ComplaintsforThe CE Shop, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a pre licensing course from the CE Shop and despite scoring 100% in all their catagories I failed the exam by 2% twice. After the second fail, I messaged and called several times over a month ago on where to locate in their curriculum info regarding 1-4 unit dwellings & 5+. I received a scathing email from ***************** accusing me of giving them the EXACT question which is illegal. I couldnt remember the EXACT question and was asking SEVERAL times where to locate the information. Shes REFUSING to give me any direction and theres is NOTHING I can locate in their curriculum.

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  Thank you for contacting The CE Shop, we are committed to student satisfaction. A member of our curriculum team is reaching out to you to provide further information on the topic requested, as well as to make themselves available for further contact if you have any additional questions on the issue.  

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The company did not honor the terms of its referral program. I am owed a $25 gift card for referring a customer who made a purchase over $200. The company claims the purchase needed to be a "real estate course". However, this condition was not specified anywhere in the ad or its terms and conditions.

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to the CE Shop, we are committed to student satisfaction.  We did identify an error that prevented your gift card from being issued.  We have corrected that error, and you should have received a $25 gift card for your referral in your email. 

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid for a class through The CE Shop on June 7, 2024. After 2 hours of virtually attending the class, they removed me and refused to allow me back into the class based on erroneous information. They told me I would have to pay for another class. After numerous attempts to get the video documentation and requests to speak to management, they have completely ignored me. I would like my time to be compensated for the 3.5 hours I have spent on trying to resolve this issue, and the time they caused me to lose the following Monday by having to take the class with another provider. Looking at the other complaints, I definitely feel this company is running a scam.

  Business response

  07/02/2024

  The CE Shop is committed to customer satisfaction. Every effort is made to ensure that the student is fully informed of all requirements. We provide detailed instructions on course attendance rules at the beginning of the course. The attendance rules are as follows: 
  We MUST be able to see you for the entire course. That means video on always. 
  Participation in the live course session is expected, including live interaction as required by the instructor. 
  Stay focused. Multitasking is not allowed. Hopping on your mobile device to stay in the class while driving to an appointment or other gathering is not allowed. If you do this - you will be removed from the class and will not receive credit for attending. 
  
  When the class returned from the break you were seen on video in a vehicle potentially driving, by the moderator and instructor.  The moderator of the session placed you into the waiting room due to safety concerns and messaged you about the violation giving an opportunity to rejoin when no longer in a vehicle. Since you had missed more than 45 minutes of the class rejoining was no longer an option. 
  
  While we understand that circumstances can arise, we will contact you internally to further discuss your situation and hope to have a suitable resolution for both parties. 

  Customer response

  07/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 21926323
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The CE Shop's response is a complete fabrication.  100%.  I have requested, numerous times, the video and time stamps they are using to base their decision from and they have yet to provide it.  They were wrong. They know they were wrong, They are intentionally hiding the facts of the issue.

   

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  We have compiled a summary of the login and logout times from the zoom meeting and have shared those exact times with you via email.  After reviewing the records, it was determined that you were only in the course for a total of 2 hours out of the 5 hours required, which is not sufficient to receive credit for a live webinar. We do disclose in the course that students cannot be in a vehicle while taking the course, and you were viewed in a vehicle both at the start of the course and after a break by the moderator. 

  Customer response

  07/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 21926323
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Again, this information is false.

  1. The class was a 4 hour class, not a 5 hour class.  That proves this company is on auto-pilot and is putting zero effort in admitting they made an error.  This is 100% inaccurate.

  2. I never (ever) logged out of the class.  I logged into the class prior to the class starting and was REMOVED by the class moderator, *****.

  3. The requirement is to attend 90% of the class.  Meaning I could not have missed more than 24 minutes of the class.  I missed this time BECAUSE I HAD BEEN REMOVED BY ***** AND WAS NOT ALLOWED  BACK IN CLASS BY CUSTOMER SERVICE.  I have already provided snapshot proof of the times I called and the length of the call.    

  4. I WAS DRIVING DURING MY BREAK, which was allowed and confirmed to be allowed by more than 5 people!  Even if I were driving at 1 minute after the class came back from break, that was WELL within the 24 minutes of the allowable time.  

  The company is walking around in circles because they do not have a reason for removing me from the class.  This was a money grab.  They refused to allow me back into the class (which could have been very simple) then REPEATEDLY told me I had to pay for another class...there was no other option.

