I hope the one star says it all. It earned me a certificate. But I can't say I learned anything. Inefficient, unstructured and though instructor Aaron was seemingly a nice guy, he was a horrible organizer and instructor. I got through it because by law, he had to keep us for 8 hrs. For $39 Groupon deal..I guess I shouldn't ask for much. -Aaron (self proclaimed president of the company) is always late. He's charming but it masks the truth. Car breaks down often. Will try to sell you on us law shield etc. claims to have had 12K students. Doesn't cover much of the important topics. "You need to read the attorney generals policy on ccw..". He fails to even go over it with his "students". Aaron will never know how many students will show up. Class is ill prepared and half assed. My advice ..Just go get this half assed class, get your certificate and go practice elsewhere. read more

Run. Run away. I can't comment on the training because the classes are so hard to get. Went to the class scheduled today at the Hampton Inn near Dayton. The hotel did not have a conference room scheduled for us. Nothing was booked. (The hotel staff was amazing trying to work this out). When the instructor finally let the 12 clients know he wasn't coming we got a lame excuse about his car breaking down. So they posted a class, took the money, didn't book a facility and didn't show up. Definition of fraud. We are supposed to be contacted Monday.... maybe more later Update: Got up today 7/8/17 for another class. Confirmed with the instructor last week it was on. Called the hotel last night to confirm. Just got a text class is cancelled because of the hotel. read more

My wife and I recently completed our CCW "training" from OCCI. Let me first throw out a couple of caveats. 1) We bought Groupons for the class. 2) It was the second class they did after the new law requiring only 8 hours of training. I agree with Heather S about the location. Taking the class on a Sunday while the attached church is getting their screaming/yelling gospel on was an annoyance. First off, our class was huge. I'd guess 75-85 people and 2 instructors. The class itself is absolutely the bare minimum of what the state requires, maybe less. I'm sure a good part of this was due to the new shortened state requirements. I am a novice gun owner, and I basically learned nothing I didn't already know. The only thing you'll really learn is what's on the test. Good thing is, unless you're illiterate, there's no way you can fail this class. So, I'll agree with Sam F's review that pretty much anyone who can read at a 2nd grade level can now go and get their license to carry. The two hour range time was a WHOLE other issue in itself, and the basis for the bad review. To me, this should've been the focus of the class. Practicing and applying what you've learned. There was NO time for that! We ended up having to drive about 45 minutes each way from OCCI's location to someone's private property for our range time. So, again, keep in mind, 75-85 people, TWO instructors. The instructors asked for people with firearm experience to "help" them with the students to do the actual shooting part. They took 5-6 volunteers who then did EVERYTHING for them. The two instructors basically stood around and supervised the "volunteers" who themselves paid for the class. Hopefully, the "volunteers" got some sort of kickback for doing all of the work for them. In my eyes, that was complete bullshit. So to sum up our range time...We stood around for over 2 hours in the cold to shoot 10 rounds of .22 semi-auto, with other students supervising. What. A. Joke. Look, if you already have plenty of experience and need to go through the motions to get your certificate, this is the class for you. If you've ever been to a gun range, you probably already know anything this class could possibly teach you. Again, this could quite possibly be because of the new 8 hour minimum imposed by the state. My biggest gripe is the shooting part. To me, this is way more important than taking the test. The fact that we had an actual 6 minutes of loading/shooting time, supervised by other students, was completely unacceptable. My advice, find somewhere that you know will have a smaller class size. Cramming this many people into an 8 hour class is not going to give students the time I think should be appropriate for learning gun safety. read more

My wife heard an advertisement on the radio for this place. It was a Groupon BOGO deal, however after taking the class I would recommend that people spend a little more money and take the CCW class at a place that also has a range on site. The tickets were purchased and we didn't think to check Yelp first before doing so. When I looked it up on Yelp the reviews gave some great insight to avoid the frustrations that others experienced which I was thankful to avoid. One of these insights was to call to setup an appointment for the day we wanted to go rather than just showing up as the ticket indicated that we should do. A reviewer said that they didn't have an appointment and was turned away because there wasn't enough room. It was suggested that we get there early just in case so we could make sure we get in, and getting in just means making sure you get one of the available seats in the class room. It was very difficult to get somebody to answer the phone. We left a voicemail, but then after no return call we saw another reviewer said that they don't return calls so we just kept calling until somebody answered. 1 week after we took the class somebody finally called back asking about setting up an appointment. Now that's funny! The instructor arrived before class, but he didn't have a key. The guy that had the key arrived about 15-20 min late which ate up some of our class time. The place smelled like wet dog, which was very strange. The instructor was great; he had served as a Marine, and we learned much from him. The class itself was great, but there were too many other factors that made this experience not so great. The Range - it was more than 1 hour outside of Columbus which was not anywhere on the website or in any of the information available. The 1 hour driving was included with the required class time which took away from class time and Range time. The range was on private property and 22's were provided however we only fired 6 rounds. There seemed to be about 60 people there, which was more than what appeared to be in the class. Either way, it was too many people for 1 instructor and 1 assistant. read more

