voucher4you.com is a ripoff!!!

I just wanted to warn everybody else before you wasted your money at this site. I bought a Microsoft voucher from them a few days ago for $75. I was able to initially schedule my exam with the voucher they sent, but when I checked my Prometric profile today, my exam had been cancelled. I called Prometric to find out what happened and they told me that the exam was canceled because of fraud. I was like WTF? It looks like this site is selling fraudulent vouchers of some kind and passing them off as legitimate. I have no idea if they're stolen, forged, expired, etc, but they're definitely not on the up and up. I'm trying to get a refund through PayPal, but I'm not holding my breath. I guess this 70-293 exam is going to end up costing me $260 when all is said and done. I really wish the Second Shot offer was still happening.

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Comments

TheShadow

Interesting, I bought one from them last month and took and passed the test already. I just checked the site a minute before this posting and it says down for maintenance. I had planned on buying one or two more next month I guess I will wait for the outcome of this. Keep us posted please. Oh and thanks for the heads up, I hope it works out for you.

MentholMoose

Paypal probably can get your money back. You may need to call them (it's a hassle but eventually you can get through and get help). If you paid with a credit card, don't waste your time with Paypal, call your CC company and get a charge back on the transaction. If you paid by bank transfer, call your bank. If you paid with Paypal balance... well, good luck... that's why I never maintain a Paypal balance.

tbgree00

I was able to get my money back when I bought three vouchers. I called Paypal's customer service line to open a dispute. They said they would open an investigation against him but never got back with me about that. Mostly the dispute staff were always top notch.

I found "Sam" very abrasive and unwilling to work with me. Either way send him an email saying your test was cancelled due to fraud and then call Paypal and tell them the same. You should get your money back in a week or so.

Edit: Actually you don't want to do a chargeback or stop payment on this. I found out the hard way that if you do an instant transaction through Paypal you are actually paying them and they can send you to collections over it. Let them handle it or you could find yourself in a bit more trouble. I have paypal linked to my bank account and the first CS rep I talked to advised me to do a stop payment. Later on I found that I wasn't supposed to and my account was red flagged. Just call them and they will take care of you. I found them dispute department to take 5-10 minutes to answer. Not an unreasonable response time.

Devilsbane

Complain to them. I bought a security+ voucher and just passed my test this morning. Saved me $100.

Zartanasaurus

I and a friend have both used V4Y with no problems. Which is not to say they aren't up to something shady. The fact that their website is suddenly down for maintenance now raises eyebrows.

MentholMoose

tbgree00 wrote: »

Edit: Actually you don't want to do a chargeback or stop payment on this. I found out the hard way that if you do an instant transaction through Paypal you are actually paying them and they can send you to collections over it. Let them handle it or you could find yourself in a bit more trouble. I have paypal linked to my bank account and the first CS rep I talked to advised me to do a stop payment. Later on I found that I wasn't supposed to and my account was red flagged. Just call them and they will take care of you. I found them dispute department to take 5-10 minutes to answer. Not an unreasonable response time.

I've done a charge back with Paypal with no problem. They did send me an email saying to use their dispute mechanism next time, but that's their problem. They put themselves into the transaction so they assume some risk. If anything it will motivate them to recover the money from the fraudster.

If Paypal sent it to collections I think your credit card company would help. They have far better customer support and stronger protections than Paypal. I don't know about stop payments, having never used one. It may be different than a charge back.

I've also done a charge back with Google Checkout, since I don't think there is any other dispute mechanism other than contacting the retailer. It apparently got someone's attention at Google since the retailer, who had been completely ignoring my emails and calls, actually called me within a few days to apologize for the problem, and informed me that no further action on my part was necessary for the refund to be processed.

brewd

I have the same issue going on with Voucher4you.com for the Network+ exam. I purchased a voucher for Security+ from them on eBay about 3 weeks ago and took the test, received my certification with no problems. Afterwards I messaged the seller as they didn't have a Network+ voucher on eBay and they directed me to their website. I was leary of purchasing it off of eBay but figured I already had a successful transaction with them and they had literally no negative feedback and 400 some odd positive.

