As a college student looking for creative ways to enhance my resume, i chose BEST programs as my choice for having the opportunity to do an international internship for the summer. After comparing prices and internship position availability with other similar "companies" on the internet, I chose BEST.
Final itineraries are not disclosd until full payment has been recieved.in my case, i had a financial difficulty which did not allow me to do so until arrival. My itinerary (where i would be living, my internship company, ect) was not disclosed to me until i asked for it the night before i was supposed to leave for madrid, after having asked repetedly for it. Otherwise i would have arrived in Madrid not knowing where to go or who to look for.
The internship fee for 3 months is $1800 with a $150 deductible deposit. BEST housing is $385. Two weeks of spanish classes are included in the $1800. After looking up the price for these Spanish classes, i found they only cost around 300 euros for two weeks. A friend of mine, also in the program, opted not to take the classes and only paid $700. The website does not say what the price is if you opt not to take these classes. So i was over charged for these so-called Spanish classes by $900 or so! Most college students don't have $1800 in their pockets just waiting to be given to such organizations.
Although BEST has it's offices, if you'd like to call it that, in MADRID, they ask that all fees be paid in US dollars. BEST is not located in an office building but in the program director's home... The office number is her home phone, her family answers the phone and are many time unreliable in taking down messages.
In short, BEST programs is not a business, as it is run by one woman, who has taken advantage of many interns who have come before me, as well as the current interns now in Madrid. My internship has not had anything for me to do for the past 3 weeks, as my current internship seems to be one of the few "contacts" BEST has. You don't have 24/7 assistance as posted on the website.information on the website has also been changed within the last month to reflect certain BEST interests and not those of its clients.
Other BEST participants have their stories as well, some are worse, mine is about my housing situation and how unsatisfied i am. I paid $385 for a shared apartment, and upon my arrival i find out that i am living alone in a 3 bedroom apartment. No one wants to live alone when you are abroad. I requested a room change and the landlord of my apartment came over to yell at me, disrespect me with his Spanish machismo and demanded that if i didn't pay him 3 months rent he would throw all of my things out into the street the next day. Worried that i wouldnt have a place to live in the morning i call the program director and tell her. She lets me deal with the landlord alone... I didn't pay the landlord directly so i shouldn't have to deal with any idiot landlords yelling obscenities at me.
The "housing coordinator" told me there were no open rooms until 2 weeks later... While in the meantime at the REAL best housing apartments there were 3 rooms available at the time. I have moved into a new apartment right below the other BEST participants, but my flat mates will be moving out shortly only to leave me living alone again.
I feel cheated and scammed. If you are looking for international internship oportunities in Spain DO NOT choose BEST. You won't get what you pay for. BEWARE!
Adrianne
Bogota
Colombia
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