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This company offers classes in Cleveland, which I just took this past weekend with my fiancé. She has never shot a gun before, and was eager to learn about proper gun use and learning the Ohio Laws surrounding them...this class was a complete joke and waste of money. When I bought the tickets for the class, they did not mention that the range was an additional 40 minute drive away. So that's on top of the 30 minute drive we had to get there. The worst part about this class, was how willing the instructors were to just pass people on through, not very concerned with how well a person could handle the gun. We had to spend 2 hours at the range, but only shot 19 rounds, with guns that kept misfiring. So for 2 hours of range time, we only had a gun in-hand for about 5 minutes. The rest of the time was just watching other people shoot. I had sent 2 emails to the organizers before the class, but never got a response. This company is always having sales for their class, but it's not worth the money or the time spent to get there and to the range. This class was a joke. read more

Bought a class for myself and my daughter-in-law as a Christmas gift. After months of trying to schedule a class with this company we were finally able to set on up on a Friday for the next day (nothing like a little notice). We were told we needed to buy a range pass. We both went on-line and bought our passes and 3 hours later they cancelled the class. Their communication skills are seriously lacking. Don't be fooled by their low prices. A low price is only good if you can actually take a class. I spent more time and energy trying to schedule a class than the savings would have been worth if they ever had a class! read more

I trained with these guys in November. I had an excellent experience. Yes, the class was large, but there is a huge demand from people who work to get this done on the weekend. I would be more concerned if there were tiny classes. I did my research on the different companies offering CCW training and OCCI was the best I could find. It was also the only all inclusive place. Most classes do not provide a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection to use. It's typically bring your own or pay extra. When I took the class, there was still a 12hr requirement. The day went as fast as it could. We didn't starve and I think there was just enough break time, especially considering how cranky the smokers get if they don't get enough breaks. I thought there was plenty of food. It's a long day and if you sit there and eat all day or eat too much, you are going to get sleepy and stop paying attention. You should always take snacks to something like this. The instructors were helpful and friendly and if you didn't understand something, they definitely gave you one on one and answered any questions. When I took the class, we went to a competing third party shooting range. There are not a lot of ranges in Columbus and if OCCI has their own range now, I think that is great because they have more control over the experience. No CCW class offered has you actually shooting for 2 hours straight, to the best of my knowledge, unless you schedule private training. It's not only about the shooting. The main focus of these courses is safety. It is a basic safety course. The reviewer complaining that the lady at the range was loading the mag backwards would only cause me concern if they HADN'T stopped her. People get nervous and mess up sometimes. Sounds like they handled it as they should have. I was super nervous when I stepped in the range, but they were right there to help. It makes neither financial or logistic sense to have more than 2-3 instructors. These guys have been doing this for a while and are very experienced. The "helpers" in my class were former law enforcement, military, or long time gun owners. OCCI in no way had unexperienced people assisting. The people that helped in my class happily volunteered. Additionally, some people learn more by helping others and so I see this as a positive. I thought there was plenty of food. It's a long day and if you sit there and eat all day or eat too much, you are going to get sleepy and stop paying attention. You should always take snacks to something like this. As for the church services, it was a little annoying at times, but it was a new location and they were and probably are still working out the kinks. They can't really be responsible for the rudeness of others. I'm sure they are working diligently to remedy any further distractions. I was a pretty inexperienced shooter when I took the course and I left with the knowledge and confidence I needed and expected. Finally, any responsible person who obtains their CCW should plan on regularly going to a range and getting as much experience and practice as they can. You can't reasonably expect to be an expert at anything after one day, but you definitely get the skills and knowledge you need to obtain your Ohio CCW. To Aaron, Mike, Harold, and the new team members: Thanks again for the great experience and keep it up. I will continue to recommend your team and business. read more

I trained at OCCI in February with the old 12 hour Ohio state requirement. I'd had a little firearms experience over the years. I'd done my research. I'd read the blue book and checked a few laws that specifically pertained to me. I'd spent time on the range and had chosen a handgun that I felt very comfortable with. I saved my money and had set a goal. OCCI fit into my budget at the right time. Yes, the class was huge (I have an opinion on why but I won't speak of politics) but it was everything expected it to be. Mike, Harold S., and Bill were knowledgeable and patient. They actually inspired me and I got the huge lesson everyone who takes this training should get. It is MY responsibly... read more

Absolutely terrible experience so far...My wife bought me this class way back in june for a august class and the day before I got a text at 8:28pm saying it's canceled due to not enough students for class...which I would have been more understanding if the cancellation could have been a little sooner instead of the night before...So the text went along to say it could reschedule or refund,so I went the the refund and a week later no response or information about it..Very disgusted so far...Very....I would not recommend at ALL!!! So hopefully we will hear something soon or we're probably going to get the B.B.B involved.... read more

OHIO CONCEALED CARRY INSTITUTE: CONSUMER BEWARE!!!! Let me preface this review with the fact that I rarely take the time to post negative reviews, but in an effort to help others avoid what we dealt with, please read on... One of the worst experiences ever dealing with a company. First, after purchasing the Groupon I needed to schedule the class. It took 2 weeks just to get a hold of a person to schedule. Second, when we arrived to the class, there was not an instructor. Everyone (25+ people) waited for the instructor for over 1 hour after the class was to start, and no one showed up, not even a phone call. If you try calling the phone numbers listed to contact the company - you get a voice mail or a message stating "this phone number is not accepting calls at this time". No one will call you back. While patiently waiting in the dingy, conference room at the "Red Roof Inn", I discovered the BBB's rating for this "business" and it is a solid F! Complete waste of my day and money. I've since rescheduled my CCW class for next week with a different, and far more reputable company and received Groupon bucks back (not an actual refund). I'll be leaving multiple reviews on multiple sites and contacting the BBB along with the Ohio Attorney General's office. read more

