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:11/09/2022

  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.

  I purchased the exam certification from shrm, but due to COVID I informed the manager at the time I would not be able to make it, so they kept rescheduling the exam however on the date of test I was not able to make it in, on oct 9 2022 I requested a hardship refund and j was told today by Warner r*** ***********@shrm.org that I wouldn’t be refunded because the company “spent the money already” I asked to speak to his boss Felix m**** ************@Shrm.org and he stated he was traveling. This mess my money at and I’m facing a hardship I told them initially I could not make it to the test and I’m still having an issue getting my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  ******************** refund was issued by our accounting department last week.  On November 9, 2022, she contacted us for a status of when she would receive her refund.She was advised that the refund-by-check process takes 2-3 weeks to process. Her records shows she paid by check which is why she is receiving her refund by check. If she does not have her check by the end of November, please let us know.  But bottom line, she received exactly what she asked for, so I'm confused why she filed a complaint with the BBB. 

   

  Thank you,

  Nancy ** W**********, SHRM-SCP

  Vice president, certification
  SHRM

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2022

  [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:10/25/2022

  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.

  I paid for a membership with SHRM and could not access any of the forms, templates or documents on the site. Contact customer service and was told that if I needed forms I would have to send them the links and they would email me. That's not what I paid for. I paid for a membership that would allow me to download forms from their library.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2022

  Hello, I would be happy to refer this complaint to another vice president who has the authority to make decisions about SHRM Membership.  I am authorized to make decisions about SHRM Certification only.

   

  What do you advise?  How should we handle this?
  
  Nancy *. W**********, SHRM-SCP

  Vice president, Certification
  
  SHRM

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2022

  As promised, I contacted someone internally who has purview and authority over membership transactions because I do not have the authority to take action on anything other than SHRM Certification transactions.  I would hope that the BBB would have room in its system to accommodate more than one POC for an international organization the size of ours.   If so, let me know and I can provide you the various POCs for the many operating units. 

  I cleared this up with the customer experience team. This customer requested and received a full refund on October 25, 2022. See attached credit memo.  So I'm not sure why she filed a complaint with the BBB because her request was granted according to what she sought as a remedy.

  If the customer has detailed feedback that we can share with our web team about why she was unable to access materials (for example, which browser were you using, etc.), that would be incredibly helpful.
  

  Thank you,
  

  Nancy W*********** SHRM-SCP

  Vice President 

  Certification

  SHRM

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/20/2022

  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 purchase a SHRM-CP test of my own resources in March/April 2022 and was laid off from my job so I no longer needed the test and requested a refund and was denied a full refund and would only receive a partial refund. I decided to go ahead and take the exam and was undooly harassed on the day of my test. I complied with the proctor's requests which are highly invasive when taking a test from home. When the proctor requested I put my hair behind my ears I would not. I have super short hair now and my ears can completely be seen. I have attempted to work through this with the vendor by requesting a refund and have been met with disdain and rudeness. This organization price gauges it's students, businesses, and I personally believe it should be regulated much more strictly as they are claiming to care about people-they are in the human resources business and care nothing about people!!!! Please help me get my refund!!! This is not right for them to keep doing this to people and I am super poor and can not afford to lose $300!!! Please stand up for the poor people iike me against multi-million dollar companies!!! please help me!!!!! ********

  Business Response

  Date: 07/27/2022

  Good morning, 

  We have requested the video footage and transcripts to review the candidate's testing experience.  Each candidate signs the Candidate Agreement no fewer than 4 times throughout the process.  The candidate agreement addresses the requirements and rules of engagement that govern all testing experiences and incorporate the Certification Handbook into the Candidate Agreement.   The agreement also stipulates the situations under which a refund is possible, and the complainant's situation is not a situation under which a refund is possible, especially because the testing appointment was attended. 

  At a minimum, a refund is not possible and will not occur.  This is consistent with all other requests or demands for a full refund from all other candidates that participate in SHRM's testing program. It is a also a requirement of SHRM's accrediting body that all candidates' experiences are uniformly governed by policies so there is no appearance of special treatment or favoritism.  Thus, an answer of 'no' to the request for a refund -- and in this case it's a demand, not a request according to the transcripts of records I've already read -- is a reasonable answer, and consistent with responses to the same request in the same set of circumstances (i.e., candidate was not aware of what would occur during the check in process and refused to comply, which violates the Candidate Agreement he or she agreed to follow a minimum of four times throughout the process).  

