NEVER get sick!) on my first week when I am SO excited?"
I found out when Monday came around. My advisor told me I wouldn't be charged tuition if I didn't clock hours for the 2nd week, but I would owe for my kit even if I started (now) 2 weeks later. Hmm...? The kit I haven't even opened? My advisor says that I could take it in to the campus manager and possibly not owe because it was, in fact, unopened other than the one mannequin head I had used for fingerwaves. Also, I would owe a $100 fee for starting into the next class.
Tuesday comes and its a different advisor on the phone. She says it might not be possible to start on the 31st now, because first I would have to withdraw and reapply. My thoughts were "they got me enrolled and financially set up within 3 days over Christmas break, so how long does the withdraw process take?!?". She also tells me that it doesn't matter if I start on the 31st, my hours will still be the same, I will still have a low attendance rate and the test will still only be worth 80% at its best just as if I had stuck with this group. Does that make sense to you? Yeah, me either. I'm beginning to think these aren't really "advisers", but very quick-witted sales women.
Wednesday comes, a DIFFERENT advisor with a different story. Now there is NO WAY I can start in the next class. I would have to wait 2 more months to start. This would definatley deter someone from withdrawing. So I stick with it. That little voice in the back of my head is no longer quiet. Its screaming.
Thursday I get a call from a fellow classmate who has decided to quit. She says "read the reviews online!". Brought me to this site. EVERY complaint I have seen here is consistant with what I have seen in a very short time there. I call my "adviser" who is extremley rude, and tell her that I am firm in my decision to withdraw. When she asks why and I tell her that if the 10 different stories I've gotten from 3 different advisers isn't enough, the plethora of online reviews was. She proceeded to tell me that I needed to remember that it was mostly disgruntled students. Well...duh? They became disgruntled SOMEHOW! Not 45 seconds later she gives me my total for the 24 hours that I attended Regency...$2300, and no, I can not return the unopened kit. ONCE YOU OPEN THE BOX IT COMES IN (for "sanitary" reasons) THE KIT.
It is my fault for not researching BEFORE I enrolled, for not reading before I signed the ENROLLMENT PAPERS (make sure you read over that!). I am an adult, I know better. I just hope this review saves someone else from learning the hard way. Don't give up on your passion, just make sure you are on the right path! If you should decide to go with Regency, I have an unused kit for sale at 50% off! ;)

Regency is the worst school by far I've ever been to. From day one I have always had issues with the damn place.

It all started with the financial aid department. When I had enrolled, they told me to fill out my FAFSA, turn in some papers that they sent me over email, and then everything would process. Later did I find out that they had not told me everything I needed initially. For about 4 weeks this kept going on, they would tell me oh you didn't turn so and so in, so I would turn it in, and another day they would tell me that Iwas missing something else THAT THEY NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT. After this nightmare, durning my class day I received a paper that said if I didn't get everything in within 14 days I would be terminated and owe money back. After getting this paper I had called my advisor and asked whats up with everything going on, she told me that if I turned in everything the next day everything would be okay and I could return to school on time. I asked If I could fax all the documents in the morning as soon as I got to school, in which she replyed yes. I asked are you sure that I can still clock in on time, and she once again said yes. The next day comes and come to find out the office in Minnasotta was not open when I had arrived at school. I waited around for an hour and a half and faxed the paper (keep in mind I couldnt clock in because I was suspended over this) After I faxed the paper I had called to see if they got it, in which they told me it could take up to 12 hours. This was just the beginning .

It seemed like every day my teacher would come in crying because of how un organized this place was, the campus manager at the time was snobby and had this I'm better then you attitude, there was so many other things but this complaint would be pages to long if I were to continue about the things he did but its pointless to continue when he is not there anymore . He eventually got denoted then fired. Which took several complaints for Headquarters to finally care.

We soon got a new campus manager, but its impossible to even talk to her because every time you go to her she says she will get back to you soon and never does. On top of that she only has 30 minutes in the day where her office is "open."

I feel like regency will do anything possible to keep you out of school and take your hours to get more money from you. I had clocked in in the morning, the computer system had told me I had clocked in at 8 30 like it had every other time I had clocked in. When the lunch hour came I had went to clock out, and it had only given me the option to start my day. IT DID NOT SAVE THE HOURS THAT I HAD BEEN THERE. I talked to the assistant manager and she told me to talk to my teacher or the campus manager. My campus manager had not been there at the time so I talked to my teacher and she told me to talk to my campus manager so I had to wait yet another hour for her to get to school because she came in late the day that this was happening. When she finally got to the school I had spoke to her, she told me within a few minutes she would get back me me, an HOUR later she told me to pack up my stuff and leave because there was NOTHING she could do, because they cant do time adjustments "its against Regency's policy" I called corporate and they told me the same thing. THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT! They cant do anything for me even if there is teachers in the building that saw me there at 8:30 on time. I'm still fighting to get the hours back.