I don't even know where to begin with this. I just took the class with my husband and it was pretty much a huge disappointment from the start. I know others who have gone through a CCW class before so I had decent expectations. For starters, I was being cheap and chose this place because there was a Groupon for it. You get what you paid for, right? For an experienced gun owner, this would be a great class to go through the formality of getting your CCW license. If you are anything, but experienced and wanted to actually learn something, don't take it through this company! The first thing that irritated me is that they had approximately 75-80 people in the class which is entirely too much. The state requires you to take 6 hours of classroom training and 2 hours of range training. We had approximately 4 hours of classroom training because of all the breaks, lunch, starting late due to registration, etc. I just felt like they flew through the minimum requirements and were snippy with anyone who asked a question. Also, because we took the class on a Sunday, we had the joy of a gospel church singing so loud during our test that it was VERY distracting. They share a wall with this church and we had to listen to 2 hours of very loud music, singing, and screaming to the Lord while trying to learn about guns. Very odd. I wasn't sure where we were going to go to get our range time in, but the last thing I expected was a drive 45 minutes north of Columbus, outdoors, on someone's personal property. There was no disclosure that we would have to drive that far to a "range" and we were very pissed about it. Once there, they only had 2 instructors for this large class, so they "certified" 5 guys who've had some gun experience before. At one point, they had the 5 "coaches" completely taking over while the 2 instructors were shooting the shit with someone. Completely unacceptable. They took 6 people at a time to shoot into the dirt so you can imagine how long this took with 75+ people. We only got to shoot 10 rounds each and that was our "two hours of range time". Apparently the required 2 hours just requires you to be on the premise of others shooting? I feel like if the state of Ohio sat in on this class, they would shut them down. Not sure. We were to be done at 4:30, but it ran over til 5:00 and then we had 45+ minute drive back to Columbus. SO annoyed. A few other things to note, they do provide hot dogs for lunch and popcorn. If you want water, soda, or chips bring some cash. They also do not allow you to leave with the handbook, you have to leave it with them. Do your homework before booking with them as I know others who have had a better experience elsewhere- you get to keep the materials, all food and drinks are provided free, unlimited range and ammo until you feel comfortable, range isn't 45 minutes away, etc. read more

Read. The. Reviews! Bought a Groupon. Scheduled this 3 months in advanced. Canceled on us the night before. Seems to be a recurring theme. Save your time and money. DO NOT GO. Also the range they use for the class is about 1 hr away. read more

I thought this was a fair deal for what they had to offer. You get a really cheap deal if you bring your own guns, ammo, eyewear, and earplugs. For what you pay for the "Economy" package, it's really cheap. The class was very informative and made me feel more confident in using a gun. He was always open to answering questions. We made the suggestion to our instructor to notify patrons of the distance to the shooting range from the class location and he noted it - hopefully in the future he'll include that in the description. Besides the distance from the classroom to the range, me and my boyfriend couldn't complain. He was super knowledgeable about anything and everything. Very personable, patient, and even though me and my boyfriend brought our own guns, he let us shoot his free of charge. He also didn't charge the "range fee" that was indicated in the description which was nice. Overall, he's a small business owner doing the best with what he's got. There is definitely room for improvement but it's worth the price of the "Economy" package. We would do it again if we had to. read more

Let me get this out of the way first. If you take the class you WILL pass. Everyone passed. Even the lady who proceeded to load the rounds into the magazine backwards at the range before she was stopped by an instructor passed. The people who couldn't hit a single center of mass shot from literally 10 feet away with a .22 passed. Thanks to this institute those people are now legal CCW holders who walk among us armed. Don't you feel safer already? When they say 2 hours of range time that means you will be at the range for 2 hours, but you will actually shoot 19 rounds from a .22 at a target 10 feet away and hitting or missing is totally irrelevant. If you've never held a gun before in your life (which some people in the class hadn't) you can be legal to carry after firing just 19 rounds with the smallest possible caliber handgun. I used to think that having a CCW meant that you're qualified and certified to carry a firearm. Turns out it's just a formality. It's scary once you think about it actually. Positives: The Pizza was pretty good! read more

Didn't learn anything other than what is on the test. I don't see how this class is legal. My actual shooting time at their range was less than 10 minutes. Class overcrowded, not enough booklets, instructors not professional. read more

I will never suggest anyone use this company. 3 years after I obtained my license through this company I am receiving multie phone calls trying to recruit new customers after directly asking the owner, Aaron Mahan to stop ALL contact. If I could rate this lower than 1 star I would. DO NOT USE!!! Further, when I took my class, none of the information that is supposed to be provided to each student (in a packet) was provided. This is obviously an attempt to cut corners and save cost to the company read more

