Current Alerts For This Business
BBB has received a pattern of consumer complaints alleging the following: consumers allege that they are unable to reach customer service in a timely manner via chat, email or by phone. Many allege they are being locked out of the system by the biometrics security system. These same consumers can't reach anyone in customer service to rectify issues which have caused them to not finish the program within the designated time frame.
On February 21, 2023, BBB submitted a written request to the company encouraging them to address the pattern of complaints. The business responded with the following:
We take this feedback very seriously and you have our full cooperation to address and eliminate the patterns of complaints. In addition to various steps we have already taken to improve customer satisfaction, we are actively working to implement the following solutions to eliminate these patterns of complaint:
1. Improving customer instructions on how to use the biometric security systems, focusing on common problems and offering video-based tutorials. To start, we have enhanced our frequently asked questions (https://www.newyorksafetycouncil.com/defensive-driving-faqs/) and in-course documentation so that customers may self-service through online support.
2. Engineering a solution to automatically unlock a customer’s course after they fail the regulatory biometric security requirements. As their top priority, our technology team is developing a solution to automatically restart a customer’s course if they fail to secure successful biometric identity verification after the number of attempts established by the regulatory authority. This means customers will not be required to contact our customer care team if they are locked out of their course due to biometric security failure.
3. Finally, with respect to longer than expected response times, we are actively staffing up to reduce our hold times across phone, chat, and email in response to spikes in volume. We have hired six full-time customer care agents, with three having started employment in late February, and three more starting March 6.
We are committed to implement the steps above, many of which are being worked on by our technology team now, as well as any additional steps needed to eliminate these patterns of complaint so that we can improve customer satisfaction.
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Complaint Details
Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.
Initial Complaint
06/24/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
We paid for and logged in for a learner permit test. Once you log in it goes to a web test page and doesnt let you go any further. Went to the chat I exsplained the issue, they said sorry failed no refund allowed. My son never got to even see the first test question. The person on chat quickly closed out and we can not get ahold of anyone. Im going to my bank to file fraud charges. Have to get a new bank card. They website has taken over my computer and I now have a virus cant do anything on it with out the web test page popping up. Please help me. I have screen shots if you need them. I did not get the last resonse due to them closing out the chat convo very quickly.
Business response
06/30/2024
Hello *****************************,
I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration you have experienced with our learner permit test service. This is not the experience we aim to provide, and I am truly sorry for the trouble it has caused you and your son.
To address your concerns:We take technical problems very seriously. Our IT team will investigate the issue with the test page immediately. If your computer has been affected by a virus, we recommend running a reliable antivirus program and can offer guidance if needed. Please note that the online permit exam is provided and completed directly on the FL ********** of ***** Vehicles system. Therefore, we have limited information regarding failed attempts. Such failures can result from moving away from the testing screen, disruptions like virus scans, incoming phone calls, text messages, or not completing the course within the allotted 60 minutes.
Customer **********************: It is unacceptable that your chat conversation was closed prematurely and that you did not receive the necessary assistance. We are reviewing this interaction to understand what went wrong and to ensure it does not happen again.Given the circumstances, we might be able to make an exception to our refund policy. Please provide your transaction details so we can process the refund promptly.
Please email us at ************************** with your order ID number or registered email address and customer full name. Our team will prioritize your case to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
Once again, I deeply apologize for the inconvenience. We value your feedback and are committed to making things right.
Initial Complaint
06/18/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I've used this company a few years ago and had no issues. Recently, I attempted to take the course again for insurance reduction. I paid $25 in June of 2024 to take the driver safety course. After paying the fee, I found out the course has changed significantly and is much worse than it used to be. After spending about 4 hours on the course, it locked me out and would not allow me to continue saying I need to re-pay. I attempted to contact customer ********************** and was unable to get a resolution. A complete scam.Business response
06/23/2024
Hello *************************,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback on our online course. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment you may have experienced.
We strive to offer high-quality educational content, and we regret that your experience did not meet your expectations. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we are committed to using it to make necessary improvements. Unfortunately, the state has made changes which we are under contract as an approved provider to implement. We do understand how inconvenient these changes can be, however we are here to make the transition easier for our students. In these attempts, we can offer a promotional code to re-register for free. Please feel free to contact us at **************************, if you would like to proceed with this offer.Thanks!
