Tech Pros Group review: Scamming ba***rds! 107

I am writing as a person who has just completed phase one training and was perusing the web to get more information before entering phase two. I was disappointed to see so many negative comments, but I can understand where they come from. I think I can break down the complaints in to two sections: Pre 2007 and Post 2007. In the pre-2007 complaints, it appears that even TPG admits to some flaw in candidate selection process. Complaints are likely valid and who knows to what degree there was negligence or even malicious intent? I'm not going to go too much in to this era, because I have no experience in it. I can speak to the 2008 experience with TPG.

I felt that they were upfront about how they would get their money and what fees would be expected to be payed out of pocket by me. I did not feel misled. The training materials and labs I worked on were average. Nothing too special, but there was some good stuff in there. I can't say that I didn't learn anything, because I did. More to the point, the program gave me structure and motivation to get it together and bang out a lot of tests. Here brings up an interesting point.

Some people have commented that they felt they did not get a solid foundation and then in the same breath said the labs were too much to do in the time given. I can personally say the labs were not hard to complete in the time allotted and they did add to the overall training. Six weeks of instruction is not going to make ANYONE and expert in the field, but remember, this is a program to get people ready for an entry level position in a company. I think, at times, the expectations of those dissatisfied have simply been due to unrealistic expectations as to what they felt the program would give them in terms of hard skills. I.T. is HARD. It's not going to come overnight and this program is a fast track and best suited for those who already have at least one year of real world experience (per their marketing).

I don't care to debate anyone elses experience, I'm simply going to say that mine was okay. I would say that TPG does sometimes seem a bit disorganized and does seem a bit fuzzy when it comes to discussing the "internship and placement" process. As for my future with TPG, I feel that I will not pursue phase two, but I am glad that I did do phase one. It was, in a sense, a guided mentorship for me and helped motivate me to jumpstart my certification process. The biggest reason for me not going to phase two is not the money, because I would pay 19.5% of my annual income for one year, IF I felt that they were going to go out of their way to represent me and help me secure a kick-### job after training. I feel that this is probably the softest part of their service, and unfortunately, the core of the sales pitch. I guess each person just needs to take an objective look at what they expect to get from such a program. I think that for the money I spent, in total, it was worthwile and I would recommend Phase one to anyone who wants to get their MCSA/MCNA certifications in eight weeks and has around a grand to throw at it.

In conclusion, I feel that each candidate will likely get out of the program close to what they personally put in to it. TPG will not turn C- motivation in to A+ results. You gatta do the work, you gatta take it seriosly. I do, however, recognize a soft spot in the companies presentation of the internship and placement process and can believe that others have had a hard time after finishing the program. I think for the amount of money that they are taking (which is significant), they should already have strategic partnerships with partner consulting companies ready to scoop up successful candidates. The fact that this key component is missing probably speaks a little to the quality of the training program as well as a lack of execution in this area of their business model. Sorry to those who felt they got "Robbed", but my experience has been that they are pretty straight shooters and not the frauds that some would have you believe.

Regards,
Mike Cram

First I am sorry any of you were scammed that sucks. But I thank you for all your posts as I was thinking, to good to be true so I used the magic world of google. I hope all works out for you and thaniks again for saving me the time money and aggrivation.

I agree with everything said, also, how many errors on a web site does it take before you seriously doubt it's validity? This is compounded by the fact that it is supposed to be a web site for an IT professional training program. WOW, these guys suck!

I wonder if Greazy Diego is an alias for Pete Friv? I'm with RV, too much controversy here for me. Life has enough problems "coming at you fast" to go looking for more trouble.
Carolina Tech

Greetings to All Fellow Technologians! I have worked in the industry since the very first IBM PC model chugging along at 4MHz. It's been quite a wild, properous and exciting ride the last 25 years.
I retired from Government after 30 years service.