  To this day, Supervisors ******* nor *******, have made an attempt to reach out to me with an explanation or PROOF of what they are trying to use as a reason.  I would venture to guess they haven't returned my call because their research verified my complaint.  

  It is beyond ridiculous that they keep regurgitating the same information over and over again when it is absolutely, 100% false.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  When studying I noticed that the CE Shop gave contradictory answers. For example, one state question regarding property management disclosure asked : "When does ** qualifying broker that is renting or leasing their own property not have to disclose their status?" The correct answer is "When renting or leasing their own property, however, their ownership status must be disclosed in the property management agreement". Ok, then when taking the CE Shop's ** State Practice Exam, the same question is asked. If you answer with the right answer, you are marked wrong. The exam states that the correct answer is that the ** qualifying broker must ALWAYS disclose their status. So now there's a conflict. Which is the right answer? I had to leave the CE Shop's site and read the actual ** State advertising disclosure statute and find the answer myself! That answer is that a ** qualifying broker DOES NOT have to disclose their status in an advertisement when renting their own property. Then, when taking my CE Shop National Exam Prep Test, I kept getting questions about **********. These were questions about New Jersey's septic tank inspection requirements or when was a New Jersey property deemed abandoned. New Mexico brokers DO NOT NEED to know about New Jersey real estate statutes. We do not have a reciprocal agreement with New Jersey. I also had questions on my PSI state exam that weren't covered in the CE Shop. One asked " What other information does an associate broker that's upgrading to qualifying broker status need to provide to the New *********** estate Commission, along with their waiver, if they cannot meet the required 100 experience points, due to market scarcity? The correct answer is "send written proof and documentarion". I also found this on another site because the CE Shop states that "an associate broker that's upgrading to a qualifying broker MUST earn 100 experience each year for four years". How much more of the CE Shop's content is wrong or missing?

  Business response

  06/17/2024

  Thank you for bringing your concern to our attention. Our curriculum team is reviewing the questions you noted and a member of our Customer Support will reach out with a resolution directly to you.

• Initial Complaint

  05/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I did all of my required coursework within the correct number of days, they refused to let me schedule my final exam that morning on the last day.

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  The CE Shop is committed to customer satisfaction. Every effort is made to ensure that the student is fully informed of all requirements. North Carolina Pre licensing courses are only available for 6 months from date of purchase. The course was purchased on 11/24/2023 and expired on 5/22/2024. The course practice exam was not completed until the last day of the course being active, on 5/22/2024. Students are advised that same-day scheduling is not available. 
  Exams must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance and are subject to availability. 

  Please note: Your final exam must be completed before your course expires. The next availability for virtually proctoring your exam could be up to 7 days out from the date that you try to schedule it. Please plan accordingly so that you can complete your exam before your course expires, and also to give yourself time to retake the exam should you need to. 
  Course expiration date six months from date of purchase. The actual expiration date is listed in your account. Please note: Your final exam must be completed before your course expires. Your course expires 180 days after enrollment and extensions are NOT allowed. Please plan accordingly so that you can complete your exam before your course expires, and also to give yourself time to retake the exam should you need to. 
  
  We completely understand that circumstances arise at times that *** prevent our students from being able to complete by the expiration date, so we offer a repurchase price of 50% off the retail cost of the course. This discount is available for 30 days after the course fully expires only. If it has been beyond 30 days from when your course expired, you will have the option to repurchase at our current pricing. Please note that since it is a new enrollment, any progress from the expired course will not be able to carry over. 
  
  Regarding a refund: The CE Shop will refund the purchase price of any course if the refund request is submitted within 30 days of purchase, prior to course expiration, and the course is not more than 50% completed. The course does not meet any of the refund criteria. 

