Complaints

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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/03/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  On Jan 20th 2024 I paid a testing fee of $199 to this company after being awarded a "scholarship" for an IT certificate program. It wasn't even good for a year, expiring Dec 10th, 2024. It was not made clear anywhere this "scholarship" was only good for one specific certificate and that the certificate was practically worthless for anything, with the ad language stating this would be as respected as their ANSI certs like CEH and CHFI. After weeks of emailing, because they have no phone number to call, all I get is the same reply over and over again about their strict no refund policy. The more I deal with them, the more I am convinced they are not a reputable business or even based in the US. I believe they are based entirely in India, and their whole goal is to certify Indians for H1B visas to other countries. I didn't research them first because they were on a recommended list from my university. They have fraudulently basically stolen my money since I paid them with certain expectations as to what I was getting and they were not clear on what they were providing with the "scholarship". I exchanged messages for weeks, each time with a new agent, detailing how either the access wasn't working for the course or how my login details didn't work. After a little digging I discovered that they have numerous complaints against them for similar issues. This is a scam and they do not deserve a B+ rating from the BBB. I want a full refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/09/2025

  I apologize that EC-Council fell short of the complainant's expectation. The popup which he signed up for (attached) very clearly depicted that the scholarship was the Cyber Security Technician (C|CT) Scholarship Program. When he clicked on the popup, he was taken to a dedicated web page on the EC-Council website where the entire program was explained. It was on that page that the complainant filled out the scholarship program inquiry form. The website stated that the program was valid for 1 year (See image 1 from website FAQ). The attached receipt depicts that the complainant signed up for the CCT scholarship program on 12/11/2023, and the attached email from 01/10/2024 depicts the complainant confirming that he is aware that the program is CCT and asking when the program expires. EC-Council's prompt helpdesk response on the same day, 01/10/2024 is also included confirming that the program expired 12/10/2024.
  
  The EC-Council Help Desk (HD) has provided me with all HD correspondence from the complainant and none contain the complainant requesting a refund. I emailed the complainant requesting copies of any refund request emails so I could validate his claims, and improve EC-Council's communication where necessary, and didn't receive a response back.
  
  Now that the program is expired the complainant has reach out to BBB to demand a refund. If the complainant needed more time, EC-Council would have been happy to extend it. This BBB complaint is the first request for a refund that I can locate, but nonetheless, I have authorized a refund, and it was executed yesterday.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/06/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 writing to file a formal complaint against EC Council regarding an incomplete delivery of services. On June 2024, I purchased a bundled certification package from EC Council for $999.00. This bundle was advertised to include both online training access and an examination voucher. While I have received access to the training platform, EC Council has failed to provide the examination voucher that was included in the purchase price. Over the past several months, I have made multiple attempts to resolve this issue by contacting various EC Council representatives, but my communications have not been properly addressed. The company's failure to deliver the complete product I paid for, combined with their lack of an appropriate response to my inquiries, constitutes a breach of our purchase agreement. I am requesting either: Immediate delivery of the examination voucher as originally promised or a complete refund for the entire bundle as the training is useless without the voucher. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/18/2024

  We have investigated the complainant's statement and found that in June of 2024 he purchased the Live CCISO Training Course from our location here in the USA. He then asked for a refund and notified his account rep that he intended to self study. We issued his refund. He then let his rep know that he was going to take advantage of an offer for the same program through EC-Council's international offices. He then came back to the US rep and purchased the book as it was not included in the program he purchased. In early December 2024,  the complainant contacted the US office asking for his exam, but the US rep explained that he needed to retrieve his exam from the office from which he purchased the exam. It is my understanding that there was confusion with the international support team regarding his exam eligibility. Before the issue was straighten out, the complainant came to the BBB. When I received ticket, I immediately worked with the US rep to understand the history, and then reached out to the EC-Council international support team and cleared up the confusion and his exam was delivered to him today and he responded, "Just received it thank you! This makes me feel much better. " I consider the complainant's response a confirmation that we solved his complaint.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/18/2024

  Complaint: ********
  

  I accept this resolution with the following comments:
  

  I wish to clarify several inaccuracies in EC-Council's response and provide a detailed timeline of events that demonstrates the persistent issues I encountered:

  The program I purchased was marketed simply as an EC-Council offering, not specifically as an international program. Before proceeding with this purchase, I specifically verified the offer's legitimacy with my EC-Council representative in New Mexico in June 2024. The representative confirmed the offer's validity and noted that technical support for the learning platform would come from their India offices - this was strictly regarding platform support, not exam voucher administration.

