ComplaintsforAmerican Council on Exercise

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have paid $240 towards my personal training certificate and was scheduled to take the exam on July 5, 2024. On July 5, 2024 at 11:20 am the ******* had technical difficulties and was unable to administer the test. The ******* told me that I would have to contact American Council on Exercise to reschedule to take the exam. I attempted to reschedule on ACE's website but was unable to do so. I get a message that says "ineligible to reschedule" . When I call the ACE customer service phone number the message says no agents are available. I have paid $240 towards the charges for the class and certification testing and I was not allowed to take the test, however it was not due to any fault of mine, the ******* had technical difficulties and was not able to administer the test. I am requesting that ACE allow me to take the certification examination or give me my money back and I will take the course and exam at another institution.

  

  Business response

  07/09/2024

  ACE has corresponded with ****************** and offered resolution in the form of a complimentary reschedule exam, which she has accepted.

• Initial Complaint

  06/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I logged on to take my group exercise instructor test online. No ******* ever showed up. I sent an email - nothing. I hit the online chat button, which the instructions said I could do, and that kicked me out of my test setup, and when I got back on again still no *******! Now I'm out of free test options. *****, taking money and then not having a ******* so I can NOT test! Fabulous ethics, you should read your own chapters of ethics and give me another free test and have a ******* show up. You stole my money and my test. I demand a free online test, with a *******, so I get what I paid for and what you owe me. I did what I was supposed to do, and logged into test and waited. And waited. And waited. And no ******* came to start and open my test. You failed so this is on you to fix. Or give me my $228.00 back that I paid for this class so I can use that money to take a class at a place that isn't a scam.

  

  Business response

  06/21/2024

  We have emailed the customer to better understand the challenges she experienced during her exam and will work with her on a resolution.

  Customer response

  06/22/2024

  I do not have a resolution. All they have to do is give me a test that I paid for and have a ******* show up. I showed up last time and they provided no ******* so I could not test. Then they said I didn't pass the test... which I could not pass because I couldn't take the test due to their failure to have a *******. I am not at fault in this so I need my money back or a free test to actually take, which is what I paid for. It's that simple. They are not doing anything and have stolen my money and time. Refund my money for this training or give me a test. 

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  ACE has corresponded with ********************** and offered resolution in the form of a complimentary reschedule exam. 

  Customer response

  06/28/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed up for ***** course paid in full. I withdrew and paid a $250 fee (got ***** credit). I thought I could do the class again, so I re-registered under the condition that I wasn't paying the $250 fee. I was told to pay the full ***** and they would give me the 250 credit, which I did receive. I was unable to do class, so they charged me a 50% penalty ***** (as per contract) and then took back that 250 credit, so that I paid two penalties - the 250 I was told I would get back if I signed up again plus the ***** cancellation for a total of ***** paid. I am due 250 credit for the first fee that I was told I would be refunded and was a condition to me signing up a second time and paying in full for a second time. I should have paid a total of ***** for the course, but instead paid *****..

  

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  We have emailed the customer to provide clarification regarding the refund, and the customer has confirmed receipt of all funds.

  Customer response

  03/06/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hello. In Dec of 2022, I purchased the Health Coach Advanced Training Program. It should have included 3 Live Skills Assessments. The first ***, my instructor did not show up nor did she cancel with me ahead of time. I believe this triggered the system to believe that the *** that was rescheduled was my second ***. I am now at the point where I need my last *** but the website is asking me to pay $166. I have tried to get a hold of customer service MULTIPLE TIMES over the last few weeks and there has never been a time that anyone on their chat feature is available nor has anyone ever returned my call after leaving voicemails. I finally had to fork up the money to get my session booked so I can move along in this journey since it is the only thing stopping me from submitting my application for the national board exam. Over the year, I have had to call customer service a few times for various reasons and this has always been an issue. It is so hard to get a hold of anyone to resolve an issue so I can move forward with my course. I'm not sure if they have no reps to help but they need to figure this out. My job gives us stipends to take a Health Coach Course and I have been advising my peers to NOT go with ACE. I absolutely regret paying so much money to a company who lacks customer service and is impossible to get a hold of. Order number: WIV2573665

  

  Business response

  12/19/2023

  We have sent an email to the customer, letting her know of the resolution we've taken to address her issue. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I recently passed the ACE Group Fitness Certification exam on 9/5/2023. I paid $285 for the Group Fitness Instructor Basic Study Program, which includes a voucher to sit 1 time for the Group Fitness Instructor CBT Exam. I registered for the exam and passed the exam on 9/5/2023. Despite, saying the certification will be listed in my ACE profile immediately after completion of the exam as demonstrated by the images my certificate is not listed on my portal. I have paid, studied, and passed everything necessary, but ACE has not provided me with proof of my passing and education. I do not know what I am supposed to do and I am deeply disappointed as this certification is essential for working as a Group Fitness Instructor.

