<p>My daughter received an invitation to attend a "free" personal interview because she has been selected to apply for grants, scholarships, tuition discounts, etc. Is this a scam or is is just another business where you pay for their assistance in teaching us how to navigate the financial aspect of paying for college? Does anyone have any input?</p>
<p>ya i also got a letter from edifi in the mail saying i could get grants or scholorships, that i had been selected in my area. i checked the website out it seems real. but the thing is i got the letter after i already dropt out of school this year. how could i have been selected. i read that these people go through email addresses and get your info to scam you. its fake.</p>
<p>The whole thing is not a scam, it’s just a HUGE rip-off. My job was interviewing the people on the phone, and using a simple method to put in all the information…the same exact thing you can do. It took me less then a half hour, to do EVERYTHING you could do at your kitchen table in one hour. We were trained in round-about ways of saying it wasnt a scam, and ways to make you feel like you wernt screwed out of your money. Every PRO-EDIFI comment you see on the web has been written by people at Edifi, or the computer dept. The building is small, with about 30 employees. The people running it are borderline con-artist, and nobody respects them in there respective communities. The President and Vice President of customer service… would chain smoke in a truck parked in the parking lot…And Maura Katzberg, the so-called Vice President of Customer Service, is Hitler in a ballgown. Her job was to literally argue with people until she beat them into submission. Everyone was scared of her. Now, I have finally realized that it was only through bullying and scare tactics, was she able to control the company. And take Clients money. Modern day Criminals. All legal. John Bratt, the “President”, sat in his office, doing NOTHING. His office was essentially off limits.I was young in the customer service world, and thought I was doing people a good service. After about a month, you realize you are just making the same 2 people richer by the day, and screwing over minorities. Most of the clients, minorities. If you didnt speak english, we were the people for you. Avoid them at all cost.</p>
<p>I was told that when ever i decided to get out of the contract i could at no cost to me or my son. So today i called to cancel my contract they told me i would have to pay a 600.00 dollar cancellation fee. Unforturatly i fell for their bs.</p>
<p>I received a letter from Edifi and went to the meeting. When my mother and I couldn’t decide whether or not to pay for the services, $99 down payment and $139 for 9 months, we were left alone to discuss it for a moment. Let me tell you this, being from a low income family, where my mom and dad are divorced, being the first one to go to college, always worrying about how my family will pay for college to the point I can’t go to sleep at night, I cried. My mother and I both cried, wondering if this investment will help in my future. HA, I’m crying just by writing this. Because I am the first in my whole family to go to college, my mother and I are lost in everything, scholarships, applications, FAFSA, schools, everything. When I went to study for the SAT in their website, I found out that I’ve already used this. It was the same format, questions, everything that was in number2.com, which is free. That made me wonder if Edifi was a scam. We told my father about Edifi and he was sceptical from the start. We didn’t fully convinced him, so he will call the number. Now I am here, finding out that Edifi cheated me out of my money, I realized that I may have made the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life (and I’m not exaggerating). My family doesn’t have that kind of money. Now I’m asking, is there anything that I can do? Will they be true to their word and help me with the finances of college? Was I stupid for falling for their trap? Did we just let money that we don’t have down the drain? Even if I can’t do anything, what WILL they do to help me and my college future?</p>
<p>If anyone is thinking of signing up for Edifi, PLEASE do yourself a favor and don’t do it. It was the stupidest thing my mom and I ever did.
They are full of empty promises, and the things they do offer are easily accessible on the internet without having to pay.
I personally tried my best to exploit every opportunity they offer and it’s all BS. I went on their website where apparently you get to ask questions to counselors and get answers, but the answers to my questions were all copied and pasted from previous questions.
I also called and the staff was terrible; they kept passing me from one person to another. So much for talking to a counselor that you choose and trust like they told me the day I signed up. When I looked more into it, I found this forum where an ex-employee of the company was describing how horrible the people really are: making fun of the parents and the kids who called, responding to their questions with no interest whatsoever to help.