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hello I purchased the ma real estate licensing program on 9/2 by January I completed %44 of the program but the last 2 live class' they were unable to see me so I couldn't get credit the moderator suggested I contact tech support they did some troubleshooting but was unable to find a resolution. So they gave me 2 options one was to be refunded due to it being an issue they can't fix and second option to restart the course. I chose to restart the course because I did like the program but soon after I became depressed at having to redo the whole program including the live classes which never fit into my schedule they were either during morning while I was working or at dinner time. Then I found out the real estate company I had a job lined up for was no longer interested when they heard I had to restart. The tech support person told me my account would be notated in case I ran into problems I was never informed that I only had 30 days to change my mind but today 4/30 I asked for the refund so I can wait until I had more time to focused and to fix my schedule to appease there times (which also change every month and not much time between the begining of month and release of schedule) but the rep just kept saying I no longer qualify with it being past the ************************************

  Business response

  05/02/2024

  The CE Shop, Inc. is committed to providing students with a satisfactory experience while maintaining the boundaries outlined within the terms and conditions. 
  Regarding our refund policy, The CE Shop is committed to student satisfaction. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, The CE Shop will refund the purchase price of any course if the refund request is submitted within 30 days of purchase, prior to course expiration, and the course is not more than 50% completed. 
  
  The original course was purchased on 9/23/2023 and accessible until January, when the new course was re-enrolled at no charge. The new course started on 1/5/2024, and following enrollment, no further contact was made with the CE Shop regarding any issues with scheduling or a request for a refund. Since the new enrollment was provided at no cost there would be nothing to refund back on that order.

  Customer response

  05/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21649043
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was having technical issues because of the platform that you guys were using for your live classrooms. You guys cannot figure out what was causing the issues. I was able to use other platforms without any issues. So you guys gave me two options. I was not told that if those options didn't work out for me that I wouldn't get anything back for it or I would have just opted for the refund in the first place, but I was trusting in your program to do right. Nothing was made clear to me other than her saying if I had any issues reach back out.  Why would you not explain by restarting the program I would loose out on any refund that was offered. I clearly wanted to make the program work for me but it wasn't working for me at the moment. I was already offered the refund. Why would you not hold true to that due to the tech problem on your end? 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I work in the real estate industry and I have completed and passed 120 hours of principals of real estate for ************************* I recently purchased the *** Mortgage Loan Officer training course for Virginia! I paid the CE Shop LLC $332.50 For the online course. The CE Shop did not Disclose all of the details of the course. And this is the reason I am filling this complaint! The course syllabus and the fact that the handbook was 333 pages and the syllabus is 30 pages. After you pay the fee, they allow you to see the syllabus and print the 333 & 30 page handbook? A 20 hour course would amount to 4.5 hours per day to complete the course? I requested an extension of time beyond the 2 weeks and The CE Shop refused. They required an Additional $180 and I would have to start the course from the beginning, even though I have completed 2/3 of the course ! This is fraudulent and illegal advertising. They are required by law to disclose these facts upfront. They locked my access to the course even though my final exam doesnt expire until 08/31/2024

  Business response

  03/25/2024

  Thank you for bringing your concern to our attention. The CE Shop is committed to providing students with a satisfactory experience while maintaining the boundaries outlined within the terms and conditions.    
  
  MLO National Pre-Licensing courses have a specified start and end date. Students must select their course start date within 90 days of purchase. Once the start date has been selected, students will have that day plus an additional 12 full calendar days to complete their course. The course cannot be extended beyond that timeframe. Students are advised on the expiration period, and assignment requirements, in the course orientation and course syllabus. The course orientation requires students to acknowledge they understand the policies and requirements before they can advance in the course.    
  Since the course has expired, it is eligible to be repurchased at a 50% discount.  This can be done by calling in, or by using the "Repurchase Course" button in the account. 
  
  Expiration: If your course has fully expired, you may repurchase the course at 50% off of the current retail price one (1) time. This option is only available for 30 days after the full expiration date of the course. If your course expires a second time, you will have to repurchase the course at full price. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a product with this company on 3/3 and was required to complete within 12 days, expiring on 3/15. I take no issue with the length of time to complete the course. What I take issue with is the company doesnt fully disclose all requirements or penalties of the course prior to purchasing it. I contacted the company to confirm if I read it correctly that I will receive 2 additional days after expiration to complete the course (thought I read that somewhere when I signed up). They informed me there can be no extensions (I recall reading that) but I could purchase the course again at 50% but my completed work would not be carried over. This is not disclosed anywhere prior to purchase. Even if that is the contract terms, they conveniently dont include this information in their blurb of how many days you have to complete the course. With this info, I pressed on to complete the course for about 7-8 hrs. Please note that I met my 20 hr seat time but you cant move through the course quickly because each section is timed. Designed in my opinion to slow you down and not allow you to complete on time. When my course got within about 1-2 hrs before expiration, their system slowed down and I even had to restart my computer, which depleted more of my time to complete. I was down to the last section when I realized I wouldnt be able to complete on time becauseAnother thing they dont disclose is that the instructors have to review your work and **** complete before you can access the final exam. As many have stated in their complaints, the company knows what they are doing and purposely dont allow you to move through the course at your own pace (even if youve met the seat hrs) because they dont want you to finish on time and banking that people will have to repeat the course. They also dont tell you if you complete more than 50% of the course, theres no refund. I would not have rushed to complete. At least allow completed work to carry over.