  

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  Please connect with our ACE Support team at ***************************************** or ************** to assist you with finding your digital credentials.  Congratulations on passing the exam!  Let's show you how to locate your credential in your customer portal.  Happy to assist you as a newly certified professional!

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I feel aweful about having to file a complaint. I'm sure this must be an oversight. I paid to have a course reviewed by Ace in May. I see where the reviewer signed in, but nothing was every done. The guidelines say if takes 30 days for review and you can pay for an expedited review, which I did. I have been calling and emailing regularly but no one answers. I can provide the amounts paid and the person who emailed initially. I hope this gets resolved amicably. I have worked with Ace in the past and respect their position in the fitness industry.

• Initial Complaint

  02/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Greetings:I am a dance instructor at the **** and needed to get my GFI certificate. I decided to go through ACE and bought the middle priced package that included two practice tests and as well as access to Q&A live sessions.I went through the whole course and attended 3 Q&A sessions. In one session the man who was conducting the session said how important the practice tests were for him to pass the exam. Even when I was getting close to the exam I had a message in my account telling me, "Don't cram, retake practice tests, review notes."I spent hours going through all of my practice tests. Learning exactly what I got wrong and by the time my test day (today) came I was scoring 95% on them. I felt good and confident when I went to take my exam. You can imagine my surprise that the exam had hardly any questions that were on the practice tests. I failed my test by 19 points and I feel completely let down by ACE. I feel that I was set up to fail as oppose to succeed. The retake is $200 which is absolutely ridiculous. The worst part is that I don't know what questions I got wrong so I don't know how to prepare for the retake. When I got questions wrong on the practice test. I would review the questions that I got wrong and learn the information. I am not able to do that with this exam. I have no direction on how/what to study. I was expecting ACE to be better at instructing people in the content they needed to know and how to pass the test. I am beyond upset and feel my time and money was completely wasted. ACE needs to redo the practice tests and help students to know the information they need to know for the exam. There is a lot of content and practice tests that are supposed to be there to help people zero in on what they need to know. I would like ACE to pay for my retake and give me access to a practice test that has more of the questions that are on the exam. Also is there anyway for me to find out what I got wrong so I can learn/study?

  

  Business response

  02/16/2023

  Hello and thank you for providing your feedback. I hope the information below will provide some clarity on testing protocol and give you some insight about how you can continue your studies.

   

  First things first, our certifications are accredited by the ***** This accreditation is what makes our certifications so widely recognized. It is also why our certification exams must be standardized, closed-book, proctored exams. We are unable to release the exam questions following your exam attempt because the integrity of the standardized exam process would be compromised. This process is also why you are unlikely to see the exact same questions on the practice test as you do on the certification exam. You can, however, review a breakdown of your exam score by domain. Understanding how you scored overall in each domain should help you guide your future studies.

  We would be more than happy to help you review your exam score and give you additional tips on how to prepare for your next exam attempt. We also have LIVE Q&A Webinars where you can receive direct study support from ACE Study Coaches. Between our ************* team and our ********************** Study coaches, there are ample resources available to aid you in your exam preparation. I would encourage you to reach out to us directly to move this conversation forward and get you on your way to a successful retake of the exam.

  Customer response

  02/18/2023

  I appreciate the fact that you have responded so quickly, but you have not made this right.

  I spent so much time and money on studying this course and preparing for the exam. My son even complained to me and cried about how I wasnt spending enough time with him. 

  You mentioned the live QnA in your response. I did three of them and I was following the advice of reviewing the practice tests. Again the week leading up to the exam I had a notice in my account telling me to retake the practice tests. It makes no sense whatsoever that the practice tests wouldnt be on the exam or have questions that are related to/close to the exam questions. That is what practice tests are for. ACE charges quite a bit for the tests. They arent cheap. I went with ACE believing that I was going to get the support and help I needed to make it through to the finish line and get my certification. I was completely misled and I feel that ACE is more about getting money for more expensive packages/retake charges/extra practice test than they are about helping their students succeed.