This company seems to thrive on a little known act called Indentured Servitude that should be banned altogether in government and private business. Here is how it works: You go to work for Irvine City, CA government. They pay you 30, 000USD per annum and bennies. You ask for training in CISCO, Microsoft, NOVELL, etc. The government says sure...but here's the kicker...we will send you to these training classes and pay for it (not sure if it is exactly the same at TPG but it gives you the idea) but we are including a clause in your contract to wit: If you quit or leave in the next 2 years to go work for another jurisdiction or private company, you have to pay us 20, 000USD for your training. If you agree to it, you will be a "slave, servant, whatever" to that place for the next two years no matter how many golden opportunitites come your way. You are their indentured servant. If you understand this, then I say you are a grownup and go do it. But if you think that once you get the training and certified and a golden opp. comes up that you just know you will go for-then DON'T DO IT. We are in a new depression...the economy sucks...private industry and government have little to no job security...you work "AT WILL". If you say the wrong thing or complain-you are not a team player, blah, blah, we are just looking for an excuse to fire you-GOT IT?!

I suggest you go to a legitimate training school, pay the bucks for the materials on your own, borrow the money from Mom or Dad or whomever and do it slowly and grasp the material until you know it like you know the language you speak. Get your certs 1 at a time and have a plan-don't let anyone stress you out with all the pressure of being a certified this or that in 3 months. NO HUMAN can do it-not Frivali or Choi or whomever they really are behind the curtains here.

Microsoft has some programmes, materials, resources availalbe to help you and there are a lot of good online schools that let you learn at your own pace. Good luck to all of you, my brothers and friends!

SIN

Your LAN/WAN disclosure agreement is misleading.

Like you say...There is no guarantee!

You are lying!

Lie on your LAN/WAN disclosure agreement and tell the true on the forum that you are not ABLE to provide everyone with a internship.

You need to fix this!

You can't respond..can you

I wonder why?

YOU CAN RESPONSE...CAN YOU

I WONDER WHY

You should implement that statement in your disclosure agreement that just saying it in the forum.

If you fit into this category, give us a call and explain your situation and see what our response will be. Obviously, it would not benefit Tech Pros Group to make this statement and not back it up.

This statement can cause your company a lot of problem by being bold to say this statement without backing it up.

Does this statement stand true?

Tech Pros Group has stated and continues to state on this forum that if there was an individual who worked proactively to seek employment in coordination with Tech Pros Group and did not receive employment, Tech Pros Group would waive any obligations they had with us. If you fit into this category, give us a call and explain your situation and see what our response will be. Obviously, it would not benefit Tech Pros Group to make this statement and not back it up.
Posted: 11/12/2007 @ 10:26 PM (PST) (edited 11/12/2007 @ 11:16 PM (PST))

stevecopeland@...
Job Role: IT Consultant
Location: Irvine, California
Member since: 07/30/1999

Is this stand true today?

I am interested in your company but I am concern that your disclosure agreement is misleading.

You should have this statement change in your disclosure agreement in order for people to highly respect your company. You disclosure agreement is misleading if you can not provide everyone with an internship. If you not able to provide them a job within a certain time frame, they shouldn't owe you money. Stating this in your disclosure agreement will cause people to respect your company. You have to make it an win/win situation for you and the people who decide to get involve with you company. Not a win for your company and a lose for the people.

Do you really care about the people or your pockets?

There is a respectable company who had two complaints within 36 month and resolve one of them.
You can read this on BBB.
Washington D.C Internship guarantee employee for individuals and has been in business for 25 years. In 25 year in business, they had alway place an student for an internship. Never fail not one time.

Their number is [protected]. Website is www.washingtonintership.com
On their website, they "GUARANTEE" employment. They even have the president of the United State adverstise in their book standing with their students.

Does this stand true today? If a person doesn't get a job with Tech Pros Group, would your company actually waive any obligations. You should state this on your LAN/WAN disclosure agreement. Reading your agreement makes everyone to believe that once they are finish, they will recieve an internship.

You should say that everyone may not get an internship. People will have the right to sue you since you didn't disclosure that on your LAN/WAN Disclosure agreement. I not saying this to be mean. One of my family member has an attoney.

It would not be right to hold a person to an agreement if you can not provide them employment. There are people who will apply with your service and they have family to feed.

You should change your statement on your disclosure agreement. It should say that everyone will not recieve an internship since you are not able to provide an internship for everyone. Like you said earlier you can not guarantee employment. YOU SHOULD SAY THAT ON YOUR LAN/WAN AGREEMENT.

You should state on your LAN/WAN disclosure agreement that you can not guarantee employment to everyone.

Like you say, you can not guarantee employment which mean you are lying on your LAN/WAN disclosure agreement. This can cause you to be sue in the near future.