Scheduled my first class in September, class was scheduled to start at 8am on a Saturday. At midnight Friday I checked my email on a whim and found out that the class had been cancelled due to an "extreme emergency". Ok fine I understand things happen, locations screw up and double book, instructors have emergencies with family and what not. Email states I will be contacted within the next week to reschedule. Never receive any contact with the company. Wait over a month and still no contact or reschedule. I get busy and forget that I have paid for the class. Try contacting the company by numerous emails and get no response. Go the phone route and get a confusing phone answering system and no one ever answers. Finally get to talk to the owner of the company. He was really nice on the phone, apologized for everything and upgraded me the the premium package. Get my class scheduled for the 21st of January in Mason, Ohio. Shooting range is 30 minutes away outside Waynesville, Ohio which I was fine with because that was stated in the information about the course. Day of class I drive to the location which I looked up the night before and realized it was a Red Roof Inn. Get to the hotel and walk around the lobby, no signs, no person there with the company guiding you to a conference room or anything. Finally walk up to the hotel desk guy and ask if there is a CCW class taking place today, he says I'm in the wrong place and I need to go to an address he has written on a piece of paper. I check my email thinking ok maybe the class was cancelled again or changed locations at the last minute but never got an email saying any of that. I drive to the location the guy had written down which was across the street at the Comfort Inn. Instructor is trying to book a room for the class which took a while, in the mean time we are all standing around wondering whats going on or if we are even having class. Finally get a room, we have 37 people in the class and the room was about big enough to fit 20 people comfortably so needless to say we are packed in like sardines. Class starts 45 minutes late due to all the confusion and people coming in late from going to the original address. Instructor of the class looks like he is scared to death we were going to rise up against him when he starts telling up we might have to reschedule our range times due to class starting late. Most of the people there had the premium package which included lunch which was supposed to be hot dogs and popcorn. Also was supposed to include a note pad and writing utensil. No one got a note pad, the writing utensils were pencils that were dull and no way to sharpen them, luckily I brought a pen and had an extra to give to the guy next to me. Instructor then asks where an electrical outlet is so he can hook up a hotplate and boil water to cook hot dogs. The entire class just told him to skip it probably because the idea of eating hot dogs that have been sitting out for a few hours then cooked on a hot plate in water didn't sound too appetizing. Written materials handed out to the class were a joke, no page numbers, some of it couldn't be read due to being copied over and over. Skip ahead to the gun range, first we were never told we would be required to have a range pass from the ODNR. The process to get one online if you have never had a hunting license or fishing license in Ohio we were told would take 30 minutes per person. The instructor had members of the class work on getting range passes for the entire class while he taught, ended up using four class members who had hunting licenses to register ten people each as guests so we could go to the range and print out 37 range passes. Get to the range and with the premium package you were to be provided with a .22 handgun and ammo to shoot. Half the people in the class didn't have their own gun so they used the provided handgun, which they only had two of and two shooting lanes, the guns kept jamming, not feeding, and the ammo had many misfires and hang fires. Glad I brought my own gun and ammo so I didn't have to go through all that. A third shooting lane opened up thank god it did or we would have never finished the range time. The guns jam, ammo is no good, the hot dog lunch would have been disgusting if anyone had even chose to eat it. The whole class was disorganized, a mess, and looked like a group of elementary school kids planned the whole class. I really can't recommend this class to anyone, I just signed up to get my required class time in to get my CCW. read more

Don't waste your money! Bought 2 packages thru Groupon for my husband and I to take the class. Scheduled it and then had to cancel because of a medical issue. Tried to reschedule but no one would return our phone calls or e-mails. Did finally get a response thru a FB message from Aaron who stated he would call us the next day which never happened. Messaged several more times with no response. Reported this to Groupon and they refunded our money with Groupon bucks. Plan on reporting this business to the Better Business Bureau. read more

No one uses yelp. Check out Ohio Concealed Carry Institute's reviews on Facebook, Google, and everywhere else. OCCI maintains a 4 star or higher. read more

Great introductory class to pistols. Instructors were very knowledgeable and did a great job keeping the class engaged. (Which can be difficult in a large class of 70students) My class was 12 hours but the class didn't seem to drag on. They provided lunch and dinner which was great as I tend to loose focus when I'm hungry. The class did a great job of teaching you the basic skills needed to protect yourself using a pistol. You will not learn how to shoot the flame off a match or curve bullets in this class. read more