So a day after the purchase, they send me the voucher code and it works successfully to register. However, yesterday I went to Prometric's site to reschedule my exam and found that the registration simply was missing. Like smg1138, I called Prometric and they simply told me that it was cancelled and that I'd have to contact whomever issued the voucher to me...

Surprisingly, Sam from Voucher4you initially responded to my inquiry about what was going on:

Hello,

we are working on the issue.
You will be contacted as soon as the issue is resolved.
Thank you for your patience.

Regards,
sam
-v4u

I've tried to email him since then, but no reply. Their website has gone through several changes in the past 24 hours. It was simply erroring out last night, now it's "under construction", but I'm getting the feeling it's not coming back up. Oh, and I just checked on eBay and they cancelled all of the auctions they had up just within the past few hours...

By the way, I contacted Paypal as well. They did create a dispute, but since a voucher is not a "tangible" good, it's not likely that you'll get a refund as the seller need only state that they fulfilled their end of the agreement and Paypal will honor that. If the seller doesn't respond, Paypal will refund the purchase, but that's about your only hope per the dispute rep at Paypal I spoke with. He also mentioned that they would not put a red flag on my account in case I work with my bank to receive a refund as well...not sure who's right on that, but figured I'd cover all angles and call them as well.

Just got off of the phone with my Bank (yep, typing this as I'm going through the process of all this) and they put a hold on the transaction and will hopefully take care of everything.

Anyways, that's it for purchases like this when I'm not on eBay for me. I purchased another voucher from eBay seller calarttech (California Institute of Arts & Technology) who has plenty of good feedback. Not that it seems to matter anymore, but the voucher worked fine. One thing to note with them, however, it is not for the N10-004 test, it's for the JK0-016. Apparently this is still for the Network+ 2009, but for the CompTIA E2C – Jobs+ version of the test. Only $205 instead of $239 directly with Prometric...

mcitp2be

wow im glad i found this forum/thread and recent info about voucher4you.com. purchased several vouchers from "sam" in the past couple months directly from his site and they were all good. BUT last week i had 2 MS exams cancelled on me out of nowhere. called prometric regional office and they said they can't provide a reason why those vouchers were no good. they told me to contact the seller. so i contacted "sam", and he was actually pretty nice....sent me 2 "replacement" voucher codes. thought it was an honest mistake, no biggie. i mean, all the others were good and i earned my certs.

the kicker....i found out again the hard way THIS MORNING that those "replacement" codes were ALSO cancelled when i got the exam center. they didn't show me registered in the system. awaiting response from voucher4you.com to make this right. im out $150 and tons of mileage for this happening twice now. as others have mentioned, his site has been down for the past day or two.

i think this guy is out of biz, but hope not. also hope my certs don't get stripped because i used these vouchers. that's my main concern.

trio

wow,guess many people bought from him from this forum and sooner or later voucher/certificate will go invalid cause of fraud.

tbgree00

mcitp2be wrote: »

i think this guy is out of biz, but hope not. also hope my certs don't get stripped because i used these vouchers. that's my main concern.

If he is selling bad vouchers I hope he is out of business. I really hope they don't start stripping certifications over it though. When I realized it sounded fishy I was afraid I would lose my certifications if I used it and started the refund procedure.

I don't know what type of voucher these actually are but the NDA says that if you use an academic voucher and aren't enrolled in that school then your test can be invalidated. There are other rules about vouchers but nothing very specific.

Microsoft Learning: Microsoft Certification Exam Policies

Synthros

smg1138 wrote: »

I just wanted to warn everybody else before you wasted your money at this site. I bought a Microsoft voucher from them a few days ago for $75. I was able to initially schedule my exam with the voucher they sent, but when I checked my Prometric profile today, my exam had been cancelled. I called Prometric to find out what happened and they told me that the exam was canceled because of fraud. I was like WTF? It looks like this site is selling fraudulent vouchers of some kind and passing them off as legitimate. I have no idea if they're stolen, forged, expired, etc, but they're definitely not on the up and up. I'm trying to get a refund through PayPal, but I'm not holding my breath. I guess this 70-293 exam is going to end up costing me $260 when all is said and done. I really wish the Second Shot offer was still happening.

