ComplaintsforThe National Leadership Academies

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My daughter was enrolled in a medical class that was to held in Vietnam. We paid for the class over a year because it was $7k so they charged our credit card. The trip was pushed out due to COVID and a lot of uncertainity. On June 29 I received a message saying that the trip was canceled because the school in Vietnam did not get a student VIsa. On June 9th the International Program Director, Bryony M******, sent an email saying they were securing Visas and we had to submit a $70 payment by June 17th and they would deliver the Visa when my daughter met the group on July 16th. We submitted our payment on June 11. After the cancelation email, I reached out the office by phone and email and was very upset because my daughter had been planning for over year to go on the trip. We bought PPE, scrubs and other essentials for the trip. I was informed no money be returned and her trip was canceled. I don't understand if the entire program is a scam but they received $7k from us and we received nothing in return.

  Business response

  08/04/2022

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: Lisa R**** <*********@thenationalleadershipacademies.com>
  Date: Wed, Aug 3, 2022 at 4:13 PM
  Subject: BBB Complaint ********
  To: [email protected] <[email protected]

  
  

  Hello Dispute Resolution Team,
  
  We would very much like to respond to this complaint. We just received the attached mail, and although it is late, this false accusation cannot go unmet.
  
  **************** is solely responsible for her daughters inability to attend our overseas study program, “FutureDocs Abroad,” as she failed, despite multiple reminder emails and telephone conversations, to provide her daughter’s passport before the deadline, which resulted in our inability to obtain a travel visa to Vietnam.
  
  Upon enrollment, **************** agreed by signature to the program Terms and Conditions and understood that failure to submit the required documentation needed for travel for the program by the deadline given would result in removal from the program with no refund available.
  
  Please note that all the students who submitted the required documents to obtain visas for entry to Vietnam completed the trip and had life-changing experiences. We are saddened that *** ****** could not see that her daughter was part of that group because she failed to follow instructions despite the extra attention our staff gave her to fulfill the requirements.
  
  Here's a brief synopsis of the timeline:
  
  July 6, 2021
  *** ****** enrolls in FutureDocs Abroad and receives enrollment confirmation.
  
  July 6, 2021
  *** ***** electronically signs Terms & Conditions to complete enrollment.
  
  July 25, 2021
  Physical enrollment packet mailed with a full checklist of items to be submitted and due dates - including passport and visa requirements.
  
  August 6, 2021
  Email sent regarding medical releases and passport requirements.
  
  December 30, 2021
  Deadline to submit passports.
  
  January 7, 2022
  Update email regarding next steps and reminder about late passports.
  
  January 11, 2022
  Webinar regarding the program - included a reminder about passports.
  
  January 25, 2022
  Email regarding flights - included a reminder about passports.
  
  February 22, 2022
  Update regarding flights -  included a reminder about passports.
  
  May 13, 2022
  *** ****** returned a staff call and informed us that she would submit the documents “over the following weekend.”
  
  May 19, 2022
  Staff sent a reminder email as the passport had not been uploaded.
  
  May 25, 2022
  ****** ****** responded to an email and indicated that her mother was still “waiting for a link to the portal” even though that had been sent multiple times. Staff sent an email with the list of missing documents and the portal link.
  
  June 1, 2022
  Between 9:45-10:23 am, staff called and emailed *** ****** pleading for her to upload the child’s passport as the program was required to submit all travelers’ passports to the Vietnamese embassy for visa processing.
  
  At 5:30 pm, all passports for students traveling to Vietnam were submitted to the Vietnamese Embassy.
  
  June 6, 2022
  ****** passport was uploaded to the program portal.
  
  June 7, 2022
  Staff submitted *** ******'s daughter's late passport in hopes that a visa could still be obtained.
  
  June 28, 2022
  Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy informed us that they had sent all of the documents to the Vietnamese Immigration Department, but they were unable to process late documents and were unable to obtain any late student visas.
  
  June 29, 2022
  *** ****** was notified by the staff that a visa was not granted for travel.
  
  Lisa *. R****
  The National Leadership Academies

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