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Business Profile

Educational Consultant

Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. International Education Consultants

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Educational Consultant.

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 21 total complaints in the last 3 years.
  • 6 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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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.

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  • Initial Complaint

    Date:12/29/2024

    Type:Service or Repair 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.
    Dear BBB:This is a formal complaint against Josef Silny &Associates, ***** for the first time now when I looked at massive volume of complaints against this business, I am very surprised to see they are still in business, and I would never do any business with this company.1)It all started on 8/23/2024 when I filled the application for an international degree. In their application they put non refundable for any fee? That is deceptive practice! No business ever put any such deceptive line in the application? What if they dont do the job or service, they said they will provide?2)Compared with all other evaluation service companies across the country, they charge the highest and based on my experience the longest to get respond back.$250 + $30(copy)= total $280. to get a copy for yourself to see what they did! 3)If there is any question about the university, they never contact you, so you dont know anything until weeks or months later when you are forced to pay and get a copy to see what type of work/ evaluation they did. 4)When you ask them they did a incorrect and not accurate evaluation they tell you it was ************* is too bad? There is nothing you can do. Look at all complaints against them for years!5) The highest level of US government in charge of approval of my degree and credential approved many other doctors like my degree from the same university all across *** for the past ***** years. 6)They sent a terrible evaluation purposely and they charged the highest and they said is none refundable.7)They could say they are not able to do the job and return my money upfront. And not deceptive business/ practice. 8) we tried to resolve the issue with no success.9) we asked they refund this unjust $280 money back and make correction to the evaluation based on US Government higher education recognition of degree.10) make correction to their application and be honest if they do a bad job, refund the money and don't take the evaluation.

    Business Response

    Date: 01/13/2025

    To: BBB Serving ***************** and the Caribbean officer,

    My name is ******* ** from Josef Silny and Associate, **** and I am addressing the concerns sent to the BBB Serving ***************** and the Caribbean (Case ID ********* by Mr. **** ******* with regards to the evaluation service we completed on September 4, 2024. 

    Before addressing the 10 points concerns (as per Mr. ******* message), we would like to first clarify the services completed.

    According to our system, that Mr. ******* submitted the application and payment for our evaluation service on 8/27/2024. Mr. ******* submitted $250 and requested the following services  

    Course-by-course evaluation - $150 (This is one report)
    5 business days rush service - $100

    Total of the services: $250

    Just for a clarification, that our evaluation service has a standard time of delivery for non-rush cases is 10 to 15 working days. By applying to a rush service, our evaluation duration is 5 business days in this situation. Mr. ******* requested the only evaluation report sending to  ******************** when the evaluation service is completed. 

    As per our records, the evaluation service was completed on September 4, 2024 (5 business days from 8/27/2024, as our office do not open on any public holidays or weekends), and that the only report was send to ********************. The evaluation service is completed. 

    On 9/9/2024, Mr. ******* also submitted the application and a payment of $30 for one additional report sending to him. This service is also completed, and we sent Mr. ******* a report electronically on 9/20 and one report by mail to his home address via **** priority mail (tracking number **********************). As per the ****, the package was successfully delivered. 

    Mr. ******* later called the credit card company for charge backs on 10/24 and 11/18 respectively for the $250 payment, and charge backs on 10/30 and 11/18 for the $30 payment. All charge backs are submitted after Mr. ******* received the report. 


    Below are the 10 concerns on Mr. ******* message. We will address each concern accordingly -
    -----------------------------------------------------

    1)It all started on 8/23/2024 when I filled the application for an international degree. In their application they put non refundable for any fee? That is deceptive practice! No business ever put any such deceptive line in the application? What if they dont do the job or service, they said they will provide? 

    Please be advised, that our service is to perform the Foreign Credentials Evaluation based on the academic credentials our client submitted, and we put it on a report and send to the address that our client denoted. Mr. ******* also confirmed receipt of the evaluation report. Our evaluation service is completed. We completed the services as Mr. ******* requested. 


    2)Compared with all other evaluation service companies across the country, they charge the highest and based on my experience the longest to get respond back.$250 + $30(copy)= total $280. to get a copy for yourself to see what they did! 

    Our evaluation service has a standard 10 to 15 business days processing time frame for all non-rush cases. This is denoted on the application that Mr. ******* read, signed and submitted. We offer the rush service as an option with additional fees. As per our system, Mr. ******* requested a 5 business days rush service for an additional $100. On Mr. ******* initial application, he requested the only report sending to ********************. 

    Mr. ******* did not request any additional report sending to him. Mr. ******* requested one additional report after the initial evaluation service is completed. It would be $30 per report. We completed all services as requested.

    Unfortunately, we do not offer the price matching as our fees are denoted on the application, which Mr. ******* agreed on when he submitted the application. 


    3)If there is any question about the university, they never contact you, so you dont know anything until weeks or months later when you are forced to pay and get a copy to see what type of work/ evaluation they did. 

    There is no question about the university. We denoted the **** education equivalent on the report, based on the academic credentials Mr. ******* submitted. 

    If Mr. ******* is referring to the additional report, our initial evaluation service only included one report. In this situation, Mr. ******* requested the only report sending to ********************. We sent the report to this Email address as per the instruction denoted on the application. 


    4)When you ask them they did a incorrect and not accurate evaluation they tell you it was ************* is too bad? There is nothing you can do. Look at all complaints against them for years! 

    Our evaluation service is completed based on the information that we have, including the accreditation information provided by the ********************************* for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP) for Mr. ******* credentials from *******. If Mr. ******* disagreed with the accreditation information provided by ****-**, Mr. ******* can consider contacting the CAAM-HP for clarification. 


    5) The highest level of US government in charge of approval of my degree and credential approved many other doctors like my degree from the same university all across *** for the past ***** years. 

    Please refer to the reply on point 4 above.

    6)They sent a terrible evaluation purposely and they charged the highest and they said is none refundable. 

    Mr. ******* may disagree on the evaluation outcome with his credentials, it does not mean we did not perform the evaluation service requested. Since we completed the evaluation service and that Mr. ******* also confirmed the receipt of the evaluation report, our service is completed and we do not issue refund on the services completed. 


    7)They could say they are not able to do the job and return my money upfront. And not deceptive business/ practice. 

    Please refer to the reply on point 6 above.


    8) we tried to resolve the issue with no success. 

    Please refer to the reply on point 6 above.


    9) we asked they refund this unjust $280 money back and make correction to the evaluation based on US Government higher education recognition of degree. 

    Please refer to the reply on point 6 above.


    10) make correction to their application and be honest if they do a bad job, refund the money and don't take the evaluation.

    Please refer to the reply on point 6 above.



    Please let us know if you seek further information.

    Sincerely,
     
    ******* **
    Assistant Director
    Josef Silny and Associates, Inc.
    International Education Consultant 
    ***********************;
    **********; FL 33173

    Customer Answer

    Date: 01/16/2025

    Dear BBB:

     

    we are 100% disagree with this business. this is very dishonest. they are only concerned to get your money at any cost. if they don't know how to do an evaluation from any university, they don't have to take your money, and they could reject the work. and say we don't do that. but taking the customer moneys and do a completely wrong evaluation  is deceptive act and dishonest. we ask they return the money back. our medical school is accepted by ************************* for the past 40 years as well as  ***** the standard and the highest level for all medical school around the world. many Chinese and Indian medical schools are not accepted by ************************* and USA ***** .   this business who charged us so much money, if they don't know about those facts, they should not take the case and charge the costumers. please look at the volume of all complaints against this company  by other people?? why so many dissatisfy people  for one company.   we request our money back. that was very dishonest. should not take the case if they don't know what they are doing .

