Complaints

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:09/27/2023

  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.

  April 5th 2023 $255.50 May 12th 2023 $255.50 June 8th 2023 $255.50 July 8th 2023 $255.50 September 7th 2023 $15 September 15th 2023 $30 Learn to Transcribe Academy is ran by ***** ****** originally sold me on learning legal transcription with a paid apprenticeship all for the price of four payments of $255.50, totaling $1022. After working further into the course, there were many errors throughout and conflicting teachings. Months in, ***** says she is now adding fees for test retakes ($15, $30), NOT published or stated anywhere prior to this. She says you can be a transcriptionist at 50 wpm, but times the test is timed at 90 minutes and I could not finish in time. I tried twice. Had no time to edit. Not to mention the first test had questions that were the opposite of what she taught us. She also changed the website to include fees after I raised concerns about the deceptiveness of it. She has also since deleted the first test altogether. She will also be rude and condescending when you ask about an error she made or seek clarification. Then she takes to the Facebook Student Group to bully you, going to far as to post a "anonymously* written email to her calling me an "entitled brat." I am seeking a refund due to these hidden fees added into the course after I signed up, deceptive test questions that are seemingly made to have you fail so you pay to retake them, and overall poor coursework that has conflicting teachings. And her now adding in that you only get three retakes before being removed from the course. I would have NEVER signed up if I knew I could easily be removed if I had to take the test multiple times. Not everyone tests well. I would now be on my second retake if I chose to move forward. I have attached what her website looked like originally, there were no further documents upon signing up, what her site has changed to after I brought up the issue, etc. I have plenty more screenshots and video if needed to strengthen my claim. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/27/2023

  It does look like ***** refunded me for one of the retake fees. I did not see this, as I didn't get a notification. So, minus $15 from the refund I'm asking. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/02/2023

  Further information I have added to my claim include one of the biggest selling points of the course for me, that it would get me ready for an AAERT Certification. *****, so I have learned, is not even a certificate holder herself. So how can she possible help us to get ready for the exam? A few little notes about the AAERT scattered in places and one page at the tail end of the course with info that you could easily find on the AAERT site yourself. Claiming to get us prepared for the certification with this course, while teaching her own "rules" is obviously a false claim and misleading to her students. I would have never signed up for this course if it didn't get me ready for being certified, as it is very important for legal transcriptionists to do so. 

  Also, multiple times throughout this course it is advertised as self paced. She even made a post about someone who finished the course in 6 weeks. Then as people are going through quickly, she gets angry and lashes out, telling us not to rush through. If it is advertised as self paced, it shouldn't matter how fast we go through. Plus, when you finally get to the part at the end of the course where you have to turn in files, she takes days to get back to you. Sometimes even weeks. This was so incredibly frustrating, and again, not what I was promised when I signed up. ***** needs to stop accepting students if she cannot handle to work load of the ones she already has enrolled. 

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2023

                  Learn to Transcribe Academy's legal transcription course was priced at $997 for a long time and included a four-month payment plan of $255.50.  The price was increased to $1497 on April 15, 2023, after $500 worth of new content and services were added.  The price increase was well advertised.
  
                  ***** ***** (a/k/a ***** *****) registered as a student at our Academy and purchased the course on April 5, 2023, which was 10 days before the advertised price increase.  So she received the full course plus all the extra content and services at no extra charge to her.  She signed up on the four-month plan, and her credit card went through the automated system for both April and May 2023 payments.
  
                   Located immediately under the "Buy Now" on the sales page to purchase is, and has always been, the clear language for everyone to see and read, with links attached:  "By completing this purchase, you agree to Learn to Transcribe Academy's Terms of Use & Privacy Policy, and Teachable's Terms of Use & Privacy Policy."

                    Learn to Transcribe Academy's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy are also clearly visible to the general public and are linked on the bottom right side of the sales page of this course.  (PDF of Terms of Use attached)  (PDF of Privacy Policy attached)
  
                  On June 4, 2023, ***** *****'s credit card declined for her June payment.  She wanted to continue in the course, so she was able to get the June payment to eventually go through.  Again, on July 4, 2023, her credit card declined for her July payment.  Again, she wanted to continue in the course, so she was able to get the July payment to eventually go through.  Students on payment plans must pay as they go in order to progress through the course, and this sometimes can cause delays in practice files of a few days due to their own payment issues.
  
