Read what others have to say! Read what others have to say about BEST Programs. Post your own comments using the form at the bottom of this page. Please avoid using abusive or vulgar language. Thank you! Subject: April 2009 - present???? Author: Alyssa Date: 04.15.2009 Show/Hide Comments Jill struck again! I asked for the upgraded housing, and got a 7 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment with mildew in the washer and bathroom. The bed looks like it is about to collapse. She said I had 2 internship interviews and when I got here, she "canceled" one of them. Well, it turns out that the "canceled" company had never even been contacted. I also asked for marketing internships and all the interviews I went on are admin jobs (and one was in English!). Anyways, now I am here in Madrid with nothing to do...although my Spanish has improved just being here. Hide Comments Subject: Madrid, Spain - July 2003 Author: Jacob Holder Date: 03.01.2007 Show/Hide Comments Thanks for your Web site! I've been wanting to do this for years!!! :-) Name: Jacob Holder Location of Internship: Madrid Date of Internship: July 2003 Country of origin: USA I participated in a BEST Program from Jill Arcaro in 2003. While she touted partnerships with companies like Tommy Hilfiger, etc. and led me to believe that they wanted me, at the end of the day she could not provide any of the claims she promised. She offered a local startup company as the only option and when I did not accept, she told me that it was this option or no option and that I was being too picky. Since I had already paid and was leaving Madrid soon, I accepted the local startup company internship. It was apparent that Jill had not done her homework and quite contrary to what she advertised, I was sent to a loosely organized, non-professional, English-language based company that provided no international environment as I worked alongside two other Americans who were also Jill Arcaro Best Programs participants. It should be noted that they constantly complained about Jill's "whackiness" and failures to come through as well. I was thoroughly disappointed and decided to take action. In a very professional manner, I explained to the company president that the internship was not fulfilling my goals and it would be a disservice for either of us to continue. I told Jill that I was opting to terminate my internship based on the aforementioned claims to which she literally screamed to me on the phone and said that I was an irresponsible person with a bad attitude. Unfortunately for her, I don't have time to deal with delusional people like the Jill Arcaro's of the World. Hide Comments Subject: One more thing-just be a bit postive! Author: Adrianna Date: 11.20.2003 Show/Hide Comments The other day I made up a new resume and I was able to delete a customer service job thanks to my "internship" at UNITIO. I had a great time at UNITIO, but the "international experience" that BEST allegedly provided me with was definately was not, and I repeat once more, was NOT worth $3000 dollars. Hide Comments Subject: No Subject Author: Anonymous Date: 11.18.2003 Show/Hide Comments I found out about Best Programs on the web, like most other people. I did the AuPair program in Spain this past July through September. While the family I was placed with was wonderful, I feel that luck was on my side for that one. I spoke with some people in the same program who were not nearly as happy with their placements. Some people were treated like hired help, cooking, cleaning, etc, for 8 hours a day and were only payed 50 euros a week. These people also said that their freedom was limited while living in the house. Again, I was fortunate to be placed with an awesome family who let me do what I wanted and only required me to be with the children for 3 hours a day. My experiences with Jill were limited, partly due to her lack of availability. When I did speak with her, I needed to talk about my payment because my father had sent a bank transfer for 800 euros, when the balance due was only 800 dollars. This would mean that Jill owed my father a refund of one hundred something dollars. She told me that her records showed that I owed her 17 euros, which she told me through various e-mails asking for the money. I had to call a few times. The first time I spoke with a secretary and then received an e-mail saying that the accountant would get back to me in a week or so. I never heard from the accountant. Then, right before I left, Jill called me to see how my experience had been with the family and then told me that I still owed her 17 euros. I explained the situation AGAIN and she said she would look into it and get back to me. Apparently she realized that I was in the right and she owed ME money because I never heard from her again. It's funny how quickly she lost interest in the mixup once she saw that she owed me money. So, I had to take the loss and chalk it up to a lesson learned. One more thing that bothered me was the amount of money I had to pay her to place me with a family. I payed all that money ($1200) and don't feel that I recieved anything worth that amount. Even the family I stayed with thought it was outrageous when I told them how much I had to pay. It just doesn't add up. In my opinion, this organization, if you can call it that, is worth neither the time, the money nor the aggravation. Travel