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:09/08/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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 signed up for NASM back in July 2023. Upon signing up I agreed to a set monthly amount. My daughter at the time signed up for the same program and received a different monthly amount. I explained in multiple emails that I had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and needed a reduced monthly amount in order to continue to program and pay for my medical expenses. I had no intention to CANCEL my membership but to have my monthly amount adjusted. Im not able to call for a variety a reasons and email is the best way for me to communicate. I receive cookie cutter emails daily about my program access being suspended. I have responded to I believe at least **** of the daily emails of them asking for a reduced monthly amount even if that extended the contract. I have had ZERO response to my emails. The emails do NOT come back undeliverable, so I believe NASM is deliberately ignoring my request. Now I just want the entire contract cancelled. I cannot handle the stress of being dismissed and ignored because of their lack of customer service. This company is awful and based on the low BBB rating Im guessing Im not the only one with issues with this company.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2023

  Our records indicate the customer originally purchased via web order on 06/14/2023 and when purchasing via the web, those installment plans are locked and cannot be modified. Unfortunately, when a payment is missed, automatic emails will begin to be sent to customers regarding bringing the account current, however responding to those emails will not guarantee it's going back to an observed inbox and all customer inquires are to be handled by ****** Services. As of this writing, the customer has not been able to connect with ****** Services via phone, email, or chat so assistance has not been provided. At this time, a representative of the ****** Service's Leadership team will attempt to connect with the customer via both phone and email to come to an amicable resolution and set them up for success due to their extenuating circumstances. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/27/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  When I signed up I told them I had learning disability and would need help when I got to the testing. I also said no money taken out I was gonna do the paying but they went against my words. I have tried to also contact them though calls,email and even the person that signed me up and would never get a hold of me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/28/2023

  ****** Services originally received an inquiry regarding the customer's complaint via social media on 07/25/2023 and two outbound calls were attempted by a representative with no success due to voicemail not being set up. Later that day an email was sent to the customer regarding filing a form for Special Accommodations to take the exam. In addition, the customer was also advised the accommodation process via social media as well on 07/25.
  
  Since the purchase date of 11/2022, NASM has had email correspondence with the customer on 03/27, 04/25, 04/28, 05/01, 05/06, and 07/19 prior to the inquires on 07/25/2024.
  
  Regarding the payment process, NASM sets up an automatically monthly installment plan which will draft the expected payment on the scheduled due date. For a manual payment, customers will need to call in prior to the draft date and pay via phone. At this time since a form was emailed to the customer regarding the exam accommodations, NASM will await submission of said form so the customer can proceed with testing.      

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/24/2023

  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.

  I have been trying to reach NASM through several emails and calls for months with no response. I would like a refund because I cannot continue to take the course due to my employer stating it would be grounds for termination due to conflict of interest. I have tried calling billing and they only refer me to member services and after being on hold for close to an hour multiple times I still have not had a response.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/27/2023

  A member of our leadership team attempted to contact the customer on 7/27/23 to attempt to gain further insight into the situation and see how we can come to a resolution. We were unable to reach the customer or leave a voicemail due to the voice mail box being unavailable. We will attempt further contact regarding this. 

  Additionally we would like to address the customers claims that we have not responded to their attempts to get in contact with us. We do not have any record of any phone calls after 4/7/2023 which was out last phone communication with the member received in member services. We have responded to their email inquiries on multiple occasions such as 6/24/23,7/5/23,7/11/23, and 7/26/23. We encourage the customer to check their junk or spam inbox. 
  
