Has anyone had any experience with Two Worlds United, a foreign exchange placement service for high school students? I am beyond the frustration level trying to get them to acknowledge me since they failed to place my daughter last September and will not refund me any of the thousands of dollars fees that were all paid in advance. I mean they will not answer e-mail or phone messages (they do not have live people on the phone, just leave your name and number and we will call you back). When we were applying and paying they were always available.

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD WITH TWO WORLDS UNITED!! Please see my website: www.myexperiencewithtwoworldsunited.com. Please contact me through the attached blog for more information. Also, contact your local FBI office. This company is a scam, you will not get anything you were promised.

Any info regarding TWU would be appreciated as we are in the process of sending our daughter to Italy through this program. Having read these e-mails we are now concerned. What should we do and to whom do we file complaints?

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD THROUGH THIS PROGRAM! They are a scam co. Please see my website www.myexperiencewithtwoworldsunited.com. To date, we have filed complaints with the Atty Gen's in CA, FL, MN, NH, DC, Better Business Bureaus in Hillsborough County FL (call Lois Taylor, ask her about TWU) Santa Barbara CA and Clearwater FL. Internet Fraud, FTC, our local FBI offices and our local police dept's upon receiving threatening calls from Mr. Diez the Vice President of TWU. You need to contact an atty and get you daughter into a school sponsored program or a nationally recognized one such as AFS.

http://www.myexperiencewithtwoworldsunited.com
Please comment on the blog. Thank you.

I also had a bad experience with Two Worlds United as last
Year we decided to send our son to participate on a summer
Program in France.
My son didn't want to stay by the beach, TWU promised my son
To be in the country of France, one week before he left,
They changed him to a small city right on the beach. They
Promised that he would participate on after school
Activities, he never did. After him being two weeks there,
The people at the language institute asked him not to show
Up next day as he hadn't paid for the course, and we paid at
Least one month before he left. The list goes on and on. Of
Course contact TWU at this point was almost impossible.
Fortunately, we could make arrangements with the people in
France and also the host family was a good family, otherwise
This experience would turn out a nightmare for my son.
After multiple calls, and claims to different customer
Protection organizations, I received a check from TWU
United, supposedly to return the money we paid for the
Activities my son never had. We don't know if the amount was
What it supposed to be as we never received an invoice from
TWU with the detailed of what we paid for, in spite of the
Fact that we asked for it several times.
If you asked me, please never do business with this people,
For us wasn't as bad as it could be, but you never know. TWU
Is not an organization you can trust in.

DO NOT STUDY ABROAD WITH THIS PROGRAM!! I went to Scotland my junior year in high school - it was a nightmare. I was sent to live with a family that could not afford me: the program had told them that if they took an American student into their home, they would send their daughter home with that student FOR FREE.

I didn't speak with my host family until TWO days till I was supposed to depart; I was supposed to be in contact with them MONTHS before I left. Once TWU had my money, I never heard from them again. I called my host family two days before I left to let them know how excited I was to meet them. They did not even have my flight information - the program didn't tell them which airport, what time, or what day I was flying in. May I reiterate: I was leaving in TWO days.

TWU said there would be a counselor or representative in the area: no such person existed. There was NO SUPPORT anywhere.

As a sixteen year old, I was very aware and upset about what a burden I was to my host family. My school counselor there pulled me out of their home and put me with another family that was horrible. Mental problems, disfunctional family problems, not enough room problems - and there was four boys, one of which was my age.

I did make some amazing friends, but, given the choice, I would take back those two-and-a-half months of my life and sacrifice never having met them. I, and my family through me, have been scarred by this program. If the program had put me with a family that could have afforded me, there would never have been such ill feelings from the start (let alone lying to the family in the first place about their daughter coming home with me). If there had been a support person/representative, I would have had someone close by to share these problems with.

The money we used to send me on this exchange came out of my college funds. We figured this experience would be worth the expense. We never received a receipt, and we've never seen a dime of this money in recompensation.

Please, PLEASE, do not let your child, or yourself if you are a student, suffer as I have. I would not wish this experience on my worst enemy.

I have been leary of posting threads as I have felt like there may be a spy among us. I did not catch the post questioned just a feeling that I have.

How dare you try and say that the TWU program is a rip-off. I've been going on these trips for three years now and I don't appreciate you trying to make other people think this program is horrible.

Not a lot of children get to do what I've been able to do. I've been to Australia twice, England and Ireland and this summer I will be traveling to France with TWU. Tell me, if the program is so horrible, why would so many children be interested in it every year, especially children like myself who choose to continue the program all throughout their high school years.

This program has truly made a big difference in my life and all your comments, which look like they are from the same person, are ridiculous and false. I and many other students that I know who have been in this program will back up this organization against SCAMMERS and EVIL people like YOU!!

Joshua - New Jersey
U.S.A.

