U.S. Career Institute [USCI] review: charging me for something I never had 21

hmmmm.

You should call again to try to make a resolution. I worked in collections for years and you will only hurt yourself by not trying to figure out why you owe the money. There is prolly a very simple explanation but bottom line is this will not go away unless you try to resolve it. Sounds to me like u.s. career is making a reasonable attempt to help resolve. It's nice they offered to let you put the money towards another course. I say call again to find out why you owe the money and see what your options are.

Keep in mind the $150 could end up costing you more in fees and higher or additional interest when you try to get other loans. i.e. car, furniture, credit card.

On a moral level, if you owe the money pay it if not don't. BUT you can't reach a decision until you have all the facts and according to your statement above you need to get all the facts before making your final decision on payment.

P.S. Let us know what you find out. . .

Sorry for your situation. I've been enjoyng my course and am almost finished, no complaints. Seems like a communication breakdown. I know from my experience with them, they are not ones to make first contact. Best of luck.

I signed up for one of their courses a few years ago as well. When i decided it wasnt for me I called them and withdrew my self. Upon wihdrawl I was told that I would still owe $158 and was supposed t make my normal payments untill the balance was paid. I agreed and continued to make payments as agreed untill I only owed $40 and some change. I was out of work for 3 months on maternity leave so I forgot to make that last payment. Next thing I know They send me a bill for $578! I called them and the man I spoke to sent me to talk to a woman who sent me to speak wih someone else, who just sent me back to the man I spoke to in th first place! No one had an answe for me and I just kept getting therun around! To this day they still send me that bill and to this day I rip it up and toss it in the trash!

It's all about the contract. I don't have what you signed in front of me but you do right?

What's that ? You don't have a copy of what you signed? You don't have the names of the people you talked with? Shame on you! That's covered in "Contracts 101"- ALWAYS READ WHAT YOU SIGN. For that matter keep a copy. If you have grounds to contest the bill it will be in that document not in some anonymous internet forum.

I am having a diffficult time comprehending how an accredited and established school like U.S. Career would fabricate a claim that you owe them money. Again, this comes down to the contract that you willingly signed. (I presume they did not force you to sign that document but then again :-)

Newsflash - you are hurting yourself by not seeking resolution. By not paying a bill you owe you compromise your ability to get a new car, a better house, a cell phone or any other number of items that you may want someday. Those items often require good credit and you are apparently sinking yours.

But then again what do you care . . . you've proved your point. You stuck it to the company right? WRONG - they prolly sold your debt or wrote it off as bad long ago. In fact that loss is actually a tax savings for them. You hurt only yourself.

Give it a second thought - now instead of later. Problems do not improve with age so do the hard thing now and get it over with while it's still managable.

Wow, you are a really rude person. The aurthor didn't say tthey were forced to sign a contract, nor did they say they didn't owe them money. They said they only owed $40.
To the author, I would say get your paperwork together that shows you made all of your payments timely except the last one and present your proof to the company. The bill is probably just an error, as even an "accredited and established school like U.S. Career" makes them, regardless of what the rude poster is telling himself!

Good luck!

Facts are facts - The poster clearly agreed to some sort of an arrangement which I'm confident would be substantiated by a written agreement of some sort ( think little check box you clicked on when you signed up for this forum - did you read ALL the terms?)

The fact remains we don't know what the poster agreed to because they have not clearly stated and may not even know what they agreed to.

Moral of the story is this - ALWAYS READ WHAT YOU SIGN AND KEEP A COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS. IF YOU AGREE TO SOMETHING BY PHONE KEEP WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF DATES TIMES AND NAMES.

I'm not taking sides. Everyone needs to chill. The author was just describing their situation with the school. I would be upset too if I was told I only owed $40 more then I get a bill for $500. I'm currently taking a course with that school and I love it so far. I've had no complaints.

DO NOT ATTEND THIS SCHOOL! I followed the requirements of the school that stated I needed to submit a medical letter along with a personal letter stating that after I signed the contract I became disabled. There is no way I can use the schools materials or continue the program due to my disability and I showed valid proof of this via medial letters (As per the schools requirements). I cannot use the foot pedal nor the program online and they do not have any other alternatives for students with my disability. The school not only refuses to issue me a refund but they refused to cancel my contract instead they claimed they are only able to *waive* further fee's. I believe that their failure to provide services for handicapped students violates their own contract and enables me to receive a full refund.

I have medical letters and already issued a BBB Complaint against the company. The next step is for me to obtain legal representation.

I just I signed up today and paid the full tuition fee to receive a discount. They said it should arrive by Fed-EX in 5-7 days and I need to read, sign and return the enrollment form upon receipt of the package. I am hoping all goes smoothly and will keep posted.