  Although NASM|AFAA does not guarantee any kind of refund outside of the 28 days allotted, we will be happy to review your request once the requirements of our internal appeal process is followed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/15/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  July 15, 2023 To Whom It May ********** name is *************************. The academy of Science Medicine is continuing to take money from my account and refuse to cancel my payments. I signed up with the school but never had any courses, they dont actually offer any as you see on the website. They send you a textbook and all there is on the classroom is a list of exams. I looked several times for courses and assignments and there are no assignments and actual teachers, professors, or lecturers. You read the textbook on your own and then take exams. As I sat there reading the text and taking notes, I wondered if I can actually get a job before I finish certification and get a head start. job listing after job listing the qualifications being asked as listed on indeed were far more for a wellness coach than the school would be providing. I wanted to quit. I never even got to any exams or anything. I was told by the school I signed a contract and would still have to pay for school though I was not actually active in school and if I completed school would not qualify for the career I was there after. I am not paying for something I am not actively participating in and would not even benefit from when I was done and earned certification. Their website claims job guaranteed. . I would have paid money for something useless and still have to go for , much more schooling. . I saw on indeed that I was not going to qualify for a wellness coach. . I was in a panic wondering what I was going to do now since I cant get the qualifications I need from this school. I want them to cancel my payments and state that I dont owe them any more money. I am trying to avoid having to go to court and I cant have them getting creditors after me claiming I owe them money. It will ruin my credit. I just want to stop owning them money. Its not fair to pay for something they guarantee will give me a job and it wont. Sincerely, *************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/21/2023

  Our management team contacted this customer on 7/19/2023. Additional time to complete the course and live real-time access to content experts was offered to address the customer's concerns. The customer declined these options as well as direct contact with a member of our management team for future assistance.
  
  Addressing the customers complaints, we want to clarify that we do not state that we are a school or academic institution, and in no place do we advertise as such. National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) is a provider of online self-study learning content used to prepare for certification and once certified, to obtain continuing education in the fitness and wellness fields. 
  
  The customer's second complaint is that we guarantee employment. This is accurate but it is specific to the Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) course which would prepare an individual for a CPT job and not a wellness coach position based on hiring qualifications. (Qualifications for CPT job guarantee are provided in a screenshot from our Candidate Handbook). This customer did not purchase our wellness coach course but instead a CPT course bundle. Although possible, there would be no guarantee this customer could get a wellness coach job with the courses purchased.
  
  The customer's final complaint is that they were unable to obtain a cancellation or refund, this is accurate. We have a 28-day return period for each order that for this customer, who purchased on 1/25/2023, ended on 2/22/2023. The customer did not reach out to us until 5/13/2023, which was beyond the return period. The customer agreed to those terms and conditions by signing a Retail Installment Contract and is ineligible for a return beyond the return period.
  
  We would be happy to continue assisting this customer to ensure that the courses purchased can be useful in their career, however, the customer indicated submitting both chargebacks and seeking legal action which would both make assistance difficult.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/14/2023

  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 am so disappointed with this business and will never go back. I purchase the Elite Bundle and started making payments. Everything was great until my husbands company moved him to part time instead of full time, lowering my household income for now. I called in to cancel my enrollment since now I can't afford it but the company wont let me cancel my enrollment. I did submit an appeal and it got denied. The only way to cancel enrollment is death, illness, military deployment or employment, life changing events are not included. So now, I can either pay my monthly payments (which I can't afford) or have them send me to collections because I can't afford my payments. I tried calling and posted on ******** and same conclusion. I read the comments below and NASM responded with " please contact via phone to discuss any possible resolutions and/or further assistance"...but there isn't. Every time I call, its the same resolution, since I didn't cancel within the "28 days refund policy", I'm stuck and pay your payment. What type of customer service is that? Your appeals should include life changing events. I sent in a copy of my husband's paystub to show the change and my appeal still got denied. I'm not even asking for a refund, I just want them to cancel my enrollment. Paying $100 per month for something you are not using, is not right and you forcing people to stay in school is not right either. NASM will not stop me but next time, I'll go to a real college/school.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2023

  Per NASM's Terms and Conditions, "All sales are final twenty-eight (28) days after the date of purchase (the Return Period). In other words, as of the 29th day following the date of purchase, the Company will not provide refunds or accept returns." That being said, NASM understands that extenuating circumstances can occur and if eligible, provide customers with the opportunity to submit an Out of Policy appeal for what's commonly a late cancellation of installment payments. These appeals are reviews and submission of an appeal does not guarantee an approval. NASM looks at a variety of factors, such as enrollment periods, dates of occurrences, and also looks at contact history between the customers and ****** Services.
  