  The response mischaracterizes the sequence of events and nature of the problems I encountered:

  On August 15th, 2024, I contacted my US representative about the exam voucher. He stated it would be issued when I was ready to take the test. This directly contradicted the offer terms, which specified the voucher would be issued upon purchase.

  On August 26th, I reminded him that the voucher should have been included in my package. He provided support queue email addresses, but my inquiries to these addresses went unanswered.

  On November 27th, I reopened the issue and created a support ticket, only to be rerouted back to my US representative.

  On December 2nd, my US representative provided yet another set of email addresses to contact, none of which resolved the voucher issue.

  On December 3rd, I sent a formal demand letter to all parties I had been directed to, providing them an opportunity to resolve the matter before I escalated to outside parties such as the BBB or my credit card company.

  The fact that my voucher was only issued after filing a BBB complaint, and was delivered through their US operations, directly contradicts EC-Council's claim of separate US and International business operations. This demonstrates that their internal distinction between offices served only to delay resolution rather than reflect any genuine organizational separation.
  While I did politely acknowledge receipt of the voucher, this does not negate the months of runaround, conflicting information, and failure to honor the original terms of the offer. A simple 'thank you' for finally receiving what was contractually owed to me should not be misconstrued as satisfaction with EC-Council's handling of this matter.

  I find it particularly concerning that EC-Council's representative chose to report my brief acknowledgment of voucher receipt to the BBB as evidence of satisfaction with their response. I sent that quick acknowledgment simply because I did not have time for a comprehensive response at that moment. Using this out-of-context message to suggest resolution and satisfaction with their handling of this matter is misleading and further demonstrates their pattern of mischaracterizing customer interactions to minimize their service failures.

  Furthermore, my experience appears to be part of a concerning pattern. The Better Business Bureau website displays 15 public complaints about EC-Council, and public complaints typically represent only a fraction of total customer service issues. The consistent themes of poor communication, conflicting information, and delayed resolution suggest a systemic customer service deficiency that requires comprehensive reform. For an organization that positions itself as a leader in ethical cybersecurity certification, these persistent service issues significantly undermine their credibility and require immediate attention.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ********* *******

   

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/28/2024

  Type:Billing 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 did not authorize this payment of 599.00 that was withdrawn from my account on 10/26/2024. I do not use this service, they did not provide any notice or information regarding this withdraw. I hav e been trying to contact them and am not getting any response. Since this is not an authorized payment I want a refund for the amount that was taken. I logged on to the service and there is no way to stop or see any information on billing. I tried the chat box and this appears to be automated with no way to resolve the issue or see why or what I was charged for.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/29/2024

  This complainant contacted the help desk on 27th oct  22.00 hrs (IST) and the help desk responded at 12.15am ( abt 2 hrs from receipt). The program was cancelled and refunded. See attached correspondence. First email is complainant notifying the help desk of the charge. Second is of the help desk notifying complainant that it was a  subscription renewal, and complainant asking to cancel it and thanking the HD for the quick response. The third is of complainant confirming they can close the ticket and the fourth is the confirmation of the refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/16/2024

  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 have made several attempts to resolve this issue with EC-Council's support but each time a different person responds with no answer, only another general question. My Complaint is that I studied and paid for the v12 CEH exam but was given v13 without my knowledge. At checkout when I purchased the exam they withheld the version number, The majority of questions on the test were Ai technology related which, according to their website confirms v13 was the test I took. Ai technology is new technology not for the “seasoned pro’s” like v12. EC-Council switched to v13 Exam September 23rd but did not notify the test takers of the change. Their general response was I must not be experienced or they blame the curriculum. I have been in the industry for over 20yrs, few questions pertained to “experience” but v13 is all Ai “new technology”. I took the Sybex course which has been well known for many years and test takers gave it a 4.5 star review for study materiel on the v12 CEH exam, I was getting 100% on all the 850 test questions for v12. To resolve this I would simply like a refund for the $650 I paid for the v12 exam but never did received. You can visit their website to confirm v13 is all Ai and visit their Linkedin page to confirm they switched tests to v13 Sept 23rd, just 2 weeks before I took the test. I would also ask that they be upfront with the version test takers are paying for at time of purchase.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2024