Not one day do I not regret having spent almost 2000 dollars that I could have easily spent on buying a car which I really need right now. </p>
<p>P.S. @dixieholmes : How long did you wait between signing up and cancelling your contract? Could I still do it if it’s been a year?</p>
<p>Rule to live by: if you think you should ask “is this a scam?” - it is!</p>
<p>Rules to live by #2; most people don’t need to pay anyone lots of money to fill out the FAFSA for them. Chances are, between your own ability to read, working with people at your local high school, and this forum, you can get answers to almost every question. I’m not going to say it’s never useful, but it can’t hurt to try and see if you have any questions before you pay a premium to someone just to tell you what a Stafford loan is.</p>
<p>And the first six posters to this thread are making their first post to CC, each bumping up an old post???</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about Edifi, but this thread appears to be some sort of scam.</p>
<p>Oh wow, you’re right susgeek. I didn’t even think to look at the year on the first post!</p>
<p>As for the new posters; that’s par for the course on this forum. If you start a thread with a title like Is X a Scam? (You can substitute Edifi for Cutco / Vector Marketing or one of the 800,000 Teen Student of the Year National Merit Super-Genius of America awards) and get a flurry of passionate new users on either side of the issue.</p>
<p>FYI: If you google edifi this comes up.</p>
<p>I wasn’t going to even think about going their little interview thing, but I was curious, because I received the same letter. My guess is is that it is all BS.</p>
<p>What if you didn’t know it was a scam until right now and already scheduled an interview with Edifi??? Do I just not show up or do I call for a cancellation?</p>
<p>Yea, just called for an interview as well, but from what I’ve heard these people are only out to get your money, preferably a lot of it, off of your college dreams. Just don’t show up.</p>
<p>MannyV,</p>
<p>How are things going with Edifi now? I noticed that your posting was in Aug. 2010. Are they helping you? Was it worth it? My daughter and I attended a meeting today and I am wondering all the things your were wondering. Will they really help?</p>
<p>thank you everyone!!!this really helps.
i got this letter too…just thinking about whether this thing is legit…so it’s NOT!!THIS REALLY HELPS!</p>
<p>Reading all of your comments saddens me, because there are legitimate needs for students to seek assistance with making the transition to college and it’s people and organizations that do not have the right motives that make those of us who are legitimately and genuinely seeking to help others look bad!</p>
<p>A word of advice to everyone who is looking to anyone or any organization to assist them in their or their child’s college pursuit, look for qualified, credentialed and experienced professionals, who sincerely have the best interest for college bound students in their heart, mind and most importantly in their work! </p>
<p>If you think or feel it is a scam, it usually is however there are true legitimate educational consultants and business organizations whose mission is to student centered, based on student development theory, and advocates for students in transition.</p>
<p>Mannyv,</p>
<p>I read your post about Edifi and how much your family really couldn’t afford college but they thought they were doing the best thing they could by getting you in Edifi and I was in almost the same predicament. My Mom started paying for my Edifi my freshman year in high school because my “qualifications” and over the years, she has paid well over $3,000. (Money that could have been going to my college fund.) I’m not saying Edifi is a scam because yes, they have filled out all the paperwork and actually found me scholarships and grants that go unclaimed but this last semester I think they found me probably $1,000 or so. Not bad but when you paid over $3,000 it’s not the greatest. If you’ve been paying for it, use it. But don’t go chasing after them either. That’s my best advice. FYI they did call me at the end of my first semester and said that I had to re-enroll and that was going to be another $300. Needletsjustsay, I haven’t sent that $300 check.</p>
<p>To anyone who is seriously looking into this program, I don’t blame you.</p>
<p>I was going through many of the same things that I’m sure many of you have been going through recently, last year when I applied to this.</p>
<p>But, if you’re reading this, please listen to me, when I say that this is one of the <em>BIGGEST</em> MISTAKES that you could be making to prepare yourself, or your child to prepare for his or her future.</p>
<p>I know from experience, that this is a scam, and that the promises that Edifi makes are lies.</p>
<p>I understand that it all seems so real, and convincing when you go to the interview, but you’re doing yourself a favor by choosing not to listen to their ******** (forgive me).</p>
<p>In fact, why don’t you keep those three thousand dollars that they’ll be asking you for in the years to come and put them towards your college education.</p>
<p>It’s a much better decision, and a much better and REAL investment.</p>
<p>Susgeek and Garna are wrong in saying that this thread is probably a scam. I am a first generation Hispanic student and a Senior in high school. I will be attending college this Fall and I have much better things to do than sign up for a website like this just to tell someone not to use a program that could potentially help them.</p>
<p>That would be cruel.</p>
<p>In fact, I have a feeling that Susgeek and Garna are employees of Edifi themselves, making themselves out to be students, just to sway others to use their program.</p>
<p>If the posts are old that just means that this program has scammed many families for a long time.
