Stay Away
Stay Away – My 40-Day Refund Nightmare with Interview Kickstart Title: Stay Away – My 40-Day Refund Nightmare with Interview Kickstart Where to begin. I signed up with Interview Kickstart (IK) in July 2025 for the August cohort of their ML Flagship program. Because I was planning to take my PMP exam, I asked to reschedule to the September 2025 cohort. After 4-5 calls with their operations team I got the reschedule. Fine. The September cohort started — and then the real trouble began. After just the first class I decided to cancel. I spent over an hour on the phone with 3-4 different agents, finally they allowed me to cancel. On September 20, 2025 cancellation was approved. On September 22, 2025 I received an email: they claimed they’d refunded the money back to my loan provider (Climb Credit) as credit. They said it would take 5-7 business days to post. I patiently waited — until October 5, 2025 — nothing in my account. Every single day I emailed IK. What did I get? Nothing but apologies, no resolution. This dragged on until October 24, 2025. At that point I dug into publicly-available corporate filings. I discovered: • Their listed California address: 4701 Patrick Henry Dr., Building 25, Santa Clara, CA 95054.  • On the Delaware side the only contact listed: 3 Germay Dr., Unit 4 #1755, Wilmington, DE 19804.  • According to your state’s specialist search, IK has not filed an annual corporation report for the last 2-3 years — which indicates their corporation may not be in good standing (or may even be inactive). • Their resident agent in California: CT Corporation System. The Delaware filings list yet another agent. These mismatches and inconsistencies strongly suggest that the company is not being transparent about its status. Armed with that information, on October 24 I sent them a firm email, providing all the above corporate details and issuing a final warning: if the money did not reflect in my account by October 31, 2025, I would pursue legal action. And guess what? Suddenly 2-3 calls from IK came in. Next day — the refund posted in my Climb Credit account. After 40 days of chasing them, the refund only arrived once I threatened a lawsuit. This experience felt less like a professional service and more like a bait-and-switch. They lure you in by promising high-end interview prep, support, results – you pay — and then when you seek to exit early they drag their feet and hide behind bureaucracy. My “reschedule” process involved multiple contacts and delays; the cancellation process involved more confusion; the refund process took five-plus weeks, with nothing but apologies until I showed real push. I’m convinced: IK is trying to hold onto hard-earned money from people who are already investing in their future. They are counting on inertia, frustration, and the fact that many won’t push hard for their money back. My advice: Stay away. Unless you have unlimited time, patience, and the willingness to fight for your rights — you’re better off investing elsewhere. Don’t let yourself get trapped in the same cycle I did. ⸻ Corporate details for your reference • California address: 4701 Patrick Henry Dr., Building 25, Santa Clara, CA 95054.  • Delaware mailing address: 3 Germay Dr., Unit 4 #1755, Wilmington, DE 19804.  • California resident agent: CT Corporation (as listed in BBB profile).