Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Varsity Tutors LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Varsity Tutors LLC

  8001 Forsyth Blvd Ste 1050 Clayton, MO 63105

  
• 

  Varsity Tutors LLC

  4525 Oak St Kansas City, MO 64111-1818

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/14/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Monday, September 1st, I signed up with Varsity Tutors to prepare for the Praxis Exam which I was scheduled to take on Saturday, September 7th. I voiced my concerns to the Varsity Tutor Representative about signing up so close to the exam date, but they assured me that I could easily get a refund if I did not pass the exam. I worked with a tutor that week and during my second session, the tutor informed me that I no longer needed tutoring and was ready for the exam. Despite this, I requested additional hours for the following day. Throughout these sessions, the tutor's children frequently interrupted and the tutor was distracted. In total, I used 9 out of the 12 hours I had purchased for $888. Unfortunately, I did not pass the exam. When I contacted Varsity Tutors, I was initially denied a refund because I had not used all 12 hours. After explaining the situation, I was approved for a refund of the 3 unused hours while the 9 used hours were offered as a credit. However, I have been deeply dissatisfied with the entire experience and believe I should receive a refund for the entire amount.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by ****** *******. Varsity contacted Ms. ******* upon its receipt of
  the Complaint and ultimately chose to provide a resolution that was satisfactory to her. Accordingly, it is
  Varsitys understanding that the matter has been resolved amicably. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB
  and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel
  welcome to contact us.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On October 10th we found a charge from Varsity Tutors for $299 on our credit card bill. Knowing we had finished using the service, I immediately called customer service and was told that even though I had not logged into my account since May 2023, I had been charged that amount every month since totaling over $4000. She told me that I was not eligible for a refund. I asked to speak with a manager. She told me managers dont work phones, so someone else would call me within the next 48 hours. After several back and forth calls, they finally refunded me 50% and offered a few months of service- which I dont need and am not able to use. I had signed up for a 6 month- 4 hours a month program. Back in May 2023, when my daughters tutor told us our sessions were finished and asked if we wanted to continue the service, we said no because it was summer. We were not told we would continue to be charged.We also received no indication or monthly email confirmation- nothing stating that we were still being charged. I am seeking full reimbursement (the other 50%) for the services I never signed up for or used.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by ***** *****. Although Varsitys attempts to make contact with Ms. ***** in response to the Complaint have gone unanswered, Varsity has effectuated what it believes to be an amicable resolution, and remains willing to discuss the Complaint with Ms. ***** should she wish to do so. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 5/29/24, I enrolled my Seventh Grade son for Algebra II tutoring for four hours per month at $269 per month. During the month of June, "CL", the tutor assigned to my son, took advantage of my son's age and scheduled him for 1.5 sessions. This led to a bill on 6/24 of $384.34. I had my son limit these sessions to one hour per week -- no easy task -- and the bill for 7/29 was $269. On 8/21 I called Varsity Tutors to cancel our account because an Algebra II tutor was no longer needed. The VT representative recommended I "pause" the account until October when my son began PreCalculus. The representative said we would no longer need CL, the Alegebra II tutor, and would be assigned a new one for PreCalc. I received email confirmation of the pause. I informed CL on 9/6 via IM that the account was paused and "wished him luck on his career." On 9/29, I was fraudulently billed $403.50 for the time that son's account was on pause. No tutoring services had been received, but CL had been charging my son for sessions that did not take place. On 10/3 I cancelled the account altogether and was told by a representative that my request for a refund of the $403.50 would be reviewed an I would hear back soon. I have heard nothing. Instead, ** has continued to schedule sessions and potentially charge me for them, and now a new tutor, YD, for PreCalc, is also attempting to do so. My son has not accessed the VT platform since August. These fraudulent business practices must be investigated at the state and federal level. No company should take advantage of a middle school child. I need my money back ASAP.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by ****** ******. Although Varsitys attempts to make contact with Mr. ****** in response to the Complaint have gone unanswered, Varsity has effectuated what it believes to be an amicable resolution, and remains willing to discuss the Complaint with Mr. ****** should he wish to do so. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of Transaction: September 14, 2024 Amount Paid: $1,104 Service paid for: 16 hours of tutoring per month for my son ****** to prepare for the LSAT.He received two hours of tutoring which were unsatisfactory so relying on their satisfaction guarantee which we noted before we made the purchase we decided to cancel the service.Multiple attempts to obtain a prorated refund has been unsuccessful as multiple Varsity tutors associates spoken to (****, ***** and one other) has told me that Varsity tutors will not issue a refund.Varsity Tutors Satisfaction Guarantee At Varsity Tutors, were committed to connecting you to top tutors capable of delivering an outstanding experience. Thats why we provide a comprehensive satisfaction guarantee. Unused tutoring hours are refundable up to 30 days from the date of purchase, provided you participate in at least one session with a tutor obtained through Varsity Tutors platform during that time. If for any reason you are not satisfied with your selected tutor after the initial session, please call us and we will help you identify a tutor who might be a better fit. This second 1 to 2 hour session is delivered at no charge. If you remain dissatisfied following the second session, and notify us before any subsequent session, we will issue you a full refund of all unused hours.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by ******* *********. Although Varsitys attempts to make contact with Ms. ***************** response to the Complaint have gone unanswered, Varsity has effectuated what it believes to be an amicable resolution, and remains willing to discuss the Complaint with Ms. ********************* she wish to do so. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/22/2024