Business response
07/04/2024
Hello *******,
ChatGPT
Thank you for contacting us. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Unfortunately, according to our company policy, you are not eligible for a refund. Your course access was locked due to security questions validation, a requirement clearly outlined on our website during registration and within the course materials before access.
As a one-time courtesy, we have provided a redemption code (GPCEAA46D6) so you can register for a new course without payment.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any further concerns or questions. We are here to assist you.Initial Complaint
06/18/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
On 6/17/2024 my disabled child took an online course for her learners permit as recommended by our local ***. My child passed the course within 23 of the allotted 60 minutes. She was led to a screen that showed time elapsed, time left of the required 60 minutes and her passing score. There was no countdown timer, no instructions, just a FINISH button. Due to her autisim, she looked for next steps to take. There was no warning saying dont click the finish buttonnothing telling her how long she must stay on this screen. She clicked the button and was immediately failed. She was failed because of deceptive practices. There is nothing on this screen, no countdown timer stating you still have time you must spend in the test, warning saying dont click the button or well fail you and keep your money. Why have the button there? So people will make a mistake and you can keep their money AND fail them. My child is 15 years old and disabled and fell victim to unfair and DECEPTIVE PRACTICES. This company is deceiving people with their tricks and button clicks. I was told we will not be getting a refund of my childs hard earned money. She will have to make a whole new account, retake the test and repay money. Save yourself the hassle & read reviews! We should have never done business with them and I am appalled that the *** would recommend such a poorly rated companyBusiness response
06/23/2024
Hello ***************************,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback on our online course. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment you may have experienced.
We strive to offer high-quality educational content, and we regret that your experience did not meet your expectations. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we are committed to using it to make necessary improvements. We do apologize for this inconvenience this has caused. After reviewing the account, It does appear that the course has been refunded. You can certainly speak with the *** in regard to why the course was marked as failed or unsuccessful, as it is provided through their portal, however we unfortunately cannot see the reason. Please let us know if there is anything else we can assist you with!Business response
07/04/2024
Hello ********,
Thank you for reaching out to us. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Your refund was processed on 6/21/2024. If you have not yet seen it in your account, we recommend contacting your bank for further assistance.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions or concerns. We are here to help.PS
Credit Card Credit Authorization ID **********************
Initial Complaint
06/15/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I ordered this course online..I paid the ***** got blocked after the 3rd wrong answerthey dont tell you in the beginning that you can get unlimited answers for an additional 2.99 until you fail and have to repay them, they throw all this other stuff at you to add on but not the most important thingthats a scam!! Customer ********************** is a joke they just tell you reorder the course.I can see going back to the beginning of the course but NOT REPAYING FOR IT!!!! And not hold back the fact you can get the unlimited answers until after you failthats not fair and its not right, you should be given the choice to go back to the parts you failed in and be able to reread what you missedIm not the only person that feels like they were scammed out of my hard earned money by a bunch of con artists!!!Business response
06/16/2024
Hello ***********************,
We'd like to extend our sincere apologies for any confusion and inconvenience you may have encountered during this process. It's important to be aware that while our course is structured to align with state standards, failing a module quiz three times unfortunately results in disqualification from the course. This essential information is prominently featured within the course materials to serve as a reminder, and it is also accessible on our course website, ensuring that prospective students are well-informed about the prerequisites before enrolling.
It's worth noting that one of our primary goals, as an approved course provider, is to maintain compliance with State regulations governing course providers. One of these requirements involves the validation of student participation, and in cases of failure to meet these criteria, students must be excluded from the course to adhere to regulatory standards.
I am so very sorry for the confusion. Our premier pass service does not allow unlimited attempts but allows you to retake the course over for free. At this time, we can re-issue the course for no additional fee so you can retake it, however we will not be able to unlock the course.Thanks!
