RESNET Energy Rater training classes, a scam?

Miss Scambuster

Have you been deadlocked trying to become a certified HERS/RESNET Energy Rater? You are not alone. Energy Rating is part of the "green" jobs and the “green" industry that our country counts on to boost the economy. I raise awareness by sharing a personal story with the public because it involves taxpayer money

A person close to me signed up for a rater trainer class provided by one of RESNET’s accredited Rater Providers. The training fee is $1195 plus an additional $50 to take the RESNET National Rater Test. After scoring 94% on the test, he signed a rater contract with the same Rater Provider that had offered the class and paid $400 to receive services from the Rater Provider.

Here comes the big surprise: Once the Rater Provider company cashed the $400 check, it made itself inaccessible. Neither did they return calls nor did they answer e-mails. The Provider not only took off and refuses to communicate, the Provider failed to give the required services that it contracted to render and failed to give the software called REM/Rate.

After three months and several failed attempts to communicate with the Rater Provider, the Energy Rater complained directly to RESNET as required. Within two weeks of relentless pressure on RESNET, the Rater Provider returned a check for the $400 and a letter stating that it cancelled the contract. I assumed that this was the remedy and compensation for the time and effort spent on this. Needless to say that this sort of conduct is not acceptable. Perhaps if I were living in a highly corrupted country and flooded with intimidation threats, I would go away. I'm not sure for you, but in my opinion it is fraudulent for any organization or company to take money from someone, give nothing back and even refuse to communicate.

RESNET/HERS is an organization funded with taxpayer money. I'm concerned that others will not stand up and speak up. There is no remedy within RESNET/Hers because the Board of Directors and its Ethics Board are made up of Rater Providers. No one is as naive to assume that such self-regulated organization is likely to punish itself and to help others build businesses that will directly compete with theirs. What should I call an organization that refuses to render services that it contracts to provide and refuses to communicate and puts someone in an "impasse"? What do you call an organization in which its entire board of directors and ethics board owns the businesses that they are to regulate? What do you call an organization in which the regulators are the owners of the very businesses that the organization regulates?

Does anyone think that it is believable that in a capitalist country, a businessman will help someone else to establish a similar business that will directly compete with his/her business? There are millions of Americans who rely on the creation of "green" jobs and new "green" businesses; unfortunately, I don't see how this plan will materialize under these schemes unless the public intervenes.

I urge everyone to look into RESNET/HERS with its connection with DOE, EPA, Countrywide mortgage, Freddie Mac.

Also take a look at these links: http://energyscam.org/
http://www.federalreserve.gov/SECRS/...1305_215_1.pdf

Have you had a similar experience with RESNET? Please let me know.

Yoyizit

Don't put personal info or valid e-mail addresses on the Web. 'Bots cruise the Internet looking for this.

If you contact your state's attorney you still won't get your money back but if this company behaves badly enough, governmental agencies may be embarrassed into actually doing something. The company may also defame you (that poor Ms. G. is confused. . .) without penalty.
In a capitalist country, Commerce speaks with a loud voice and the rest of us don't.

You might also Google "captive regulatory agency".

Scuba_Dave

"A person close to me"

"Rater Provider also has the obligation to provide me with the rating software"

A person close to you or you?

Sounds like RESNET only provides the Certification
You would need to go after the Training company for the rest of the $$

KeithSmith

I took a course with a company in VA and after a week of nonsense I realized- and so did the other 14 others in the course [of whom only 2 have actually become certified]- 2 things.

1) What a HUGE waste of money spent for the "knowledge" to pass the exam; we could have spent 1/10 of the amount...actually I could have spent a much lower portion because I took the week long course far from home and had to get hotel/food for a week.

AND 2) Yes- soup to nuts- the whole thing is sketchy and is basically a lobbying group to congress, but can be a good route for the right person [who has the capitol and existing business]. Assuming you pass the exam the first time [we were told by one of the RESNET board members only 65% do] you then have to pay a "provider", essentially someone to review your first several audits; regardless of what they say, this is a real money maker. They charge several hundred just to take you on and then you have to pay for each audit they review and most of the time you need to purchase your own equipment [we're talking minimum 5k for the equipment and more like 10K and up]. After a certain amount of audits [I think offhand it's 5] you officially become certified. And once you do get certified and want to continue to do work you need to pay a provider to continue to do review audits b/c in order to maintain certification you need a certain percentage reviewed each yr. Crazy.

All of that said, the knowledge of building science is a great thing to have. In this economy being able to put one more thing on the resume is a good thing and for less than $100 [assuming you pass the first go around] you can say you passed the exam and are on your way to certification.

This is also not a bad gig if you want to start a rater business or couple it with your existing business [contractors, auditors, home inspections to name a few]. Again, it's not a bad thing to consider because there is money in it as long as you have the capitol for the equipment and perform enough ratings to justify the expense of having a provider review your audits.

In either instance what I'd do is NOT TAKE AN ONLINE OR IN-PERSON COURSE simply because of the absurd amount they charge and what you get in return. Instead, purchase some of the cost friendly materials out there and pay the $50 to take the exam- even if it takes a couple of whacks, it's still cheaper than those $1000+ courses. There's some study material/practice exams on eBay and I can't speak to those but the one I used for my exam [I passed the first time] was at http://hersrater.blogspot.com/.

Willie T

Remember. When you desire to jump on a good-sounding band wagon, it's usually not as easy a leap as it appears. Everyone wants to ride the good horse.

__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Willie T