New criteria for publishing Pro Advisor profiles

I appreciate your loyalty to the Pro Advisor program, @Anonymous.

Know that after this verification, your profile can be published and public again within just one business day. The Find-a-ProAdvisor site strives to create only reliable connections between QuickBooks users and those offering services and expertise. This will help potential clients to only come in contact with legitimate Pro Advisors like yourself.

At this time, there's not an alternative to uploading a photo ID, but rest assured, this data is protected by Intuit's world-class security technology. To get started with your verification, just head to the link here: https://qbo.intuit.com/app/verify

Thanks for coming by the Community. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions.

This is crazy that we were not given any notification. I have heard every excuse you can imagine as to why some were affected not others, specifically the strictly "online proadvisors" seem to be up and running fine in my area. I was told if you had changed your email in the past that might have given them the verification they needed and why some of the people were not affected. How does that make sense? My email has remained the same, my clients give reviews, I have online clients, I keep my certifications up to date, I call for help or to add products for clients several times a year......and you have done all of this for me without being comfortable with who I am?

@BartonBooks:

I also was affected without notification.  I did not find out till I did my weekly check of this site and found my Profile was still there, but all of my 56 reviews were gone. I freaked out! It took many years to get 56 reviews and I have now dropped to third place.

I went to the diamond team and asked for support. That’s when I was told that they were updating the site (probably for security reasons but this is a guess on my part).

Now you you have to upload a drivers license or passport to have them approve/reload it.  I am sure there is a reason they did not announce it to us too, but I do not have an answer for that either.

If you do all the steps and there is still an issue with it, contact your support team.  They are truly top notch.  They found my reviews and are fixing my issue.  I still have to upload my license but it’s a step in the right direction.

Maybe someone at intuit is finally going to try to clean up the ranks of those certified.

But you would think, that a verification of identity would happen when you either take the test, or pass it.  Oh wait, don't you automatically get to be a pro advisor when you join up (pay the fee)? It is the certified distinction that requires testing.

Non proctored testing at that. Hmmmm .... maybe that is coming too, a test where you are on video,  showing that the person on  video taking the test, is actually the one with the ID and credit card to pay for it.

Just to clarify:

Anyone can sign up for the online ProAdvisor program for free.  You get all the perks and the program, QBOA. You have to take the test to become certified and listed on the site for ProAdvisor leads.  These are awesome as they can become customers.  The advanced test is much harder and only 10% of ProAdvisors take and or pass it.  That lists you at the top of the search engine.

For  desktop ProAdvisor ‘s there is an annual fee.  First year is the best but for years 2+ the fees are a bit higher.  If memory serves correctly, you have the same rules to be listed and certified (take the tests). That is what we are concerned with.  Not being listed.  

One can only speculate as to what happened that caused Intuit to force us to prove our identity.  The fact that they did not notify us made the issue worse.  But, again, there may have been a very good reason for that too.

I am really irritated by this whole thing.  It feels like an invasion of privacy.  So, if I don't want to comply, I have to stop being a Proadvisor?  Does QuickBooks really want to alienate the people who are actually helping to promote their product?  I don't get it. 

Hi, 

I am a proadvisor from 2015, and it was very interesting to work with QuickBooks. suddenly,  they stop publishing my profile without any alert or notification and asked me to upload my Passport id and I did, then they asked me to send my company shareholders agreement.

Just one question do you think our shareholders will accept to share these private data? and after I talked to your agent many times they told me without negotiation, you have to upload. otherwise, we will not accept to share your profile.

That's mean your staff not reliable and not professional. By the way, why they need this information? is it FBI or accounting firm? Your way not acceptable at all, and I will share this information with my clients and with my 10 of staff as a proadvisor to don't upload any private information because in this way you attack our privacy. 

we accept to confirm our personality by ID. nothing else. otherwise, we have alternative accounting software and we will leave yours. 

Thanks for understanding, but we don't have any options to do.

good luck

If your goal is to create reliable connections between QuickBooks users and those offering services and expertise, why won't you accept my CPA license as proof of identity.  If the State of Michigan believes that I am qualified to render these services, what's the problem? 

And since when does my driver's license proof that I am qualified to advise others in the use of QuickBooks (I also thought it meant that I was qualified to drive a car)? Isn't that the purpose of your tests? 

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@ClaudiaWest wrote:

 

And since when does my driver's license proof that I am qualified to advise others in the use of QuickBooks (I also thought it meant that I was qualified to drive a car)? Isn't that the purpose of your tests? 

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Sorry for interrupting but this struck me as funny.

How can an un-proctored test, that you can take and fail multiple times, certify anything?

any one can take the test, under anyone elses login, or use your phone life line as much as you want while taking the test.

but intuit gets their money

for samples from certified folks, first paragraph that starts with bold font

http://onsale-apparel.com/Rustler/certifications

ROFL

Not that I think they should start charging for QBO Pro Advisor certification. And I am appreciative that now we only need recertified based on new features instead of testing on things we know we know. BUt then in this vein of getting something for nothing, why can't we 20 year users of desktop (started on Win95) catch a break and be able to be certified without charge? And especially when we are already shelling out over $700/year for payroll and "free" annual desktop upgrades

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@john-pero wrote:

Not that I think they should start charging for QBO Pro Advisor certification. And I am appreciative that now we only need recertified based on new features instead of testing on things we know we know. BUt then in this vein of getting something for nothing, why can't we 20 year users of desktop (started on Win95) catch a break and be able to be certified without charge? And especially when we are already shelling out over $700/year for payroll and "free" annual desktop upgrades

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Follow the money John, follow the money

@Rustler   I have to jump in here because you are putting people down who have taken these tests.  These tests are NOT easy.  