I just took this class on 4/4/2015 and i can say its worth it. The class size was a bit large with the final count about 85 people. However they are downsizing the classes to a cap of 50 or 60 people. The time goes by quick and even someone who has been shooting for a while can learn a few things. Your going to get out of the class what you put into it. They are there to teach you the basics about a firearm, how to be safe with it, how to handle it around others, how to react to different problems that might occur with your firearm. Just because you go through this class does not entirely mean that YOU are responsible enough or ready to actually take your paper saying "Yay i took the class" to your sheriffs office and obtain your CHL. This is a huge choice for you to make and not one that you should be making lightly. Prior to going to ANY establishment to take your class for your CHL, you absolutely must go to a range prior and see how you react to a firearm going off. Is it something you can handle? what kind of gun do you want? If necessary are you ready to discharge that firearm at another human being to protect your self or others? In terms of having to go to another range somewhere else on private property, this is true. It took about 30 min to get there and it was actually kinda nice there. No it was not a full blown gun range, yes people did take turns during the 2 hours. However my class had about 45min towards the end to continue shooting and get more practice in with the instructors around. MANY people chose not to take this privilege. People were able to line up 5 at a time, and yes several people were asked to be "coaches" and help out with those who may not have as much experience. But i should add there the class was split into 2 groups, people who brought their own firearm (which you should have fired it before and have some practice) and another group for those who did not have their own firearm but still needed to get the range time in. The coaches helped to make sure that the people with their own firearm were safe in the way that they operated and possibly pointed out a few things to help improve their stance or how they handled the firearm. The people that did not have their own firearm and did not have any expierence were able to shoot 22 pistols with the instructors that were present. Once everyone had a chance to shoot they then gathered the group back up and made sure that everyone felt comfortable. If you did not speak up at that time then that was on you, a window was provided for you to shoot more if you felt like you were shorted on your range time. Overall this is a great class for those who are new to firearms to learn the basics and how to treat/handle them safely. I would easily recommend this class to anyone who is interested in getting their CHL or even just becoming familiar with firearms. You have 3 years after you take this class to obtain your CHL, so when YOU are ready and YOU feel comfortable/responsible enough to go the rest of the way and get your CHL, that is the time to do so. ** Edit ** I just wanted to add that i only took 1 star off due to how large my class size was. Outside of this it was great. read more

I lost my CCW training certificate which is needed to get CCW (copies are not acceptable). Tried calling them three times in two days to get a duplicate. All I get is answering machine. Update Finally someone called me back week later and promised to send me a duplicate certificate. Still waiting read more

I purchased the CCW class via the Ohio Concealed Carry Institute's Website on October 7th. The class was to take place on November 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. My friend also signed up for the same class at the same time, and we planned to go together. On Saturday, November 12th we drove to the location and arrived 20 minutes early (instructions state that class starts promptly at 8). At 7:52 a fellow would-be student comes to our car and lets us know to check our email; the class was cancelled at 7:42 that morning. The email states that someone will reach out to us the following Monday to reschedule. We reschedule for the December 10th class and again arrive 20 minutes early. We see a man turn the "closed" sign to "open," so we go inside and are instructed to take from the stacks of forms and fill them out. We fill out forms, another man arrives, and both instructors are in the room. We are making small talk, one of the instructors (Aaron) mentions he isn't feeling well (when we arrived to the location he was working on his Hummer H3 with the hood popped). After a few minutes of talking Aaron states that there were supposed to be 12 people in the class, and if more don't show up he may cancel it. A few moments before 8:00 a.m. (they will shut and lock doors promptly at 8), 2 more men walk in to take the class. They are instructed to take the forms to fill out, and then Aaron states that he thinks he's going to cancel class. He mentions the weather conditions (it had snowed lightly the night before, but was melted by this point and you could see the grass) at the shooting range and that we would likely have to reschedule that portion for a different time anyway, so he cancels class. We inform him that this is the second time in a row that class has been cancelled, both times after we have already driven to the location a distance away from where we live. We state that we want a refund and he says that if we went through Groupon we have to go through them and that he doesn't handle those refunds. We walk out of the building with the rest of the group and he follows us to our car, exclaiming that he's sorry for the cancellation (which, to be frank, appeared to have been more related to him not wanting to sit in the classroom for the day more than anything) and to go through Groupon for a refund. Masha (the friend who I am with) explains that we did not use Groupon to buy our class, to which he says he will take a look on Monday and work on it. Later that day (8:30 p.m. EST) we both receive missed calls, 2:00+ minute voicemails, and text messages from Aaron. He offered to host the two of us for a private CCW course. We discuss the option and, having had 2 negative experiences already and full time jobs that don't allow us to use a weekday in such a way, decide it is best if we get our money back and find another business to obtain our CCW. Separately, we both text him back and let him know we would prefer a refund of our money. No response was given, so the next day (12/14) I send another message asking how I should obtain my refund. He states it can take up to 2 weeks, so I say I will keep an eye out. He responds with another option, that there are online classes we could take. He apologizes again and states this option would not cost us anything (which implies our refunds will still be processed). I give no response as I have, at this point, explained that I prefer a refund over obtaining my CCW through this business. As of today I have not received my refund. I have given money to a company who has not provided the service I have paid for. read more

I wouldn't even give this company a 1 star if there was an option! The WORST company I've ever dealt with. Paid for a class, showed up, waited for an hour and a half and no instructor ever showed up. Call to receive a refund and the "founder" Aaron keeps over talking me yelling, then proceeds to hang up on me. Aaron is now trying to refuse to refund my money. What a scam artist! Take money from people and don't deliver the service you are suppose to deliver read more

There is a time to finally take a stand with an unscrupulous company. I don't usually take to social media but they have left us no choice. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY WITH THIS COMPANY. They have allowed us to travel from Cincinnati to Dayton and cancelled the class while we stood in the lobby of the hotel at 7:45 on a Saturday morning. We rescheduled on a Sunday morning and got a text as we were leaving that the class was cancelled. The first time the hotel said the didn't have a reservation for the class. However the instructor, Aaron said he had car trouble. The second time the instructor Aaron said the hotel cancelled at the last minute, but the hotel said they cancelled 2 weeks prior plenty of time to book elsewhere. This is just a runaround. We bought these classes off a radio promotion. Once again it's a farce don't waste your money. read more