Your company may be highly respected if you disclosure this on your LAN/WAN agreement.
People will truely know what they getting themselve into because now they will be able to make an educated decison.

I hope you really care about the people success.

P.S. You link doesn't work in which I said one day ago.

Looks like someone needs to take a better HTML class too.
LMMFAO,
Mr. Blood

If you need help with your page I am sure someone would help you
NOT

The link doesn't work!

RESPONSE TO ACCUSATION #4: False. Tech Pros Group, Inc. is a Microsoft Gold Partner and has been for 2 years. The link does work; feel free to verify our link. In regards to Virginia Beach; the national headquarters of Tech Pros Group, Inc. is located in Irvine, California, 92618. We have no locations in Virginia Beach.

This statement is true. She is right. Your link doesn't work. I just try it today.

Oh one more I just thought of going along with stuff you DIDNT teach us.

Why didnt your instructors tell us about Exchange servers being used as an SMTP relay and how to disable that, or what to do with blacklisted e-mail servers.

Or that you have to add a user to Admin on a XP machine in a domain so they can do work?

And all the other big holes you left out in you piss poor training?

Do I need to go on?
Mr. Blood

http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=8&threadID=188794&messageID=2187711
Here you will find more info than you will ever want.
These people are liars and shady people.
There are much better ways to do training than this.
I have filed a complaint over a year ago and never heard much back so I went to Google Steve Copeland and Eric Choi and look what I found.
I love the internet.
Well I am doing much better than my previous post (NO Thanks to TPG), so feel free to search the other site and bash them more.
Oh Steve, did you miss me?
you still never answered my questions, I guess we moved to a new site now huh?

Answer THAT and stay fashionable!
Do you think having the students remember questions to Certifications is a legit way to get people certified to the FAST TRACK to an I.T. career?

Why don’t you teach the students more of what they ACTUALLY need to know when going out into the field instead of teaching them how to maneuver their way around questions they don’t know how to answer?

Will your students really know more than SEASONED PROFESSIONALS upon leaving your BOOTCAMP? If not why did Eric tell us that?

Why do you promote an Internship when there isn’t one?

Why did Eric have all his employees transfer their name to the apartment lease before terminating them?

Why do you tell people you have instructors when they are really ex-students who don’t know what they are doing?

Why did you not teach about SUS servers, DNS stub servers, WPAD scripts (when we learned about ISA) and the many other technologies necessary for success in the LAN/WAN world?

If you are so Professional why do you wear Jeans and Jerseys to work, smoke, and cuss?

Why do the people at the Pearson VUE office tell you to stay in the exam for at least 15 minutes so no one catches on?

Why were there people in my session who have never even worked on a computer before?

Chow,
Mr. Blood

Thanks for the heads up, have been doing detailed research on this company and the only positivies I have found have been on their website and no where else. Much Appreciated.

Tech Pros Group Inc.'s website has a dead link for emailing it's Microsoft "Gold Certified Parter." Interesting. No financials. Hmmm. Wow. Thanks Cali.
Oh, By the way Peter, the zip code in the area you show as your address in Virginia Beach is NOT, 23468. Not even close. I've lived here for 20 years. The Ocean Front zip is and always has been 23451.
So, where are you realy? And by the by, please loose my resume.

Tech Pros Group,

18 Technology Dr, Irvine, 92618 CA

Tech Pros Group,

18 Technology Dr, Irvine, 92618 CA

&

Eric Choi, Executive Director

What You Should Know

Eric Choi, Executive Director

What You Should Know

I came across Tech Pros Group in Jan 06, read the advertisement about the LAN/WAN Internship (Figure 1) and signed up. I wanted an internship that paid $36, 000 - $72, 000.

Figure 1 - Web Advertisement

The Training:

I started the training in Mar 2006. It basically consisted of the following:

Memorizing the answers to the Microsoft Exams (these answers are obtained from www.CertKillers.com), then taking the test. You take the test at the Pearson VUE test center (http://www.pearsonvue.com) which is operated by Tech Pros Group right on the premises. Tech Pros personnel will tell you that you don’t learn anything from these tests and that you learn on the internship. There are about 13 of these tests.
There is also a step by step lab manual that is done on a virtual network. There is a lot to do and little time to do it in. The “MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit” for Windows Server 2003 provides a similar, but more comprehensive training.
Career seminars which discuss the various options, interviewing skills, etc.
New Contracts:

After you have paid your initial fees and started the program, you will be asked to sign certain legal documents. If you read these documents carefully, they mention nothing about getting an internship. Basically they say “you do the training you owe Tech Pros Group $25, 000”.

