Complain about a product or service

Academy of Cinema & Television

Phoenix

Elyse of Cherry Hill NJ (08/28/08)
I was charged for a course for my daughter that was fully refundable within 24 hours if certified letter sent to cancel transaction. I followed through and did cancel with certified letter and my credit card company. Credit card company, Discover, disputed charge and fully refunded me but 2 months later, the merchant, Academy of Cinema and Television tried to recharge me $500 fee which I never approved. I have received no services from them and have had no interaction with these fraudulent people since the one meeting on 4/14/08.

I never received any signed contract from the person I did the meeting with until 4/17/08 via fax which was an ineligible signature and no written name along with it. I had already sent cancellation notice to them and to my Discover card company 2 days before this fax arrived. They are acting illegaly. I have reopened the dispute with Discover and I have altogether cancelled my Discover card so this company cannot charge any further fraudulent charges to me.

I have a pending charge of $500 on my Discover Card account which is now inactive.

After being a client with Discover for over 17 years, I now will do no further business with Discover and have since switched my purchasing via credit card to another company. I am very disappointed in Discover and their response to this matter. I notice Discover is also based out Phoenix Arizona. This is the same address where the so-called acting program is based out of.

Patricia of Chandler AZ (03/13/08)
My child heard of a talent search on the radio and pleaded with me to take her to the 'open call'. There were at least 200 kids 'auditioning' to get into this private acting academy called ACT (Academy of Cinema and Television). After the audition we were contacted the next day and informed that she had 'been selected and was invited to join' the academy and that only about 10% of kids were invited. Of course we were told to come the very next day and prepared to pay the tuition.

The impressive office and staff and tactics were seductive and convincing and we wrote a check that day for close to $8,000! It was a package deal with promised classes for 2 years and photo shoot. I tried to inquire on the qualifications of the teachers and if there were any background checks on them (since they claimed they were a school and any school my kids have gone to could verify they weren't predators-they would never let me into the class even to observe)...

Although the instructors were/are actual actors the quality of their classes are poor and their prices inflated compared to other schools who offer acting classes..I have also been told by an inside source that we (as parents) are really paying for the prestige and exposure of having agents flown in from LA for open call on the weekend; And if your child does get an agent,,,the real bottom line is; are you prepared to move to LA?

None of this is clearly spelled out. And they won't give you your money back after 1 or 2 classes because the contract only gave 3 days to backout...even if you do get an agent and MOVE to LA...they're just 'put on hold' indefinitely.

Now that we are in LA and have studied with real teachers who specilize in children (which is what ACT reports)and see that NOBODY charges $100/hr for GROUP ACTING LESSONS. In fact here in California there are laws to protect us from these types of predators...no one here would dream of charging for classes for 2 years in advance! I have sent a certified letter to request the unused money returned but was referred back to the contract....now I see them in MALLS and shudder! Are there certain licenses involved when you work with kids?

I checked the BBB and Attorney General before the original 3 day time period was up and all I got back was no record of ACT in BBB and 'there may be certain licenses required' with this sort of 'school'....thank you.

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