My son and I took the CCW class with a group of his friends. The first class that was set up was canceled due to some personal problem the instructor had going on. Aaron the instructor called us and set up another class a week later and made a special trip and class just to make up for the class he had to cancel. he went out of his way to make it right with us for having to reschedule. I thought that was great of him . he went above and beyond the call to make up what was something he had no control over when he had to cancel the first class. He made sure that it was scheduled to our convenience and that we could be at the class. also, he set up it up that we had the class at my son's friends house instead of us having to drive out of the way to take the class. at the class, his instruction of the CCW course had a lot of great information and he made the class fun and laid back. He answered all our question allowed us to have plenty of breaks so the class wasn't boring and rushed thru just to get it over with. when it came time for the range qualifying he allowed us to take the range qualifying at my house instead of having to drive 40 minutes out of the way to some range we had never been to. I thought that was awesome!! I have a large yard with a hill to shoot into to. ( i shoot out my house all the time a love to shoot my guns) anyways while we were there he made sure that everyone conducted themselves in a safe and professional manner at all times. We had some ladies there that had never held a firearm if they did it was not much at all. he took his time with them and made sure they felt comfortable while shooting. By the time they were ready to qualify they were very comfortable so much that they were having fun laughing and just having a great time with it. If I could I would give them 6 stars because the way Aaron and his team went out of there way to make up for the class rescheduling. all in all the class is incredibly cheap it was fun and we all have our CCW license now so job well done to them. I can't thank Ohio Conceal Carry institute enough for there dedication to the field and making sure everyone was safe and the number 1 thing everyone had FUN. Thanks, guys and keep it up!!!!!!:D read more

Anybody else have a tough time getting ahold of the company to schedule a class? I bought a groupon but I'm not even sure how to use it? I've heft two messages and no return calls and no hours posted to actually talk to somebody? I'm half tempted to just show up at the class?? And input to help? read more

My wife purchased this for me at a Christmas present and purchased the "Premiere" package that was supposed to include lunch and a pen a note pad. I have a difficult time applying the Groupon to the online registration so I emailed them a request to contact me. Several days went by and nobody contacted me. I then called them several times and nobody answered during "business hours." I finally reached someone and was able to sign up and was sent instructions on where to go. I went to the address given for the class and was looking for a building with their name on it. After driving around for a few minutes I realized we were meeting at the Red Roof Inn although the instructions made no mention of that. Then when I get inside there is nobody from the company and we are told the location has now been moved to another local hotel. So we drive to the next location and are told the room at Red Roof Inn was booked so that is why we had to move but due to the time spent moving locations, we may not be able to complete the range time. Oh, and the lunch that was included is also not going to happen. I didn't even get the note pad or pen but rather a barely sharpened pencil. Even the course handouts seemed disorganized with no page numbers to reference. The class itself seemed very rushed and there were people who had never fired a gun attending but no training guns provided so they could get familiar with handling a gun prior to the range. I felt the course left a lot to be desired for anyone with limited experience. We were able to get the range time in but we had to drive 30 minutes away to get there( also never explained in the information prior to the class) and I was teaching people on the spot basic fundamental like sight picture since it was not explained in any great detail in the class. The most disturbing thing is there was no standard or record of people's shooting. People literally missed all of their 19 shots and were still signed off as having basic competency. I would not recommend anyone take this class from this company. It was so bad I thought about leaving multiple times but was already out the time and money. BTW, they made no attempt at refunding any of the additional money we paid for the "Premiere" course despite the fact I did not get what I paid for. read more

Absolutely terrible customer service. Bought 2 Groupons for their course over a week ago and have left several messages asking for a call back to schedule the class and confirm and have not received a call back. Obviously cancelling the Groupon as they are clearly a XXXXX. Updated 8/24 2:18PM EST Edited above to remove a 5 letter word that starts with "F". This was after I finally was contacted by the company and threatened and childishly chided and derided. Play by play of events: 8/16 9:50am - Purchased Groupon 8/16 11:55am - Called to make reservation per Groupon instructions. Was instructed by Aaron to send a text with the name, phone number and email address of my mother and wife (thats who the class was for, I;ve had mine for years) 8/16 11:58am - Sent text containing requested info 8/18 9:53am - Left voicemail requesting a return phone call to confirm. 8/22 9:57am - Left voicemail requesting a return phone call to confirm. 8/23 3:32pm - Left voicemail requesting a return phone call to confirm. 8/24 8:26am - Began cancellation process with Groupon 8/24 8:45am - Began leaving negative reviews warning others. 8/24 12:38pm - Received call back. They left VM saying "Hello Brett this is Aaron made with ohio concealed carry institute um we checked our system and this is the first call that I've gotten for me and the first voicemail but I do appreciate the negative review on BBB and Google want to go ahead and turn in your groupon and get your money back and find another company we really appreciate it but we're not going to deal with the attitude so have a great day if you have any question you know where to reach us..." (forgive the wording, this is a direct copy of the iPhone voicemail transcription, but it's pretty accurate) The following is a text conversation. All typos are verbatim per the conversation. 8/24 1:05pm - I responded with text: Just an FYI, here's the screen shots of the calls. Guess all the other negative reviews on google should have alerted me. Best of luck." Included the screen shots of my phone calls. 8/24 1:06pm - Received text: "Take your business elsewhere 8/24 1:06pm - Received text: "I would suggest removing the part of the review that causes of fraud where you can expect a lawsuit." 8/24 1:07pm - Received text: "We became the number one company in the state of Ohio for a reason and I certainly wasn't because we serve as students like you" 8/24 1:07pm - I replied: "Like I said, best of luck pal." 8/24 1:08pm - Received text: "Do you have 72 hours to remove the part of the reviews that says that Wii do illegal activity or I'll make an example of you in court." 8/24 1:17pm - I replied: "Perhaps you should have tried returning the phone calls. The Groupon specifically states registration required and I've tried for 8 days to get confirmation of my registration after reading the plethora of negative reviews on the internet. I left voicemails on 3 separate occasions and only got a return phone call when I started leaving negative reviews." 8/24 1:19pm - Received text: "I have a recod of every single call that's made and your phone number doesn't pop up except for today and there are no other voicemails." 8/24 1:19pm - Received text "All of our other customer got return phone calls or answered so buy a clue." 8/24 1:20pm - Received text "We just don't deal with people like you in our class if you're willing to stretch the truth and cause a huge fuss over nothing then perhaps you should reconsider carrying a gun." 8/24 1:45pm - I replied: "FYI again, if you refer to the beginning of this very text message chain, you will see that I sent to you via text at your request after my initial call last Wednesday was to register my wife and mother. I have had my permit for nearly a decade. I do want to thank you for your courteous professionalism though." I have the screenshots for all of these. I don't know about everyone else, but spending over $150 on a gift and then not being able to get a response after reading all of these terrible reviews is not nothing. read more