The Internship:

Near the end of the training, Tech Pros tries to schedule you for an interview with someone from a company in your area. In this interview, the potential employer asks you real engineering questions, e.g. “if this were to occur, how would you handle it”. You need to know the answers to some/most of these questions in order to demonstrate to the employer that you know that you are doing. Memorizing answers to tests and doing the lab manual do not prepare you for this. Even if you know the answers, there is no guarantee that you will get hired. Tech Pros is a placement service and charges a fee from the employer. I know of a few students who really knew networking very well and yet were unable to get an internship.

The bottom line is that you do the Tech Pros training and they think that you owe them $25, 000 regardless of whether or not you get an internship.

What Others Think:

Below is a screen shot of the Southern California Better Business Bureau website. The address is: http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=13218660

Before Tech Pros Group:

This last comment about the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE) is important. Several years earlier, Eric Choi (and his brother Ray) had another IT training company called ICTP (International Consortium Technology Professional - Training Technology) that closed. If you go to the address http://www.bppve.ca.gov/press_releases/ictp_oct2003.htm you will see the following:

If you read the screen shot, you will see that it announces that ICTP has closed, and that BPPVE gave the existing ICTP students a chance to transfer to another training facility. You should ask yourself the following questions “why did Eric’s training business close, and who paid for the students to transfer?”

By answering those questions, you might figure out why Tech Pros is not registered by BPPVE.

Payment / Non Payment:

While doing the training you will also be asked for your bank account number. Tech Pros automatically deducts funds from this account once you have completed the training regardless of whether or not you are on an internship.

Failure to pay may result in the following:

Money will be taken directly from your bank account.
Tech Pros personnel will call you for payment.
Steve Copeland (a Tech Pros exec) will threaten you with bill collectors and lawyers.
A bill collector will contact you.
Potential legal action.

But if you go to the site http://www.dca.ca.gov/legal/dc_1.pdf, you will find the following document:

and from the section headed Article 3,

Non Disclosure Agreements:

New Tech Pro’s students now sign a non disclosure agreement, which silences them. They cannot mention what has occurred with Tech Pros. So if they have not gotten an internship, they can’t say anything about it. But even if they have signed a non disclosure agreement, they can still file a complaint.

Actual Numbers:

How many people have actually obtained their internship? Supposedly 500 students have done the training. There are 20 pictures on the Tech Pros website, so at least 20 of them, or at least 4% got what they wanted. The real numbers cannot be confirmed.

Confused?

Don’t worry, many people are. Ask yourself the following:

Am I going to get involved with Tech Pros because I want to do the Internship?
Has it been implied to me that I will get an Internship?
Will I pay money to get the Internship?
What if I don’t get an Internship?

“Fraud” - deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage, www.dictionary.com

and

“Fraud” - the intentional use of deceit, a trick or some dishonest means to deprive another of his/her/its money, property or a legal right. A party who has lost something due to fraud is entitled to file a lawsuit for damages against the party acting fraudulently, and the damages may include punitive damages as a punishment or public example due to the malicious nature of the fraud. Quite often there are several persons involved in a scheme to commit fraud and each and all may be liable for the total damages. Inherent in fraud is an unjust advantage over another which injures that person or entity. It includes failing to point out a known mistake in a contract or other writing (such as a deed), or not revealing a fact which he/she has a duty to communicate… http://dictionary.law.com/default2.asp?selected=785&bold=|||| .

Making Complaints:

If you have a complaint that you would like to make about Tech Pros, you can go to the District Attorney Orange County web site at http://www.orangecountyda.com/home/index.asp?page=117, and fill out the consumer complaint form.

You can also go to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Vocational Education’s website http://www.bppve.ca.gov/forms/consumer_complaint.pdf, and fill in that complaint form.

Legal Issues:

Tech Pros also has legal issues. For a breakdown on what is occurring go to http://techprosgrouplegalissues.googlepages.com/home .

Closing:

In this report, I have given you data which I believe that you should know before doing business with Tech Pros.