Customer response
06/16/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. But they DONT TELL YOU IF YOU FAIL YOU HAVE TO REPAY FOR THE COURSE. ITS NOT ON THE WEBSITE UNTI AFTER YOU PAY, ILL ACCEPT THEM LETTING ME TAKE THE COURSE AGAIN, BUT ITS ONLY ITS ONLY BECAUSE YOU GOT INVOLVED THEY OFFERED TO DO THIS. YOU SHOULD REALLY LOOK INTO THIS COMPANY
Sincerely,
***********************Initial Complaint
06/11/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I used them for a defensive driving course that cost $20. No problem - reasonable amount to charge. Where the problem comes in is that if you want an electronic download IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, they charge you an additional $12 for the **** Nowhere on their site does it state that there would be an additional charge for a pdf. Many other vendors for this program do not charge for a pdf, or if they do, they disclose it PRIOR to you purchasing the course. Had this been disclosed to me prior to the purchase option, I would have never used this vendor. I am requesting a reimbursement for $12 that it cost me for a pdf. A 6-hour course costs $20 but a f***ing pdf download that costs nothing to make is $12??? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!! To anyone looking at this vendor - stay away from them! Use someone like AAA instead. ****** learned! I wish I could leave them a 1-star review on ******** HORENDOUS!Business response
06/16/2024
Hello *****************************,
We are so sorry about your exigence with receiving the certificate of completion. We do offer a free digital download option after 7 days of the completion, however the option to get this certificate faster is available as an upcharge. This information is provided on the website ****************************************************************************************************************** before registering in the FAQs. I do apologize for this inconvenience, however anything that is provided faster than the original way will be an upcharge fee since it is considered an expedite.
Please let me know if there was anything else we can assist you with!
Thanks!
Initial Complaint
06/05/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
On 6/4/24 I paid $28.95 for an online driver's license test for my son's learners permit. After I paid and he went to take the test it said test could not be taken right now because of changes in Florida's requirements. I should have been made aware of this before I paid.Business response
06/07/2024
Hello
Thank you for contacting us! We are so sorry for this inconvenience. After reviewing your sons accounts. it appears that Milan took the permit exam previously on 2/15/2024 at 9:06 PM and passed with a 100%. This has already been reported to the *** with reporting number S06454933. I also see that he completed the required Traffic Law and ************************* (TLSAE) Course as well, back on 1/19/2024. This was also reported to the *** with reporting number ********. At this time, the customer does not have any additional requirements needed from us. I will go ahead and provide a refund for the exam purchased on 6/4/2024 at 4:28:17 PM, and should return back into your account within 3-5 business days.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our escalations team directly at **************************!
Thanks!
Initial Complaint
05/27/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I bought a defensive driving courseon day 2 I was blocked from the class.when I called customer ********************** and emailed them I was told my course could not be unblocked and no refund would be issued..Business response
06/07/2024
Hello *************************,
We are so sorry to hear that you were frustrated with your course experience. We would like to thank you for your feedback as we are always looking to improve the experience for our users, and really appreciate your time. For the specific program you took, at the beginning of the course a set of "personal validation questions" are asked in order to create an answer key for the student. The student's responses are saved in a database, and the questions are later asked at random as the course progresses.
The intention of this practice is that the proper student participating in the course will know their own answers (as they created their own self-assessment answer key), and should be able to correctly validate. It is possible that if a student did not carefully read the initial questions or carefully select their answer, the original responses saved may not be in line with the student's actual self-assessment causing them to get future questions "wrong", though this depends on the student's engagement and it is not a bug with the course. It is true that students whom are unable to successfully validate after several attempts will be excluded from the course and need to re-register.
One of our objectives, as an approved course provider, is to remain compliant with State regulations for course providers. In part, one of the requirements is validating student participation, and upon failure, students must be excluded. After reviewing your account, I see that you were provided a courtesy promotional code to re-register for free. I see this course was completed on 5/27/2024.If you have any additional questions or complaints, please feel free to contact our escalations team at **************************!
Thanks!