  In this scenario, the order was purchased late March 2023, and correspondence with ****** Services did not occur until late May 2023, with an appeal beginning in June. The appeal was not approved due to a variety of factors, with one of them being purchase of the program did not include a co-borrower, any information from a third party cannot be used for the purposes of making alterations to the loan that was taken out in the customer's name. That being said, a second review of the appeal will begin and ****** Services will be in contact with the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/26/2023

  Type:Order 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 sent this message to NASM over a week ago despite having previously talked to an agent that said she would get someone to email me back about my issue. Here is the message:Unfortunately last Sunday my family home caught fire and we have unfortunately lost everything. That being said, Id like to cancel and just wait until life is less chaotic for me to go through with my CPT certification before I am charged for my first payment. My account with enrollment is either registered from the email I am addressing you from now or ************************* I truly hope this will not effect my enrollment with NASM program in the future. I am able to provide proof from ********* that we had a fire if needed. *end of message*I would honestly just like my contract to be cancelled so I can come back and focus on it when I am ready.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/27/2023

  Customer emailed our ****** Services team within the 28 days requesting to cancel his account due to his recent incident which we will honor and proceed with the request. Cancellation was submitted on 6/26/2023 which can take 15 business days.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/23/2023

  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.

  I bought a NASM certification about 2 months ago and have no use for it anymore. I thought I could cancel my remaining payments because I cant afford it and have no use for it anymore, but no. Everyone I contact just tells me that they cant do anything about it due to their policy. I had no idea about this policy until now. I feel like 28 days to cancel would be something you should tell a customer. I dont even want a refund, I would like to just cancel my remaining balance since I dont use it anymore. Now I owe $2000 for a certification I am not going to need. I am beyond irritated at NASM. They are friendly to help you when you are buying the course but disrespectful when you want to cancel.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2023

  When purchasing the online course, it is required in the online content to consent to all terms and conditions and requires customers to check a box acknowledging they read said terms. On Section 5.3, it states "All sales are final twenty-eight (28) days after the date of purchase (the Return Period). In other words, as of the 29th day following the date of purchase, the Company will not provide refunds or accept returns." With that being said, a representative of the ****** Services Leadership team will connect with the customer for an amicable solution to both parties. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/22/2023

  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.

  On 02-04-23 I paid $400+ upfront for the NASM ( National Academy of Sports Medicine ) certified personal training certification. I then spent several months studying and passed NASM's exam. I paid in full and did everything that was required of me, but NASM refuses to provide the certificate I earned. So far this has cost me to miss three separate interviews I had scheduled because I did not have a certificate to present. Over the course of the last three days, 11 different NASM representatives ( *******, ******************, ***, ********, ****, *****, *****, ******, ******* < twice ) refused to assist and hung up on me. I still do not have the certification I earned. This has cost me three different jobs. NASM responded back by sending a printout and saying for me to present that to possible employers instead of the certification.... "Don't get so upset, Others are experiencing the same" Wow ! Shame on you NASM ! Extremely Unprofessional and Outright Fraud. If this is not resolved today, I will start listing this complaint everywhere I can online and tell as many people in the fitness industry of NASM's unethical business practices. I will not go quietly.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2023

  NASM is aware of a problem that is currently affecting a small number of our members. This issue specifically relates to the generation of their certificates, which are essential for them to receive proper accreditation. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused by this technical challenge and assure you that we are actively working to resolve it as quickly as possible.
  
  Our dedicated team is diligently investigating and troubleshooting the problem to identify its root cause and implement an effective solution. Rest assured that we understand the importance of promptly providing certificates to our members, and we are committed to resolving this issue in a timely manner.
  
  In regards to the specific case of *********************, we are in direct communication with him to ensure that he is promptly notified as soon as this problem is rectified. We understand the frustration and urgency surrounding this matter, and we are doing everything within our power to expedite the resolution.