ComplaintsforAshland Educational Services of Illinois

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I sent my original diplomas and all the fees that they requested for credential evaluation. They lost my original documents . They didn t do the credential evaluation. They refuse to be responsible for my lost documents. They took my money , lost my original documents. They refuse to pay for the damages . This is a scam company !!!!

  Business response

  04/05/2024

   

  Dear BBB Staff,
  On March 6, 2023, the Ashland Educational Evaluator contacted by email message to Ms. ************ to inform her that after our routine research on her application, we had found irregularities and as per our accreditors and State regulators, we need further documentation and verification on her documents for the Illinois *********** of Education.
  
  This **** Credentials Evaluation was required to work in a School District in the State of Illinois.  As per our Ashland Educational Services Form AAF-1500 states when there are irregularities on the file and support documents, we need further research to support the **** application to be become a staff/faculty who will work with the children of State of Illinois.  As to the presence, her institution had failed to confirm the verification of the academic documents.
  The Ashland Form AAF-1500 contains private information on the applicant and the information on the applicant fraudlents documents. If it becomes necessary, we will be shared the outcome to **** staff or other authorities.
  On the signed Ashland Form AAF-1500 stated, no refund is due to the applicant, and we have the right to investigate and conduct additional research on her file.
  We are a non-for-profit community agency that has been working for the past 20 years helping foreign professionals to acquire the equivalency of their degree in the State of Illinois.
  Thank you,
  
  *****************, ******************* Officer ********************************************************************

  Customer response

  04/05/2024

   
  Complaint: 21534398
  
  I am rejecting this response because:ashland Educational services are withholding my original documents without my permission.  I need my original documents!!!!

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

  Business response

  04/08/2024

  Dear Ms. ************ and BBB Reprentative,

  
  My name is *************************** and I was asked by Ashland Educational Services of the State of Illinois to investigate the BBB complain and yours.
  Would you please forward a government issued id and the address that you provided to the Illinois *********** of ******** (****) to obtain IEIN 135-6800?

  When an **** Appplicant open an ELIS account and the **** assigned IEIN, the applicant agrees to provide documents that they can be verified by approved **** agencies such as Ashland Educational Services.  

  Thank you,
  
  
  *******************************, Educational Credentials Investigator
  Ashland Educational Services of Illinois
  Website: www.AshlandEducationalServices.com
  Email address: [email protected]
  A community agency to assist foreign professionals within the domain of our state regulators and accreditors.

  Customer response

  04/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 21534398
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Ashland education services is a scam company . They took my money . Never provided the credential evaluation to state board of education . Ashland educational services lost my original documents . Basically I paid paid them money for a service they never completed plus lost my original documentation. They deny to provide me with the tracking number of the documents that they claim they mailed with ***** Which means that either they lost my documents or they r withholding my documents against my will . 
  Sincerely,
  
  ************

  Business response

  04/15/2024

  BBB Reference No.: 6466122474CDA
  April 15, 2024
  
  Dear BBB Representative,
  
  Ashland Educational Services is a not-for-profit agency in Illinois that provides credential evaluation services to foreign professionals.  
  
  Ms. ************ applied to Ashland Educational Services on January 15, 2023, and she completed a three-page form. Accompanying this letter, you will find Ashland Form AAF-1500 for your further review.
  
  On page 3, under the Legal Terms and Conditions, it stated the following:
  
  Item 2. The cost of the Illinois *********** of ********* (****) Credentials Evaluation is $159
  
  Item 4. The translation fee of $30 per page 
  
  Item 5. No Refund
  
  Item 7. We are not liable for damage or lost originals.
  
  Item 8. We have the right to request additional information from the applicant's institution.
  
  Item 9. We will verify the authenticity of the original documents.
  
  Item 14. We report any fraudulent documents to the **** and other agencies.
  
  The applicant signed the Ashland Form AAF-1500 electronically, and she emailed us. It contains the Confidentiality Notice. We stated the following message as part of each email message:
  
  "We verify every official transcript (s) submitted by the applicant's institution(s). This process may take longer than our usual standard time of preparing the credentials evaluation. When it has been determined that documents submitted for evaluation or translation were forged or altered in any way, neither an evaluation report nor translation will be prepared. No fee refund will be issued. Phone voice recording is only allowed with our agency's prior written permission. So that you know, all communication needs to be by email message only."
  
  
  
  On January 25, she paid the required fee of $159, and we acknowledged the payment. Although, she requested our ********** checking account number and routing number. She made the payment using our Zelle account.  Our Zelle account is: **************************************************************************
  
  On February 2, she mailed us the documents for further review and verification, and she acknowledged that the documents needed to be translated from ******** to English.
  
  On February 20, the applicant mailed us when the evaluation was done. However, it takes 22 days to complete the **** Credentials Evaluation after all the documents are received at the agency. It is stated in the Ashland Form 1000 pg 3turnout Time section.
  
  On March 2 at 12:23 p.m. EST, we notified the applicant that we had found irregularities in the documents and that she needed to refer to the Ashland Form AAF-1000.
  
  On March 20, 2023. We notified that we were closed in observance of the Presidents' Day.
  
  We started an inquiry on her documents by contacting her institution in *********, *******.
  
  The inquiry is still in process.

  Respectfully yours,

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

  Chief International Officer

  Ashland Educational Services

  Customer response

  04/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 21534398
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ************

• Initial Complaint

  02/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I contacted Ashland Educational services to ask for an ISBE credit evaluation so that I can obtain employment in a school. They stated their services and had me complete and payment which I completed. The cost was $179 for the Evaluation and $35 for the translation. After a couple of weeks of no interaction I emailed for an update and was told my Evaluation would be sent straight to ISBE and to provide the email which I did. After a few weeks of calling ISBE to verified if my evaluation was received with no luck I called AES again and that time they told me the evaluation was being sent to my house. After another few weeks of waiting for the Evaluation to be delivered to my house I contacted AES once again, this time they are telling me that I have to pay other costs that 1. Are not listed in their application/legal terms 2. That are contradictory to what I have already paid for. I have been contacting them with proof of payment and the legal terms they provided an I have yet to receive a response. To add on, the company asks for your Original Transcript with a $29 fee to return fee which has now also changed in amount per the company to $49 when it is clearly stated as $29 in the legal terms. I really need this evaluation to be able to get this job and it is very unfair that they explained and presented the service one way and now they are adding additional fees. I would really appreciate this being resolved with my Evaluation and my Original document returned but if they are not willing to complete the service which they offer and I have paid for, then please reimburse me my money so that I can look elsewhere. I will attach all communication with AES. I have tried contacting them via phone (early/late) and there is never an answer.

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