If you have any comments, you can contact me at the email address below. Even if you have signed a non disclosure agreement, you can contact me and you do have legal rights.

Flourish and Prosper

Oliver Asato

MrOliver21@netzero.net

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lets get real here people. This opportunity is just an attempt by this idiot to scam people out of their money. Any real company would never resort to posting replies to negative comments on a board like this. This just goes to show how desperate and unprofessional they are.

All I can say is that I hope everyone will file a complaint with the California Attorney General. The more complaints they recieve, the more likely they will take action against this company.

I thank Mr. Frivaldi for his comments!
His comments more than helped me decide to apply for the LAN/WAN engineer internship program. If I don't make it to stage two at least I get free MCSA training with m0re hands on skills then I have now.

I thank everyone for your comments!

I was very interested in the program, BUT, now I not so sure it will be a good move. I am going to research the web so more because I need to find some go reviews before I commit if I do at all.

And don't try to offend my speech or discredit me base on my inner thoughts?

Thank you

Can you led the people who are interested of your program to other websites that will vaildate your creditability?

It is hard to make a sound decision base on your words.

Why would someone pursue an IT internship with your company if you not able to place individuals into internship once they are finish?

Like you said there is no GUARANTEED that you are able to place these individuals.

These are your words if you want to know. "How does an individual or business entity guarantee employment?"

After the person is finish with your training program, there is a great likelihood that you may not be able to place a person within 6 weeks once finish.

What is the latest that an intern was place?

Not trying to offend you, just want to know

Thanks

What is the percent?

1 out of 10

200 out of 2, 000

I will love to know

There is no website that vaildate you creditable only on your website.

How can you creditable be check and I hope not by your words

How many people were able to get through phase 2 in 8 weeks?

Can you validate this information?

Looking at the big picture of this, I think what we have is a situation of a too good to be true proposition.

Does it make sense to be able to get more than 10 IT certifications in that short of a time span?

It would seem this program of TPG's would really make more sense for people who are already network administrators/engineers, who just never bothered with the certifications. As then it might make sense to be able to cram all that information in a short period of time and pass all the tests. That might be a valuable service.

But to market it to high school seniors? That is what I saw -- not just marketed to college grads, but to high school seniors.

That really just reaks of being unethical.

As an IT aager mself, I am well aware of the costs ing there. But I encourage everyone out there to look at other means besides this obvious scam to enhance your training. Let me give you a few facts about the current IT situation.

1. Back in the early 1980s, The IT field was booming! I got my certs by self studying and attending an MCSE Boot Camp (approx 3500.00 paid by my company).
2. In the 1990s, places like this and many others started popping up and flooding the market with all of these "Booksmart" IT Specs that began to saturate the market with people that would take ALOT less than the people that had already been in the field, and had grew up so to speak with the emerging IT field.
3. Add to that the local Technical Colleges throwing together courses to even further saturate the market with even more people without any experience.
4. Now the business world knows that they can get by with the local techie that graduated the local Tech School and pay them minimum wage to run their network.
5. Now in current time, most businesses are either contracting their IT work out, looking for that young Tech School Grad to make ends meet in their IT envoronment.

My advice from 17+ years in the IT world is:

1. Get a college education from an accredited college or university.
2. If you plan on making IT your realm, then look into some of your local Tech Schools, or from a local company that specializes in the exact field your looking into.
3. Make sure you have another area or 2 to fall back on if you cant find that great IT job that TPG tells you is out there for you.
4. Find a job that will give you the environment that you can gain experience in. Dont wait on them to give it to you.

Or you can start a company that makes CD's teaching you everything you need to know about computers...oh wait that is already taken!

Good Luck to all prospective IT Managers

This Is the email I sent to them.

I paid the 95 Dollars for the app fee. (I can get that back by filing a complaint with bank)

Then I get a email from them stating that it was going to Cost 344 for registration. 165 x 3 for training materials

"This document confirms that the above mentioned candidate is authorized to receive the network administrator remote training valued at $3, 995 for free due to the individual’s acceptance into stage one of the LAN/WAN engineer internship program. Please note that there is a registration fee of $295 plus shipping and handling fee of $49. The total amount of $344 will be processed upon receipt of this confirmation. Please note that the training materials fees ($165 X 3) will be processed upon shipping with the same method of payment provided below. Microsoft exams 70-270, 70-290, 70-291, and 70-284 can be scheduled and taken at any authorized Microsoft testing center in your area. Please note that you will be responsible for your Microsoft exam fees, the fees are payable directly to those centers at the time of testing and the CMNA exam is payable to TPG at the time of exam registration."