Customer response
06/08/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*************************Initial Complaint
05/22/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I purchased the course around May 20 2024. I completed the Pre-licensing course got to the end where it says course completed and when I hit dashboard to view the home page it says error.We are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Our support teams are aware and working on speedy resolution. Please check back in 24 hours by logging back into your account. We apologize for any inconvenience.An error occurred during the completion request to generate the course certificate for OrderDetailId: ********** with message: Failed to report. If you do not see an additional message with a corrective action to complete, please contact technical support for further assistance.I contacted support, live agent, and haven't been able to get through. All I need is for the course to be electronically submitted to the *** so I can schedule my road test. Every time I go on *** website it says no online information found please enter pre-licensing course number. I have been on the page on many devices and all I see is the error page at processing failed. Please rectify immediately as I have purchased a Tesla and can't even send in my registration information since I need to do it with a license. ***** is giving me a deadline of 14 days to upload my interim license or they will cancel my order and I am unable to do that if my pre licensing course isn't submitted to *** in time for me to schedule my road test.Business response
06/02/2024
Hello Abedin ******,
We are so sorry for the difficulties you experienced after completing the course! After reviewing your course completion, it does appear that your course was finalized, and the reporting was successful. An email with the confirmation should have been sent when the processing went through. Please contact us if you have any additional questions or concerns!
Thanks!
Initial Complaint
05/20/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
5.20.24 Paid for Exam for *******'s permit for my daughter and she took the exam and stated that it passed and then did not get any info back or confirmation or anything. The dash board stated that the exam was still in progress and would not complete out. I reached out to chat customer **********************. Chatted with **** first who was a joke. He was so rude and just was not interested in doing anything. Then he stated that it was a fail and that would have to pay again to have exam taken again. I asked him why did it say that it was a pass. Only one question missed and now he is saying it was a fail. He stated just pay again.I ended that chat and tried to get another ****************** another joke. Stated Congrats passed go to ***. I told him that the Dash stated test still in progress then he was like ooooo well I guess she failed and would have to pay again to take the test again. A money grab scam tactic. He stated it was a glitch with the new *** process and when I ask why would I have to pay again if he keeps saying its a glitch with the system. He got short and stated you will just have to pay again. I can't believe this is the service that the *** depends on. On ******** page many bad reviews and complaints about the same thingBusiness response
06/02/2024
Good morning, *********************************!
I am so very sorry for the experience you received. We will start a full investigation and address this customer ********************** received. One of our biggest priorities is customer satisfaction, and I'm sincerely sorry we fell short of that during your time reaching out via chat.
I was able to review the permit exam account and I see that it was never completed and has not since expired. ***** has completed the drug and alcohol course with a 90%, which might be what you are seeing.
I would be happy to provide you a promotional code for ***** to retake the permit exam for free, if you would like. Please contact us directly at **************************, if you would like to proceed with this offer.
Thanks!
Initial Complaint
05/20/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Purchased a New York DMV Approved Defensive Driving Course. Timed out due to external circumstances on multiple occasions during these security prompts. About 4/5ths of the way through the course too. I am requesting for the course to be reopened as this entire operation seems like a way for people to make money through scamming others. It is ridiculous that we have to repay for the entire course and sit through the entire thing again. It was not emphasized that security attempts would max out at any point during the course, and leaves me with the impression that this is a predatory business scheme.Business response
06/02/2024
Hello ***********************,
I genuinely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and I'm here to provide any further assistance you may need!
For the specific program you took, at the beginning of the course a set of "personal validation questions" are asked in order to create an answer key for the student. Student's responses are saved in a database, and the questions are later asked at random as the course progresses.
The intention of this practice is that the proper student participating in the course will know their own answers (as they created their own self-assessment answer key) and should be able to correctly validate. It is possible that if a student did not carefully read the initial questions or carefully select their answer, the original responses saved may not be in line with the student's actual self-assessment causing them to get future questions "wrong", though this depends on the student's engagement, and it is not a bug with the course. It is true that students who are unable to successfully validate after several attempts will be excluded from the course and need to re-register.
One of our objectives, as an approved course provider, is to remain compliant with State regulations for course providers. In part, one of the requirements is validating student participation, and upon failure, students must be excluded. We are confident that the course is functioning properly. Due to the inconvenience this has caused, I have provided a one-time courtesy unlock due to a technical issue. Please log in and complete the course before 6/17/24, 4:17 PM EST.If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact us directly at **************************!
Thanks!
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Customer Complaints Summary
554 total complaints in the last 3 years.
125 complaints closed in the last 12 months.