     

    regards,

     

     

    Customer Answer

    Date: 01/16/2025

     
    Complaint: 22744418

    Dear BBB:

     

    we are 100% disagree with this business. this is very dishonest. they are only concerned to get your money at any cost. if they don't know how to do an evaluation from any university, they don't have to take your money, and they could reject the work. and say we don't do that. but taking the customer moneys and do a completely wrong evaluation  is deceptive act and dishonest. we ask they return the money back. our medical school is accepted by ************************* for the past 40 years as well as  ***** the standard and the highest level for all medical school around the world. many Chinese and Indian medical schools are not accepted by ************************* and USA ***** .   this business who charged us so much money, if they don't know about those facts, they should not take the case and charge the costumers. please look at the volume of all complaints against this company  by other people?? why so many dissatisfy people  for one company.   we request our money back. that was very dishonest. should not take the case if they don't know what they are doing .

     

    regards,

     
    Sincerely,

    **** *******

    Business Response

    Date: 01/16/2025

    Dear **************** appreciate the opportunity to address the additional concerns raised by Mr. **** ******* regarding our evaluation services at Josef Silny and Associates, **** (JS&A). Below is our response to the points mentioned in the latest communication:
    We take great pride in the professionalism and integrity of our services. Our evaluations are conducted based on the documentation provided by applicants and in accordance with established academic evaluation standards. At no point do we intentionally mislead or deceive our clients.
    JS&A evaluates credentials from institutions around the world, including medical schools, using recognized accreditation and credential verification standards. In this case, the evaluation was completed based on the academic records submitted by Mr. ******* and information from accrediting authorities, including the ********************************* for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP).
    While institutions may be recognized by organizations such as the ************************* (WHO) or the Educational **************************************** (ECFMG), our role is to provide an independent evaluation of the credentials for equivalency to U.S. education standards. These external recognitions are not the sole determinants of the equivalency outcome in our evaluations.
    Our refund policy is outlined in the terms and conditions provided to applicants before they proceed with our services. Once an evaluation is completed and delivered, refunds are not issued, as the service has been rendered in full.
    We regret that Mr. ******* is dissatisfied with the evaluation outcome. However, this does not indicate any fault or dishonesty in our services. The evaluation was conducted appropriately based on the information and credentials provided. As stated previously, we cannot issue a refund or amend the report unless new or corrected documentation is submitted for review.

    ***** ******, Vice President

    Customer Answer

    Date: 01/16/2025

     
    Complaint: 22744418

    I am rejecting this response because: we are 100% disagree with the response. it is a deceptive act and practice by this business. there are so many complaints against this company from many other people and consumers for years. if they are doing honest work, why there are so many complaints. we will send you additional information in the next 1-2 days . we are requesting complete refund. they never contact the consumer for any information or additional information . just get their money  is a wrong business.  

    Sincerely,

    **** *******
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/22/2024

    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.
    i am an international nurse and i have contracted the revalidation service of this company. In my application, due to a typo, my date of birth came out as *************. At the time of application, I sent a photo of my passport with the form. The company didn't see the mistake.During my application process, my university sent me my diploma and transcript, and my date of birth was correct, my brazilian nursing council sent my license card and it also has my correct date of ******** revalidation was issued with the wrong date because the evaluator is very careless and didn't correctly evaluate what was sent, only a registration form is what she saw. I questioned the error and they are charging me 70 dollars to correct it, which is part of their job. Why didn't they check the form with the documents they received? This is absurd and the customer service provided by Mrs. ******* and *** was very rude. I ask that it be redone, I know my rights.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/25/2024

    Good morning,

    Ms. ***** ********* submitted a completed and signed application form that stated her date of birth as **********. This information was entered into our database and included on both the scanned and printed copies of her certificate. Subsequently, Ms. ***** ********* contacted us, threatening to report us to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) if the date was not corrected.
    We have explained to Ms. ***** ********* that since the incorrect date was provided in her original application, making the necessary changes requires us to update the report, reprint the evaluations, obtain new signatures, and resend the documents. To cover these additional efforts, we have offered to make the corrections for a nominal fee of $30.00a discounted rate considering the work involved.
    Unfortunately, Ms. ***** ********* has declined to pay the fee and has instead opted to issue repeated threats of complaints. Despite this, we have sent her multiple responses reiterating our willingness to proceed with the corrections as soon as the fee is paid.
    We remain ready to resolve this matter promptly upon receipt of the required payment.
    Best regards,
    ***** ******
    Vice President
    *****************************************************************
    Tel: *******************
    Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
    International Education Consultants
    *********************************
    *******************************

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/04/2024

    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.
    I submitted an application for a translation of a transcript assessment. After they received it, they said it was an additional $90. Then during the initial application, I paid for an "Extra Sealed copy in an envelope" which cost another $25. I selected two schools to send the reports to for $20 each. Now when asking where my sealed copy is, they told me that the "Extra sealed report was sent to a school." Why would I ask that an extra copy be sent to the school and not for my own safe keeping? Now they are asking for an additional $35 for a sealed copy. There is no logic in sending an "Extra Sealed Copy" to a school and it feels that they are just trying to get more money out of me because I am a foreign student.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/04/2024

    On the application form which Ms. ***** ****** read and signed, she selected and paid for two evaluation reports only.  One report comes with the basic evaluation fee and she added another sealed report for $25.  On the same application form, Ms. ****** requested that one evaluation report should be sent to ********************* by Priority Mail and the other evaluation should be sent to ********************************************************** also by Priority Mail.  The fee for each priority mail package is $20.  Ms. ***** ****** is under the impression that she should have received a report as well, but a third report was not requested or paid for.  Ms. ***** ****** has the option to request additional copies of her report now and for up to three years.  The fee for each additional report is $30 or $35 for a sealed report.  This information was clearly explained to Ms. ***** ****** via email and she also received a new application form should she decide to request and pay for additional copies of her report now.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/05/2024

     
    Complaint: 22510363

    I am rejecting this response because: I paid for the extra report in the sealed envelope. Literally states Extra report, the definition of extra means additional!

    1. added to an existing or usual amount or number; additional.

    Sincerely,

    ***** ******

    Business Response

    Date: 11/05/2024

    Client paid for ONE evaluation report which comes with the fee of the service plus ONE extra report in addition to this.  This makes a total of TWO reports.  Client then indicated on her application that ONE report should be sent to **************************************** and ONE report should be sent to **********************  This is a total of TWO schools, and since the client paid for TWO reports, there are NO remaining reports.    Whether or not a report is sent in a sealed envelope, or an unsealed envelope, does not change the number of reports the client has paid for. 

    As explained, clients have the option to request additional reports by filling out a new application form and making a payment for each report requested. At this time, the client has only demanded a third report to be mailed to her but has not filled out a new application or made the payment for that third report.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/06/2024

     
    Complaint: 22510363

    I am rejecting this response because:

    The company is trying to literally get out of the fact that "Extra Report" means Extra Report and they are saying that Extra Report does not mean Extra Report.

    Sincerely,

    ***** ******

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:10/20/2024

    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.
    I am filing this complaint against Josef Silny and Associates, **** I paid 150 dollars to evaluate my Undergraduate and *********************** 2 academic credentials are not from the same school and these 2 degrees far apart, because there should be a masters in-between before one can do chorological order with a consent from their customer/student. They said that they have to put Undergraduate and Doctorate in chronological order, meaning what? My masters degree is from the ***, but before they do chronological order, it must be from my consent and with my masters, I did in the *** must be included. I gave them 2 different academic degrees. They merged them together and gave wrong information in my undergraduate degree and discriminated it and merged it with my doctorate/PHD and forcing to send them together to the college I am applying to in the ***. I asked them several times what is their motive to emerge 2 different degrees without my consent and without including masters and forcing to send them/together to the school I am applying to. They say nothing but they want to do it that way. They devalued and discriminated my undergraduate degree and institution outrightly, by saying that I didnt graduate from the Institution, which I graduated , they affirmed that it was 57 credits I got from that institution which is wrong info, because I did evaluation already and completed my masters degree here in the *** and they affirmed that college is in ************** which lie , wrong information my college is located in *****************/*************, and they said it is not recognized, not accredited institution, but this institution have produced/formed/trained a lot Roman ******** priests and bishops and even cardinal and many priests study abroad with the degree from the institution after graduation with no issues. This discrimination makes feel less person. I have contacted other ***** members and told them what Josef a** did to me they said its very bad

    Business Response

    Date: 11/04/2024

    We are a company which evaluates foreign academic credentials and determines their equivalency in U.S. educational terms.  We issue evaluation reports which list, in chronological order, the study our clients complete in a foreign country or in the case of Mr. ***** foreign countries.  We evaluated Mr. ****** study in the ********************* from 2005 to 2007, then his study completed in ****** from 2022 to 2023.   Mr. **** completed other study in between but this study took place in ***************** and for this reason, it cannot be evaluated as it does not have a US equivalency.  We do not issue separate reports for each degree, or each level of evaluation achieved.  We issue one report which includes all of the study completed in a foreign country.  This was explained to Mr. **** in numerous emails.
    We acknowledge that he is bringing to our attention an error regarding the country the Grand Seminary of Philosophy is located in.  We erroneously stated on the evaluation report that it was located in the **************************** when it is in fact located in the **********************  A corrected evaluation report was updated on November 4th and mailed to him by priority mail. 