  Business response

  03/19/2024

  Thank you for bringing your concern to our attention. The CE Shop is committed to providing students with a satisfactory experience while maintaining the boundaries outlined within the terms and conditions.    

  The course is not eligible for a refund as it has expired.  Since the course has expired, it is eligible to be repurchased at a 50% discount.  This can be done by calling in, or by using the "Repurchase Course" button in the account. 
  MLO National Pre-Licensing courses have a specified start and end date. Students must select their course start date within 90 days of purchase. Once the start date has been selected, students will have that day plus an additional 12 full calendar days to complete their course. The course cannot be extended beyond that timeframe. Students are advised on the expiration period, and assignment requirements, in the course orientation and course syllabus. The course orientation requires students to acknowledge they understand the policies and requirements before they can advance in the course.   

  Customer response

  03/19/2024

   
  Complaint: 21443377
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This company gives the same rehearsed and repetitive reply to every legitimate complaint instead of changing their deceptive ways or seek a win-win solution for both parties. 
  

  Offering customers a 50% discount to retake the course but not allowing them to pick up where they left off in the previous course is not in an effort to benefit your customers, but in hopes that they will have the same results and not be able to complete the course and have to pay a third time to complete. Companies who contract in good faith do not operate this way. They find solutions for all parties to have a successful outcome with minimal rework. 
  

  The only reason students cant complete 20 hours of required work in 12 days (8 with weekends that instructors dont review work) is because you slow down our progress. And you slow the progress down on purpose. 20 hrs are requirednothing more. There is definitely enough material in your program to meet the 20 hr requirement without being time limited on each section. 
  

  As I stated, you do not disclose all information prior to signing up. You give a blurb of what you want to give to make it sound good. You definitely dont disclose that if you dont complete within your allotted time that your work will not carry forward. That would be a huge deterrent for people. You know that and thats why you dont disclose it. You also do not disclose about the refund policy if the course is more than half complete. 

  The multiple complaints that you are receiving will soon catch up with you. It makes more sense to be truthful upfront with people and have returning customers than to be deceitful and have us all complain in the end. 

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The rules for ** and ** reciprocity were recently changed in Jan. 2024. The ** real estate commission advised me to reach out to the CE Shop for a refund on recently purchased classes as they are no longer required by the ***********. The CE Shop would not refund me, nor let me speak to a manager or supervisor. They states they have a 30 day or 50% completion rule. It has been longer then 30 days. About 60 days. And I ordered to different courses. Separate line items, and 2 separate courses. 1 course was started and past 50% completed. The other course has 1% completion. This course would be within the 50% refund stated however on a recorded line the lady who helped me not only would not transfer me to speak to someone further, she admitted she was hanging up the phone because she could not continue to speak and wait for a supervisor to be ready. Then proceeded to hang up.

  Customer response

  03/06/2024

  Company reached out to me, case has been resolved. 

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  Thank you for bringing your concern to our attention. The CE Shop is committed to providing students with a satisfactory experience every time they contact our customer support department. We have reviewed your history of interactions and a member of leadership has reached out to you directly to resolve your request.   

  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 is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  03/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hi! I took the real estate course with them and I had several issues with this course, I complained more than once and they did not address the issue. It is the night before my real estate exam and im trying to get into my practice exam one last time and it wont let me!! I lost chapters of progress and now this. I am disappointed, if I had a personal choice I would have not taken any course with this provider.

  Business response

  03/05/2024

  The CE Shop is committed to providing students with a satisfactory experience every time they contact our customer support department. We have reviewed the history of interactions and see that we were unable to replicate the issue and the student declined further IT assistance. This course is working as designed, however, if there are further issues, the student may contact us at ************. 
  
  In regards to the refund request we offer a generous 30 day refund policy as long as the request is made within 30 days of order and the course is under 50% completed. The course was purchased on 1/18/2024 and completed on 2/24/2024.   

*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. ↩