                  ***** ***** received numerous downloads to keep as part of her student study notebook. Her  numerous practice files were turned in, proofed, returned, back and forth, as is our normal procedure.  She continued to full conclusion of the entire training program and was never advised that she had "failed" her second attempt at the final examination.  In fact, she has graduated from the course. (PDF attached of Certificate of Completion)
  
                  After receiving her Certificate of Completion, she was also offered a referral to a paid apprenticeship with one of our best network partners that definitely had verified openings for new apprentices from our training program.  (PDF attached of apprenticeship referral)
  
                  Therefore, ***** ***** received everything owed to her plus more added content and services after she enrolled.  This is digital education, not a returnable product.  She has no standing to receive a refund since the course clearly does not offer refunds nor chargebacks.
  
                   We recently realized that ***** ***** has removed us from her online shared student folder containing our proprietary practice file material, thus preventing us access to the folder, preventing us from deleting the material, and allowing her to keep the material.  We request that all material included within her practice file folder be destroyed, not disseminated, nor violate any of the Terms of Use agreement.
  
                  Despite asking for a remedy with the Better Business Bureau of a refund, ***** ***** also turned in a complaint to her credit card company and received the $255.50 paid in June 2023.  In addition, ***** ***** also turned in a complaint to her credit card company and received the $255.50 paid in July 2023.  We were also charged a $15 chargeback fee on each transaction.  Both chargebacks have been disputed by Learn to Transcribe Academy and may take up to 60 days for a resolution.  (See attached email covering both chargebacks)
  
                  As to the complaints about testing fees, under our Terms of Use, we have every right to increase pricing, add fees, decrease fees, require a certain number of tests, or whatever we deem appropriate for the education and success of our students.
  
                  Our Terms of Use also clearly state that we may revise these Terms of Use at any time without notice.  And that by using our website, the student is agreeing to be bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit the Terms of Use page.
  
                  As to my qualifications to teach students how to properly transcribe litigation files, I am clearly qualified to teach this course through my state board license and certification.  Further proof as to credentials is included as an attachment.  (See PDF from AAERT attached)
  
                  Learn to Transcribe does not claim and never has claimed that our legal transcription course is specific training to pass the CET examination at AAERT.  AAERT has their own training material related to the CET examination, explained within our course.  Our legal transcription training course is foundational education which puts students on a good pathway toward applying through the AAERT to sit for examinations, if desired.
  
                  Learn to Transcribe is not responsible for what third parties nor anyone on social media or otherwise says about our training.  (See Terms of Use)
  
                  Additionally, all retake fees paid by ***** ***** have been voluntarily and fully refunded to her as well as every other student who paid retake fees.  We have discontinued one of our exams, discontinued retake fees, and discontinued rescheduling fees in an effort to go over and above accommodation to our students.   
  
                  ***** ***** and I always had a friendly exchange in emails.  However, for some completely unknown reason, ***** ***** went into a rage against me and has posted false and defamatory comments toward me personally as well as my training program.  I honestly have no idea why since I have not wronged her in any way whatsoever.
  
                  With ***** ***** constantly adding new complaints, I am attempting to address as many as possible herein.  Learn to Transcribe requests our own remedy (if allowed to request through BBB) for ***** ***** to remove any and all online defamatory posts and/or comments regarding Learn to Transcribe Academy, our legal transcription training course, me personally, and not post any new ones.  Further, that she cease and desist stalking me online on all platforms, leaving derogatory comments under fake names.  (PDF of Trustpilot review attached)
  
                  My door has always remained open for friendly communication, and she never once contacted me to discuss any issues she perceived.  Instead, she exploded into full meltdown mode toward me and another lady, ***** *******, who merely brings awareness to the legal transcription profession, talks about her own experience, and helps steer students to my courses if they are interested.  (See attached PDF letter from ***** *******)
  
                 Nobody is forced to purchase anything, but ***** ***** liked the training so well that she made extra efforts to stay enrolled by getting her credit card to go through for June and July 2023.  If she was so dissatisfied, she could have stopped making payments and been automatically disenrolled for nonpayment.
  
                  Her conduct on social media sites, including our own student group (now dismantled due to ***** *****'s conduct in upsetting so many students), has been outrageous and feels designed to attempt to alienate current and/or prospective businesses from partnering with our academy and accepting our graduates as paid apprentices, which could harm other students' opportunities for paid apprenticeships.
  