     

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/18/2024

    Silny is a liar and very malicious and antagonistic.
    When I was applying for evaluation, they should alert me that this is how we do our evaluations like we merge 2 degree even if they are from 2 different degree, you will tell me that you sent 2 different degrees far apart from 2 different colleges we will do chronological order, then I will think about it and see if it's ok with me, then I will continue , if not I will leave them, but they didn't mentioned that and it wasn't on their website. I saw this after they finished their evaluation and sent it to me and when I asked, they began to justify and try to maneuver it but I refused. They started ignoring me and later they claimed to be a threat. Nobody does what they did to me, no naces company does this. You being an evaluator for 100 years has nothing to do with wrong information and bad ratings of my undergraduate program and school. I called other ***** members and asked them if it's proper for what they did to me, they said no it doesn't happen like this. Silny said that they explained to me several times about the merge, after the evaluation when they sent me a copy I saw their mess. They didn't tell me initially and got my permission first before doing this. Did you tell me before you do chronological order? you must seek my consent first because you aren't a university that awards degrees, and before you merge you will add my master's degree too, do you know about my masters? even if i sent you a copy. The bad rating you gave to my undergraduate, if I am not qualified will I do my master's from here? If I send you my only *** for evaluation, will you have to merge the 2 degrees, is it just that you got the 2 degrees, you have a biased mind to do that wicked behavior Silny . You are biased and discriminative; you don't have authority to merge my 2 different degrees. It doesn't work like that ok. I verified with other ***** members, and all confirmed that what you did is terrible, and no one does that biased behavior and they said to me on the phone that you guys have an evil agenda toward me. I hired you just to give me a report/evaluation of the 2 different degrees I gave you to evaluate, not joining 2 different degrees from 2 different institutions, they have nothing to do with each other. Before you merge my degree, you must seek my permission and also include my master's too, the reason you gave for merging my degrees with different degrees is not reasonable at all. Silny You expose your discriminative behavior and biased mind and want to get away with it no you can't.  So Silny if I didn't not send you my undergrad, would you force me to get it for you so that you will merge it with your biased and discriminatory behavior? You have not given a reason why you merge 2 different degrees from 2 different countries and 2 different degrees far apart from each other, because the reason you gave doesn't make sense at all. You must tell me why you made me miss my admission deadlines for schools I was applying for. Because of your negligence, I was emailing you people you ignored me later claiming threat because I mentioned that I will sue you. You should have explained your evil intention that you are going to merge 2 different degrees far apart that have nothing to do with each other, then if it's not good with me I will use another company and dont come and force your evil biased ways on someone. If you don't like ******, you don't have to degrade the school I studied over there, giving wrong information about my degree, program and school. You can't just get up and do what you want with someone else's degrees and say something you know or say something anyhow, you have no right to do what you did. You have a lot of hatred for African people because of the way you described my undergraduate and institution. You can only give reports 2 different degrees separately simply, not to do what you were not asked to do. I read on your website nothing about merging 2 degrees is there and if you go and put it on your website now, you are creating more problems for yourself. Evil people.  You are being an evaluator for 100 years is none of my business. What matters is doing the right thing and what your clients want and avoid complicating your business and yourself. You merge 2 degrees because some schools I am applying to do not accept ***s, some accept only undergraduate degrees. 

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/18/2024

     
    Complaint: 22448048

    I am rejecting this response of Silny because:

    Silny is a liar and very malicious and antagonistic.
    When I was applying for evaluation, they should alert me that this is how we do our evaluations like we merge 2 degree even if they are from 2 different degree, you will tell me that you sent 2 different degrees far apart from 2 different colleges we will do chronological order, then I will think about it and see if it's ok with me, then I will continue , if not I will leave them, but they didn't mentioned that and it wasn't on their website. I saw this after they finished their evaluation and sent it to me and when I asked, they began to justify and try to maneuver it but I refused. They started ignoring me and later they claimed to be a threat. Nobody does what they did to me, no naces company does this. You being an evaluator for 100 years has nothing to do with wrong information and bad ratings of my undergraduate program and school. I called other ***** members and asked them if it's proper for what they did to me, they said no it doesn't happen like this. Silny said that they explained to me several times about the merge, after the evaluation when they sent me a copy I saw their mess. They didn't tell me initially and got my permission first before doing this. Did you tell me before you do chronological order? you must seek my consent first because you aren't a university that awards degrees, and before you merge you will add my master's degree too, do you know about my masters? even if i sent you a copy. The bad rating you gave to my undergraduate, if I am not qualified will I do my master's from here? If I send you my only *** for evaluation, will you have to merge the 2 degrees, is it just that you got the 2 degrees, you have a biased mind to do that wicked behavior Silny . You are biased and discriminative; you don't have authority to merge my 2 different degrees. It doesn't work like that ok. I verified with other ***** members, and all confirmed that what you did is terrible, and no one does that biased behavior and they said to me on the phone that you guys have an evil agenda toward me. I hired you just to give me a report/evaluation of the 2 different degrees I gave you to evaluate, not joining 2 different degrees from 2 different institutions, they have nothing to do with each other. Before you merge my degree, you must seek my permission and also include my master's too, the reason you gave for merging my degrees with different degrees is not reasonable at all. Silny You expose your discriminative behavior and biased mind and want to get away with it no you can't.  So Silny if I didn't not send you my undergrad, would you force me to get it for you so that you will merge it with your biased and discriminatory behavior? You have not given a reason why you merge 2 different degrees from 2 different countries and 2 different degrees far apart from each other, because the reason you gave doesn't make sense at all. You must tell me why you made me miss my admission deadlines for schools I was applying for. Because of your negligence, I was emailing you people you ignored me later claiming threat because I mentioned that I will sue you. You should have explained your evil intention that you are going to merge 2 different degrees far apart that have nothing to do with each other, then if it's not good with me I will use another company and dont come and force your evil biased ways on someone. If you don't like ******, you don't have to degrade the school I studied over there, giving wrong information about my degree, program and school. You can't just get up and do what you want with someone else's degrees and say something you know or say something anyhow, you have no right to do what you did. You have a lot of hatred for African people because of the way you described my undergraduate and institution. You can only give reports 2 different degrees separately simply, not to do what you were not asked to do. I read on your website nothing about merging 2 degrees is there and if you go and put it on your website now, you are creating more problems for yourself. Evil people.  You being an evaluator for 100 years is none of my business. What matters is doing the right thing and what your clients want and avoid complicating your business and yourself. You merge 2 degrees because some schools I am applying to do not accept ***s, some accept only undergraduate degrees. 

    Business Response

    Date: 11/20/2024

    One evaluation was completed based on National references and it is correct. The evaluation report will not be changed. 