abroad by all means.....just not through BEST. Hide Comments Subject: The biggest waste of money ever!!!! Author: Scott Date: 11.13.2003 Show/Hide Comments I also found BEST programs through goabroad.com and thought that it would be a good idea, job experience, learn another language, and meet native spanish speakers, not to mention the all important promise on the website "24 hour support by english speakers living in Spain". Unfortunately, $2,800 dollars later, I cannot say that I received any of those points from above. The living accomodations, lets see...I was planning on living with Spaniards or at least in an international flat, so I could be immersed in the culture and speak only in Spanish. This did not happen, Jill Arcaro only has one or two apartments which she deals with, and these apartments are filled with all English speakers like myself. My apartment was on the worst street in Madrid, prostitutes, drug dealers, a fight every night in the street.(every night!!!) Jill even made comments to another intern calling our apartment "extremely dangerous, and like an American ghetto" why would a person, especially the person who is supposedly looking after us in Madrid, say something like this? Well for starters, it says alot about the legitamacy of the program and Jill Arcaro herself. The internship: if you are planning to ask for an internship in a specific field, forget it, Jill basically forces her own options down your throat and says take it or leave it. When you ask her to find something else for you, she bitches and moans about "what a great opportunity this (that she picked out) internship would be" Paying this amount of money, Jill should have more than one or two options before you even arrive in Madrid. Also, there are ways to get internships without a program such as BEST, through language schools, universities, etc... 24 four hour support by Americans living blah blah... this is probably the most important factor from the program that you DON'T receive! The only time that I ever heard from Jill was when I owed her money, thats it! I would hear second hand from another intern that Jill wanted me to call her. So I would call her and expect a welcome to Spain, but instead I would get a very shallow "how are you" and then "Scott you still owe me $300 dollars" that was it, no more contact after that. More on that in a minute. I knew interns, au pairs, that were completely stuck whether it be in another city outside Madrid, or just stuck with their apartment (did not like, dirty, etc..) Jill neglected to call these people back in a timely manner. One au pair did not like her family while in Valencia, Jill did not call this person back for a week!!! This au pair was stuck in Valencia for a week by herself!! Finally, the completely shady payment plan... I payed the full amount to Jill, except I payed in Euros (which would be ok, considering that her company is in EUROPE!) the exchange rate of the euro fell and Jill after converting it back to dollars lost money. Jill contacted me and informed me that my Fathers bank "had tried to rip her off" and took the $300 from the bank transfer. I looked into this and found out that it had been the exchange rate, not some dishonest bank employee in CT. I asked Jill if the exchange rate of the euro went up, would I receive a check in the mail for the difference? She did not reply... I was in the program for less than a month, and Jill refused to give back even a portion of my money!! Jill then made me quit my intership and leave the program all together. I also lived with an intern whom Jill contacted and asked that her program fee be sent express to NY where Jill was on vacation!! unbelievable! The BEST program is a SHAM!! do not sign up for this program! There are many, many other ways to go to Europe while avoiding these high priced scams. Everything that is promised on Jill's website is completely untrue, and its to late by the time you realize it. Hopefully my experience will help others avoid Jill Arcaro and her BEST programs. Hide Comments Subject: What program? Author: Adrianna Date: 10.17.2003 Show/Hide Comments My university is based on a co-operative education program with entails attending school for a semester and a summer session and then working for a semster and a summer session. So basically 6 months of working. I decided that i wanted to have an international work experience and that not getting paid would be worth the experience. Rather, paying for work experience would be worth it. I found BEST Programs through a search at MSN for "international internships". There were two other programs i had been considering, but many emails later i decided that BEST was the 'best' because they actually had some internship placements for me and it seemed like an ecomonical choice. Plus, i had the opportunity to work at my internship for the full 6 months i had planned on. I sent my application in about a month and half before i planned on showing up in madrid. I signed up for the full experience (with the classes, even though i am a native spanish speaker. I chose that option for social purposes), single room, shared apartment, centrally located in Madrid....I know madrid like the back of my hand, so i was curious as to how "centrally located" my flat could actually be for $350 a month.... 