                  ***** ***** has graduated from our program and received everything owed to her, including voluntary refunds of testing retake fees.  I will close by saying that Learn to Transcribe does not owe ***** ***** a refund, and we respectfully request that a refund be denied.
   
                  We also respectfully ask that the complaints filed by ***** ***** be resolved in favor of Learn to Transcribe Academy and that her complaints be dismissed and not made public.
  
                   A zipped folder containing 8 documents is attached in support of our response to ***** *****'s complaint against Learn to Transcribe Academy.
   
  ***** ******, CCR
  Learn to Transcribe Academy
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2023

  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.

  On April 14, 2023, I signed up for a legal transcription course with a paid apprenticeship on the Learn to Transcribe Website. I paid the teacher $1,101.69 upfront and in total. When I signed up, this course was promoted on the Learn to Transcribe website, as well as their social media, as a self-paced course that only takes between 60 to 120 days to complete, with a guaranteed apprenticeship and referral to any other legal transcription job we apply to upon completion of the course. The nature of my dispute is that the merchant is charging fees that were not disclosed from the very beginning, she was not honest about the course being self-paced, and she is now changing her guarantee of a paid apprenticeship with a referral to any other company now to a possible referral to an apprenticeship. I do not believe the merchant has followed through with their end of the bargain and I feel I was scammed and want a refund. I have had to wait up to 3 weeks to get homework back and we are not allowed to continue on in the course until she gives us back each homework. If we do, she has threatened to unenroll us. I have been in this course for almost 6 months now when I thought I would have already been in an apprenticeship, as I do the course full-time. Once I got to the testing portions it said that there are now retake fees of $15 for the multiple choice test and $30 for the Skills test. She recently added those fees, I paid them the first few times but her system would "malfunction " and I would still have to pay so I stopped. Many students addressed these issues with her and she changed her website but we are still required to adhere to the new rules. I've emailed directly but she hasn't responded to me yet. She hasn't tried to resolve the issue, she just made a post saying her website has always been that way even though I have proof that she recently changed it. I also have proof of a post of many students commenting&sharing similar experiences I can share if needed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/27/2023

  Hello, 

  I know that in the confirmation email I received from you guys it was stated to inform you if there are any more correspondence between myself and the business. This afternoon they emailed me and I responded. We still have not found a resolution, but I just wanted to share pictures of the emails, as you guys asked to be updated and informed. Please let me know if there is anything else that I can do, and I will send more updates if I get another email from the business. Thank you for your time.

  Best Regards,

  ******* ****** ****** 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/29/2023

  Hello, 

  I wanted to add something to my claim for the agent that is over it. Before filing my claim with the BBB, I took a screenshot of the last time I logged in to the course just in case the teacher decided to change anything. I never got further than the skills test because I refused to pay anymore retake fees, and we are not allowed to continue until we pass each section. The first two photos reflect where I was at in the course. I still had over 15 modules to complete, including finishing the skills test. When I logged in this morning I saw that the business changed the course again and now I only have one section before I am completed and have a certificate and one section for graduates. It also says I finished the test portion. I never finished the test portion. I am sending you this proof because I do not want it to seem like I completely finished the course and now I’m asking for a refund. That is not the case at all and the photos will show that I still had a lot more to complete before she changed it. You will notice that there were many modules after the skills test originally. I don’t know if this matters but I just wanted to send it just in case it does. Thank you for your time. Have a great day!

  Best Regards,

  ******* ****** ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/30/2023

  Hello, 

  The business contacted me again and I responded so I am just showing pictures of their email and my response to keep you guys updated. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Have a good day.

  Best Regards,

  **** ****** ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/03/2023

  Hello, I noticed that this was a file I meant to send originally but I guess I must have missed. It is a document showing how the teacher of this course would advertise that she would prepare us for the AAERT certification but failed to do so. In addition, she herself was unable to hold a current certification with the AAERT so how can she fulfill her advertisement to prepare us for it? She also referenced this in her course but that has since been deleted. Here is the proof that I did manage to get before she erased it off her website, along with an email from the AAERT stating that she does not hold a certification with them. Due to this email, it is my claim, once again, that the teacher of Learn to Transcribe has consistently failed to follow through with what she has advertised.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/07/2023

