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:11/27/2024

  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.

  My son was enrolled in Brilliant school from January to May ******************************************************************************************* the Fall. I gave the school sufficient notice as per their policy when they contacted me about *************** However, because they want to keep having you pay through the summer to profit their business. They refused to unenrolled him and in November took $500 from my bank account and sent me an email regarding truancy. My son has not attended since May.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2024

  Good morning *******,
  
  Were happy to review this matter and will always address any errors when they occur.
  Heres a quick recap based on our correspondence for clarity:
  - On May 23rd (approximately a week before June 1st), you sent an SMS stating that you wouldnt return in the fall.
  - We responded to confirm that no further payments would be due, as outlined in our Cancellation Policy.
  - However, on May 31st, we received an SMS from you at 9:55 AM EST mentioning that you had changed your mind and wanted to secure your seat for the upcoming year. More specifically, you also requested to update your debit card on file to pay the upcoming invoice on June 1st.
  - Requesting to pay on May 31st via a secure payment link leads us to understand your acknowledgment of our policy.
  - On June 1st, we sent the payment link and connected with you to assist with processing.
  
  Our policy is clearly outlined in the Terms of Service, Parent Handbook, and Honor Code, which are presented to all families before, during, and after enrollment.
  As a small, independent school, we rely on summer payments not only to cover essential costs like teacher salaries and classroom resources but also to plan our teacher recruiting for families who commit to returning in the fall. Unpaid invoices can disrupt planning and staffing for the upcoming year.
  
  Our withdrawal policy includes a three-month minimum commitment and two weeks notice, which we believe is reasonable and consistent with similar schools. These terms are applied equally to all families to ensure smooth operations and a high-quality experience for our students.
  If there are any additional details about your notice that we may have overlooked, we are more than willing to review and correct any mistakes on our end.

  
  Kind regards,
  Brilliant Microschools

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/31/2024

  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 enrolled my son to begin classes in September 2024 this past June. After finding a more suitable option for my son I attempted to reach out by telephone to withdraw him from the program. After endless phone calls that were never returned, this morning I sent an email requesting that my son be withdrawn and I be refunded the $500 deposit. I received a phone call today and was told that the company does not refund any deposits that are made in advance because the spot was held for my son and will now be left vacant. I was never made aware of this "no refund" policy prior to today. I am seeking a full refund of my tuition deposit as no services have yet been provided and we are giving more than 30 days notice to withdraw which I am sure is plenty of time to fill the vacancy. Nowhere in any of the emails requesting prepayment for the fall term was it made clear that the deposit was non-refundable.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/02/2024

  Hi *******,
  
  This is *******, Head of ********************** and I am stepping in to check everything and getting back to you soon.
  
  
  Thank you
  *****************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 22071229
  
  I am rejecting this response because: After speaking with ******* on the phone, she has informed me that there will be no refund.  She claims "the system does not allow for refunds".  I am not interested in a "credit" or any other services from this business.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ************************

  Business Response

  Date: 08/09/2024

  Hello Yohaina,
  
  I want to gently remind you of the five steps in our enrollment process that you went through.
  These are thoughtfully designed to ensure parents are fully informed before committing:
  1. An initial 10 minute call to cover the basics and answer questions.
  2. A full Zoom presentation where we cover all details including tuition terms and go through a thorough Q&A.
  3. Meeting with your teacher to get a firsthand understanding of our pedagogy.
  4. A double opt-in process to accept our terms and conditions, where the tuition policy is clearly stated (clause 10.2.5. Payment Obligation & Queries).
  5. Finally, agreeing to our Honor Code, which again refers to the tuition commitment.
  
  Given these steps, we hope you understand that our policy states tuition is non-refundable because we reserve your slot, preventing other students from enrolling. In fact, our Terms of Service specify a three-month commitment for each student, which is significantly more flexible compared to most schools that enforce an annual commitment.
  However, despite our policy, Ive spoken with accounting to see how we might release you from the 3 month commitment and then even possibly process your refund request.
  Please follow the necessary steps we've outlined, and well do our best to assist.
  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/09/2024

   
  Complaint: 22071229
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The meet and great, zoom call and other formalities mentioned were done in January 2024 when my son was initially enrolled.  My son attended from January '24 - June '24 which is 5 months, therefore we did follow through with our initial 3 month commitment.  As per the *** terms of service (10.1.2 & 10.1.3) My tuition deposit has not yet become "non-refundable" because there has not yet been a meet and greet for the fall 2025 term.  See excerpt from terms of service below.

  Excerpt: "10.1.2 - Once the Meet & ***** is concluded, the Admissions team collaborates with the prospective Teacher to evaluate the conversation. We ensure our environment aligns with the Student's needs and aspirations and Your Enrollment is officially confirmed. You will receive an Enrollment Letter via email, sealing our commitment to Your educational journey.

  10.1.3.     The Deposit becomes non-refundable twenty-four (24) hours after the Meet & Greet. "

  If you are still unable to process a refund even with this, unfortunately you leave me with no other option than to seek out legal counsel.  I hope we can resolve this issue in a more amicable manner.  I appreciate your help.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/02/2024

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  The dispute is over a series of transactions, specifically, two. My son has been receiving tutoring services with this company since August of 2023. In late February, the company notified my that they needed to change the tutor that was servicing my son. The tutor was inconsistent in attendance and often did not show or canceled last minute which led to difficulty making up sessions. I am currently owed at leas two sessions. The business has refused to provide me with an itemized list to sessions that I have prepaid for and that my son has attended. I have requested that, since they owe me two sessions they refund 80 for the cost of the last two sessions that they have billed but are owed since the tutor cancelled or failed to show and I never received opportunities to reschedule.I am only requesting a refund of the last 80$ on the account because these are sessions that my son never attended due to the tutor canceling. I have requested detailed billing information in terms of hour paid to hour attended but they are refusing to provide this, so I am kindly requesting your assistance. Total amount paid for this tutor is $480, I am only requesting a refund for the last payment of 80$.Thank you,

  Business Response

  Date: 08/02/2024

  I'm glad that we were able to align on the 2 missed sessions.
  I do hope that this experience didn't overshadow ******'s academic growth with us over the past 9 months.
  We've loved having him with us and hope to see him again in the future!