  Since my exam I have spoken to quite a few of my colleagues about what happened. The ones that went through ACE had the same experience and feelings that I had. One even failed by 1 point and has been dumbfounded by how it couldve happened.

  I am not the only one who has these issues and I am sure you have heard similar stories. I know that you want to work with your students. You have a high BBB rating for a reason.

  Again, I am asking ACE to pay for my retake and give me more practice tests that relate to the exam.

  

  Business response

  02/20/2023

  While we understand your disappointment with not having passed your certification exam, it is not ACE's policy to be responsible for the cost of a retake exam. The questions you will see in the certification exam are not just recall/ memory questions, but application-based questions. Furthermore, the Group Fitness Instructor certification exam has a passing rate of 74%, which demonstrates that the study materials provided are sufficient to be successful on the exam. We, of course, cannot guarantee that every exam candidate will pass the exam on their first attempt. Every candidate studies and retains information differently. For this reason, we have created ample study resources to prepare each person for the exam. For some, this may require more than one attempt at the exam. We also provide retake exams at a significantly discounted rate.

  I would encourage you, again, to reach out to our ************************ for more specific tips with preparing for your certification exam. We would be more than happy to help you create a study plan and direct you toward the additional resources available for your studies.

  Customer response

  02/24/2023

  The reason why I am objecting to your response is that I feel you are not taking any responsibility about my experience. You say that you have all sorts of resources and that you can't guarantee that every student will pass their exams. But, I have used your resources,  I followed the advice of the Q&A facilitator and the messages in my account (about how good the practice tests will prepare you). I studied really hard and learned the practice tests backwards and forwards. I don't understand how you can charge so much for practice tests and they don't have questions from the exam. 

  I can't even get a readout of my exam to know what I got right or wrong (which is how I learn) because there is a fear that I (or anyone else) could share the questions with someone who hasn't taken the test. This puts me at a disadvantage since that is how I learn. 

  You have made it clear that you don't waive the fee entirely for the retake exam. But, you haven't responded to me in how to make this right. How about another practice test? How about a better discount on the retake. $200 for an exam is robbery. I was barely able to scrape enough money for the course and the first exam. And as I mentioned to you before, I am not the only one who feels this way. I have talked to many people who have gone through ACE and other companies and the ones who have gone through ACE have the same feelings as I do. Whereas the other people I talked to who used another company felt better prepared. Something is amiss here and I would hope that you would work with me and not just tell me again to use your resources. 

  I know you would want me to succeed. I would hope a better discount on the retake (again why are the tests so expensive) and another practice test would be offered to me. 

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  08/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been having numerous problems with ACE's online system. First of all, they advertise that you have 6 months to complete the program but can schedule out your test past the 6-month period. Their system only allows for scheduling two weeks past the 6 month period which is utterly ridiculous. In addition, I am experiencing incessant problems with their online module. I want a full refund. I am no longer interested in certifying. It is impossible to study for the program and they falsely advertised that the test can be taken anytime following the 6-month period.

  

  Business response

  08/08/2022

  Hello *********,

  Our certification study programs include an exam voucher with a 6 month expiration date. There are registration options available that will allow you to take your exam as late as another 6 months after that voucher expiration date. As for the issues you are experiencing with the online study program, we have a team available to assist you with any technical issues you may experience between 5am and 4pm PST every Monday-Friday. We will reach out directly with further details on both matters.

• Initial Complaint

  01/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Five different times I have been locked out of the Etext platform with " Login failed because the number of devices that this subscription login has been used on has been exceeded" I ONLY USE MY PERSONAL LAPTOP TO LOGIN TO THE PLATFORM!!! I have explained this in no less than five emails to the "support team" and asked what I can do to prevent this from happening in the future. I GET NO RESPONSE!! I paid for the ebook and I keep getting locked out from it with no solutions from the "support team". This representative ******** has been VERY unhelpful in resolving my issues. I'm not getting the product I paid for (ebook/e- study plan), I know i'm 30 days past the refund date but this is ridiculous and I feel cheated by this company!! This experience has really put me off from taking any of their courses in the future.

  

  Business response

  01/31/2022

  We have reached out to ***************************** via email to explain how the eBooks work and which setting on their personal device is leading to the device limit error. By following the steps in the email correspondence, this issues can be resolved quickly.

*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. ↩