With this school nobody can help you. It seems like when you try to get anything resolved you are directed to another person, then that person can't help you and they direct you to someone else. You try to talk to the head honchos of the company because advising says they will connect you to there voicemail, you leave a message, AND THEY DONT CALL BACK.

Not only is everything unorganized the schools are filthy. The marvicide is never changed, the bath rooms are never cleaned, Theres spill marks on the walls from god knows what, it's just plain disgusting.

They treat us like kids and custodians as well. I'm not saying you should not clean up after yourself because you should we are required to clean our station which I am fine with, its the fact that we are responsible for keeping the entire school clean. Once you move to rehersal (when your working with clients) there is a sheet where you sign up for your station (every station has a different chore) some of the chores should not be our responsibility like cleaning the windows and doorknobs sweeping everything. Its a lot of things, Either way I believe for the money I'm paying to go to this school, I should not lose 30 minutes of my day to clean something that they should hire a custodian for. And the fact is the stations are never completely filled anyway, so there is always chores left over that cant be done and if they don't have a custodian to do them, then how do they get done, THEY DONT.

I am PAYING to be here. I should not be treated like an employee that can lose there job any second. I would transfer schools ASAP if I could pay the money to transfer schools. I feel miserable every day going here I just wish I could have done more research.

There is so much more but I think I have said enough.

I am a current student at Regency and been only 5 months to learn nothing but their a scam. I looked into transfering and they told me I could if I pay them $7900 for 465hours completed. I am a low income single parent of two and have no way of paying them so they told me I could withdrawl and they would keep my hours until I came up with their money. So im back at square one, $20, 000 richer, and after I pay them the $7900 they will be 27, 900 richer and I'll be in debt when i'm finished. If I get to finish because they want let me graduate owing them the $7900 and will be paying the full tution for the next 10 years. So i'll be working just for Regency Beauty but I am going to fight for my rights and switch schools to become what I started to achieve and that's to be a cosmotologist with her managers license. I could go on and on all day about the scams and that are going on at Regency and I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. So anybody who has something smart to say about my opinion tell it to the BBB so we can put a STOP to this injustice!

i been going to regency in southbend for the past year full time and ive seen it all personally with the scams. i took a maternity leave authorized by my doctor and i was terminated due to the fact that the campus manager at the time reported my leave late which resulted in me being terminated because of their 14 day absent policy. instead of them correcting it the told me i would either pay 100.00 dollars to restart or pay 3, 000 dollars for the time i had been there. i decided since i wanted to get my license i paid 100.00 dollars to restart not knowing i would have to pay for the days i was out, and they never told me i would be reponsible for it since i was so called "restarting". i restarted in nov of 09 and i couldnt clock in for over 14 days which i was terminated again due to the fact of me not being able to clock in through the computer to track the days i was there. they had the area manager come to get things straightend out which i was glad they had seen that i had actually wrote my times in and out manually on the attendance sheets for over 2 weeks which verified i was there. they turned that termination around but its so odd they told me they couldnt turn a termination around when it came to my maternity leave...yeah...bout that.now i have come this far and i havent heard from an advisor at all about anything concerning my financial aid or other fees ive occurred since. i dont know a school who has a unconcerned advising team than them. they dont tell you anything until a couple of days before its due. which its never a couple of dollars thats due...its always hundreds or thousands thats due and give you little or no time to pay which always results in termination.its never " let us help and see what we can do " its always pay or your terminated, or placed on financial suspension. now i have 5 days left before i clock 1500 hours and i cant clock in to complete the hours because im on financial suspension until i pay 4, 000 dollars...which i have 2 days to pay it or im terminated. ive made it through all the bull crap and still have a big lump sum that is due in 2 days! i will be terminated. there is no way ive ever heard a school give you no help, payment plan, or efficient advising.low income families...run for your lives!

From a young age I have had a passion for the beauty industry. After high school I decided to enroll in cosmetology school. I did not know much about schools in the area so I asked around and toured several schools. They all lacked a sense of professionalism and looked like something straight out of the 1980's- bad perm and all. After some consideration I decided to keep my options open and try and find another school. This is when I found Regency.

