What to Do If You’ve Been Had by Your TEFL Course
A guest piece by “TEFLista”
“No doubt about it, being ripped off sucks. And that goes double for TEFL cert courses. Putting your life on hold, flying to a foreign destination, and setting up temporary accommodation are all part of the equation when deciding to take a teacher training course overseas. So where to turn after it’s all gone horribly wrong? This article looks at some of the options for those who have taken a course with a business that has ties to the USA.
Dispute the Charge
If you paid for your course with a credit card, then call your credit card company and dispute the charge. Usually you have to file a written request within 60 days of when the bill was sent to you. If you’ve already paid the bill, then the card company may be able to issue you a temporary credit until the rest gets sorted out.
File a Complaint with the Local Government/State
Each state in the USA has an ‘Office of the Attorney General’ with a consumer protection division. Do a Google search with the words “attorney general”, plus the name of the state. Most, if not all, have very helpful consumer hotlines that you can call and complaint forms that you can download.
Take It to Small Claims
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of going to court. Taking your case to small claims is a lot easier than you might think and no there is no need for a lawyer. It varies from state to state, but it usually involves a postcard-size form and a fee ranging from $10-$50. Most likely, you will never step foot in front of a judge and matters such as this are usually taken care of in a back office. Tell your side of the story and it will all be over in 10 minutes. Depending on the state, if you win you may also be entitled to recover your fees and travel expenses. And if the other party doesn’t bother to show up, then you may win by default!
The process of small claims courts is quite similar in each state, but they do have some minor differences. Here’s a good summary of the basics from the state of Oregon:
http://www.osbar.org/public/pamphlets/smallclaims.html
Contact the Better Business Bureau
If the company is a member of the Better Business Bureau, then file a complaint with the BBB in the state where the company is registered. If you’re looking for a refund, then don’t expect much from the BBB. How it works is you file a complaint, then they respond and if the BBB considers their response reasonable then the case is considered ‘resolved’. Unfortunately, all the course provider has to do is to offer you another one of their crappy courses for free or a free online course and that pretty much will satisfy the BBB- not very much in the way of compensation for all that you’ve had to go through!
Another point to keep in mind when dealing with the BBB is that they do not get involved in job disputes. More recently, a number of course providers have become involved in the practice of offering ‘guaranteed jobs’ with a ‘free’ TEFL Certificate. Many of these are highly questionable and they are clearly being marketed as jobs, so don’t expect help from the BBB in these situations.
For more information, there’s a nice article about the BBB here:
Better Business Bureau Has Its Limits As Watchdog
Talk to the Top
If you feel that your dispute is of a minor nature, then it might be worth trying to take it to the top of the company that provided your TEFL course, or at least to someone a little bit higher up on the ladder. Do this in writing, be objective and leave your own actual classroom teaching out of the dialogue.
If on the other hand it’s clear to you that you’ve been fleeced, then don’t waste your time, especially if you want a refund of some sort. Once they’ve got your money, chances are you won’t get it back just by asking – the best you’ll probably get is a discount on another course.
Spread the Word
Course providers hate it when people do this. Unfortunately, telling others on the web isn’t as easy as it ought to be. Teaching websites used to be by teachers and for teachers. Today, however, many are often by website owners and for money. No matter how polite and objective your post may be, place it on a website where the course provider advertises and it will be taken down within two days and you’ll probably end up being banned from that site too. Don’t even think about trying to post it on Dave’s ESL Café. Your best bets are probably:
When posting, try to be objective and never accuse anyone of theft or fraud. Avoid using your real name online, too, as if you write something damaging you may find the course provider trying to come after you for libel. Just state your case.
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Other articles by “TEFLista”:
6 Ways TEFL Certificate Course Providers Try to Rip You Off – Part 1
6 Ways TEFL Certificate Course Providers Try to Rip You Off – Part 2
6 Ways TEFL Certificate Course Providers Try to Rip You Off – Part 3 (forthcoming)”
Many thanks to TEFLista, as always. I am also on the look out for other TEFL themed guest pieces- positive stories also very welcome!
Tags: guest writers
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:59 am
Congratulations TEFLista on an excellent article.
Funny how I always have Thailand in the back of my mind wen I read your posts and articles.
Thailand has a reputation for being one of the world’s most corrupt countries, bit is *is* their country, and corruption is part of th culture. Unfortunately, some American owned businesses go there and think it is cool to join in.
Teachers and educators are generally some of the most well-meaning – and naïve – people, and are hence an easy target for any one with a business plan based on a scam.
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Re: Spreading the Word
Postings on forums and comments on blogs are indexed very quickly by Google, often in matter of minutes or hours. Complaints will be viewed by everyone who searches the name of the offending institute. Done systematically, this can bring a really rotten course provider to its knees. Moreover, their directors will sometimes join the forums and try to defend themselves, but by doing so they usually end up by shooting themselves in both feet.
Two more places where unfortunate experience can be discussed without fear of retribution are at:
http://miathai.com/rose_with_any_name/?page_id=6
and
http://www.nittayo.org/tesol_discussions
September 17th, 2009 at 4:43 am
Teaching anything, including English, takes years to master. Yet some people think they can do it overnight. When they learn they can’t they get bent out of shape and look for scapegoats, such as their TEFL course provider. As was said long ago concerning Alexander the Great, there is no royal road to learning — or to teaching. Sometimes it’s grunt work or babysitting. So what? A mature person works through these things to discover the positive aspects; an immature person writes a blog and goes home crying to mother.
February 17th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
I’m writing an article on TEFL and teach abroad scams. If anyone has information or contacts who have had bad experiences with either of these, please send me an email at kellyhep@gmail.com