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/20/2024

    It is biased and discrimination because I consulted the members of your Association/*****. They confirmed that you SILNY were wrong and they dont do things like that by merging 2 different degrees far apart from each other. I did my master's here in the *** with my undergraduate degree from ******, without bias and discriminated no problem. You aren't not the only ***** company in the nation, the ***** Members I spoke to about what you did to me, affirmed that this is not how they do and it's very wrong to condemn my institution and degree and its reputation because you don't like the continent it came from. I was telling you that you guys will get into trouble with Law but you neglected me 
    You must tell me why you condemn my institution, biased and discriminated against it and neglected me and I missed my admissions in the schools I wanted to apply to.
    You are so wicked; an enemy of progress and you don't have to write to treat me the way you want or discriminate against me. SILNY you must tell me why you did this to me and frustrated my career.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/21/2024

     
    Complaint: 22448048

    I am rejecting this response because:

    It is biased and discrimination because I consulted the members of your Association/*****. They confirmed that you SILNY were wrong and they dont do things like that by merging 2 different degrees far apart from each other. I did my master's here in the *** with my undergraduate degree from ******, without bias and discriminated no problem. You aren't not the only ***** company in the nation, the ***** Members I spoke to about what you did to me, affirmed that this is not how they do and it's very wrong to condemn my institution and degree and its reputation because you don't like the continent it came from. I was telling you that you guys will get into trouble with Law but you neglected me 
    You must tell me why you condemn my institution, biased and discriminated against it and neglected me and I missed my admissions in the schools I wanted to apply to.
    You are so wicked; an enemy of progress and you don't have to write to treat me the way you want or discriminate against me. SILNY you must tell me why you did this to me and frustrated my career.


    Sincerely,

    ******* ****

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:05/28/2024

    Type:Service or Repair 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.
    This owner and company think they do it right but when you prove they don't do it right supported with documentation that proofs it they get rude and stops communicating.My son replied to them after receiving his USA grading that the grading was way off to others who also do grading for foreign students who are going to transfer to USA Universities. They downgrade all courses he did and the grades he got for it. They grade a course with passed which he didn't have done and they graded a course he failed on with a Dutch 5 (not passed) with passed on the USA grading system.And when you point them to it the say they are right and we as Netherlands people living there for ********************************************************************************** ****************After emailing with them about it the respond rude and don't want to have a look into it. They even do not want to respond anymore after we sent in several links to websites which show we are right in our response to their grading and telling them they are wrong.We are very disappointed in this company and how they behave after you do not agree with their grading. They tell they are working with many people but I think this company is a real SCAM.They even emailed us that because i'm the father i could not interfere with it but forgot i was the one paying for it. So, if I may not interfere with it but i paid for it I want to be refunded because they than also should not accept my money.Mr. Josef Silny, please refund me because of your attitude to me and your misgrading we already proofed to you.Unfortunately we can't upload the grading he have done because of the **** 5 MB uploading posibilities on this side.

    Business Response

    Date: 05/29/2024

    Hello, I don't have a client with that name so I cannot respond.  Please give me the full name of the client.

     

    Regards,

     

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

    Customer Answer

    Date: 05/29/2024

    *************************** is the name off the customer and i was paying the bill.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 05/29/2024

     
    Complaint: 21767730

    I am rejecting this response because:

    The name of the client is ***************************, my son.  But i was the one who paid for it so my name must be on file.  Also i wrote several emails to the owner of the company and he responded several times so they know the name.

    Sincerely,

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

    Business Response

    Date: 06/10/2024

    To Whom It May ***************** have responded to ************' s e-mails and explained several times, grading scale used when converting grades received for each course completed into U.S. equivalent grades. 

    Mr. Silny personally has responded to **************** e-mails numerous times.  The evaluation completed for ************** was prepared based on Mr. Silny's nearly 50 years of experience in the field of foreign credentials evaluations, including 16 years of experience as the Director of Admissions at the ******************** 

    As it is stated in our application:  Satisfaction with Evaluations - JS&A guarantees that all evaluations are prepared by highly qualified evaluators, but it cannot guarantee that the applicant will agree with the evaluation. 

    Based on the explanations sent to ************ several times, the evaluation completed it will not be revised.

    Best Regards, 

     

     

     

    Customer Answer

    Date: 06/11/2024

     
    Complaint: 21767730

    I am rejecting this response because: **************** emailed me that scales to transfer foreign grades to US grades could diver from company to company and that's very weird, because grades are grades and a transfer scale must be the same with every company.  It would be strange when we have also different scales for temperatures, measurements etc from the European to the US numbers.

    Read some of our emails we send below, we are still waiting for proof that the scale used by **************** is right, but he didn't send us anything to convince us we are wrong and his company is right.  He even said that his company didn't make any mistakes on the temporary scaling he sent to the University but an employee admitted thy made some mistakes in that form.

    Email 1:

    I find it curious that this is the scaling you as a company have decided to use when all sources I could find online differ wildly from this scaling, could you please elaborate on how this scaling came to be? Judging by both sources locally in *************** and internationally, this scaling seems to misrepresent the grades given in the Dutch education system completely. I am not trying to tell you
    how to do your job, of course, I want to make sure my courses are evaluated properly and fairly.

    The sources I eluded to above:
     
    International Education Evaluations LLC a company founded in 1981 and the same market as your company: ********************************
    Choosing the *********** and Secondary/Postsecondary already gives a different scaling than you are using.
     
    The ********************************. A university within the **.
    ******************************** Using their GPA calculator and comparing it to the weighted average I supplied you with (6.90 on the Dutch scale) would not result in the 2.39 that you have put it at.

    ********************* my university, to use your terms 'accredited by the ******
    **********************************************************************************************************************************

    explaining that "9s are rarely given and 10s are extremely rare" Which is backed up by multiple other Universities in ***************: such as ******************************:
    ****************************************** with the same explanation of a 9 or 10 being extremely rare.
     
    ********************* another ****************:
    ****************************************************************************************** the conversion for some international systems according to their ******* of Humanities, backed up by another part of  their website:
    *********************************************************************************** which is a direct link to a Nuffic report. Nuffic is the "Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education" that has been active for 70 years.
     
    ******************************** in the Dutch city of ********:
    ******************************************************************************************************************* with their 2019 version of grade conversions they use for students.
     
    *********************:

    *********************************************** a conversion table used by their LIMES ********which is an international PhD ******* receiving funding from the **:
    **************************************
     
    ***************************:
    *********************************************************************************** a grade conversion sheet from the university in the Dutch city of **********
     
    Even with small differences in their exact grading a lot of these sources paint a very different picture than the scaling used by your company. This is surprising to me from a company with 30+ years of experience to seemingly not have a proper grasp of the Dutch educational system, by massively undervaluing grades in the Dutch system. Thus I am requesting you to review your grading scale based on this information to ensure a properly valued evaluation, to not make all of my achievements in my study seem like they are less than what they are.

     

    After this email written by my Son he did not want to discuss anything with me, the father. I told him that that was strange because i was the one paying for his services.

    Email 2:

    We are certainly not calling into question Mr. Silny's experience.
    However, it does strike me as curious that if we were to transfer these grades back to *************** and convert the grades as your company has evaluated them the average would drop drastically. And some of these grades would be dropping by entire points in the Dutch system. I understand that transferring grades internationally across systems is not an easy task, but the fact is that there are universities within the **, that use a different scale than you do. Would this thus mean that these grades are worth more at those universities? Even as was mentioned in the last email to Ms.Bejaj, Nuffic a company founded in 1956 by Dutch universities and in charge of at least the Dutch side of the
    Erasmus+ ******** also uses a wildly different scale.
    We are simply trying to understand where this large difference comes from.
    Furthermore, in your email, you mention a "passing grade of a 5" being used by the ********************* I don't know where this information is coming from for you, even on their website the ********************* in the source as was provided in the last email to Ms. ****** states that a grade of '5' is considered 'almost satisfactory'. To add another source,the ***************************** which is yet another **************** putting the count up to 7 out of 12 Dutch universities, supporting our statement that your scaling is incorrect or perhaps based on outdated datasets, ********************************************** **************************** is even in cooperation with the ******************** for this specific degree, which is visible on the provided grade list as the ******* is listed as "Bachelor Mechanical Engineering - ********* (VU-UT)" with VU-UT being the abbreviations for both universities.
    I understand that the Dutch sources may seem biased, **************************************************************************
    ************************************************* in ********************** states on their website that a 7 on the 10-point scale would in their case be equivalent to a B or 3.00 on a 4.00 GPA grading scale. So please understand my son's frustration that his 6.9 average gets reduced to a 2.39 instead of almost a 3.00 which would be considered according to some other universities within the **. To further support this claim, ****************************************************** is ************************** a third US university in a unique state. It is however surprisingly hard to find this information publicly available with US-based universities from ****************
    Unless of course I am gravely mistaken and somehow the aforementioned universities fall under a different grading scale than the universities that ask for your evaluations. Once again We are not calling into question Mr. Silny's credentials or experience, we are just seeking clarification on how there can exist such a difference in the scales used, as both a university in ********** as well as ******** and ******** say a 7.00 average would be roughly equivalent to a B or 3.0 for the US system.
    Lastly, by looking at the website of the U.S. **************** on the Evaluations of Foreign Educational Credentials I can see that they also display that International Education **************** is a member and has been since 2018, in the last email it was highlighted that they also use a different grading scale than the one used by your company. Would you then be able to explain how two companies that are both members of NACES, both hopefully using the same dataset to create their scaling for the evaluation can produce such wildly different results?