Joshua:

I am very pleased that you have been so fortunate and have been able to enjoy and benefit from you travels. I am happy to hear that you have not been taken advantage of as so many of our own children have. I can assure you that each one is a real child and that the pain and disappointment they have suffered at the hands of TWU are just as real as the joy that you have experienced. Can you imagine the disappointment of a young person who looks forward to just such an exciting adventure only to be cheated of his/her money and trust? Can you imagine the feeling of abandonment and fear a teen must feel when he/she finds him/herself alone and with out the support or services TWU promised in a foreign country? These children deserved to have the unique and wonderful experience that you describe and if TWU truly is the stellar company that you profess; then I urge you, in the name of all those who were not so fortunate, plead with TWU to do the right thing by these children. In the meantime, Joshua, I am afraid that we will continue our crusade to have these people stopped so that there are no more stories like the ones our children now have to tell instead of the wonderful ones they had dreamed of.

Dear Joshualite: How nice for you. Yet, still so not very nice for the rest of us. Perhaps, as your world experience grows, so will your empathy for others.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by joshualite

How dare you try and say that the TWU program is a rip-off. I've been going on these trips for three years now and I don't appreciate you trying to make other people think this program is horrible.

Not a lot of children get to do what I've been able to do. I've been to Australia twice, England and Ireland and this summer I will be traveling to France with TWU. Tell me, if the program is so horrible, why would so many children be interested in it every year, especially children like myself who choose to continue the program all throughout their high school years.

This program has truly made a big difference in my life and all your comments, which look like they are from the same person, are ridiculous and false. I and many other students that I know who have been in this program will back up this organization against SCAMMERS and EVIL people like YOU!!!!

Joshua - New Jersey
U.S.A.

---

So Joshua from New Jersey, or is that Michelle a TWU employee?
Which name would you care to post under.
This seem to me as an underhanded tactic to garner support for TWU.

If you would like to use your correct name, rather than pretending to be someone else, then I'm sure these people have a lot of questions for you.

Please remember that when ever you post on a forum such as this your IP address is logged. Now yours is for Tampa Florida NOT New Jersey!!

Dear Curlyben, good job flushing out the imposter----but, I daresay the rest of us already knew it! Appreciate the prompt confirmation though!

In my program alone we were 25 students and many of us are still in touch and we never heard anything remotely close to what you say. It was an awesome opportunity to see the world and stay with families in foreign countries, sharing cultures. It made me a better adult - no doubt about it. The ability to be able to see that others are different but no better or worse for it is something many people never learn to do.

Other students recommended the TWU program to me. We were safe and watched over by our TWU representative and families whom there are like my second family.

This program was a wonderful experience for all of us, and we would recommend it to everyone that asks us because I know there are many students like us.

Is there more than 1 Joshua?

Joshua, you sound very much like a sales pitch to me!

Michelle/Joshua, rather than posting a comment a running,
How about addressing some of the concerns these other members have about TWU.
I think that would be the correct thing to do for a legitimate company.

Mr. Curlyben,

I am Joshua's father, and I would be more than happy to address any of your concerns about what my son has mentioned and about the TWU program.

May I ask your name, contact information and your location so we can discuss this further?

Thanks

Mr Joshua's father, are there 6 people in your house all trying to give input here, or is it one person trying to sound like 6?

Mr. Rick

I'm Joshua's father and I have a concern about your postings against the TWU organization. I have your business contact information but I keep getting your voicemail. Is there an office for your business?

Thanks

I think, Josh-dad, that the reason all these people are on this thread expressing concerns (including Josh) about TWU means they are the ones looking for answers. Curlyben is a moderator, not one of your consumers. You could answer all their questions directly right here!

And who I am talking with?

Rick? Or

Sr. Josh Dad, seems like you need to calm down, Rickj hasn't posted a thing about your "organization," but several moderators and individual clients of yours have asked you to answer some direct questions.

Josh's father,

Address your response to me and the rest of the board and we'll go form there.
This whole discussion needs to be out in the open and free for all to see.
The need for my personal contact information is odd indeed and rather underhand.

BTW for your information I'm in the UK and so have no dealings with TWU.
In this case I'm the most unbiased person here.

So fire away what have you got to say ?

Ps there is NO Mr in my name, just Curlyben will do.

Joshualite, I congratulate you for locating my office number that is very public information. I manage apartments for a living and help out on this site because I believe in it's mission.

If you have something productive to say then say it.

PS. I had never heard of TWU until I saw this thread. The frustration of these people led me to do a little digging and I see their frustration: The company has no email address and only a phone number. Out of curiosity I've tried it a few times at varying hours. Never got an answer; just voicemail.

I have been watching this thred only because my sister-in-law is considering this for my niece and I have been trying to talk her out of it. I think now I have the proof I needed.

Now Josh I do believe that the topic in hand is TWU, so would you kindly stick to it.
Thank you in advance.

Ps a Supermod is the closest thing to God where this site is concerned

And I would bet your experience with TWU comes from inside the company, not as a client or parent of a client. Why are you so evasive?