My Response:

"I am looking at this info on the pdf. It seems like altogether I will be paying 839 dollars for training materials 344 + 165 x 3 for the information. On top of that, I would have to pay for my own testing.

70-270 (By Friday – Wk 7) $125 Test
70-290 (By Friday – Wk 7) $125 Test
70-291 (By Friday – Wk 8) $125 Test
70-284 (By Friday – Wk 8) $125 Test

Altogether that's $1339.00 that I am paying for.

Does the Training Material come all at once or when needed?
Are we going to be informed when the money will be taken out for the materials?
What exactly are you guys paying for if I am buying all of this?
Why should I go into this program when it looks like I can do this on my own?

Just emailing you these questions for when I call today before I make my decision of giving $344"

I denied this offer.

I was looking over their web site and it sounds really good. However after reading the complaints I am not sure what to do. It seems that the work is very difficult. are some of the hardships involving this program just due to the fact the amount of work you have to do . it seems to be a almost inhuman amount of work that needs to be completed. Can someone send me some comments to my e mail address involving the actual risks please.

thank you

Hi Mr. Frivaldi,

I recently submitted my resume and I did get a reply back from Joshua Cheng. I will be graduating this coming May 4th with an ISM degree. Since finishing Business Data Communications class last semester my interest in network infrastructure has increased. When I did get the response it all sounded too good to believe so I did some research and I'm getting mix feelings about the offer. My questions for Mr. Peter Frivaldi vary and I hope you could answer them.

1. How exactly are you guys making money out of this? If a person passes stage 1, stage 2, and then goes through their 1 year paid internship by Tech Pros how are you making money?
2. If someone does not pass stage 2 and beyond, what is the liability? I know that Tech Pros will invest around $20, 000 on someone at stage 2. If for some reason one does not pass stage 2, would that mean one has to pay Tech Pros $20, 000? I know if one cancels out of stage 2 he/she has to pay back the $20, 000 invested by Tech Pros but my question deals with if the person FAILS to pass the certification exams for stage 2.
3. Paid internship is what sounds too good to be true. What is the catch? You are paying $30, 000 for someone that completed your boot camp in return for what? After the 1year internship is there any payment to be made? For example will Tech Pros be taking a percentage of my pay after the 1 year internship is over?
4. Are internships guarantee? How are your relationships with IT companies in United States? I read some where that companies don't want to deal with Tech Pros.

Bottom line is that I don't see how Tech Pros is making money from this besides them gambling on the person backing out from stage 2 in order to get $20, 000 for their investment Please I would like a reply as soon as possible since I only have until Tuesday to send the registration form.

Thank you,

Nik

I just signed up for stage one of this process. I wish I had seen this page before i did because now I am out almost $1000. I have decided to opt out before losing anymore money. When I tried to tell them I would not be continuing they gave me a fake email address to contact. I tried to return their unopened untouched materials to them but they will not take my call. I though if I had not used the materials I could get a refund...totally stupid. I am not sure what would happen farther into this internship but I am not impressed with what happened so far and would not recommend this to anyone because the fees are so high. I feel like a shmuck who wasted money for nothing and no way to get it back. They are getting a $1000 bucks and all I got were some computer printed manuals I never touched and a t-shirt I never wore.

Yeah, everything seemed okay until I thought more about the 'free' part and then the asking of your complete credit card information and through a form! A legit company would never do any of this.

Its takes 7 certification exams to become MCSE certified... Just fyi Brandy

The majority of the people on this complaint board obviously do not know what is required of you to become an Engineer/Tech. If you attended college, you should already know the cost of a Microsoft text book. If you have any certifications, you should know that there is a fee for taking an exam. You should also know in order to become MCSE certified, you have to pass 5 certifications exams in which Tech Pros prepare you for. I personally appreciate the Exchange Server 2003 Implentation and Management study guide by Sybex. Thank you, Tech Pros. The cost of the materials I received (Microsoft text study guides and books), is definetly worth what is it worth with or without a passing of any stages or acceptance to any internship. My materials will allow me to pass for certifications, thanks to Tech Pros. What you put into the program, is what you get out of it. Nothing is free, especially Microsoft text books...HEELLLOO!. I studied HARD for an A+cert and got it after PAYING to take the exam. Network+ I studied HARD and it was a price to TAKE that exam.