3 weeks before my departure date I encounterd a money situation and notified Jill via email that i would not be able to pay in full until i arrived in Madrid. She assured me that wouldnt be a problem and that she would e-mail me my itinerary listing where i would be working, living and the such. 1 week goes by, another week goes by, and another. Before i know it, i am scheduled to leave the next day and i don't know where i am going to live, where i am working or what i'm supposed to do when I arrive at the airport. I email Jill about this and I recieve my itinerary at 9pm the night before i leave. I arrive in Madrid and I'm picked up by a man named Jose who takes me to my apartment. Not "centrally located at all". It was actually quite residential...20 minute or so commute walking + public transport to the center of Madrid. He leaves me at the door of my place and disappears. I straighen myself up and prepare myself to meet the people i would be living with for the next 6 months. I knock on the door....no answer. I knock again....no answer. So i open the door myself with my keys. I walk in dragging my 120lbs of lugguge behind me. I'm alone. Completely alone in what seemed to be a three bedroom apt. No flatmates. Nothing. (sigh). I call jill and i can't reach her all day. So I sit in my room, in the 90 degree heat, without a fan. Spanish class was a waste of money, but i met some great people. The problem was with my housing situation. And some distastisfaction with my internship placement. I hated living alone and away from the others. A large majority of the people i met at the spanish school lived right downtown -together. I called up Jill and told her that i didn't like living alone and away from all the action. She tells me to call the housing coordinator. I call her and she tells me there would not be an open space for 2 weeks...meanwhile unoccupied rooms were available downtown...at the "american ghetto". In those two weeks i waited, the landlord of the flat became very fiesty with me because the housing coordinator had informed him that i would be leaving in two weeks time. At first he asked me why i wanted to move and i told him i didn't like being alone. He scheduled to meet with me a second time one afternoon and he was quite rude and aggressive with me. The discussion ended in him literally yelling at me, calling me capricious, irresponsible and childish. I stood up in front of him and gave him my two cents and left the room. He followed me to my bedroom to yell at me some more saying that if i didn't leave the apartment the next day he would kick me out and throw all of my stuff out into the street. he said i owed him 3 months rent. and that the current months rent hadn't been paid. and i shut the door in his face. In the next week he would come over to the apartment several times a day, turning the lights off after i left a room and cooking. And he also put a lock on the living room and locked me out of it. And took away the iron and living room. He walked around the apartent without a shirt while he did his handywork. Gross. He didn't shut me out of the bathroom or kitchen because it's against the law to deny me food and a clean living environment, i guess. Bastard. I called jill up after it happend. i told her that i shouldn't have to deal with any fiesty landlords because i paid BEST the money not him. And she proceeds to tell me that the "housing service" is a non-profit thing and that she does her best to deal with such things, blah blah blah. she didn't offer me a new place to live. but she told me he couldn't kick me out because they HAD paid him for that month. So in the end i didn't leave the apt. but i had to put up with him for a week and a half. I was told that my nfw place would be with the other BEST kids i knew. They put me in the same building but on the floor below. Not a bad place. Right downtown. My internship was at an internet company called UNITIO. It was more of a project located 15 mins outside Madrid. One of the perks for such things was supposed to be a metro pass, which cost 40 euros a month. The environment was really laid back but work was scarce and they didn't really have any need for a translator at their company. They 'found' work for me to do though. It seemed as if BEST really doesn't have many placements. Many people got offered a place at UNITIO. marketing, finance, translation, ecomomics...you name it. UNITIO isn't about anything else besides programming. She offered me an internship place at this university translating a course catalog. She asks me "You did ask for an ecomics placement right?" No, Jill, translation. so much for my 6 month work experience. While my peers had actualy paying jobs for six months i would have to spent the remainder of it working at the GAP folding clothes! In the end i had the best time being back in madrid again, but I feel like i got scammed. $3K is too much money to pay, even for an international experience. I paid $1800 for classes and an internship. classes only cost 350 euros. After i arrived in Madrid I found out about the "no frills" option...i dont recall finding that option on the website. If i would have known about the HUGE price difference I would have chosen no frills. From what i heard it was about an $800 difference. And for what? Oh! and my last week there i recieved an email stating that i owed 50 euros because i had stayed in the apartment longer than i had paid for. They