  After I view the transcripts and video, I will be able to determine what remedy is available, if any, and then I will post an additional response.  I can add that in the past when a candidate violates the Candidate Agreement by refusing to follow the directives of the testing administrators, candidates are generally barred from retaking the exam again either for a period of two years or permanently--actions taken in the past that you, Better Business Bureau have accepted as a remedy.  The interactions of the testing administrator and the candidate will determine if that severe of an action is required in this case.

  Thanks,

  Nancy *. W*******, SHRM-SCP
  Vice President, Certification
  SHRM

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/28/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Not all situations are cookie cutter!! This organization at the very heart of it is supposedly people and they have no clue how to treat people!! If you the BBB continue to let them get away with this good people like me will continue to suffer at the hands of this terrible organization!  I deserve a full refund. You the BBB have the opportunity to set a precedent to make the SHRM change the way they do business and treat propel!! Will you?! 
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/01/2022

  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 paid SHRM the examination fees in order to take the SHRM-CP exam in the testing window that ends on July 15th. Upon checking Prometric scheduling system, which is the company SHRM partners with to schedule the exams, there was no availability at the times that I am available which is early mornings or 3PM and on. I cannot test during the offered times due to work and personal obligations. I contacted customer service regarding the issue and inquired about my options. They informed me to wait until 6/27 to schedule because ********* may be releasing more time slots. Upon checking, there will still no available time slots that align with my availability. I was informed that I would have to pay a $150 transfer fee in order to move to the next testing window. I do not have the funds in my budget to pay such a fee. I paid $149 for the exam initially so essentially I would be just purchasing it over again. I attempted to work with the customer service department on a resolution of some sort - either transferring me to the next exam window with no fee or providing a full refund. I was deemed ineligible for both of these solutions. I am still not currently scheduled for any examination time slot and the only solution that was offered was to pay to transfer/reschedule. I have attempted to work with SHRM in good faith on these scheduling issues, however no solution presented has been satisfactory.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/07/2022

  Good morning,

  We often encounter candidates who have not fully read or understood the rules that apply to standardized testing.  As is the case with all standardized tests, SHRM's is no different.  There are many ways to schedule a testing appointment.  Indeed, our team was continuing to work on ***************'s case.   Just today we offered her no fewer than seven different appointments between now and the end of the testing window at her required time frame (after 3 PM Eastern), and she declined them all stating that she now did not have time to get off work to take the test, and demanded a full refund.

  We offered multiple solutions.  She declined them all.  We do not issue full refunds, and transfers are not free.  Both these policies are stated in the Certification Handbook, and upon registering for a SHRM exam, every candidate must agree to abide by the rules.  Nonetheless, I authorized the team to do one of two things:

  1.offer a refund in alignment with the policy that the candidate agreed to follow when she applied for the exam.  The application fee is non-refundable. So there refund will be $99.

  2. Transfer to the next window.  The fee is $100, not $150.  However, because I thought it would be the compassionate thing to do, I authorized a discounted transfer fee of $50.  This is because we offered multiple testing options all of which the candidate declined even though they met her requirements -- so we must now pay the test administrator for her unused seat.

  These two options are fair and in alignment with concessions we grant all other candidates.  This is not a hardship case -- she simply declined every offer of testing appointment after recently saying she could take the exam any day after 3 PM before the test window closes on July 15, 2022.  I'm not sure what changed in a matter of days -- if she could get time off then, not knowing what time the exam would be or what day, I'm confused why now she can't get the time off.  Her response was swift enough to indicate to me she did not ask for the time off.  

  We are not unreasonable; we want candidates to be successful.  But we need candidates to be aware of and follow the rules that govern their candidacy, and we need them to meet us half way.   Everything we offered was reasonable in terms of testing as the times met her requirements. Now that she has declined all of those options, we are making two additional reasonable, common solutions.   That said, a full refund is not available, not is a free transfer.

  Please let me know if you have questions.

  Thank you,

  Nancy *. W***********, SHRM-SCP

  Vice president

  SHRM Certifcation