Took my class on 10/15/16. Turns out the negative reviews are spot on. 1st I made an attempt to call them with a question before signing up after reading the neg reviews. Forget that, they don't answer and do not return voicemail. Instructor arrives late, says there should be two instructors, took him a while to get organized, training was a bit weak, he didn't have password or credit card info to enter range passes. At the range poor time management caused 2 individuals to not be able to shoot before the end of day and we were kicked out. Those two have to come back at another date. It'a a good cheap class if you just want the certificate. If you want more organized solid instruction then pay more and go elsewhere. read more

BEWARE!!! I recently attended a CCW class, and thought I should share the injustice and non-professional manner. Michael P. even writes and toots his own horn in another review. 24 Students--He didn't introduced himself, nor showed his credentials for teaching the class. He started by referencing himself, neighbor kids, and guns by saying, "Where the hell did you get that?" As well as, "Pissed off and sucks" while talking about himself for about 20 min. The instructor announced that if his phone rang, he would have to answer it because he is the, "Regional Man" and he was running 4 classes at once. He used a real gun, a Taurus revolver and a Ruger .22, for demonstration without letting us know that they were real. The magazine was engaged in the Ruger, and he did not check it immediately; the action wasn't open on the Taurus either. He showed the 3 main parts of a gun, and briefly covered single/double action at that point. Went over the 3 rules for safe gun handling, and said, "A gun can fire, even if the trigger is not squeezed." Used a live round to demonstrate the parts of a cartridge. Briefed over misfire, hang-fire, and squib loads. He said, "Squibs almost never happen, I've never seen one." Misfires and serviceable ammo--"Don't take to the police, they will just shoot it." Never mentioned that if a malfunction occurs while using a semi-auto, to first drop the magazine while maintaining the safety rules. Nor how to check or clear a squib from the gun. "If the gun isn't functioning properly then use it as a, BFH, a big f-n hammer." Dominate eye--"Tilt your head to line your sites if you are cross dominate." Rather than saying, canter the gun. He only told us what the fundamentals of shooting are. Breath control, "Hold your breath while shooting." No other explanation. Trigger control, "Keep your finger on the trigger the entire time, while shooting." "We will shoot at the 15-20 yard lane at the range, you don't have to hit the target to pass; there aren't any requirements for the state of Ohio. We will be at the range for 2 hours, but we won't be shooting the entire time; we will shoot 5-10 rounds." Never use alcohol while carrying a gun, "Not even if it is just communion wine at church." Someone asked a question about being at home having a BBQ. He responded, "I have been known to consume a few, even when I'm on a boat. I just try not to fall off of the boat while (coughing sound). I always carry my gun, except when I go on a cruise; I have to leave it at home, and guns aren't allowed. But, I have loaded guns throughout my house, and I'm always prepared." Went into detail about how he is a big fan of open-carry, and that he frequently open-carries. He told a story of standing in line at Jimmy Johns while he was open-carrying. "A lady saw my gun, and panicked. She called out, "He has a gun." A cop came over and I showed him my credentials. The cop then told the lady to "Shut-up." He said, "Damn-it!" also, but I neglected to write down what he was referencing. We had (2) 20 minute breaks, and an hour for the test, with an additional break if we finished early. We had a break to fix our lunch plate of hotdogs, while he went to get the certificates. He passed them out, already dated and signed, asked us to fill in our own name. The 24th certificate, mine, was withheld; as he passed me up, while mumbled something. I was then called out to the hall where he told me that I had failed the test, and could not go shoot. He asked, "Do you have your stuff with you?" "No, it is at the table." "Well go get your stuff and you can leave now." I tried to plead with him that I didn't understand single action/double action, or the difference between misfires and hangfires. He then said, "You also missed #s 48/49/50, name the three safety rules for handling of a firearm." We had to write those answers out and I neglected to put "Always" in front of my answers; the question did not say verbatim, I disputed that as well. "Don't worry, you just need a little more class time. Just call the office to schedule a re-take at no cost..." As a consumer, and eager student, I felt cheated and offended. He was not at all professional with his choice of words. I had raised my hand to ask question about single action/double action and the malfunctions, but it was never clearly explained. We were told to go online to further our training, as well as, techniques on shooting. I did go to the range anyway and saw that they had met up with a large group from Cincinnati, again only one instructor per group. Everyone was forced to sit at the range for the 2 hours, after they shot their 15 rounds, before receiving their certificates. read more