I found Regency Beauty Institute online and scheduled an appointment to tour the school. The location that I planned on touring was the first in Arizona to open. I toured the school and it seemed like a diamond in the rough. Construction was still taking place but the school seemed to have much promise. This was very encouraging after my previous experiences. I met with the school manager and her supervisor who was visiting from Minnesota (where the schools headquarters are).

They knew the right things to say and promised me the world. They led me to believe that with good attendance, attitude, and grades, I would succeed. It was very clear to me that I needed to sign up and get the papers going so that I could be a part of this fantastic school. I was very misled. I began at Regency and was ready to take my future into my own hands. I felt like I was on top of the world. As school progressed i noticed that what was occurring was not what was promised to me.

The school was lacking staff, order, professionalism, EDUCATION, and the list goes on. There were many times when we would go to the mall across the street for the day and "pass out business cards" which translated into- students wondering around the mall, throwing business cards away and eating lunch while getting credit for an 8 hour school day. Which in translation means: for tuition, school is roughly $9.50 per hour. This means that I had to pay $76 to go hang out at the mall.

During my experience at Regency there were many days where there was a lack of instructors to lead a classroom so we were told to hang out on the salon floor and study. No direction was given of what to study or why- just study. This usually meant that half of the girls were texting or standing in front of the school smoking.

There were many basic skills that we were never taught. When i would ask a teacher when we were going to learn about them she would reply "well you can't learn everything at once". I did not ask her to learn everything at once; I asked to learn one thing at a time. If I wanted to sit around and do nothing I would have stayed at home. But I enrolled in school to learn and be taught. Not to mention, this is not a free education. You have to pay for it.

The lack of staff seemed to get worse by the day. The environment at school was very chaotic. Things like dress code, attendance, student conduct, and so on were rarely enforced. Cosmetology school is based on hours unlike traditional college which is based on credits. Each day students must clock in and out to track their hours, much like a job. At Regency we clocked in daily on a computer using our social security number. Almost every day students would be absent and their friends would memorize their ssn and clock them in while they were at home ditching school so they could get credit for an 8 hour day. Nothing was done to stop this.

To sum things up, the negative things about Regency highly outweighed the positives. Being fed up and see my money, time, and effort go to waste I decided to withdraw from the program. The week that I decided to withdraw I was one of FOUR out of my specific class who had made the same decision. We had had enough. Every day I was seeing my dream and the dreams of my fellow students slip out of our hands.

When I withdrew, my campus manager took me through the process. She led me to believe that I was free and clear and all that I would have to pay for was the hours that I had already attended (400 out of 1600). She also informed me that the student loan I had taken out would be covering that so all I had to do was sign on the dotted line. After that, my transcripts would be transferred to my new school and to the state board for when I was ready to test for my cosmetology license.

After leaving Regency and finding a much better school I found out through a close friend that the campus manager had been fired. Shortly after that I received a letter from Regency headquarters stating that I owed over NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS. Immediately I replied disputing these charges. I explained my situation at the school and that I had only attended for 400 hours. There was no way that I was going to pay over nine thousand dollars for something I did not receive in the slightest. Regency replied and immediately dropped the amount because they had no reason to charge me that amount. They also warned me that if I did not pay I would be terminated from school. This goes to show their lack of attention to detail. I informed them that I had already withdrawn and was attending a much better school. It was very clear to me that Regency obviously has no interest in the student or education (better yet lack of) they were putting behind their name. They want your money and then some.

After going back and forth with Regency through several letters, I sent one asking them to explain to me what I was being charged for. I haven’t heard from them since. A short while after that, I received a notice from a collections agency. Regency failed to communicate with me, neglected my needs as a paying student, and ran from the situation. I am now in collections for something that I do not owe and no one can explain to me what it is for.

Since all of this has happened I have completed my 1600 hours total at another school. However, until I pay collections the money I do NOT owe, Regency will not release my transcripts. This is preventing me from being able to take my state exam and become a licensed cosmetologist.

The grief, disappointment, time, money, energy and frustration that Regency has caused me to have cannot be underestimated. Just like most young adults, I do not have the thousands of dollars that it is going to take to settle this. Regency Beauty Institute should be ashamed. It is an absolute poor excuse of an education. It makes my skin crawl to thing about how many young girls with a dream are going to get screwed over the way that I did.