    Sincerely,

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

    Business Response

    Date: 06/14/2024

    To Whom it may concern,

    We have reviewed the evaluation and documents submitted and responded to Mr. ******************* e-mail's numerous times. We have no additional explanations to add to our responses.

    Respectfully,

    *****************;

     

    Business Response

    Date: 06/17/2024

    To Whom it may concern,

    We have reviewed the evaluation and documents submitted and responded to Mr. ******************* e-mail's numerous times. We have no additional explanations to add to our responses.

    Respectfully,

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

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:04/29/2024

    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.
    I would like to express my dissatisfaction with the services provided by Josef ******************************************* .Despite my efforts and payments, I encountered significant issues with their evaluation process. They inaccurately recorded the duration of my diploma course and failed to include my school grades in the evaluation report. Furthermore, I did not receive any confirmation from Josef ******************************************* regarding the submission of my evaluation reports to my institution.Upon receiving the evaluation report, I immediately noticed a critical discrepancy. The report states that my course duration is only three years, whereas all my course certificates clearly indicate a three and a half-year curriculum. This error has serious implications for my academic and professional future, and it is imperative that it be rectified immediately.Furthermore, despite my explicit instructions to hold the evaluation report and refrain from sending it to my college until further notice, your team failed to comply with this request. Despite numerous emails and attempts to contact your customer service, lead, and evaluator, I received no response whatsoever. Again, I demanded immediate action to address these issues. Firstly, I request a full refund of the fee paid for the evaluation, as your center has failed to provide the accurate and reliable service promised.

    Business Response

    Date: 04/29/2024

    More Information...Dear **********************,

    You completed a three-year academic curriculum at the *****************************, ********* with additional 940 hours of internships. Please refer to the consolidated marks list issued by the Karnataka State Diploma in ************************* and transcript certificate issued by the ****************** of ******** These internships are listed in your report. The program you completed is for RN and not for LPN as you erroneously mention in your e-mail.

    As it states in our application, which you read and signed, all fees are non-refundable.

    Best regards,

    ***************************
    Director of Evaluations
    Josef Silny and Associates
    *****************************************
    **************
    **********************************
    www.jsilny.org

    Business Response

    Date: 04/29/2024

    Dear **********************,

    You completed a three-year academic curriculum at the *****************************, ********* with additional 940 hours of internships. Please refer to the consolidated marks list issued by the Karnataka State Diploma in ************************* and transcript certificate issued by the ****************** of ******** These internships are listed in your report. The program you completed is for RN and not for LPN as you erroneously mention in your e-mail.

    As it states in our application, which you read and signed, all fees are non-refundable.

    Best regards,

    ***************************
    Director of Evaluations
    Josef Silny and Associates
    *****************************************
    **************
    **********************************
    www.jsilny.org

    Business Response

    Date: 04/29/2024

    Dear **********************,

    You completed a three-year academic curriculum at the *****************************, ********* with additional 940 hours of internships. Please refer to the consolidated marks list issued by the Karnataka State Diploma in ************************* and transcript certificate issued by the ****************** of ******** These internships are listed in your report. The program you completed is for RN and not for LPN as you erroneously mention in your e-mail.

    As it states in our application, which you read and signed, all fees are non-refundable.

    Best regards,

    ***************************
    Director of Evaluations
    Josef Silny and Associates
    *****************************************
    **************
    **********************************
    www.jsilny.org

    Customer Answer

    Date: 04/29/2024

    I engaged  Josef Silny to conduct evaluations for certificate. Despite providing all necessary information and payment, the evaluation they provided was inaccurate and incomplete.

    Josef Silny inaccurately recorded the duration of my diploma course as three years, despite my certificate clearly indicating a duration of three and a half years. Furthermore, despite paying for course-by-course evaluation, they failed to include my grades in the evaluation report.

    Throughout this process, I attempted to communicate with Josef Silny to address these issues. However, they were unresponsive to my inquiries and failed to provide any form of apology or explanation for their shortcomings. Despite my repeated attempts to resolve the matter,  Josef Silny continued to ignore my concerns.

    As a result of 'Josef Silny inadequate service and misrepresentation, I have decided to discontinue any further engagement with them for my evaluation needs. I am seeking assistance from alternative evaluation providers who can offer more reliable and accurate services.

    I am filing this complaint with the Better Business Bureau to bring attention to the unacceptable business practices of  Josef Silny and to request assistance in resolving this matter. I believe that by raising awareness of these issues, other consumers can be spared from similar experiences in the future.

    Attached to this complaint are copies of my certificate and the evaluation report provided by Josef Silny, highlighting the discrepancies between the two documents.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust that the Better Business Bureau will take appropriate action to address this complaint and ensure that consumers are protected from substandard service providers.

    Sincerely

     

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


    Customer Answer

    Date: 04/30/2024

    I am writing to address several significant issues I have encountered with the evaluation process conducted by Josef Silny. As a paying customer, I am deeply disappointed with the level of service and the lack of responsiveness I have experienced.

    First and foremost, I must emphasize that my academic curriculum duration is three and a half years, as clearly stated on my certificates. Despite repeated requests, the evaluation report incorrectly states it as three years. I have brought this discrepancy to your attention, yet no corrective action has been taken. This is unacceptable, and I insist on immediate rectification.

    How many time I says that  the evaluation you made report states my academic curriculum duration three years, despite the fact that all of my certificates clearly indicate a duration of three and a half years. I have repeatedly emphasized to your team that my academic program spanned three and a half years, inclusive of practical components such as internships. However, the evaluation report fails to reflect this accurate duration.I aurge you to acknowledge and rectify this error promptly. It is essential that the evaluation accurately reflects the duration of my academic curriculum as three and a half years, in line with the information provided on my certificates. Failure to address this discrepancy undermines the credibility of the evaluation process and raises concerns about its accuracy and reliability.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the fact that the evaluation report did not include grades and credits for each course, despite my explicit request for a course-by-course evaluation. I was surprised to learn that there is an additional charge for grading, which was not communicated to me beforehand. As a paying customer, I expect transparency and clarity regarding all associated fees.


    Additionally, I have encountered significant communication barriers when attempting to resolve these issues. Despite numerous attempts to contact your office via email and phone calls, I have received no response. This lack of communication is unacceptable, especially considering the urgency of the matter and the expedited service fee I have paid.

    Moreover, I am deeply dissatisfied with the facilities and overall customer experience during my visits to your office. The absence of bathroom facilities and the extensive wait times only compound my frustration with the level of service provided.

    In light of these issues, I have lost confidence in Josef Silny and no longer wish to avail of your services. I request a full refund of the service fee I have paid. I urge you to take immediate action to address these concerns and provide a resolution.

    I expect a prompt response to this email, acknowledging receipt and outlining the steps you will take to rectify the situation. If no satisfactory resolution is provided within a reasonable timeframe, I will have no choice but to escalate this matter further.

    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.


