Jacksonville Consumer Alert:
New school in Orange Park BEWARE
The following info is a matter of public record posted by the BBB.
It is also posted on the following websites: www.jacksonvilleconsumeralert.com & www.bartending-school-consumer-alert.com
Read the below information so as to avoid this new school and it's owners reputation in the South Eastern States.
Beware of FLORIDA BARTENDING SCHOOLS INC.
The owner Chris Nelson and his family have had more complaints filed against their schools than any other bartending school owners in the Southeast. Most complaints have been filed in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. He has changed school names many times, and multiple license revocations by the State Board in South Carolina. He has also taken the name ABC BARTENDING SCHOOL for his Carolina locations. (Click on the links below). If you read the State Board charges in SC, it clearly states “NOT AFFILIATED with the ABC BARTENDING SCHOOL at abcbartending.com”. You will also see an "F" rating by the BBB for his Carolina locations (this is just an example, there are more, check with the BBB.)
Click in on the link below to see Examples of the SCAM ARTIST this owner is. And see how he tried scam students across the country with this on-line course stating it was a Tony Sylvester course that you where being trained by. Tony Sylvester is the most successful school owner in America and does not offer an on-line course, the FBS is currently under investigation by the state for this false on-line scam. In closing, read the rest of the information on this page and ask yourself this question, should I trust and give my money to a school and school owner like this? http://www.premiumschools.org/premium-schools-best-places-to-take-online-bartending-classes/
His typical response after being questioned by students through online reviews, is that he claims students never attended his school, as is with the most recent review below.
CHECK OUT THESE RECENT BAD REVIEWS for his schools:
Matt Reed
This place is an absolute joke… Do not be fooled by the 4 1/2 star rating… Do not believe them when they tell you that they job place you… They do not job place you… They give you access to a website that has bartending jobs… I went through the schooling paid the $300 asked them to send me an email and it took them almost 2 weeks to do that… Then they proceeded to get nasty and confrontational with me on Facebook messenger… I've got screenshots of everything because I would love for them to say I'm making it up... *** USE ANYONE ELSE TO GET YOUR BARTENDING CREDENTIALS*** they will be your best friend until you pay them and then you're just another number like most companies... really wish that they would've just sent me the email and avoided most of this... but them being nasty on messenger after I paid them my hard-earned money was it for me...
Lacey Mae
This bartending school is legit, it's a 4 day class with a workbook and full bar setup to practice drinks in the classroom. Heather was my instructor, super helpful with any questions you might have. Only thing I might change about the class is that all the practice liquors are just food colored water and I think it would make it more real if real liquor was used. Also I got an email saying I can't get my certificate until I leave a Google review like what??
Daren Miller
I was just on the phone asking questions regarding bartending or mixology And I was questioning her who the people are that makes these drinks for resorts which I know that they make special drinks specifically for certain resorts to sell I did not get that far the woman told me the school is not for me and hung up the phone the school is actually for my daughter I am only asking questions. Not going to rate your school but I will be damn sure if I am sending my daughter to this one
Jason Rodriguez
Do not waste your money on here !!! The girl who teaches the bartending class was never even a bartender , she attended the school couple months prior to me attending . They never used alcohol .They need to have more experienced instructors in there because they have one person teaching different people from different days. Also Three hours a day for four days is not enough for one to even be able to bartend. They are a scam and wouldn't even return half my money when I only went for 2 days , and don't bother contacting them because they ignore you. Save those $300.
Robin G - West Palm Beach, FL
3 months ago
School was a scam. Instructor was late, rude, impatient, unprofessional to say the least. She read from the pamphlet while texting on her phone. When asked questions she got irritated & condescending and then left us on our own trying to mix drinks with no instruction on our first day. We were told to leave after less than 90 min in class with no explanation. Took over a month to get a partial refund and the rest we still have not received. Our phone calls were not answered or returned. Would definitely not recommend.
12/16/2018
Sussette Pizarro Google Review - West Palm Beach, FL
So i Initially did my certification at Florida Bartending School, and i can honestly say i graduated unprepared for a job. We learned the basics from another student who had graduated months before. We basically taught ourselves behind the bar. I decided to take another shot at ABC Bartending School when i noticed job posts asking for it. By far the best decision ever and i feel i wasted my time and money at the other school. Robert having bartending and restaurant experience for more years than my own age he came equipped with knowledge and personal experience that truly prepared me for the real world. He made sure you understood what it would be like not to just learn or memorize some drinks but to naturally bartend in any setting. I learned so much and by the end of the course i was making hundreds of drinks in an hour. Best experience at ABC Bartending and i trust going back to Robert if i ever have questions or just a refresher. I DO NOT recommend Florida Bartending School but ABC will place you in the correct direction with confidence
Sylvain C.