As I said before, I now have the perfect ammunition to show my sister-in-law why not to use this agency.

Well put, burned by, I couldn't agree more.

Interesting comment, burnedby. It appears to me that none of the Joshua personalities track conversation very well; maybe it is sort of a sensory overload that makes he/she shut down. Or maybe they are off concocting a new cyber disguise.

Or could it be an artificial intelligence such as mentioned in another thread?

There you go, trying out an "e-nose and mustache" elsewhere first.

To all.

This all began with my very real frustration and because of the internet and this site I found that I was NOT ALONE.

We are not the ones who are doing wrong here. WE HAVE BEEN WRONGED. Our claims are real and just as evidenced by the many grievances, claims and reports filed with every possible Office, Agency, Bureau or Authority. These include the FBI, FTC, the BBB in Florida and California, the Attorneys General from both states, Senators, Congressmen, and I’m sure there are many more THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST!

If TWU is indeed an honest company, then why are they not available to address our claims? A reputable company would not hide. TWU needs to answer our questions, make reparations where justified and STOP PREYING ON INNOCENT YOUTH!

I thank all who stand together with me in this fight and all who hear our pleas and recognize our cause. WE WILL CONTINUE.

What a ridiculous bunch. Honestly, if they put as much time and effort into running a business that meets their customers needs, we wouldn't even be here. As far as I'm concerned, 50 people could post tonight saying what a wonderful organization they are and I wouldn't believe a word--their credibility is shot. (Again)

Too funny, "The Many Faces of Carlos" (who seems to be the original player, if I read the history right). Today he claims to be legitimate because of a myspace page, where no one uses their real names, ages, sex, etc. For those of you who have had the unfortunate experiece of trying to do business with him/her, why not take (them) up on the offer to sue? I think I see a promise of refund of all but $95.00. JoshDadCarlosSarahMichelleKim, why don't you just make good on that, and then concentrate on delivering a legitimate service to any future clients you might still have?

Or,JDCSMK, looks like you could spend some time researching how to better hide your plainly obvious cyber trail of silly false identities.

My 16 year-year old grand daughter feels so bad that she was suckered in by the TWU scam, and their slick website, resulting in me getting bilked out of $2150. In spite of being almost totally ignored for over 6 months by TWU, except when it was time for another payment, we never caught on until they insisted we owed them more money, after we made out last payment and continued to press for host family info. These clowns are crooks, and crooks with no conscience, in the end they claimed to have a host family, with details to follow soon, and book the flight to Chile, this two weeks before the departure date, after over 6 months of pressing them for information, at least we had the sense not to throw more money away, thanks partly to the horror stories in this forum, AND SURE ENOUGH NO HOST FAMILY DETAILS EVER FOLLOWED.

Why is it you can end up in jail for relatively minor crimes, and these crooks can steal thousands and worse, put our minor children in harms way in foreign countries and no one seems to care?? Especially after the Hollaway girl disappeared, you would think this would be an issue of interest for the FBI. You would think the attorney general of Florida or California, or even Google might give a hoot, but I think getting the truth on Googles first page of TWU hits is your best bet. After my grand daughter did a TWU blog of her experiences, they actually called (first time!) and promised a refund if we took the blog down, which we did, guess what - NO REFUND!
Apparently, the agencies that should be protecting us are all as dysfunctional as FEMA, so don't let Two Worlds United intimidate you with their threats of legal action, get the word out any way you can.

Wow, another victim. There have to be a lot more out there, and ScrewedbyTWU makes some good points; do I infer that Two Worlds United is threatening them with legal action? I wonder how much money Two Worlds United has scammed, and off how many families. I would be willing to bet that there have been kids who's experiences with Two Worlds United have resulted in far worse consequences than losing money. This is a tragedy about to happen, if it hasn't already.

Tampa Kim ought to be concerned about her new employer's ability or willingness to make payroll, given his recklessness with other peoples' money, and blatant lack of ethics. Tampa also ought to rethink inviting strangers to read through (wade through) her self centered blogging about drinking and vomiting and dope smoking and does anyone really check in regularly to see what her flashing mood icon is today? Ignorant indeed.

As our daughter returned from 5 weeks on a Two Worlds United student exchange program. To say that we have had anything than a terrible experience in dealing with Two Worlds United would be an understatement.

Our program was to be for the entire school year, but circumstances related to the poor management of Two Worlds United left us with no other choice than to bring our daughter home.

It is now going on the eighth month that our daughter has been home and all of my calls to Two Worlds United have gone unanswered. We have contacted the State of Florida Attorney Generals Office, the Hillsboro County Consumer Protection Agency and the Better Business Bureau. It appears that Two Worlds is using drop boxes for all of their mail correspondence and apparently has caller ID as they no longer answer phone calls with my name.

If you truly care about using a quality, caring sending agency, do your child a favor and do not even consider using TWU. They also asked our daughter to lie about the time the would be in England to the immigration officials so they would be able to get her into the country. I am sure this is only the surface of how they run their daily operation.