    Customer Answer

    Date: 04/30/2024

      As a paying customer, I am deeply disappointed with the level of service and the lack of responsiveness I have experienced.How many times i says that it is about my course duration. Everything is  inculding my course duration . Internship and practical  is my part of the academic curriculum.I did not see anything you mention in your evaluation.
    I must emphasize that my academic curriculum duration is three and a half years, as clearly stated on my certificates. Despite repeated requests, the evaluation report incorrectly states it as three years.  


    I aurge you to acknowledge and rectify this error promptly. It is essential that the evaluation accurately reflects the duration of my academic curriculum as three and a half years, in line with the information provided on my  certificates. Failure to address this discrepancy undermines the credibility of the evaluation process and raises concerns about its accuracy and reliability.


    It has come to my attention that the evaluation report incorrectly classifies my undergraduate study as a high school nursing program. This classification is highly misleading and does not accurately reflect the level of education I have completed. Nowhere in my documentation or communication with your team have I stated or implied that my academic program was equivalent to a high school nursing program.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the implication that only high school nursing programs are recognized or accepted in the *************. This narrow interpretation overlooks the vast diversity of educational pathways and accreditation standards in the field of nursing. As a graduate of an accredited nursing program, I expect my educational achievements to be accurately recognized and respected.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the fact that the evaluation report did not include grades and credits for each course, despite my explicit request for a course-by-course evaluation. I was surprised to learn that there is an additional charge for grading, which was not communicated to me beforehand. As a paying customer, I expect transparency and clarity regarding all associated fees.


    Additionally, I have encountered significant communication barriers when attempting to resolve these issues. Despite numerous attempts to contact your office via email and phone calls, I have received no response. This lack of communication is unacceptable, especially considering the urgency of the matter and the expedited service fee I have paid.


    Moreover, I am deeply dissatisfied with the facilities and overall customer experience during my visits to your office. The absence of bathroom facilities and the extensive wait times only compound my frustration with the level of service provided.


    In light of these issues, I have lost confidence in Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.  and no longer wish to avail of your services. I request a full refund of the service fee I have paid. I urge you to take immediate action to address these concerns and provide a resolution.


    I expect a prompt response to this email, acknowledging receipt and outlining the steps you will take to rectify the situation. If no satisfactory resolution is provided within a reasonable timeframe, I will have no choice but to escalate this matter further.


    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter

    Customer Answer

    Date: 04/30/2024

      As a paying customer, I am deeply disappointed with the level of service and the lack of responsiveness I have experienced.How many times i says that it is about my course duration. Everything is  inculding my course duration . Internship and practical  is my part of the academic curriculum.I did not see anything you mention in your evaluation.
    I must emphasize that my academic curriculum duration is three and a half years, as clearly stated on my certificates. Despite repeated requests, the evaluation report incorrectly states it as three years.  


    I aurge you to acknowledge and rectify this error promptly. It is essential that the evaluation accurately reflects the duration of my academic curriculum as three and a half years, in line with the information provided on my  certificates. Failure to address this discrepancy undermines the credibility of the evaluation process and raises concerns about its accuracy and reliability.


    It has come to my attention that the evaluation report incorrectly classifies my undergraduate study as a high school nursing program. This classification is highly misleading and does not accurately reflect the level of education I have completed. Nowhere in my documentation or communication with your team have I stated or implied that my academic program was equivalent to a high school nursing program.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the implication that only high school nursing programs are recognized or accepted in the *************. This narrow interpretation overlooks the vast diversity of educational pathways and accreditation standards in the field of nursing. As a graduate of an accredited nursing program, I expect my educational achievements to be accurately recognized and respected.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the fact that the evaluation report did not include grades and credits for each course, despite my explicit request for a course-by-course evaluation. I was surprised to learn that there is an additional charge for grading, which was not communicated to me beforehand. As a paying customer, I expect transparency and clarity regarding all associated fees.


    Additionally, I have encountered significant communication barriers when attempting to resolve these issues. Despite numerous attempts to contact your office via email and phone calls, I have received no response. This lack of communication is unacceptable, especially considering the urgency of the matter and the expedited service fee I have paid.


    Moreover, I am deeply dissatisfied with the facilities and overall customer experience during my visits to your office. The absence of bathroom facilities and the extensive wait times only compound my frustration with the level of service provided.


    In light of these issues, I have lost confidence in Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.  and no longer wish to avail of your services. I request a full refund of the service fee I have paid. I urge you to take immediate action to address these concerns and provide a resolution.


    I expect a prompt response to this email, acknowledging receipt and outlining the steps you will take to rectify the situation. If no satisfactory resolution is provided within a reasonable timeframe, I will have no choice but to escalate this matter further.


    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter

    Customer Answer

    Date: 04/30/2024

    As a paying customer, I am deeply disappointed and dissatisfaction with your meassage , the level of service and the lack of responsiveness I have experienced.How many times i says that it is about my course duration. Everything is  inculding my course duration . Internship and practical  is my part of the academic curriculum.I did not see anything you mention that You did not mention in the evaluation .
    I must emphasize that my academic curriculum duration is three and a half years, as clearly stated on my certificates. Despite repeated requests, the evaluation report incorrectly states it as three years.  


    I aurge you to acknowledge and rectify this error promptly. It is essential that the evaluation accurately reflects the duration of my academic curriculum as three and a half years, in line with the information provided on my  certificates. Failure to address this discrepancy undermines the credibility of the evaluation process and raises concerns about its accuracy and reliability.


    It has come to my attention that the evaluation report incorrectly classifies my undergraduate study as a high school nursing program. This classification is highly misleading and does not accurately reflect the level of education I have completed. Nowhere in my documentation or communication with your team have I stated or implied that my academic program was equivalent to a high school nursing program.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the implication that only high school nursing programs are recognized or accepted in the *************. This narrow interpretation overlooks the vast diversity of educational pathways and accreditation standards in the field of nursing. As a graduate of an accredited nursing program, I expect my educational achievements to be accurately recognized and respected.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the fact that the evaluation report did not include grades and credits for each course, despite my explicit request for a course-by-course evaluation. I was surprised to learn that there is an additional charge for grading, which was not communicated to me beforehand. As a paying customer, I expect transparency and clarity regarding all associated fees.


    Additionally, I have encountered significant communication barriers when attempting to resolve these issues. Despite numerous attempts to contact your office via email and phone calls, I have received no response. This lack of communication is unacceptable, especially considering the urgency of the matter and the expedited service fee I have paid.


    Moreover, I am deeply dissatisfied with the facilities and overall customer experience during my visits to your office. The absence of bathroom facilities and the extensive wait times only compound my frustration with the level of service provided.


    In light of these issues, I have lost confidence in Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.  and no longer wish to avail of your services. I request a full refund of the service fee I have paid. I urge you to take immediate action to address these concerns and provide a resolution.


    I expect a prompt response to this email, acknowledging receipt and outlining the steps you will take to rectify the situation. If no satisfactory resolution is provided within a reasonable timeframe, I will have no choice but to escalate this matter further.


    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 05/02/2024

     
    Complaint: 21641522

    I am rejecting this response because:

    As a paying customer, I am deeply disappointed and dissatisfaction with your meassage , the level of service and the lack of responsiveness I have experienced.How many times i says that it is about my course duration. Everything is  inculding my course duration . Internship and practical  is my part of the academic curriculum.I did not see anything you mention that You did not mention in the evaluation .

    I must emphasize that my academic curriculum duration is three and a half years, as clearly stated on my certificates. Despite repeated requests, the evaluation report incorrectly states it as three years.  


    I aurge you to acknowledge and rectify this error promptly. It is essential that the evaluation accurately reflects the duration of my academic curriculum as three and a half years, in line with the information provided on my  certificates. Failure to address this discrepancy undermines the credibility of the evaluation process and raises concerns about its accuracy and reliability.