  Complaint: 22414648
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because:
  
  Varsity tutors are in violation of their own policy on refund 

  They have suggested that the online resources are available for use and we have  consistently told them that those services are not needed and that Varsity Tutors is not an option for us to consider or reconsider. My son has attended 2 tutoring sessions and both were disappointing. After the first session as previously noted, we asked for a change in tutor and they granted that with a credit for that 1 hour. The second one was same. I dont think we need to give Varsity Tutors any more opportunities or reason to not refund what is rightly and legally due to us.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Varsity Tutors has not been in contact with me neither by email, phone or otherwise. I believe a reasonable resolution would be a refund for services not delivered.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/24/2024

  While we understand there may be a discrepancy regarding Varsitys attempts to communicate with *** *********, it is Varsitys understanding that *** ********** requested resolution of a refund was ultimately issued; accordingly we believe the matter to be resolved. Varsity remains willing to further discuss any outstanding, unresolved concerns with *** ******** directly should she choose to do so. *** ********* may contact Varsity's customer experience manager at the phone number that was provided to her in the email -to the email address attached to the account- and dated October 17, 2024, to further discuss her concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On May 21st my wife signed my daughter up for 8 hours of tutoring prior to her ACT in ****. My wife let the sales associate know the exam was in **** and might need additional sessions the beginning of ****. The sales associate let her know it would renew for another 8 hours in **** and to call to cancel if she didn't need the **** hours. They did not share it would renew after that ****, and they specifically discussed needing it for only June and potentially ****. She took the ACT in ****. We later found out on **** 31 and Aug 31 Varsity Tutors continued to charge $579. My wife called Varsity Tutors and they let us know it was a subscription service and apologized that the sales associate did not share this and that the continued renewal was not in the confirmation email. My daughters last session was on 7/11. We requested a refund for those 2 extra months they charged without providing a service and they declined it. We would like a full refund for those the **** 31 and Aug 31 charge. The May 31 and June 30 charges covered the June and **** services that were provided.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by **** *****. Varsity contacted Mr. ***** upon its receipt of the Complaint and ultimately chose to provide a resolution that was satisfactory to him. Accordingly, it is Varsitys understanding that the matter has been resolved amicably. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/26/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the business' response regarding complaint ID ******** and am satisfied with this resolution. 
   