The service here was great! The hotdogs were ready quickly and were cooked perfectly. The buns were fresh. The chips were crisp and plentiful. The relish was very fresh and tasted like it was make in house but not sure. There was all the water and coffee you can drink. I would highly recommend to a friend for a good dining experience. read more

Save your money and go elsewhere. This place is unprofessional to say the least. Waited 45 minutes for the instructor only to be told class was canceled. They said refunds would be given out. Its been 2 months and I still have saw nothing. By the looks of it on Google, BBB, and Yelp that this is nothing new for them. Crooked business. Crooked owner. Just stay away and go anywhere else. Guarantee it will be better. read more

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!! I purchased tickets through Groupon for a class coming up this Saturday. However, I've been trying for WEEKS to reach someone so I can change the date of our class because of unforeseen medical issues. I have tried every way I can to speak with someone....phone, email, Facebook messaging, etc. but no one is ever available by phone, voice mail messages are not returned, emails come back because their mailbox is full, and no response on Facebook even though their page says they will respond within the hour. This seems to me to be the most bogus company I've ever dealt with and, unfortunately, it seems I will have to eat the money I spent on tickets. I really wish I had read all these reviews before buying anything from them. :( read more

Scheduled for today and showed up at the address. The address was the wrong hotel, so we went to the one it was supposed to actually be at. We waited with many others from the class and several of us (including the hotel) called and nobody could get ahold of anyone, and no one showed up. This place is a scam and we will be fighting to get our money back! read more

Don't go there, bad class and he doesn't pay instructors so don't be fooled by him and think you will get paid!

My background has given me over forty years of experience in firearms of various kinds, and I have wanted to become a firearms instructor for quite some time. So when read about a Firearms Instructors class being given at Ohio Concealed Carry I signed up for the class in October 2016 for the class (payed for the class $308.48 through PAYPAL and Eventbright) that would commence on November 26-27 2016. I did not receive my ticket though until two or three days before the class would start). I called two or three times as to see if any additional other info that I needed, however no one called me back. On the day of the class I showed up at 6:30 am and sat as no one showed up and so I left at about 8 am. I came back at about 9:30 am and sat again in front of the Business until 10 am at which time I saw a car and a man drive up to the business and he unlocked the building and I went and knocked on the door. A man named Shane answered the door and he had no idea about any class being given what so ever. He called the owner and he said the owner had cancelled the class. After over two weeks of trying to get someone by telephone and e mail The owner called me. I spoke with the owner and he was very antagonistic. He said he would refund my money in 7 - 10 days but would not put it in writing. I since have read that this company has complaints on file with the Ohio Attorney General's Office, The Better Business Bureau, and on his Facebook sight as well as YELP. I HAVE YET TO GET MY REFUND OF $308.48. At this time I have no other recourse since it is now January 2017 than filing a legal action. read more

Go somewhere reputable and confirm instructors certification prior to class. My CCW license was just revoked by the issuing Sheriff's Office after taking Ohio Concealed Carry Institutes class, because instructor Chad Reep was not qualified to teach it, and was an awful instructor. One of the other instructors ended up teaching the class because he was unfit. Filed complaint with the Better Business Bureau with no response and no answer to calls or emails! Don't let the "good deal" fool you. Our range time took place 45 minutes north of Columbus, at a home under construction. Arrived to the range with around 100 people, and instructors stood back and asked for volunteers that knew how to handle a gun to help(which we ended up doing everything). Ruger .22's being used barely functioned, had more malfunctions than fires. Ended up shooting 10 rounds and stood for 1.5 hours in the cold to get our "required time", at which time we were handed our cert showing we completed the class. What a joke this class turned out to be, and now I'm out $150 and have to pay take the class again somewhere reputable!!!! read more

I signed up for a class and attended 1/2 hour prior to start and when it was to start the person from OHIO CONCEALED CARRY INSTITUTE could not open the classroom because she had no key. All the attendees waited apprx.another 45 minutes while she made attempts to call her "Quote" Bosses. She was not able to get anyone to answer or find anyone to bring a key so the class was cancelled. Then she asked for written info because they weren't able to access the enrollment info from the internet applications, so we waited for apprx. 20 people to hand write their information on a tablet so they could contact us with a resolution. As of 3 weeks later no one has contacted me. I have not been able to reach anything but a "answering machine" so far and I checked to see if perhaps they had refunded my costs for the class they had not. I will continue to seek a refund and up date in the future if possible. read more