To become an Intern through Tech Pros, you had better know what it takes to be placed with any of their partners. First, appreciate and understand the Microsoft materials you paid for to become an Engineer. Use the materials to you advantage, if you can't afford it, don't apply to the program. As for those people that applied three years ago, hey unfortunately they could not follow through and did not have patience throughout the program when Tech Pros was first established. N-E-Ways... I got what I wanted and I'm going to continue studying my materials whether I pass for internships or not. I got my cake and I'm gonna eat it too. For those people that is still stuck and do not understand my message: I PAID for study materials (official Microsoft books..5 of them if you don't know if they're official, simply go to the book store at your college) plus additional study material to get Certified and whether or not I pass the stages for the internship, I'm going to always have some certs under my belt.

Update on who?
Erika decided that she'll go back to becoming an HHA.

WOW. I just got the email today. Being in sales myself, the minute I read the $95.00 application fee I jumped on Google. They won't be getting my $95.00 Too bad, it's actually a great idea. I wish an intern program like this actually existed. Looks like we would all be happy.

I tend to disagree with lot of people who have written comments about the TechPros.They are doing their business ,the first and important thing abut the business to make money but in ethical way.
I also signed for the same program and paid $95 bucks. But after realizing the time factor that it is too limited and pressure is quite high especially in 2nd stage. There is a contract in 2nd stage that you will have to finish MCSE,CCNP within stipulated time and then there is contract of one year. I considered the pros and cons of the course, but unfortunately after depositing 95 bucks with them. I was not sure whether I should to talk to them for the refund of money.
I sent emails to Peter and he called me twice and tell you a guy that is he is quite amazing guy. We spent almost 40 mins on phone. After conversation I realized that they did some mistakes in early years like in 2004-05.But they are trying to improve their image now. I can understand that if you loose one customer it is difficult to get him back and that lost customer will speak to other 10 people to convince that how bad the co is.
So my advice is all of the people who want to join techPros, please read the conditions carefully and realize that time factor is too important here. In simple terms let me explain how it works.
1. You fill the application form and give them $95 application fee which is refundable if you are not through first interview. Normally interview is conducted by Peter himself.
2. If you are accepted then you have to pay $(165*3 for the course fee) plus $295 reg fee and $49 for another fee. If after clearing the interview if you decide to back out (like what I did), normally $95 fee is not refundable.
3. If you decide to continue for 1st stage and pay $(495+295+49)=$839 then you got to finish the labs, certification (normally MCSA,MCP ) within 6 weeks. Note that you have to pay for your certifications. Co claim that they will be spending close to $4k on you during that period.
4. Lets assume that you have cleared 1st stage and then start the process which is quite rigorous and tough where they will conduct your interviews, background check and then you will be GIVEN a contract. I don't know the terms and conditions.Peter claims that very few people go to 2nd stage.
Co will spend close to $21k on you during 8 weeks of training. Then you will have to stick with them for one year as they will provide you job and start paying for internship.
If you decide to drop out or you get another job then you will have refund the total money which Tec pros have invested on you.
SO it is give and take business. I think they are in process of improving things. I think one needs to watchful before signing any contract.
There is lot of pressure on you to finish certifications, training in span of 14 weeks.
Today I have got an email from their billing department that they have refunded my money, but it is not showing in my acct.I hope it does so pretty soon.
Anyway I don't have any grudges against any one in Tech Pros as they are trying to rebuild the image.

how come these companies post on career builder like sites.
Hoping career builder will scan the companies to the basic level before posting their ads.
I'm feeling for all those who got scammed. Please stick to basics and do your research else we will be just sitting ducks for these kinds of scammers

They are cheaters. One you are trapped they don't refund your money at all. People over there right from jousha, carley are bloody useless. Once they take money there job is over. They don't reply back. They don't pick the phone at all. PETER R U LISTENING?I don't mind loosing $95.I feel that I have donated to POOR who are starving. God bless you with WISDOM.

Thanks.Could you let me know if someone does enrol for 2nd stage and she/he could not finish the training or certification in time and drops out.In that case what are the liabilities?