  Unfortunately, the complainant is mistaken as there is no such thing as a version 13 exam. He is correct that the course and courseware (book) version changed, but he didn't purchase a course or courseware. Rather he applied to take the exam without a course or courseware. (Self-study)
  

  
  The complainant attempted the CEH exam on October 8, 2024, and failed with a score of 75 out of 125. The candidate contacted EC-Council's Customer Support team, expressing concerns about exam version mismatch. The team clarified that the exam is based on the exam blueprint i.e. version 5 and does not follow the courseware version.
  To clear up any confusion: EC-Council exams are ANSI accredited and per ANSI rules, exams cannot map to the courseware. Rather the exam is based on a blueprint approved by ANSI. The exam question writers are given the blueprint to work from, not the courseware. ANSI requires this to ensure that a person without the requisite knowledge won't be able to read the book and pass the exam.

  
  When the complainant saw that the new version courseware was released, he assumed that the exam changed, but again, the exam doesn't follow the courseware, and the courseware doesn’t follow the exam. In each new version of the courseware, tools may change, and new attack vectors may be introduced but the core content of the course doesn’t change. This allows the courseware to change multiple times between exam versions.
  

  Since the complainant purchased the CEH exam and used it, receive a failing score, we are unable to process a refund. Retakes are available at a discount, but without knowing the complainant’s background or study methods, and since he didn’t purchase a course or the book to review, there is no guarantee that he will score any better.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/22/2024

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  The respondent of EC-council claims that the “New v13 Ai technology” course ware does not reflect the exam. This is completely false as I have taken the exam and can tell you it primarily consists of  “v13 new Ai Technology” questions. Why would someone buy v13 curriculum if it doesn’t reflect the exam? A seasoned person in the industry would be using tools like  Nmap, Metasploit, Open-vas, Nessus…  that were rarely or never mentioned in the test. An answer that would be correct under v12 is now wrong in v13 because the tools have changed (new Ai).
  
  The original complaint was simply that at checkout I was not made aware of the new v13 exam (curriculum that is directly related to the exam) I know we cannot call the exam v13 because that would be too open and honest but why not offer a v12 test for those who have studied for v12 and let people know what they are paying for at checkout?
  
  I studied for and paid for the v12 exam but was given the new Ai v13 exam without my knowledge. I am not going to go in circles with this so we will need to leave this as unresolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

   

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/22/2024

  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.

  My Certified Cybersecurity Technician exam was scheduled today at 9amET. I was logged in on time. I downloaded the log me in app so that the proctor can view my desktop. I clicked ok twice on the pop up window and the proctor stated he still could not see my screen. He then had me downoad the GoTO meeting application and still had issues him viewing my screen. At one point he gave me the rules to take the test and then he said i cant see your screen. Per the picture i was sharing my screen by the green outline you can see. This took about 90min and im pissed off. The proctors didnt seem competent. I did everything I was supposed to do. I shared my screen many times and was told they cant see my screen. I have an HP computer and my test requirements all checked out with all green marks. I spent 9months taking all 25 modules and studying every weekend while working full-time. This has been a horrible experience and will make my voice heard to never use EC-Council. I am doing a full sweep on my computer because from this experience the proctor could have been hackers.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2024

  Hello, upon receiving this complaint EC-Council immediately researched the claims. The ability to see the clients screen is an ANSI requirement, but in this case the screen couldn't be seen by the proctor. We deliver 5000 exams a month in this same exact format with few issues outside of internet speed, or issues with the tester's equipment. The proctor is not a tech or a trouble shooter, however the proctor did try to go through a third party (Go to Meeting) in an effort to see the client's screen, but this too did not work. All systems were working properly on EC-Council's side so there was no way to know why the client's machine was prohibiting sharing.
  