    It has come to my attention that the evaluation report incorrectly classifies my undergraduate study as a high school nursing program. This classification is highly misleading and does not accurately reflect the level of education I have completed. Nowhere in my documentation or communication with your team have I stated or implied that my academic program was equivalent to a high school nursing program.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the implication that only high school nursing programs are recognized or accepted in *****************. This narrow interpretation overlooks the vast diversity of educational pathways and accreditation standards in the field of nursing. As a graduate of an accredited nursing program, I expect my educational achievements to be accurately recognized and respected.


    Furthermore, I am troubled by the fact that the evaluation report did not include grades and credits for each course, despite my explicit request for a course-by-course evaluation. I was surprised to learn that there is an additional charge for grading, which was not communicated to me beforehand. As a paying customer, I expect transparency and clarity regarding all associated fees.


    Additionally, I have encountered significant communication barriers when attempting to resolve these issues. Despite numerous attempts to contact your office via email and phone calls, I have received no response. This lack of communication is unacceptable, especially considering the urgency of the matter and the expedited service fee I have paid.


    Moreover, I am deeply dissatisfied with the facilities and overall customer experience during my visits to your office. The absence of bathroom facilities and the extensive wait times only compound my frustration with the level of service provided.


    In light of these issues, I have lost confidence in Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.  and no longer wish to avail of your services. I totally understand that you work only for particular community so I request a full refund of the service fee I have paid. I urge you to take immediate action to address these concerns and provide a resolution.


    I expect a prompt response to this email, acknowledging receipt and outlining the steps you will take to rectify the situation. If no satisfactory resolution is provided within a reasonable timeframe, I will have no choice but to escalate this matter further.

    Sincerely,

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

    Business Response

    Date: 05/02/2024

    Good afternoon,
    We extended an offer to include additional information in the client's evaluation, but regrettably, he declined, expressing a desire to alter the outcome, which contradicts our professional standards. Clients rely on our expertise for an unbiased assessment of their studies, and it's essential to uphold this integrity.
    Despite our thorough explanation, the client remains adamant in his refusal to accept the evaluation. Additionally, he persists in filing complaints with the BBB and posting numerous negative reviews on Google.
    Nevertheless, our professional opinion of his studies remains unchanged. Regardless of his ongoing complaints, our stance remains consistent.
    We consider this response to be our final communication regarding his complaint, given the nature of his continued actions, which we now perceive as harassment.
    Best regards,
    ***********************

    Customer Answer

    Date: 05/10/2024

     
    Complaint: 21641522

    I understand that mistakes happen, but it is crucial for businesses to take responsibility for their errors and make amends. Unfortunately, I did not receive any acknowledgment or apology for the inconvenience caused.I have a proof for that.

    As a paying customer,I have the right to express my honest opinion about the service I received. Despite the disagreement on whether mistakes were made, it is my prerogative to share my experience through a ****** review. believe it's essential for businesses to be aware of customer feedback, even if they disagree with it. My review will reflect my personal experience and satisfaction level with your service provided. I do not have a time for this . i waist for most of  my time and money for your service . To be honest i got bad service .  carry on .Grab it .I wish you all the best for your Business.

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:04/09/2024

    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.
    Due to the fact that they are one of the only remaining approved vendors for the ************* ***** of ******* customer service does not need to be a priority and therefore isn't. I paid over $500 for a course-by-course evaluation. The final report compiled by Josef and Silny contained inaccuracies. I informed Josef and Silny and the response I received was it was no longer their issue as they already submitted a report to the board on my behalf, and I would have to work with the school to have it corrected. I did all the legwork for the correction (although Josef had already been paid to do it) and Josef's response was that they wanted a new chart completed by my institution (not a small feat). My institution instead submitted an official letter on institution letterhead to present to the board for approval. Months later and Josef and Silny has yet to submit to the board. The board will not receive documentation from anyone else. Trying to get through to anyone on the phone is next to impossible. Communication via email has its limitations and has gotten me nowhere over the last several months. This has been ongoing since 11/2023 and I have been unable to receive my compact RN license as a result.

    Business Response

    Date: 04/09/2024

    In order to complete evaluation reports for nursing licensing purposes for the ************************, we must receive a nursing chart completed by the institution where the applicant completed his or her study among other requirements. In the case of ************** evaluation, we received the nursing chart which we included as an attachment. ************** educational institution wrote Spanish as the language of instruction. Since ************** completed her undergraduate study in ***********, it is logical that the language of instruction would be Spanish. Furthermore, since we must attach the nursing chart completed by the institution to the report that is sent to the board, we must adhere to the information contained therein.

    When ************* contacted us with her concerns about the language of instruction, we let her know that we would need a revised nursing chart directly from her institution to revise the report. We sent our response on February 14, 2024,but we still have NOT received the revised chart from her school. Since, as we stated previously, a photocopy of the chart will be included with the report,the revised chart is necessary to complete the revision.  Once we receive the information that we require from the University we will revise the evaluation and send to the Board.
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:02/22/2024

    Type:Order 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.
    In December 2023, I contracted the services of Josef Silny where later, both my college and my professional entity sent their respective documents necessary for my validation process. However, after two months, where the documents were sent again, the institute did not complete the process. There are no pending documents or financial issues in this regard. And by no means is the case concluded.

    Business Response

    Date: 02/22/2024

    Dear ************,

    As stated in the application you read and signed, our standard evaluation processing time is 20 business days from the receipt of all necessary fees, information, documentation, and verifications.

    I am pleased to inform you that we received verification of your academic credentials on February 15th. Based on our standard processing time, your service is scheduled to be completed on March 14th. However, as a gesture of goodwill, we will aim to finalize it by March 7th, provided no additional information is required.

    It's important to note that should we encounter any discrepancies or require further research during the evaluation process, including correspondence with institutions attended or foreign nursing boards, the completion of the report may be delayed.

    Should you have any questions or require further assistance,please do not hesitate to contact us.

    Best Regards, 

    *****************************
    Senior International Education Consultant
    Josef Silny and Associates,Inc

     

     

     

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:12/12/2023

    Type:Service or Repair 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.
    I used their services to change my RN nursing license to multistate in *****. They did a credentialing review of my ******** nursing schooling to make sure it was equivalent to US nursing education. I got my multistate license in ***** after they sent the finished credential report that cost me $400 USD. Now 2 years later I need the credential report that they already completed for me sent to another board of nursing (******). The needs to be sent directly from them or the board of nursing will not accept it. The credentialing report is already paid for by me and completed by then in 2021 and is in their files. They are telling me that just to email this out to the *********************** that I will have to pay them $400 again. That seems completely unreasonable to me since its already completed and paid for. All they need to do is email it out to them. This is not ok since I spent a lot of money to have this completed in 2021 and I am trying to start a job as a nurse to help people. This is causing me a lot of stress and upset.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/13/2023

    CES evaluation that I paid for in 2021

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/13/2023

    CES evaluation that I paid for in 2021

    Business Response

    Date: 12/13/2023

    ************************** had an evaluation completed in 2021 for the ************* of Texas. She now wants to have an evaluation done for another state. Each state requires a different format and different charts, we also have to verify documents again afetr one year as per the Boards. Therefore we will not send out the evaluation done for ***** to another Board. If she would like to pay for an additonal report to go to her, she is more than welcome to do so, the report will not be accepted by another Board.

    We regret she is not happy with the requirement, but this is clearly stated on our application form. If she is not happy with our services, she is welcome to go to another evaluation service. Please find the information clearly stated on our application:

    COST OF EVALUATIONS
    1. Nursing Course-by-Course **** $400 (Licensure only). The cost for each additional state board is $400
    2. 10-Working Days Evaluation Report - U.S.$100 in addition to the basic fee
    3. Re-evaluation - Re-evaluations based on documents not submitted with the original request are considered new evaluations and a second payment of the basic fee $400 is required.
     4. Change of state board of nursing - If the academic credentials have not been received, the fee is U.S. $100. Once the academic credentials have been received, the fee is **** $400.
     5.Extra evaluation reports - Additional original evaluation reports requested at the time of evaluation cost $20 each. Each evaluation report requested after the evaluation has been completed costs $30 (evaluations may be available only within 3 years of the original date of issuance). Please add $5 to the cost of each report that you wish to be mailed to you in a specially sealed JS&A envelope.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/13/2023

     
    Complaint: 20997389

    I am rejecting this response because:
    I understand that they have to verify a my license etc in ***** and resend the report they created in 2021 but this should not cost $400 again to do so. I would be willing to pay $50-$100 but it is completely unreasonable to ask someone to repay $400 for this. Especially in a time of inflation etc. Im trying to help this country by taking care of people as a nurse and it shouldnt be this hard. If they type in my license number under the *********** of nursing they will see it is in good standing. This can be all verified online, no fee required. Also, I am very aware I can go to another credentialing agency but why would I do that when I already paid you $400 to generate my report. You are well aware if I went to another company I would have to start from scratch.  