The same thing just happened to me. I bought a Microsoft voucher from them off of eBay for $80. I scheduled the exam a week ago; I went on the Prometric site again yesterday to update some info, and it showed that I had no exams scheduled. I sent an email to Prometric asking what was going on, but after reading all of the responses to this thread, it sounds like I'm going to need to Paypal and/or my bank.

Devilsbane

Synthros wrote: »

The same thing just happened to me. I bought a Microsoft voucher from them off of eBay for $80. I scheduled the exam a week ago; I went on the Prometric site again yesterday to update some info, and it showed that I had no exams scheduled. I sent an email to Prometric asking what was going on, but after reading all of the responses to this thread, it sounds like I'm going to need to Paypal and/or my bank.

I just took my Sec+ with one of his vouchers this morning. It is marked on prometric as a pass. I'll have to check comptia's website, but I doubt they have it up yet.

smg1138

Just wanted to give an update. I opened an incident about this with PayPal a couple of days ago and actually received a full refund yesterday. I'm still amazed that it actually happened and that it happened so fast. I'll be steering clear of these guys from now on.

Devilsbane

Thats why I use paypal with any company other than Amazon type companies.

networker050184

Just pay full price you cheap bastards!

Paul Boz

networker050184 wrote: »

Just pay full price you cheap bastards!

Not everyone can afford to man. I've used GetCertified4Less.com - Test Vouchers at Guaranteed Discount for at least five or six years and have never had a problem. They’ve gotten great reviews everywhere I’ve looked and I’ve had nothing but the best experiences with them.

mcitp2be

Looks like his website is back up.....able to login, but there are NO products available. surprise, surprise. Still no reply on my refund. Gave him 24 hours.

Config

Paul Boz wrote: »

Not everyone can afford to man. I've used GetCertified4Less.com - Test Vouchers at Guaranteed Discount for at least five or six years and have never had a problem. They’ve gotten great reviews everywhere I’ve looked and I’ve had nothing but the best experiences with them.

Seems like GetCertifified4Less only have USA/Canada test vouchers, their international order page doesn't seem to be working, anyone know any similar trustworthy sites for international markets?

Maiden4life

smg1138 wrote: »

I just wanted to warn everybody else before you wasted your money at this site. I bought a Microsoft voucher from them a few days ago for $75. I was able to initially schedule my exam with the voucher they sent, but when I checked my Prometric profile today, my exam had been cancelled. I called Prometric to find out what happened and they told me that the exam was canceled because of fraud. I was like WTF? It looks like this site is selling fraudulent vouchers of some kind and passing them off as legitimate. I have no idea if they're stolen, forged, expired, etc, but they're definitely not on the up and up. I'm trying to get a refund through PayPal, but I'm not holding my breath. I guess this 70-293 exam is going to end up costing me $260 when all is said and done. I really wish the Second Shot offer was still happening.

I am glad I found this forum. The same thing happened to me. I emailed them and this was the response I got back:

[FONT=&quot]"Bro, I am trying to figure out what the hell is their problem.
Your full right is reseved for either one of them (Full Refund
or Replacement) Please allow me some time before I issue
the refund to you."[/FONT]
This was last Thursday. No response since. I just made a claim on paypal. Let's see what happens.

SephStorm

Yeah, Heads up, no matter what he says, DO NOT drop a claim on paypal. Someone tricked me like that once. Once you withdraw a claim on paypal, it cannot be reopened.

Devilsbane

mcitp2be wrote: »

Looks like his website is back up.....able to login, but there are NO products available. surprise, surprise. Still no reply on my refund. Gave him 24 hours.

I know from your point of view 24 hours seems like plenty of time, and maybe it is. But 24 hours on his end might not be so bad. Most places take close to a week to get back to you sometimes, especially over weekends.

I'm sure you will hear something by Monday or Tuesday.

trio

Dude,whether site is up or not you should not use his vouchers since they are not legal.just ask for a refund,or open a claim.since there are many users opening a claim against his account I guess they will make a decision in your favor.