Be careful this is BIG joke ! And a " scam " not professional at all .You will Not be a bartender to go to this school. This people's Just take you money and give you a bad photocopie book without not much informations . Is better to order a real one to the real receipt. The " teacher " never work in bar. On the 3 hours she work 1/2 way and the work is confusing because the students are different " levels " and you are alone for most of the time ...Well better to look over the net for better one you will paid much less and learn more.
Luis M.
Do not waste your money on here !!! The girl who teaches the bartending class was never even a bartender , she attended the school couple months prior to me attending . They never used alcohol .They need to have more experienced instructors in there because they have one person teaching different people from different days. Also Three hours a day for four days is not enough for one to even be able to bartend. They are a scam and wouldn't even return half my money when I only went for 2 days , and don't bother contacting them because they ignore you. Save those $300.
Nikki C
Waste of Money Didn't learn anything...
Jovante Hills
My personal experience was and still is a horrible one. I signed up and payed the fee, and have yet to hear any response. I have called and emailed continuously for a months time, but still no response. It is possible they are just extremely backed up with request but that is no excuse for not conveying the condition. I would hope this serves as a warning to those considering this school.
trinh ma
Should be better organized. They put everyone together and so the ones there would have to wait for the new people to catch up. Not too fair. Also I was expecting to learn how to mix different recipes and alot more hands on. For the price of the class...i don't think it was worth my money and time.
Airelle S Peters
SCAM
This is a scam!!!! Please do not call this place! Soon as they get your credit card info you will lose contact with them and they will disappear. I had to withdraw from the class for family reasons two before my money was supposed to be withdrawn from my account and for those weeks I couldn't get anyone on the phone.They took my money put my account without my permission. They saw that my account didn't have a tuition amount so they still took whatever they could. Then had the nerve to send saying I still owed them money for the class BUT they took $100 out of my account for it. Once I messaged them back that I didn't authorize that transaction they fell silent again. No one answering the phone or emails. Please others BEWARE!!!
Diane Hampshire
The bad reviews are true. The first class was cancelled 3 hours before it supposed to happen. After leaving her job early, my daughter showed up for second class with 3 other people and the instructor never showed. They waited for an hour and nothing - no one. Phone calls went to voicemail. If the owner posts that this is not a a real customer or a fake review this is not. We have pictures showing her standing in front of the locked door with date and time stamps at 6pm and 7pm and the email cancellation date stamped 3 hours before the first class was cancelled. This is an honest bad review. Walk away.
Katelyn Messick
This course wasn't what I expected at all. The instructor was on her phone, and only read from the book to "teach the material". We did get the chance to mix cocktails but she just read them to us and told us what to study for the exam. The instructor informed the students that we could test early, but when texting the FBS number they said it was mandatory to attend all four classes. It seemed very unorganized and unprofessional. You're better off paying the extra $100 and going to ABC in Orlando.
News Articles and Online Excerpts:
SLED: Man charged in running Greenville bartending school without license http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/25496094/sled-man-charged-in-running
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education http://www.che.sc.gov/CHE_Docs/AcademicAffairs/License/Illegally_Operating.pdf
ABC Bartending School - Better Business Bureau https://www.bbb.org/myrtle-beach/business-reviews/schools-business-and-vocational/abc-bartending-school-in-fayetteville-nc-90003843
Recently in Georgia he had to change his school name form ABC Bartending School to the Georgia Bartending School or be Cease and Desist by the Georgia State Board. The same goes for the State of Florida, where again he forced to change the school name to Florida Bartending School.
The FBS claims in their catalog that their class is set up like a real bar, this is totally misleading to say the least.
The School does not have a fully functional wet working bar set-up (sinks/ice bins/soda guns) plus a limited amount of bottle's. It is set up more like a home bar. The school will not show you a picture of the under bar area (only front view) because it's not a professional bar set-up. They use stainless steel "half pans" (normally what a cook would use to store food) for their sinks and ice bins. If you where to go to any other bartending school in the area, you would see the big difference in what a real set-up looks like. Plus, they only have a 2 station set-up behind the bar to practice from.
West Palm and Fort Lauderdale students, think about this. Lets say they have 10 students in a class and there a only 2 stations to work from, how long will you have to wait before you can get behind the bar to practice and make drinks, Get the point! In any other school in the USA each student has their own station to work on and does not have to wait in line for an opening to practice. Let's not forget this is only a 12hr class, so how much time if any do you get to work and practice behind the bar?
