This 60+ year old company may provide decent tests but their customer service is a mess. One of our high school students, from Viet Nam, arranged to take to TOEFL-iBT Test to send for college entrance and because she didn't quite understand the way the website worked; she made three appointments for the test on three separate dates. She did not understand that she was commiting to paying for each of the test dates she had made and so she has been charged for each of the tests $170.00($510.00). The penalty for cancellation of two of the test dates is 1/2 the test fee or $170.00 each($340.00).
The consumer is faced with not being able to get their test scores with an outstanding balance. Basically, it is impossible to get the two tests cancelled and get one's money returned because no one has authority to do so when the candidate care number is called(1-800-853-6769). The operators give their names and numbers but they can not do much. They refer you to someone and then the next time you call (because nothing has happened)that person mysteriously vanishes and no one knows where. It is a sort of kidnapping situation where the TOEFL score is held for ransom.
We have been guaranteed that something could be done and the amount of the ransom dropped but, it keeps resurfacing over and over again. There seems to be no one who has the authority to help our student. The amount of money is too much for the student to pay, her parents are very upset and we can not get the information because the people will only deal with the applicant. It seems so unfair to penalize someone who made a mistake not understanding they would be penalized to this extent.
We hold this testing organization out to you for scrutiny. Many others have been through the same problem or others.
Please, check out sites below.
http://ets. pissedconsumer.com/
http://www.consumercomplaints. in/complaints/ets-toefl-ibt-c417301.html
http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_Testing_Service#Criticism
I hope some one will look into this mega-corp that is supposed to be non-profit and that doesn't pay taxes, is based in New Jersey and is stealing people blind.
Thanks,
Joe Silverthorn
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