  Hello, 

  Yesterday I attempted to log into my account with Learn to Transcribe. I do this every so often to see if she has kicked me out yet. Yesterday when attempting to log in the website informed me that I no longer have an account. The teacher stated on her website when I signed up, as well as still today, that students will always have access to the course as long as the website is still up. If the teacher chooses to give me a refund for the course then I would understand her locking me out but I believe this is important to my claim because she hasn’t fulfilled her advertising, once again. It is not fair for her to keep my money and still kick me out. She can see my activity so she would know if I was doing anything but I literally just log in to ensure my account is still active until this is resolved. Thank you for your time.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/07/2023

  Hello, 

  This photo attached is pictured proof that I meant to attach with the previous message regarding the teacher locking me out of the course, despite her advertising that students will always have access. If she refunds me for the course then she has every right to lock me out but she has yet to do that. For some reason the photo wouldn’t attach previously so I am sending it in a separate message. My apologies. Thank you for your time.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/26/2023

  RESPONSE:  This is a response to the complaint filed by ******* ****** ****** against Learn to Transcribe Academy (********).  With so many pieces, parts, repetitious images and screenshots, and seemingly no end to her continuous filing of addenda to her complaint, it has been incredibly difficult to respond to everything alleged without knowing when she would finally finish sending in items.  I will attempt to answer all issues and hope that nothing is inadvertently omitted.  If so, I would like the opportunity to amend.
  
  ENROLLMENT:  ******* ****** ****** registered as a student at Learn to Transcribe Academy and purchased our legal transcription training course on April 13, 2023, at 8:08 p.m.  $997 was paid to the Teachable platform which houses our courses, not to the teacher.  $104.69 was added as her own mandatory state sales tax, automatically remitted by Teachable to her state.  The total she paid was $1,101.69.
  
  TRAINING PRICE:  The price of this training was $997 until April 15, 2023, when $500 worth of new content was added, and this price increase was well advertised.  Therefore, this student enrolled two days before the price increase and received for no extra charge the $500 worth of new content, the same as all others enrolling before April 15, 2023.
  
  TERMS OF USE AGREEMENT:  Located immediately under the "Buy Now" on the sales page to purchase is, and has always been, the clear language for everyone to see and read, with links attached:  "By completing this purchase, you agree to Learn to Transcribe Academy's Terms of Use & Privacy Policy, and Teachable's Terms of Use & Privacy Policy."  Learn to Transcribe Academy's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy are also clearly visible to the general public and are linked on the bottom right side of the sales page of this course.  (PDF of Terms of Use attached)  (PDF of Privacy Policy attached)
  
  REVISIONS WITHOUT NOTICE:  Our Terms of Use also clearly state that we may revise these Terms of Use at any time without notice.  And that by using our website, the student is agreeing to be bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit the Terms of Use page.
  
  ADDITIONAL FEES:  Testing fees are included in the tuition, but at some point in the past, we exercised our right under the Terms of Use to require retake fees for examinations, with no blowback at all until later brought to our attention that some students were unhappy about having to pay retake fees if they failed the examinations.  In an effort to be as generous as possible to students, we rethought the process, eliminated retake and reschedule fees, and even went a step further and completely eliminated one of the exams.  All retake fees paid by every student were voluntarily and fully refunded, including $15 to ******* ****** ****** on 9/27/23 and $30 to ******* ****** ****** on 9/28/23.  There was never any sort of "malfunction" of our site.
  
  THIRD PARTIES:  We never had any conversation with this student prior to enrollment.  Learn to Transcribe is not responsible for what ******* ****** ****** might have thought, believed, surmised, heard through the grapevine, or was told by a third party.  Learn to Transcribe is not responsible for what third parties nor anyone on social media or otherwise says about our training.  (See Terms of Use)
  
  TIME TO COMPLETE:  Prior to the new content being added, the average length of time to complete the course was around three months, give or take, for some students and a bit longer for others without as much free time to devote to study.  After all the new content was added, the time to complete the course obviously did increase because there was more work to do within the course.  It is impossible to predict how long it will take any given person to complete this course.  This is online education with self-paced lectures and numerous downloads.  This means we do not see the students as they are studying, and students can jump into the training at their own schedule 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as desired.
  
  SELF-PACED LECTURES:  The lectures are self-paced, which allows students to move through on their own at their own pace and as their own personal schedule permits.  When the student reaches the practice files, those are also self-paced, which allows students to work on their files on their own schedule.  Practice files submitted are handled by a live person, not automated, and require much more time than the lectures demonstrating various things.
  
