Reported By: Soumyasis Gupta
Contact information:
Academy Leaders Bengaluru, Karnataka
academyleaders.com
I had an extremely disappointing experience with Academy Leaders, an online education platform that engages in deceptive marketing, hidden charges, and refusal to honor refunds. I have reason to be convinced this is an intentionally practised financial exploitation scheme and has negatively impacted multiple individuals.
What Happened:
I enrolled in their [Graphics Design Professional Course] after being assured that I would receive full course access, software tools, and a certificate for professional development. However, despite making the required payments, I did not receive the promised services.
Below are the details of the grievance:
1. Misleading Advertisement and Hidden Costs:
AcademyLeaders advertised a Graphic Design Course with a one-time registration fee. However, after payment, I discovered that access to course materials was restricted unless I purchased additional software through their platform. This critical requirement was not disclosed before payment.
2. Contradictory Refund Policy and Financial Exploitation:
Initially, the company claimed that the registration fee was non-refundable. Upon further inquiry, they stated that a refund was available only after completing the “enrollment process,” which required me to make additional purchases. This effectively meant I had to spend more money before qualifying for a refund. Such a policy is coercive and unfair.
3. Deliberate Confusion Over Course and Payment Requirements:
Their representative instructed me to purchase a software package costing ₹869, without specifying that I needed a different ₹849 package for my course. Later, they claimed I had enrolled in the wrong package and required additional payments. When I followed their instructions and purchased another course for ₹1099, they again denied me access, causing further financial loss.
4. Failure to Deliver the Product:
Despite making multiple payments as instructed, I never received access to the promised theoretical course material. Each time I sought clarification, I was redirected to make additional payments instead of being provided with the content I had already paid for.
5. Lack of Customer Support & Accountability:
AcademyLeaders failed to provide clear resolutions to my concerns. Their support team ignored multiple follow-ups, provided contradictory information, and attempted to shift responsibility for their mismanagement onto me.
Issues Faced:
• Partial Delivery of Content: I was only given a small eBook and a few supplementary materials, but not the main course content as advertised.
• No Software Access: The software links provided were broken and led to non-existent webpages.
• No Certificate Provided: Despite their claim of offering professional certification, I have not received any proof of course completion.
• Deceptive Refund Policy: When I requested a refund, they introduced a hidden policy requiring me to purchase an additional course.
• Customer Support is Non-Existent: Their phone number does not exist when called upon, and emails to the support team bounce back.
Key Issues
1. Hidden Costs & Forced Purchases – The course was advertised at Rs. 299, but access to the content was restricted unless an additional software package was purchased, which was not clearly stated upfront. This is misleading.
2. Contradictory Refund Policy – Their website claimed a 30-day money-back guarantee, but they refused to honor it when requested. They also introduced new conditions for refunds that were never mentioned before payment.
3. Miscommunication & Lack of Accountability – They insisted that instructions had been provided via email when they had not. Instead of resolving the issue, they repeatedly deflected and closed communication.
4. Unfair Payment Handling – When I mistakenly paid Rs. 869 instead of Rs. 849 (due to their lack of clear instructions), they refused to adjust or refund the difference, forcing an additional purchase. [Efforts to further their deceptive financial exploitation agenda]
5. Deliberate Ignorance & Stonewalling – They ignored reasonable requests for clarification, failed to provide course access despite payment, and continuously redirected the conversation to push further payments.
Evidence I have in my possession (available upon request)
i) Payment receipts and transaction details
ii) Screenshots of course access issues (e.g., “Access Denied” page)
iii) Screenshots of broken software links
iv) Screenshots of non-functional customer support contact details
v) Screenshots and links of other customer complaints from consumer forums
vi) Full misleading WhatsApp/Email conversations with their team
Request for Resolution:
1. Full refund of ₹8166 due to non-delivery of promised services.
2. Action against the fraudulent company for misleading consumers.
3. Warning issued to prevent others from falling victim to their scams.
I kindly request the authorities to investigate this matter and take appropriate action. If required, I am willing to provide additional details to support my case.
Date of experience: February 03, 2025
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