Smart Tuition - Page 3

In trying to help a parent with financial aid questions, I was left on hold with Smart Financial Aid for 40 mins, asked for a callback and never got one. After an hour I called back and was on hold for an additional 1 hour, at which time I was disconnected. The excuse of "our call volume is higher than normal" is unacceptable. YOU ARE A FINANCIAL AID SERVICE - your call volume is obviously going to be high this time of year. After asking to speak to a supervisor three different times, I was told that no one was available. I was told I would receive a call back from a supervisor and am still waiting for that call...

My recommendation to my school's board of directors will be to discontinue our relationship with Smart Tuition and Smart Financial Aid. As the Business Manager of the school, asking parents to wait on hold for those lengths of time is not acceptable. And, as a Business Manager, not being able to speak to a supervisor is unacceptable business practice.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- About 2 years ago, our school switched from a pretty good, free private financial service to Smart Tuition. The company started with charging a $50 annual fee on each account, each school year, which is already upsetting. To worse off, when I need assistance like logging in on their website (followed instructions, tried everything but not working), I called their 1-888 number about 5-6 times today (a normal, non-holiday weekday), on hold forever, and no one ever picked up the phone.

I did receive an email response on the same day, which gave the repeated information of how to log in on the website - if I didn't try everything to log in and failed, I won't call. It's completely useless. The company absolutely overcharges fees, and provides horrible customer services. I hope the school stops working with this company next year.

WOODBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY -- I have to submit a year end family tuition statement to a pre-tax childcare reimbursement account of my employer. Every year since 2015 this pdf file was available by the end of December on the website, but now the 2017 end of year statement is not there, not even in January 2018.

When I called the company the person who answered a phone had no clue what I was asking for and after talking to her supervisor she told me that it will be available in a "couple of weeks". They know that this file is required for tax filing purposes and I do not see why it takes "a couple of weeks" to produce it when all the information is in the account and every year in the past they were able to provide this by January 1.

NEW JERSEY -- I made a tuition Payment on 12/4/17, which posted on 12/5/17. My payment is due on 12/15/17. When I went to check that payment was in fact processed, my account showed pending. I called Customer Service and spoke to Danielle, Agent # **, who continually repeated that my credit union had not yet "communicated" that payment will be made/cleared. I asked to speak to a Manager, and she also stated that payment will be made once my credit union communicates a response. I then called my credit union, who stated the opposite, and that payment was paid and cleared on 12/5/17.

I received an email with a trace # for that payment. This morning, when I tried to chat online with Brittany, Agent # **, she didn't even read my email to her from my bank, but stated she didn't know what I was referring to and that my school must accept the funds before my account will show paid at Smart Tuition, which is not consistent with the prior two responses from the employees. While I was responding back to her on live chat, she ended the conversation due to a lack of response from me? I was typing!!! Terrible customer service and lack of accountability!

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- My kids school recently converted to using Smart Tuition. I logged on today to make a payment for tuition which is a hefty cost on its own, to learn that there is a 2.85% convenience fee for any card used. The only way to surpass this fee is to use your checking account number which I don't feel comfortable using online with a website that is not very reputable. I would understand if the fee was a set fee i.e $10.00 or $15.00 but a % which is north of $30.00 each time is absurd!! I discourage everyone from using this. Smart Tuition - not so smart!

Smart Tuition has two payment centers (East Coast and West Coast). The East Coast one is the one closest to Bill Pay (which most banks use to send checks to payees). So, you have to call Smart Tuition, find the closest location so the check is received in time. BUT they are not an "approved" Bill Pay recipient so the check gets there about five business days after it says it will be paid, resulting in late fees. This company is slow to give back the $40 late payment, you usually have to ask twice for your money. I don't trust giving them my bank information for a monthly withdrawal. Not sure who sold our school a dud of a program. They obviously did not read online reviews.

WOODBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY -- This Jim ** guy should be canned. Scores of extremely unhappy customers, yet the policies and culture at Smart Tuition don't change. They have received multiple payments from us, WAY ahead of due dates, yet they still post after the due date and assess exorbitant late fees. And don't expect a returned phone call or e-mail when you need assistance.

The icing on the cake with these jerks was when I called them to see why a $2000 check, that they received approximately 8 days earlier had not been deposited or posted. They claimed they had not received it (even though I found out later they had, in fact, received it, and had deposited it a day earlier).

Fearing yet another unjustified late fee, I mailed a second $2000 check, with the woman agreeing to send it back if they received both checks. Even though the first check had already been deposited, they deposited the second one, too, and of course had no invoice of mine to apply it to. They refused to mail it back to me! The Archdiocese is making a huge mistake using Smart Tuition. In many ways, the company's practices and culture run in sharp contrast to what a Catholic school education is all about!

I am dealing with this company for 3 years now and will talk to our school to make sure that parents have alternative payment options. They are unfriendly on the phone, their website is weird (charge you extra for using credit cards, don't give options with pay date - "now" only, no option to pay on the date of your choice - very convenient for them, see next), outrageous late payment fees ($55). Misleading on the phone, no chance to talk to the supervisor if any problems with customer service representative... Do I have to continue? Just stay away from them if you can.

NJ -- Smart Tuition operates a highly organized scheme to profit from late fees. Here is how is goes:

1. The company receives your check before the due date.
2. Occasionally, the company holds check until after the due date, and then cashes your check.
3. The company charges a $50 for your "late" payment.
4. After you call and complain, they take seven days to process your complaint.
5. They then tell you that you are responsible for ensuring your payment is received on time.

And so you know, ever employee will tell you the same things - like they are reading from a script.

This is well-organized company that is not satisfied with their legitimate profit. They defraud their customers of their money, and to make matters worse, the customers have zero options for working with another company since the customers are required by their children's school to use Smart Tuition.

Check out the online reviews for this company, and notice the pattern.

Behind their polish and professionalism, the company is simply a well-orchestrated gang of pickpockets that immorally profit off families who pay for their child's education. And of course, this scheme more easily ensnares lower income families who are making monthly payments and who pay on the due date.

Currently, I am paying $50 for a "late" payment that was due on November 1. The company received the check on October 28 and waited until November 2 to register the payment.

WOODBRIDGE, NEW YORK -- The problem with Smart Tuition stems from their self-admitted practice of crediting payments when they POST them instead of when they RECEIVE them. That gives them the flexibility to post a payment late, and profit from the late fees they charge. This billing practice is illegal in many states. I encourage everyone to send a letter to your states' attorney general, and to the CFPB to complain of the practice.

I've also spoken to a law firm about the possibility of getting a class certified. Stay tuned. Additionally, if your state has a Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) like California, you might be able to bring a claim against them in your state, and recover costs. Bottom line is that the practice of penalizing payers for the lax practices of the payee should never be acceptable. An ethical company would never engage in such a practice.