Hyper-Me

Seen this happen before with other companies online (nothing cert related)

What has likely happened is that his business was becoming unprofitable and his last several orders over those few days he probably bought valid vouchers and then cancelled them somehow after the fact. The fact that his website is down, he's not responding to email and his ebay auctions are all being pulled would lead me to believe he is getting himself off the grid with everyones money before it fully catches up to him.

TheShadow

Whatever he is doing it is very tacky. He has a mostly blank site template on line now page2, page 3, page 4 etc. Normally that is an indication that someone has moved to a new ISP and can't retrieve or does not want to retrieve their old code and database. A prime canidate for being hacked, I think I will stay away from there maybe indefinitely.

Devilsbane

Don't forget about getcertify4less, they have a deal going with TE where you can save $1. Mention coupon code 1155.

My deal with them is that they seldom sell you just the voucher, they always want to include some lame study guide (which might actually be very worthwhile, but by the time I go to purchase a voucher, I already have my training materials lined up and have never tried one) which then makes the voucher more expensive then buying it straight from CompTIA or Microsoft.

Zartanasaurus

Devilsbane wrote: »

Don't forget about getcertify4less, they have a deal going with TE where you can save $1. Mention coupon code 1155.

My deal with them is that they seldom sell you just the voucher, they always want to include some lame study guide (which might actually be very worthwhile, but by the time I go to purchase a voucher, I already have my training materials lined up and have never tried one) which then makes the voucher more expensive then buying it straight from CompTIA or Microsoft.

Yeah, their business model seems to be selling lame study guides tied to their vouchers. I bought a Security+ voucher from them earlier this year and the study guide that came with it was for the old version of the test.

Paul Boz

Devilsbane wrote: »

Don't forget about getcertify4less, they have a deal going with TE where you can save $1. Mention coupon code 1155.

My deal with them is that they seldom sell you just the voucher, they always want to include some lame study guide (which might actually be very worthwhile, but by the time I go to purchase a voucher, I already have my training materials lined up and have never tried one) which then makes the voucher more expensive then buying it straight from CompTIA or Microsoft.

I have never had that problem. I've been on their mailing list for years and see vouchers for Cisco, MS, and Comptia every few days, none of which require the purchase of their bootcamp packs.

brewd

Paul Boz wrote: »

Not everyone can afford to man. I've used GetCertified4Less.com - Test Vouchers at Guaranteed Discount for at least five or six years and have never had a problem. They’ve gotten great reviews everywhere I’ve looked and I’ve had nothing but the best experiences with them.

Thanks for the tip on GetCertified4Less - I bought the Server+ voucher there a few days ago saving about $25. However, one big disappointment was a freebie they threw in with the voucher a Server+ "Cert Guide from Tcat Houser" described as "CompTIA Server+ 2009 Tips (download pdf) from Author Tcat Houser".

I saw that Tcat Houser had a separate study guide for Server+ on their website for $20, and given the lack of decent study materials for Server+ I figured this might prove helpful. It turns out the "Tips" consist of a two page pdf in which about the most "useful" insight is as follows:

...perhaps the best visual metaphor for Server+ 2009 is A+ got married to Network+ to have the Big Baby, Server+.

So, needless to say, this was quite the let down. Ah well...at least it seems I have a trustworthy replacement for Voucher4you.com.

over9000

Did everyone get their money back from voucher4you.com? I see he's back selling vouchers again on his website. I'm too scared to try and buy a voucher from him after hearing the horror stories from you guys. I was also wondering if anyone has used this site? https://www.calarttech.com/ If so, are the vouchers from there legit? Will they really pay for a second shot if you need it?

Webmaster

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

Yeah, their business model seems to be selling lame study guides tied to their vouchers. I bought a Security+ voucher from them earlier this year and the study guide that came with it was for the old version of the test.

Years ago the vendors decided that selling vouchers separately was no longer an option, they had to be bundled with study material. Technically you buy the study material and get the voucher at the reduced cost. It makes sense, with the high exam costs nowadays, to look for a good deal, but as this topic shows it wise to get your vouchers at reputable sellers who are in good standing with the vendors as well (ie. GC4L or PrepLogic).