I initially registered for the job portal/resume highlighter service of Shine.com for 3k. That in itself has not helped me much at all. However, they delayed giving me the login saying that my education and experience needed to be verified by their third party vendors to make my resume more attractive. And I had to pay another 5k for that.
After a lot of convincing, I paid. Then realized that 3k out of that 5k+ was for a course on negotiation skills that I had never asked for. I still waited for the verification services. Shine sent an initial mail explaining what the services were and how they would benefit me. This was Feb 22, 2022. After that, nothing.
I have followed up multiple times and every time they respond to say the concerned team has been notified and that someone will call me back. Nobody calls back. I called them-same result, They say someone will call me back, but no one does.
The one time they did respond, the 3rd party vendor said they could not find my name in their records. After that, nothing.
Ostensibly, they don’t have a refund policy. Which is very convenient for them. They are getting away with charging money and not rendering services, which as I understand is a scam/crime.
I posted a complaint on a consumer complaint forum. They called me finally, promised reparation, even though I have been asking for a refund. Hiresure came back to ask for my document-only for verification of one Educational Qualification. This is not something they specify before you pay.
When I asked about Experience verification, they now tell me I "opted" only for Education verification. When I protest, they ask me to show proof. Their person walked me through the service on a phone call, telling me background verification was very important. And sent me a link to pay on the call itself, without sending details on email, except saying it was for ’verification’.
Was I stupid to pay in good faith, trusting the Shine brand? I think so now.
The team has explained one thing and sent me an invoice of only a part of it after payment. I paid in good faith. If they start saying you opted only for this service or that, I can’t now provide them with proof, I did not record conversations. Looks like I should have.
This is where I stand now:
1. I have received nothing from HireSure to say that even my highest education qualification has been verified. I have uploaded the document and after that complete silence.
2. The team is denying that I was offered and paid for both experience and education verification.
Taking money from people and then changing their stand on what they paid for in good faith, is not a quality of a mature, established, ethical company.
I reiterate-I would just like to stop having to deal with them, and get my money back.