SAT and ACT Prep Center Inc. cited for deceiving parents of college-bound students
DALLAS Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today charged a Cedar Hill couple with orchestrating an unlawful scheme that deceived the parents of high school seniors. According to the states enforcement action the defendants marketed standardized test preparation materials by falsely telling parents that their children had expressed an interest in the materials.
John J. and Frances Stuart have operated the Coppell-based SAT and ACT Prep Center Inc. since May 2008. The defendants solicited parents in several states in an effort to sell Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Testing (ACT) exam preparation materials. Both exams are used by colleges and universities to make admissions decisions.
According to state investigators the SAT and ACT Prep Center routinely contacted parents by telephone attempted to appear familiar with the parents sons or daughters and claimed that the call recipients children previously responded to a survey expressing interest in the defendants study materials. During the calls parents were marketed a $120 CD ROM with materials necessary for studying both tests.
After placing the orders and paying for the CDs many parents later learned that their children had never inquired about receiving the study materials. Additionally many parents discovered that the CD they received matched an outdated 2006 version that was offered by a nationally recognized company. That CD ROM is available online for approximately $10.
Many parents called the company to complain returned the CDs within the 30-day trial period and demanded refunds. However they were informed that refunds were not available because the CD packaging had been opened. The defendants told parents they would be required to pay a $25 surrender charge" which reduced the refund purchasers would receive. Parents who filed complaints with the Attorney General maintain that the Prep Center failed to disclose that such a fee could be assessed. Other purchasers complained that they never received the products they purchased.
Finally The SAT and ACT Prep Center encouraged parents who purchased the study materials on CD to sign up for access to the companys Web page so they could periodically receive scholarship information. The defendants charged about $50 a month for parents to access the site. Many parents complained that they could not access the site to obtain this information while others said the company never informed them about the monthly fee.
The Attorney General seeks court-ordered restitution for parents who were financially harmed by the scheme as well as civil penalties of up to $20000 per violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Texans who believe they have been deceived by similar fraudulent business practices may call the Office of the Attorney Generals toll-free complaint line at (800) 252-8011 or file a complaint online at
www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.