  That said, I reached out to the client and offered a free retake so that he can retry at a later date, and for the inconvenience he faced in dealing with this issue, I also offered 3 months access to EC-Council's continuous learning platform so that the client can continue learning.  I waited 24 hours to give the client time to reply, and when there was no reply. I processed the refund. The client replied confirming the refund and thanked me. I let the client know that the offer for a free retake and 3 months access to the continuous learning platform still stands and the client has not responded.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/12/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 just began the CHFI course and in courseware it instructs you to access the cloud based lab and when I click on module 2 it does not work. I get a “there is a problem in using this service please try after sometime”. So I already had an issue with CTIA being outdated and switched so is anyone updating or managing the CHFI course. I only have 6 months to access the labs and yet they don’t work. This company has lacked in any updated material as they advertise, they have you pay a few grand and then don’t give you access to things such as the labs to be successful. I have to send multiple emails and make several calls just to get an answer. And I still don’t have access to my course labs environment which is required for this certification.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/14/2024

  Hi my issue has been resolved and the company addressed my complaint. I would like to mark this as resolved

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/28/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  On Feb 5th 2024 I paid a testing fee of $199 to this company after being awarded a "scholarship" for an IT certificate program. It was not made clear anywhere this "scholarship" was only good for one specific certificate and that the certificate was practically worthless for anything. After weeks of emailing, because they have no phone number to call, all I get is the same reply over and over again about their strict no refund policy. The more I deal with them, the more I am convinced they are not a reputable business or even based in the US. I didn't research them first because they were on a recommended list from my university They have basically stolen my money since I paid them with certain expectations as to what I was getting and they were not clear on what they were providing with the "scholarship". After a little digging I discovered that they have numerous complaints against them for similar issues. This is a scam and they do not deserve a B+ rating from the BBB.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/05/2024

  Not a Public Message Please:
  

  Hello, I have been corresponding with *** *******. EC-Council executed his refund within 24 hours of his and my correspondence. He said he was willing to withdraw his complaint but he looked at the original complaint and it doesn't give him an option to withdraw it. He said when he hears from you, he will let you know that his situation is resolved and he would withdraw the complaint.

  
  ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/07/2024

  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.
  

  After filing my complaint here one of their senior managers contacted me and resolved my issue very fast. I am happy with that result, but I wish I had not had to go to such lengths for resolution. My Sincere thanks to *** ***** for his swift action on my behalf.

  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/09/2024

  Type:Billing 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 made a purchase at 09:30 EST on 2/9/2024 to email from Ec Council totaling $59.35 and it stated that I would receive login information shortly. Which as of 14:00 EST I had received absolutely nothing from EC Council. So I contacted them directly and they stated they could find nothing and wanted to reach out to their support team. Spoke to ***** ******* and you can see the emails for his request for a refund. However with the track record of EC Council not having any record of said transaction nor knowing anything about their own products and sales I contacted my credit card company (**** *******) and opened a dispute with them as well. Upon speaking with the credit card company they could see the transaction and stated it was approved according to representative *****. She advised me that I had to contact **** ******* back in 3-5 days after the charged cleared. Which I will do and also will be contacting Federal Trade Commission to file complaint/dispute for false advertisement against EC Council.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2024

  Dear Customer, we are sorry your experience did not live up to our standards. We understand there has been difficulty in activating your account. As such, we are issuing a full refund for your purchase. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and hope in the future we have a chance to earn your business back.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Hi, I applied for CCT scholarship in EC council and paid almost a month ago. However, the voucher issued to me didn’t work as it gave me the error message, “Invalid or expired voucher”. I raised a ticket #****** which was resolved after 3 weeks. I was very frustrated at that time and hence proceeded with other options which cost me money. I do not want to proceed further with EC council learning and I would like a refund please as I never used the scholarship. I didn’t even started my learning as these guys take tooooo long time to respond to even small issues. I do not want this type of frustration any more. Due to my current financial situation, this issue is creating a mental pressure on me. I have asked them to cancel my scholarship and provide me with refund asap. However not received a response at all even after sending so many emails to them. As I mentioned earlier, this issue is giving me both financial and mental pressure. I have also attached my receipt for your reference.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Hi,
  
  I want to let you know that my complaint 
  #******** has been resolved. Thank you so much to EC council and BBB.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2023

  Hey,
  
  All of a sudden, the refund was taken out of my credit card account. So the issue is still not resolved.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/07/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  **** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/25/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  The organization claims I did not pay membership fees for 2 years, and canceled my certification. They continue to send harassing emails. I have attached the payment receipts. They claim they track payments only through "email used" which is a very bad practice because emails always change. If one uses a work email and leaves that job, they will stop using that email. They never read the emails and content but continue to send generic emails.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/19/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****