actually owed me 2 weeks rent because i left early! Best is just completely unprofessional and unorganized. Best sucks! Hide Comments Subject: DISORGANIZED PROGRAMS Author: Maria Jose Date: 10.17.2003 Show/Hide Comments I found BEST programs through GoAbroad.com. I emailed BEST and I was very pleased when I recevied a personal email explaining in detail the process I would have to take. Jill Arcaro, the director did set up a time with me to call me so that I could ask questions, I had questions written out and we did talk on the telephone. Her manner was very pushy, but I brushed it off thinking I took it the wrong way. She would not let me complete sentances, but she filled in with what I wanted to know about spain. After much thought, I did decide to go with BEST, seeing that they would help me find an internship in my field of interest. Between March and June of 2003, we exchanged emails about the work and the living arrangements. I did send my wire transfer to the account in her name in US dollars and got a receipt saying I had paid in full. (this was 2 weeks before leaving for madrid)..I waited and waited for my itinerary which would tell me where I would live and my airport pick up arrangements. One week later, I still did not have my itinerary, but I got an email saying that I had not payed in full, and that if I didn´t wire the money, I would be charged and extra $50 when I arrived in spain. I quickly emailed her back, worried, and sent a copy of the confirmation she had sent me. I did get an email back saying it was a misunderstanding. (the first of many to come). The night before my trip I still did not know where I was living, so I emailed her to please send me my interary, and my father printed it at work and brought it home to me the night before I left. I took the "no frills" program which is a straight internship program since I did not need the language courses. Upon arriving to Madrid I was taken to the apartment that I would be living in with two spanish girls and one other girl from the program. I had so much luggage and I was staying for 3 months. I was shown a small room with a small bed, and then a larger room with no bed, just a mattress on the floor. I just the bigger room because of the extra space. I did question why there was no bed in the room. The second day in Madrid I called Jill as indicated and I thought she might want to meet with me or my roomate. I asked if there is a map or anything to guide us for the weekend. (i arrived on a friday) and she said it was at the language school...(which i would not be attending) and that my roomate could get it for me. Until then, we were on our own. On monday I called for my internship and they told me to come by on Tuesday. That afternoon, two gypsies came into my apartment and robbed me. not having a single contact in spain i called Jill after it happened, she did offer to move me if i wanted but i was confused and scared. I said no, because i did like my roomate then she said she would meet with me as soon as possible. She never called or emailed me to meet with me. I have been here 2 1/2 months and I still have not met her. On tuesday, I went for my interview and the Director of Friends of the Earth Internatonal Daniel Sanchez (whom you may contact for information) said he did not know who I was, who Jill Aracaro was, or BEST programs. He indicated that I could still intern there, that they always needs volunteers. That afternoon I called Jill and told her the situation. She brushed it off, saying that I should still work there, . I also asked her why I didn´t have a bed. I said I paid almost $2.000 and that I should not be on a mattress on the floor. ( The sheets didn´t even fit the bed.) Then she indicated that I chose that room and that the other one had a bed. I agreed, saying that I did chose the room with the mattress, but how would that help GEMMA, the other BEST intern because either way, one of us would have been on the floor. I told her I have back problems to begin with. Then she stated that I have "other deep rooted problems" and that I am taking it out on this bed situation. Gemma and I then asked her if we could move to another apartment with other BEST participants and she said to me, and I quote directly "Oh, no Maria Jose, no! I would never, ever put you there! have you seen it, its an AMERICAN GHETTO! there are prostitues and drug dealers outside, no! I wouldnt do that to you! you are in a great neighborhood" (and I agree, but we felt alone ) "all they do is speak english, they dont´ emerse themselves in the culture". I was very shocked to have heard this, that I just shut down, and the conversation ended quickly. I quickly realized that I was not the only one who was frustrated. Not with the program, but with Jill Arcaro our director. She was not supportive at all, she speaks to us as if we were children, and she is a very manipulative person. Her story changes when speaking to different people. I have had a wonderful time in spain despite all of this..but she has caused me grief. Just when I thought it couldn´t get worse, another "mistake" happens. I receive and email stating that I have to leave my apartment Sept 30,when in fact I am paid through october 5th. Same for my roomate, she had to be out by Aug. 30, when she was paid through Sept 5th. Gemma left before hand for personal reasons, but the day she left another