  TIMELINESS:  A review of our files indicates that this student had trouble getting Dropbox set up and spent approximately eight days to get it straightened out (5-15-23 to 5-23-23).  This student finally did get her Dropbox master folder set up and shared it with us.  However, we recently discovered that she has removed our access to her master folder containing our proprietary files, which is a violation of the Terms of Use.  (See Terms of Use)   Additionally, we see no indication of files taking three weeks to be returned. 
  
  TEACHING QUALIFICATIONS:  I am clearly qualified to teach this course.  (PDF from AAERT attached)
  
  PATHWAY TO CET:  Learn to Transcribe Academy does not claim, and never has claimed, that our legal transcription course is specific training to pass the CET examination at AAERT.  AAERT has their own training material, explained in the legal transcription course.  Our legal transcription training course is foundational education which puts students on a good pathway toward applying through AAERT to sit for the CET examinations in the future, if desired.
  
  CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION:  Graduates receive a Certificate of Completion, and this student was sent hers dated 9/29/23.  (See attached PDF of Certificate)
  
  LEARN AND EARN:  There is a post-graduation piece to this course reserved for graduates.  These are 15 lectures formerly included in the transcription course.  However, we had several students actually gaining access to the post-graduation lectures.  To prevent this, we moved that final section of the legal transcription course into a separate course called "Learn and Earn."  All of the content remained the same.  Abigail Malipi Hamlin was sent a link to enroll in that Learn and Earn course.  (See email attachment)
  
  U.S. APPRENTICESHIPS:  As to the apparent misunderstanding on ******* ****** ******'s part about U.S. apprenticeships, we do not do job placements.  We do not use the word "guaranteed" when referring to U.S. apprenticeships.  We do not hire apprentices at our company.  We do not have a transcription company.  We do not refer anyone to a transcription entity that is not a vetted network partner with us and has a current opening to receive new apprentices.
  
  This is training with a paid apprenticeship attached.  Our students are well trained and are ready to enter into an apprenticeship right out of the graduation gate.  They are referred to employers that network with our academy.  This arrangement provides a bridge between those with zero legal transcription experience and vetted employers that network with our academy.  No company is forced to hire anyone.  No graduate is forced to accept an apprenticeship with any particular company.  This is an introduction between two parties.  We are very grateful to those employers willing to accept our graduates as apprentices since many employers will not hire legal transcriptionists with zero paid experience.
  
  VARIOUS U.S. COMPANY POLICIES:  Every employer's policies are different, with no two alike.
  •             Some entities hire apprentices just on our referral only.
  •             Some require a resume, Certificate of Completion, and a screenshot of online typing test results.
  •             Some require a spelling, grammar, or punctuation test.
  •             Some require that a few pages of provided audio be transcribed and returned.
  •             Some require a background check if their work is highly sensitive or extremely confidential.
  •             Some require a signed confidentiality form.
  •             Some require a signed apprenticeship contract.
  •             Some require an interview through phone, Zoom, Teams, etc.
  •             Other terms and conditions might apply to various entities.
  •             We respect and defer to the policies and procedures of each employer.
  •             We do not receive a referral fee for sending any graduate to any entity.
  
  REFUSE ACCESS:  In our Terms of Use, we have the right to refuse access to the site to anyone in our sole discretion.  In addition to preventing us access to our own proprietary files, this graduate posted public accusations against the instructor and against the course content.  We have treated ******* ****** ****** with respect.  This graduate had access to the Learn and Earn piece and did not choose to enroll in that course.  (See attached social media postings)
  
  NO REFUNDS OR CHARGEBACKS:  Each student agrees to our Terms of Use when they enroll and pay, as this student did.  One of our policies is no refunds and no chargebacks, clearly stated on the website and in the Terms of Use.  (See Terms of Use)
  Despite that, this student initiated a chargeback with her credit card and received a chargeback on her card of the full price paid and for which we were charged a fee of $15 for the chargeback.  We have disputed the chargeback, which could take up to 60 days for a resolution.  (See attached email covering chargeback dispute)
  
  CONCLUSION:  ******* ****** ****** has received everything owed to her.  This is digital education, not a returnable product.  This student consumed the course material, took her final exam and passed on the second try.  This means she has graduated from the course, yet she received a chargeback of her full tuition and also wants a full refund, which we dispute both.  We request a resolution in our favor and a full dismissal of her complaints against us.  Thank you for your consideration.
  
  Seven files (zipped) are attached in support of this response to complaint from ******* ****** ****** against Learn to Transcribe Academy.
  
  ***** ******, CCR
  Learn to Transcribe Academy