Study-Up Before Applying to Online Universities and Programs
Connecticut Better Business Bureau is warning prospective students to do their homework when selecting online schools and education opportunities.
With nearly 6.5 million people involved in some form of online learning, according to the 2010 Sloan Survey of Online Learning, it is more important than ever to take precautions to ensure time, energy and money aren't wasted.
“Online education is a wonderful opportunity if you select wisely,” according to Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Scarpetti. “However, not all online programs are created equal, and like any other transaction, consumers looking to the Internet for higher education must make sure they are not being taken for a ride by a diploma mill or other unscrupulous operator.”
Get schooled in accreditation - Degrees from accredited universities are more likely to be recognized by employers and other higher education institutions. Before applying, make sure you understand accreditation information provided by the U.S. Department of Education and research accreditation claims through the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs. Your best bet is to select a regionally-accredited institution.
Take note of enrollment processes - Is admission granted based on test scores, entry exams and additional background information or by simply paying tuition? A reputable institution will have requirements that go beyond accepting payment of tuition. Degree fees are typically based on credit loads so be wary of schools that accept all students or charge a flat degree fee.
Be wary of an easy "A." - Diploma mills may advertise degrees or credits based on work experience. Be skeptical of accelerated degree programs that promise quicker-than-average completion dates. Compare program lengths to those of well-known schools.
Quiz counselors - Speak directly with school counselors to get answers to all financial, degree and enrollment questions. Also, gather information from websites, including physical locations, faculty biographies and program specifics.
Review report cards - BBB makes it easy to check out organizations' marketplace record with BBB Business Reviews, which include ratings, complaint histories and contact details.
Consumers have the power to not do business with any company that does not have a good marketplace record. That is the strength of consumer feedback, and why it is an integral part of the BBB model. Tens of millions of consumers are extremely satisfied with the quality of information provided by BBB and have been for a century. The proof is that they consult our resources on a daily basis, not only to complain, but to make educated decisions. If anyone's personal experience is that a poorly-rated company doesn't seem to care, a logical approach would be to make a purchasing or hiring decision based upon your own discretion based on what other consumers are saying. We see very few complaints from consumers who use our system and overwhelmingly receive praise. On the flip side, we do see negative comments from business owners against whom complaints have been filed and refused to address them.
So Charter can double-talk and deceive millions of subscribers but so long as they "address" only those customers who complain, Charter will have satisfied BBB accreditation? I don't mean to be sour grapes here as I do enjoy using BBB but lets be transparent, BBB accreditation is purchased, not earned.
BBB does a great deal in the area of complaint prevention. If you read my comments above you will get a feel for that. You also may check accreditation standards on www.bbb.org to understand their commitment to our Standards for Trust. All companies must treat consumers fairly, and if they don't there are many resources to which you can turn - aside from selecting another provider. Consumers are protected by law by many unfair business practices. BBB accreditation must be earned. No company can pay to protect poor business practices or change its business review. Once again, if you look at the requirements for accreditation and our Standards for Trust, you will be able to educate yourself about the process. The other areas of complaint prevention includes consumer education and we offer rich resources on our website. Regardless of whether a company is accredited or not, consumers can make smart decisions by carefully comparing a company's review on our site, by speaking with friends and relatives, reading fine print for all offers and asking a lot of questions before signing a contract. Best, Howard Schwartz Executive Communications Director.
WRONG!!! They don't resolve complaints, they insist you drive to their office during their working hours to discuss the issue. Then they make promises they don't keep. When you contact them again, the process starts over. Eventually you give up, sometimes the problem mysteriously clears, then they reward you by dropping more channels from your programming. The broadband service failed. Charter sent a tech to trace the external wiring to determine whether there was a component failure. Nothing wrong. The tech left, the service failed again. Two weeks later they sent another tech, insisting he needed access to the inside of the house. We took (unpaid) time from work to accommodate their demand. The tech arrived to find an external filter had been improperly installed during the previous visit. Filter changed, signal weak, changed filter, signal improved. No problems inside yet. Service unavailable. Another unpaid time-from-work visit. Another "inside job". Determined modem could not handle most recent line update. Installed new modem. All is well. Modem failed after two days. Called Charter; told to drive to office during working hours with junk China modem to switch for new modem. If they sent it out, it would cost us at least sixty dollars. Picked-up modem, plugged in, service worked. Two months without service. Asked for refund for time down. No. Offered free modem rental. After 3 months, started charging rental fee. THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION!
My problem with U-Verse is that, when we called to inquire about getting service at our house, we were told we already had it. We don't. We have Charter. It was a mistake in their database. Instead of admitting it was a mistake, they argued with us, and told us we were wrong. How could we be wrong? After several unnerving phone calls, they realized there was a mistake. Then we decided to move forward and get their service. We wanted TV service only. We plan on keeping our Broadband with Charter because it's better and more reasonably priced. We know other people who have done this. The representative on the phone said ti wasn't possible, and that we had to purchase BOTH from U-Verse, or we couldn't get their service at all. We finally gave up and are no longer pursuing them.
I also use U-verse and have (almost always ) had good customer service. When my contract is up I usually call and get a new deal or they give me a $10 credit each month or something that has always kept my bill lower than the competitors. I have been with AT&T for many, many years. Back when Southern Bell was taken over by Cingular who than merged with AT&T. It is a shame that the companies can not be consistent. I guess it depends on which customer service rep you speak with on any given moment. They really should just have their bottom line pricing, that is open to all customers, so we do not have to play these games.