girl came back and there were 3 of us and 2 rooms. Luckily she was leaving early, but It was another "mistake". other interns has problems as well: Rocio: and older woman, called Jill for problmes in her flat and she said she had to deal with it on her own. When Jill said she owed her money, she refused because she still had not seen the cleaning woman as promised come to her flat. She left for connecticut, left the internship and asked me to tell her boss. Christina: was left in Valencia on her own after her family (she was an au pair) and her did not get along. Jill told her to leave, she did but then she was in a hostle in Valencia. She called Jill for a week and she did not return her calls. She did end up coming to Madrid. Another girl was doing the BEST program in Belgium, gets there, there is nothing for her, calls Jill, she tells her she has to be in madrid. She had to buy her own ticket because of a Jill mistake and come to spain. One of the new interns mentioned to me that in an email she got from one of Jills assistants says (about where she is going to live) "Jill calls it the AMerican Ghetto, but it is just a joke". After making this comment to me, she tried to make it out to be a joke. If she runs a business she should not be making such comments. There is supposed to be 24 hour support. I never feel as if I have had that. Hide Comments Subject: Madrid, Spain - August of 2002 Author: Ramon Rodriguez, USA Date: 12.27.2003 Show/Hide Comments Jill promised me an intership in Spain with the National Basketball Federation, however when I arrived the Secretary told me that there would not be any work for me for several weeks. I was under the assumption that when I arrived I would immediately begin working. Boy, was I wrong. I spent 4 weeks in Madrid, very expensive ones at that. My days were filled with Jill's empty promises that something else would come up. I finally just decided to leave because she told me that she was going on vacation, so I didnt want to waste any more time and money as I was doing nothing after finishing my classes. I managed to have a great time thanks to the school that I attended (Eureka is the best!), but that was really the only positive out of the whole experience. Do not use this program! It's a scam. Hide Comments Subject: No Subject Author: Gemma Date: 11.15.2003 Show/Hide Comments I did not actually experience major problems with Best, but after spending 2 months in Madrid and witnessing the difficulties others faced, i felt extremely dis-satisfied with the level of service. After spending over £2000 I expected certain standards...standards that Best Programs failed to deliver. I found Best programs through an Internet search, and despite early doubts, decided to apply. I sent my completed application forms away with the 150 dollar fee and waited for a response. I kept waiting. I was waiting so long that it wasn't until a week before my start date that I got any news on my Internship. Jill had 3 months to find me a placement and all she could suggest was the POSSIBILITY of a clothes shop (which I could do paid in England)or at an english magazine (when the point of going was to improve my spanish). I was finally given a placement at UNITIO, an I.T. company, along with numerous other Best interns. Furthermore, it wasn't until the night before my flight to Madrid that I was told where and with whom I was living. I also experienced problems with payment. I paid the full sum well before I had any confirmation of an Internship, only to be told by Jill that she had not received any money. Thinking that my bank was at fault, I got them to trace the money, which had entered Jill's personal bank account about 10 days earlier. I emailed her this fact and then, miraculously, she found the money. I also paid in Euros, despite other interns being told by Jill that she never accepts Euros. Once in Madrid, with no map and having never travelled abroad alone before, Jill did not offer any kind of welcoming or supportive service. I spoke to Jill for about a minute on the telephone on the day a arrived and never heard from her again. The accomodation, whilst centrally located and spacious, was far from what I expected having paid £2000. Being a student i didn't expect luxury, but my bedding consisted of 1 sheet, I never saw my Spanish flatmates and we were robbed by Gypsies on the first day. There were also no fire alarms in a 5-storey apartment building. There were some good points in the program, such as the language school which was excellent, but this has nothing to do with Jill's ability. It would be cheaper to book it independently. I did enjoy my time in Spain, but before committing yourself to Best Programs, consider whether your idea of the 'best', is really the same as Jill Arcaro's. Oh, and I'm still waiting for my bi-lingual dictionary... Hide Comments Let others hear what you have to say! Please email us your story and we'll post it for you. Posting has been removed due to abuse. We will confirm whether you want your name published with your comments. Contact us with Comments/Complaints Tell us what you think about our site! Let us know if you have any information about other programs associated with BEST or Jill Arcaro-Gordon. Email us at info@NoBestPrograms.org or use the form on the home page to send an anonymous email.

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