    Sincerely,

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

    Business Response

    Date: 12/13/2023

    The information was clearly given to the client, and she read and signed the application with that information. This is our fee. Every other client pays for this service. I don't see why she would be different. Our prices are very reasonable in comparison, and we are very well known and accepted throughout the industry.

    Regards,

     

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

     

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/13/2023

     
    Complaint: 20997389

    I am rejecting this response because: I would like a breakdown of what the ADDITIONAL $400 is for. I know what the first $400 was for that I paid to them in 2021 but I would like to know why they need another $400 to resend a document that was already completed by them in 2021 to an email address at a board of nursing. Please do not send the breakdown of what I already paid for in 2021, I want to know what the breakdown for you sending a completed document in an email.  I would send it myself since they provided me with a copy of it in 2021 but the board of nursing wants it directly sent from the credentialing agency. If they need $50 for their time and effort to upload it to an email and send it, I would gladly do that for them.

    The whole purpose of this credentialing report from them in 2021 was to determine if my nursing education in ****** is equivalent to the nursing education in the US. They already determined that in 2021 when they did the report. My education hasnt changed, I graduated in 2017, so theres no other reason why this would cost so much. As far as my nursing license, they can look it up online for free to see that it is within good standing. That does not cost anything. And thats not really their responsibility to do anyways, the state Im applying to will look that up and/or the company I work for will look it up. That being said its free to look up with my name and/or nursing license number, that does not cost money. So $400 makes no sense and is taking advantage of foreign people.

    This all comes down to this company working mainly with foreign people like myself and trying to take advantage of us and force our hand to pay these expensive fees because they know we dont have any other options and think we will just pay it to be done with it. Then this company capitalizes on it. 

    BOTTOM LINE: this service to send out an additional (already completed and paid for service) should not cost another $400 and they know that.

    I will definitely be writing a review on the company and will not be recommending them to any of my ******** former classmates, nurse friends or colleagues .  

     

     

     

    The purpose of this review from 

    Sincerely,

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

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/13/2023

    I really believe this company is charging extra just to capitalize.  Just to email a copy of a document that was already completed and paid for in 2021, shouldnt be $400. They are taking advantage of their customers especially since we are foreigners for the most part.  
  • Initial Complaint

    Date:10/13/2023

    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.
    Dear all, I would like to file a claim against Josef and Silny part of the ***** as they didn't provide me with the adequate services and causes harm for my educational and future plan as I have deadlines to follow I ordered the evaluation for my International transcripts on the 25 September 2023 for a rush service, I paid in total 350$ for the evaluation to be done in 2 days, the result that they gave me was an associate degree, while my transcripts are evaluated by two other companies the **** Education Services and Spantran as a bachelor degree they are part of the *****, I asked them to review my transcripts they mentioned that my five years studies are equivalent an associate degree and my institution is not accredited which is not true, Besides my friend ( I provided his name to J&S) had Josef and Silny to do his evaluation with the same transcripts as mine and same institution they gave him a bachelor degree their response was that it was from 2008 and they are unable to review files, which is not my problem. They mentioned that nothing is wrong and they can not do anything, which I am 100% sure that they provided me with the wrong evaluation.Kindly I need them to do a total refund besides considerations and correcting the mistake they have done and provide me with the correct evaluation

    Business Response

    Date: 10/16/2023

    Dear Helou,
    I have currently reviewed your file.

    We have received the following credentials which you listed on your application form:
    Higher Technical Diploma (Technique Superieur **)
    Technical License Diploma (LT)

    In order to be admitted into the ** ******* in *******, applicants must have the ******** Baccalaureate.  The ** is a two-year *******.  It corresponds to the ** Associates degree. 
    In order to be admitted into the LT ******* in *******, applicants must have the ** certificate.  The LT ******* is a one-year ******* after the **.  It corresponds to one year of undergraduate study in *****************.

    Both of your diplomas, combined, in *****************,correspond to the degree of Associate in Science in Optometry and completion of one additional year of study in Optometry at an accredited post-secondary vocational institution in *****************.

    We regret to hear that you are not pleased with our conclusions.  However, based on the information above and the evaluation guidelines of NACES ********************* of Credentials Evaluation Services),they are accurate and will not be changed.  If other evaluation companies have different opinions, you are welcome to use their reports.   

    We wish you the best,
    *************************
    Senior Foreign Credentials Evaluator/Assistant Director of Corporate Relations
    Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
    International Education Consultants
    ******************************************
    Phone: ************
    Fax: *************
    www.jsilny.org

    Customer Answer

    Date: 10/16/2023

    Dear all,

    I Hope my email finds you well, I have been back and forth  discussing this issue with Josef and ****** that my transcripts are 5 YEARS in total 3 years for TS **** till **** and TWO YEARS LT **** till **** , two official exams done at the end of each cycle **** at the end of   TS  ,and **** at the end of LT. ******* my institute is accredited it is a public institute, and I have submitted the transcripts of my 5 years studies to J&S.I  am not sure if the curriculum have been changed nowadays, but at the time I achieved my studies it was a  full 5 years curriculum,  please check at that time and verify from the institute the length of the program during THAT PERIOD because your information is not accurate. ******* I have two other evaluations from companies recognised by NACES, and another evidence from a friend with the same transcripts and same institution you gave him a bachelor as evaluation. I AM NOT STATISFIED AT ALL WITH THE RESULTS AND I NEED FURTHER ACTIONS REGARDJNG MY ISSUE YOUR ARE WASTING MY TIME AND MONEY.

    THANK YOU

    Business Response

    Date: 11/01/2023

    Dear ********,

     

    Thank you for calling me this morning and allowing me to explain a little further what we do. I reviewed the evaluation that we completed for ************** and the response.  She believes that her studies were all university level and that they are 5 years in length. We gave her the equivalency of an associate degree based on her study at a post-secondary vocational institute.

     

    ************** does not have a four-year university level degree; therefore, we could not equate to a bachelor's degree.

     

    I believe she may be confused about the type of institution and the numbers of years of her plan.

     

    It is not under the supervision of the Directorate General of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of *******.

     

    I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

     

    Thank you

     

     

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

    Vice President

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/01/2023

     
    Complaint: 20733977

    I am rejecting this response because:

    Sincerely,

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

     As I explained before,

    I hope my email finds you well. I have been back and forth discussing this issue with Josef and ****** My transcripts are 5 years in total, 3 years for TS ******** and TWO YEARS LT ********, with two official exams done at the end of each cycle: **** at the end of TS and **** at the end of LT. ******** my institute is accredited; it is a public institute, and I have submitted the transcripts of my 5-year studies to J&S.I  am not sure if the curriculum has changed nowadays, but at the time I achieved my studies, it was a full 5-year curriculum. Please check at that time and verify from the institute the length of the program during that period because your information is not accurate. ******** I have two other evaluations from companies recognized by NACES, and another piece of evidence from a friend with the same transcripts and the same institution for which you gave him a bachelor's degree. I AM NOT STATISFIED AT ALL WITH THE RESULTS, AND I NEED FURTHER ACTIONS REGARDING MY ISSUE. YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME AND MONEY.

    This is totally unacceptable business decision, They threatened my educational plan, which is the most harmful part  due to their wrongful assumption. I am committed to pursuing my rights and will not relent until my educational plan is secured and protected from unwarranted threats and my money is back.


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