That doesn’t make them any less relevant and true.</p>
<p>Again,
PLEASE DON’T SIGN UP FOR EDIFI.</p>
<p>Much of the services that they promise can be found online and for free.
It may not be the easiest thing at first, but you can do it.</p>
<p>Trust me.</p>
<p>If I can do it by myself, so can you, with or without your parents.
Or better yet,
Talk to your counselor and get help from them if you need to!</p>
<p>If you are reading this please get a hold of me.</p>
<p>Again.
Simple answer: Don’t do it.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>HA HA HA HA HA!</p>
<p>I have been posting on this board for almost 2 years, have a posting history, and a slew of people have ONE post are posting one right after another, and <em>I</em> am the problem here? And every few months a new poster appears to bump it up from the dead.</p>
<p>I know nothing about this company, and have no idea what the agenda is of this thread. But it looks like a bunch of ■■■■■■ to me…</p>
<p>If there were regular posters anywhere on this thread, I might think something else.</p>
<p>Everything posted here regarding Edifi is correct. I have read all the comments and they have been accurate. In matter of fact, I can respect that even though many of you had a chance to really give your honest feedback…you were very professional in how you confirmed this is a scam!!! </p>
<p>Let me first off apologize for being employed by this shady company. I will confirm this is truly a SCAM and Mr. John Bratt told me himself. I worked directly under his leadership if that’s what you want to call it and he was as crooked as a criminal. Please be advised this guy was a truck driver for many years and was handed this opportunity by the owner. He never earned it like he will tell you…he simply got it through his BS. He is a good BS’r people. He paid all employee’s 8.50 an hour and not a penny more. He fired his faithful assistant to save money. On the other hand, If the phones weren’t ringing…you are sent home after 15, 30 minutes or even an hour after you arrived for your shift. He promised hours each week and you were lucky if you got 10 hours a week. </p>
<p>Edifi focuses on going after low income families and minorities. I was told this directly from John assistant who name is John as well. We set up appts in cities all over the US and most people were so unaware of what was going on and we all felt bad. I would take calls from people and even discourage them from attending. John Bratt is a closet racist and Maura as well. I do not say that lightly and others who worked w/me saw it on a daily basis.</p>
<p>I never believed and of his nonsense about running a business and saw how he gloated over his Harley in the parking lot. He makes 6 figures and will tell you about it every minute if you ask. He never bought us lunch, bought anything for us, never spoke to us…just came out w/the hammer if we were to loud. He was on the phone behind closed doors on the phone w/his mother. He took 1-2 lunches everyday w/Maura the co-owner who would fire the ladies in the office if they had better outfits. John is divorced and was hitting on a woman by the name of Nancy the entire time we worked there. He begged her to do his garden and that he would pay her. Talk about sexual harassment…she was smart and found another job. </p>
<p>John is currently working on a new project where they are going to call you and set up videos to watch. SCAM!!! He took all the sales people off the road and fired them to set up his newest SCAM!!! Please be aware that I was supposed to be a part of this new SCAM!!! I will continue to provide more information and there will be a new logo that talks about college funding. IF YOU ARE A MINORITY…YOU ARE BEING TARGETED BY EDIFI!!! The new program was supposed to be up and running by June or July. If you are asked to watch a video presentation on your computer w/your parents regarding funding your college…IT’S EDIFI AND A SCAM!!! THIS WILL BE EMPLOYEES OF EDIFI and other FOOLS who will be hired by EDIFI. They are changing their logo to fool YOU the PUBLIC!!!</p>
<p>STAY TUNED…MORE TO COME…</p>