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was offered to have tutoring with Varsity Tutor around the start of June of 2024. It was with the understanding that if I fail my test, Varsity Tutor guarantees a refund. However, the issues continued the entire time, and ***** would cancel at times and provide me with the wrong materials for my studies. I filed a complaint with Varsity about this. She would show up late, and sometimes the connection we had on the video was poor, continuing IT issues. Varsity did get me a new *****, ****. They credited me the half of $540.00. I had to change my test date due to the issues during the 2nd half of my tutoring, for which I paid $540 for 6 hours. It continued to mess up with IT. I had a call with ******* in IT for hours, but they could not resolve it. ******* was supposed to follow up at a later time to resolve this, but never did I call and complain. I have a high volume of emails with complaints and phone calls. I was not getting the quality tutoring I should have due to these continued issues. She was unhappy with how Varsity handled this program. Upfront, the *** who sold this program should not have promised there's someone trained to handle tutoring for the Insurance P&C exam. There was no one fully p***ared to help me. They did not do any of this. They promised a full refund to me even after I did not get adequate tutoring with *******, and they gave me credit. Every time I called to complain, they continued to tell me if I fail, I will get a refund of the money I had left, which was $540.00. I failed the exam by 2 points, and they did not refund my money. I would expect they to honor their word when telling me I would get a refund. I have several texts, emails, and phone calls that are recorded with a variety of complaints. I want the $540.00 back due to all these issues not getting any adequate service.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/29/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by ***** *******. Varsity contacted Ms. ******* upon its receipt of the Complaint and ultimately chose to provide a resolution that was satisfactory to her. Accordingly, it is Varsitys understanding that the matter has been resolved amicably. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I enrolled for Conversational Spanish tutoring 8/1/24. I was told I would be contacted for an interview to determine the best suitable tutor for me. That did not happen. I was advised 8/2/24 that I had been assigned a tutor and my first class was to be 8/9/24. I attended the session via the website and found the connection and resources lacking (lost feed on multiple occasions). I did not care for the tutors style or demeanor. I figured I would attend the next session 9/16/24 and see if it improved any and It had not. Approximately 15 minutes into the session I stopped the tutor and said I did not think we were compatible and would like to be assigned another tutor. She was fine with that and we terminated the session. I was assigned a new tutor and the first session was 8/30/24. We spent that entire 1 hour session getting to know each other and discussing what I was looking to get out of my tutoring sessions. I was satisfied with this new tutor and was preparing to move forward. on 8/29/24 I received an email saying my membership had been canceled, thinking this may have been an error I logged on for my session on 8/30/24 but the tutor never showed. I spoke with multiple representatives several times asking to be refund. They said they would not refund but would give me additional sessions. I explained I had no confidence in their company due to the poor experience I had. Multiple times I was told I would be contacted by their "escalation" department with a resolution. I did not hear from them until I sent a response to a survey they had senton 10/8/24. On 10/10/24 I received a voice mail saying I was not eligible for a refund but they would offer 6, 1 hour sessions as compensation.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by *** ***. Although Varsitys attempts to make contact with Mr. *** in response to the Complaint have gone unanswered, Varsity has effectuated what it believes to be an amicable resolution, and remains willing to discuss the Complaint with Mr. *** should he wish to do so. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/07/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We contacted VT regarding our daughters needs. We were assured wed get a welcome email with all the information we needed in it. When the email didnt come we reached out on 3 separate occasions. We had no clue where or how to sign in to get her tutoring that the ** state was paying for. We were told she would get 6 weeks of tutoring for free up to 240 hrs. After speaking to two nice CS **** they assured us wed get an email and the account manager would reach out to us. The **** manager called and yelled at us on the phone for going around her and not calling her directly - although we never were given her direct number nor did we ever receive that welcome email. We were told shed start tutoring October 1st 2024. Its now 10/8/24 and we still have received any info. When you look at her account no one is attached to it. Theres no tutoring scheduled. Its been a huge waste of time and a frustration for us and our child who needs the tutoring.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by ****** ******. Varsity contacted Ms. ****** upon its receipt of the Complaint and ultimately chose to provide a resolution that was satisfactory to her. Accordingly, it is Varsitys understanding that the matter has been resolved amicably. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/28/2024

  I have been working with ***** from Varsity Tutors to get everything taken care of and our issue has been resolved. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/06/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This business repeatedly ignored three requests to cancel my membership. In May 2024, when my son no longer was even taking the class he was being tutored before, I requested cancelation. They said they couldn't cancel his remaining hours, so we worked to find a whole different type of tutor for his few remaining hours. I understood they would cancel after that. In June, they charged me again, and I called and said I had already told them to cancel my membership and had no intention of using any more hours unless I called them back and told them so. They did refund that charge. Then in September they charged me again with no warning. I called multiple other times to say he didn't even need a tutor and I had not authorized them to restart, and they are refusing to refund my money! This is the worst business model I have ever seen. They refuse to listen to requests for cancelation and then refuse refund requests for services you didn't authorize and aren't using!! [Note: I am trying to dispute the charge with my bank but do not know if it will be successful.]

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by **** *******. Although Varsitys attempts to make contact with Ms. ******* in response to the Complaint have gone unanswered, Varsity has effectuated what it believes to be an amicable resolution, and remains willing to discuss the Complaint with Mrs. ******* should she wish to do so. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/05/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a tutoring program for my daughter. Her first session was a bust. The tutor wasnt able to help her. I tried contacting the company multiple times to get a refund. I was able to cancel but the refund was never handled. I contacted them multiple times after the cancelation and they never replied except to say that they would reply in ***** hours.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2024

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint filed by Angela Ferrel. Although Varsity’s attempts to make contact with Ms. Ferrell in response to the Complaint have gone unanswered, Varsity has effectuated what it believes to be an amicable resolution, and remains willing to discuss the Complaint with Ms. Ferrell should she wish to do so. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to further discuss, please feel welcome to contact us. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the business' response regarding complaint ID 22384396 and am satisfied with this resolution. I was given a refund. However, I don’t know what the company means when they say they have attempted to contact me and it has gone unanswered. I received no contact from them that was unanswered. 
  
   
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Angela Ferrell