The advanced test, in particular, is difficult.  Now, was I thrilled that I had to identify myself after all these years to prove who I was to keep my ProAdvisor site listed?  No.  But apparently, there was an issue, or Intuit would not have had to ask for this identification.  

Have you taken a look at the new testing?  A lot has changed over the years.  You can no longer take the test over and over and over again.  

I, for one, am grateful for the ProAdvisor program.  It has generated business for me.  The leads come from the site and you are listed based upon how many certifications you have, as well as a list of other things you need to do to stay at the top of their list.  Every year, I read the pdfs and watch the videos.  I can honestly say I learn something from that content every year or I am reminded of a feature I forgot about.  

Lynda

But don't come down on those of us to take the time and take the tests year after year.

@lynda

No not at all.

I am calling into question the validity of certification (from a user standpoint) for an un-proctored test.

In fact if you read that blog entry I distinctly say there are a very expert advisors, the point being made is that not all certified people are.  And those quotes prove it.

And while I have no doubt about your integrity, or that of many others I consider worthy of the certification, the fact remains, that that there is the opportunity for fraud when taking the test.  An un-proctored online test.

But let's face reality, when a new user sees the appellation, " Pro Advisor" they think that means something beyond joining the club.  And the user, the user perspective is that they can depend on that certification and the answers provided or accounting services rendered.

Hi all,

You know guys, QB team did this website just to let us talk and the company didn't care or hear for whatever we write. I  have another solution now, easily we can all ask all proadvisor to leave this website and surely the company will hear our voice. 

This is the bad company experience I met ever in my work life.

No respect, no response, nothing to hear from us and all wrong procedures they take without notifying us.  Thier are a lot of competitors and we can work with them like SAP, Oracle, ....etc. So why we need to be a member and serve this company for free?

@Rustler,

While I can understand your perspective regarding the QuickBooks Online testing, especially the old version where it was virtually impossible to fail it, I can tell you that the new version has been dramatically improved. 

Helping People Gain Confidence:

From a business perspective, Intuit made a very intelligent decision to provide both the regular and the advanced tests.  Accounting can be very scary for a lot of people, and a large part of the challenge is learning a new software. By creating the testing, the way, they have, Intuit provided users a way to "buy into the experience" by spending the time to take a test and to become certified.  

Gaining a new skill:

Every time we hire a new employee, the first thing we do is help them become certified on QuickBooks Online.  Not only does it serve as a good introduction to what our company does, it also ensures that even if things do not work out with Parkway, they leave with a new skill that can help them throughout their career.

Parkway's New Hire Process: 

Recently, I hired a new employee, Mary and as usual the first thing we had her do was to go through the ProAdvisor training and to take the test.  Mary spent the first couple days going through taking notes and saving questions that she had along the way. After each section, she and I would review the data and I would show her real-world examples of what the lesson was trying to teach her. Fast forward to exam time, Mary was very disappointed that she didn't pass the test the first time around, but she dug back in and passed it the second time.  If you had seen the look on her face, the sense of accomplishment that she had, you would never question why the exams exist.  

Advanced Certified Matters:

Even with the redesigned exam, the QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor certification really is just a membership card, which is why the true professionals take the Advanced Certification as well.  The QBO Advanced test is no joke and I almost did not pass it the first time I tried.  So, if your concern is toward the validity of the testing being provided, just do like I do, tell everyone about the benefits of becoming certified and explain that if you are really looking for a true QBO expert make sure that they are advanced certified! 

One last question, I know that you are not an accountant by trade, so the certifications probably do not mean as much to you, but have you taken the certifications yourself? Are you advanced certified in Desktop or Online?

@ParkwayInc

No I have not taken the exam, I have no need or reason to. The number of times I have been asked to take on a business as a client still staggers my mind, and that is with no certification or advertising at all.

Again, you are discussing this from a consultants viewpoint, a consultant with integrity, but not seeing the situation from outside your environment (a concept called mirror thinking if I remember right). If I call in a network consultant, and I see his msft certifications, I can at least be assured that he know the difference in network protocols, etc.

Not so with the buy it badge - but a user does not know that.

When I first started with QB I asked questions on the community forum, and those folks with badges (back then they were displayed with the log in name) would answer. To me, they had certification, they sounded like they knew what they were doing - I followed their directions and concepts. In the first 18 months of the business I had to redo the company file from scratch to fix all the so called expert directions - twice!

And all the other consultants who read those wrong answers, stayed mum on the sidelines.

Let me guess, professional courtesy, right (rhetorical).

The test got harder- good it should not be simple.
You no longer can take it 99 times until you pass - how many times can you take it before you forfeit your money and are locked out for a period of time?

None of that addresses the not so pure of heart, the ones who just want clients. Those who do not have the integrity to do it themselves.

Un-proctored certifications leave the door open to fraudulent test taking and certification.