After conducting an exhaustive internet search for a pastry school in the Orlando area I decided on The Notter School of Pastry Arts. I made an appointment to see the school, met Chef Notter and was impressed and "wowed" thinking that this program was really the best out there. Unfortunately my financial aid would not cover all of the tuition so they were "kind" enough to set me up with a private loan for the remaining $10,500 from a lender that they dealt with exclusively.
I enrolled in their 26 weeks pastry arts program in the evening class after being assured that I would be with other students also starting at that time and would be placed in the very first of a series of classes designed from beginning to advanced.
On my very first night of class I realized that something was seriously wrong, I learned I was the only one enrolled in the evening program and was thrown into another class which was just a month or two away from "graduation". Therefore, I felt lost. Between that and the fact that working a full time job and attending class from 6 to 11:00 was too much especially for the education I was not receiving.
I immediately withdrew within the fist week of class. Afterwards I started getting phone calls from the lender, TFS about payments which were not being made towards the loan. I explained that I had formally withdrew from the program. Apparently, The Notter School never mentioned this fact to the lender. TFS suggested I call the school and advise that they need to return the funds which had been disbursed in like a nano second.
I could never get anyone in the administrative office to respond to my phone messages. When I would follow up I would be told that the financial aid or other office person was no longer there and given the name of someone else. But they never responded to any of my messages.
Eventually the collection calls from the lender stopped and I assumed that the school had returned the money. Imagine my surprise when I received a call from an attorney for the lender basically "threatening" that if I did not pay back the $10,500 I would be sued. He did not want to hear what the school did or did not do.
As the previous poster indicated, I did find one bad report on the school prior to enrolling but like he, chalked it up to a disgruntled employee or student.
Nothing is farther from the truth. The school has totally scammed me, stole money from a lending institution that should have had that money returned to them immediately upon my withdrawal, and perpetrated a fraud. At this point it would appear that their actions are criminal in nature.
I have filed a report with the FL Atty General Office and the Orange County Dept. Of Consumer Affairs. However, based upon their financial issues it would seem that I am in for a long battle. Do not under any circumstances enroll in this school.
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