Research schools and ask questions until you are blue in the face. Get everything in writing and do not take no for an answer. Trade schools like this stay in business because of situations like mine. How do they sleep at night? Shame on Regency Beauty Institute.

okay, so, i went to regency to get a perm, i wanted a body wave; loose waves, barely even curls, and i have poodle curls, and damaged hair. i even went back and said this isn't what i wanted, and the teacher said oh no, that's a body wave. they're obviously stupid, and i read online that the perm rods they used are way too small, they used purple ones and were suppose to use black ones, if you don't know they're color coded. i will never everrrr go back. and my cousin got a perm also. naturally she has curly hair but it's just got so used to being straightened that it's straight she wanted to get a perm, she wanted spiral curls, veryyy curly, and she had straight hair when we left. they went through the whole process and her hair was completely friend and someeee parts had a wave, the stylist didn't even comb through her hair after it was washed, and she left the solution on too long because she has thin hair. and afterwards the teachers said it turned out that way because she had box dye on her hair, we told them before they even started! and i had box dye on mine also and i have crazy curly hair. and we also wanted like totally different styles but did the exact same perm on us both, we both had purple rollers, but she wanted super curly and i wanted a wave. and all the did for my cousin is give her a free $12 deep conditioning treatment because her hair was falling out! my cousins perm was mroe than just a bad perm, they ruined our hair! i've spent more money trying to fix my hair than i did on perming it. and i didn't anticipate super curly hair so i honestly don't even know how to make it look decent, like i look like a drowned poodle.. i honestly blame it on the teachers, like the students were just doing what the teachers told them to do. and i went the the regency in elgin, right next to lowes.

I'm currently attending school have 1100 hours in and definatly wish I would have looked at other schools and options. All they care about is money! I was not told untill I was about halfway through that there are overtime charges, and I'm at 75% attendence and if I drop down to like 70% in the time I have left ill be paying an extra $2000 approximatly. It is IMPOSSIBLE to keep 90% attenedence when your part time and there for nearly 2 years, which the ey expect you to stay above to pay no additional charges and be a "star" student. And they have this rediculous 2 a month late pass rule, and if you use them up you just can't go to school. And they are suppose to be worried about attendence?oh and I've been there a year, 1 same instructor. They go through them like flies. And most of them can't teach properly. Sure people can be amazing at doing things, but not everyone has what it it takes to teach. VERY DISAPPOINTED ESPECIALLY WHEN PAYING TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!

I made an appointment in the morning for a French pedicure for the late afternoon. I had to make arrangements for a babysitter, and it was one of the few times I could get out for some R&R time. When I got there, they had me soak my feet. Then, a manager tells me that they do not have white polish and cannot do a French pedicure. The worker told me to go next door to the nail salon and get my pedicure done there. I ask to talk to a manager higher up, and an elderly larger woman named Chris comes and says I need to pay or she is calling the police. I say, "Oh, okay, so you are going to call the police because you soaked my feet and I won't pay?" They didn't even touch my nails, and the instructor should be smart enough to know that you don't soak feet after they are painted! She was unprofessional and rude, and to be honest, I have been there a few times, and every time it takes 2-3 hours to do what a professional salon can do in a half an hour. I am NEVER GOING THERE AGAIN!

Campus Manager Sandra Hartman total incompetant idiot. She is the joke of the school.
Instructor Rachel= Cannot teach, nor motivate, falls asleep in class and gossips about her fellow teachers and bad mouths everyone behind their backs. She is an evil, evil person.
Instructor Kathy=Jealous, hating, back biting cant make it in the real world loser.
Instructor Yoli=what can I say, all washed up and a jealous old bag.
Instructor Bea=CLUELESS !
DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL. I CHANGED SCHOOLS AND I AM SO HAPPY. THEY ARE TOTAL IDIOTS ! WE COMPLAINED TO CORPORATE AND THEY DID NOTHING. LEE STORMO DISTRICT MANAGER DID NOT LISTEN TO US STUDENTS. YOU FAILED US LEE..NOW WE ARE ENROLLING IN THE NEW SCHOOL IN TUCSON...

My daughter is going to school at Regency in South Bend Indiana. We thought this school was wonderful they SEEMED very eager and helpful to help out my daughter. But when she started going there ONLY one teacher there is helpful to the students .The other teachers have their favorites and when the walk-ins come in they get them they are not evenly distribute towards ALL the students now $10, 000.00 later she still need to be there because she doesn’t have all her marks BUT the students that are the favorite floor manager (who gives the students the walk-ins) get to graduate ON TIME funny how that works so she is so close to graduating and now $260. A week to be there longer is just crazy the educators need to know without your students you have no job there. I will never recommend anyone to go here in South Bend Regency