Don't waiste ur money. I've complited their course and paid complete amone over 3 years . I've been looking and appling for jobs since then. No one wants an online complition of school, no one wants to hire an unknown intstitution. and another thing that got me mad is that they send you those $5 cupons for doing good job which u can collect and at the end of course and paying they send u a check for your own spendings. well i collected six of them wich is
$30 and ofcourse i've sent those in times passes nothing... so i call them and they tell me well... your work wasn' on time, you didn't get good grades...etc.. wtf? i recieved those for good grades thats what it says on the freaken' cupon. oh welll...my opinion its a big scam. well the program seem so reall real test, real work... but honestly no one wants to hire a us career institute student... Don't waste ur money go to a real school... Please please please learn from my mistake don't make same one!

You can't take an online course expecting to get a job as soon as YOU want...just like the person going to a University may not get a job ASAP...its the way the economy is right now. Depends where you live etc...so don't blame it on the "on-line" schooling.

I am working Full-Time in a dangerous job and have been taking The medical Billing & Claims Specialist Course as a way out. I have been talking to people in Clinics and Hospitals in a larger town and they are ready to hire me as soon as I have completed the Course. If you can't get a job after completing the Course it might be because YOU are the problem! Change YOU and then apply again! If you're interested, I know of a job opening coming open early Spring 2011, pays about 50, 000 a year! US Career Institute makes it easy to pay for the Course with unbelievable payment options! There is no reason a person can't find their way "OUT OF" or "INTO" a new Career. The Course is tough so maybe these people are just too overwhelmed and/or lazy to motivate themselves!

I have been considering their dental assisting program, I have three schools that offer the program where I live but they cost way too much. Since there really is not any formal training needed for this program i figured I could self learn through u.s. Career institute. Any thoughts on this?

My daughter is a junior in a private college and working at MacDonalds. Her college advisor suggested that since she was going to be a pharmacist she might be interested in this school's pharmacy tech program as it is accredited and it would allow her to obtain a better job in her field of interest while she completed her college courses. She is doing well and loving every minute of it. We have had no problems at all with them. In fact we are so impressed with the school that I recently signed up for the wedding/event planner course of study as a second career - I was a computer analyst for 30 years before retiring recently. I am enjoying my course work ever so much and am looking forward to starting my new career!

I started the accounting course a few months ago and have not had any problems. The feedback from the school has been positive. Now as for the people who are haveing torple finding a job. It is very well might be the economy, or you suck at interviewing. I checked with our personnel depatment before I started USCI and as long as the school is accredited
their should not be a problem. Before you start any school on-line or not, you need to make sure it is what you want to do. In the city I live in we have a good community college but going to school 3 times a week was not for me. Befor I signed on with USCI, I looked all over the internet to find a school that fit my needs; USCI fit me and my schedule.

@kdavidk, do you always need to be such an ###? Why do your comments need to be so snide? We all know you are superior to everyone else in every way, but do you really need to come off with this uber holy attitude? And please enlighten all us ###s, WHY do you need to be such a pompous ###? What psychologically ego bruising event happened in your life that lead to your desire to help others with your high and mighty counsel? Do you really care about these people's dilemmas, or is this just a means for you to vent on others with thoughtless verbal spankings? Please, do tell. As of this time, you have posted four comments, and all of them stink of a fecal-free-for-all. If you bother to answer - which I'm sure you will - please try hard not to be such a steaming ###. Can you do that?
No, I didn't think so.

I am currently unemployed and looking to resume my education, after working 12 years in water and wastewater plant operations. Noticeably, I have read both positive and negative reviews on US Career Institute. I was going to attend Everest University online, honestly it way too expensive, and I read too many bad reviews. I got spooked, and followed my instinct to withdraw. I did not even attend one class. Frankly I am interested in the Accounting specialist or AS degree program. I have 66 hours from a junior college, but want to be employable as soon as possible. Is this a credible institution?

kdavidk, I agree with all your posts which boils down to CYA. Even people who have your best interests in mind, also have their own agenda. If you don't look after yourself, noone else will. Et cetera.

DBC, at least he was talking about the complaint.

lianaism, maybe your employment trouble is your inability or refusal to use correct English, rather than your certificate from an "unknown" school, which US Career Institute definitely isn't. One of my kids attending a 70 hour dental assistant program with a local very small "school" (actually a dentist who trains 6 assistants every 2 months) and got a great job within a month.

I have been looking around at online schools for Wedding Consultant also and while this school is about midrange for tuition, they do seem to have the most comprehensive course for the money. Think I'll go for it.

I am looking into this school because I was a welder for 6 years and had to quit because of physical problems. I have been looking for something that is a legitimate program for stay at home jobs. I have been reading the reviews and most seem positive, but there is the negative. I believe there always will be the negative because you will have problems with any system that you come across. You will also have the people that blow things out of proportion or are just naturally negative. I have requested information on their medical coding/billing programs. I am hoping for a positive experience.

I'm thinking about taking the AA Accounting course. I have been looking around for sometime for a, at home course. Can someone that has taken the course tell me what they think. Is it a waste of money? Will I have anyone problem finding a job.

It seems like the only people whom had a issue with usci is the ones who decided to opt out after making payments. Just like a clothing store, shoe store, and/or electronic store, you always have a delay in getting refunded. They always waste time prolonging you wit a reason to keep the bill and not opt out. Its life Make sure you want the course you chosen