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:05/21/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  While the tutoring provided was very good, the business practices of this company are deceptive. At no time during the phone conversations I had with their representatives did they indicate that the 6 month contract I had agreed to would automatically renew after the initial contract period. Neither of the emails I received with the initial quote or the agreement provided this information. That detail is buried halfway through the terms of use, which you can only find if you log in and select account, then account settings (found at the bottom of the page), then select signed contracts, then TOU, which is a ************* 43 page document. I feel that it is deceptive not to include this information up front in communications with customers, and to notify customers that renewal is imminent and provide the opportunity its to cancel. I was charged more than $900 in excess of what I agreed to and was told that I do not qualify for a refund for the 2 months that were charged beyond my 6 month contract.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/30/2023

  Please see attached response.

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/30/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/21/2023

  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 had previously purchased tutoring hours with varsity tutors. Before I had run out of hours, I received a sales call to sell me more hours. I was driving at the time, but they talked me into purchasing a large package. I was in the process of using up my last 4 hours when I was told that the hours had expired. I spoke to customer service and they refused to reinstate my hours that I had paid for telling me that the terms of service clearly states that the hours expire in a year. I asked ****** to allow me to speak to a manager but he stated that there was no one I could speak to. I also asked if they would reinstate my prepaid hours if I would then sign up for a membership afterward and he said no. I asked if they did not value any future business that they might have from me and he said regardless they would not give me back the tutoring hours that I paid for because it said so in the terms of use that I do not recall ever signing.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/31/2023

  Please see attached response.

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/08/2023

  The company contacted me and was extremely apologetic and did correct the problem to my satisfaction, I just couldnt figure out how to update you from my phone. I am very happy that someone in the company with more authority chose to value a loyal customer. Even though my experience with the first employee was horrible, the person who contacted me vas very professional and helpful and was able to fully rectify the issue.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/19/2023

  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 signed a contract with varsity tutors for month to month service and after using their service for about couple of months I asked them to pause my contract till I call them and ask for another tutor (I don't need tutoring at this time). However, after 2 two months, they just went ahead and charged my master card for the monthly fee of $328, without my permission, even though I don't need or use their service anymore. I need my money back and when I asked them they told me they won't refund me

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/26/2023

  Please see attached response.

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/29/2023

  Complaint: 20080865
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I switched my contract from 6 months to month to month from the right at the start of my classes and when I asked them to hold, I specifically mentioned that I will let them know if I need more tutoring. But they charged my Mastercard without my permission and while I did not need any tutoring. There was no talking about 60 days hold. I exactly told them. I will let you know when I need to continue my lessons. However, recently I talked to *******, one of their managers, and she promised me since last week to give me a refund in 3-5 business days and when I followed up with her, she assured me again that the money is on its way. However, it's been more 5 days and I have not received my money back.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/30/2023

  I just got my money back today. You can go ahead and close my file. Thank you for your support and mediation. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/17/2023

  Type:Order 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 November 16th, 2022 I signed up for and signed a six months math tutoring contract for my daughter that ended on May 16th, 2023. The last debited patient should have been debited from my account in April 16th. On May 16th I got a debit alert from the bank that Varsity Tutors debited my account for $299 and not only that but the contract signed was for a payment of $299 a month but in April they debited my account for $411, without any explanation or reason why. I reached out to Varsity Tutors and was told that even though the contract ended and daughter hasn't received any tutoring services from Varsity Tutors since April 21st that they will continue to debit my account even though the previous week I indicated to their representative my intention to not renew the contract and they acknowledged. Varsity ******** has refused my request to speak with a manager and has sent me several email messages stating that I will not be refunded and no explanation or reason given for debiting my account for $411 in April when the contract I signed clearly stated that the payment would be $299 monthly and still don't understand why they would continue debiting your account after the 5 months contract that was signed has ended and you have indicated prior to it ending that you were not going to be renewing it.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/26/2023

  Please see attached response. 

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/26/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/16/2023

  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 Math tutoring for my last semester of College I explained I only needed 8 hours, because my semester ended on May 6. However, they billed me for 3 months and only gave me less than 8 hours as you can see in the two attachments. The first attachment is my Varsity tutors balance and the second attachment is my credit card statement. I would like my $369 refunded for the 4 hours I did not purchase or use.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/26/2023

  Please see attached response. 

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/26/2023

  Complaint: 20068312
  
  I am rejecting this response because: They said they would refund the 4 hours and only refunded 1 hour.  I did not agree this reduced amount.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/30/2023

  I can see on my statement that they refunded the amount I requested.  You can close this complaint.  

  Thank you,

  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/02/2023

  Please see attached response.

  Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2023

  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 called Varsity Tutors for a membership cancellation in October when I was still in the free trial. At that time, their customer service offered me another free month from Oct 20, 2022 to Nov 20, 2022. They also told me that I would be able to cancel the service by Nov 20, 2022 without any obligation if we still were not satisfied with the service. I accepted the offer, and my daughter tried two more sessions.
  
  However, my daughter still found their tutors were not very good. Hence, we decided to cancel the membership and sent an email to request a cancelation. However, I didn't hear them back until the trial ended in November, and I realized the payment was automatically made for December and January. I called them again in January to validate the cancelation and ask for the refund for December and January. However, they kept saying they couldn't cancel nor refund because firstly, my cancelation request was not made over the phone but only via email, and it is mentioned in the contract that the annual membership can't be canceled once it commenced. I was never highlighted the said terms about limitation of cancelation by them when I started the trial. To make it worse, their customer service convinced me to use their trial with fake information that I could still cancel during the trial, which they didn't accept.
  
  I sent another email to request a cancelation and a refund to them after talking to them. However I never got reply from them.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/23/2023

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by Ms. *** on May 15, 2023 (and of which
  Varsity was made aware on May 16, 2023). This letter shall serve as Varsity’s response to the matters
  raised in the Complaint; however, please note that the parties have already reached an amicable
  resolution that fully resolves any and all issues in the Complaint.
  By way of background, Varsity is a live learning platform that, among other things, seamlessly connects
  experts and learners in any subject, anywhere, at any time. This includes connecting students with
  tutoring, academic enrichment, and test-preparation needs with vetted, independently contracted tutors
  and test instructors who provide those services directly to students (not Varsity) online, on dates and at
  times agreed upon between them. Varsity’s platform also offers customers/students several different
  choices for how to engage with tutors, instructors, experts, and professionals including one-on-one
  (between one tutor and student), small group tutoring (between one tutor or instructor and a small group
  of selected students), group courses (with one tutor or instructor leading a session with a large number of
  participants), or combinations of the above. Customers/students of the platform can also get immediate,
  live, one-on-one tutoring or instruction in more than 100 subjects in as little as 15 seconds by connecting
  with a tutor through the Instant Tutoring feature on Varsity’s platform. In 2022, Varsity began offering
  Learning Memberships, which is a comprehensive solution that provides multimodal learning services to
  help customers achieve their learning goals. As independent contractors, the tutors, instructors, and
  experts who offer their services through the platform (in any capacity) have their own materials, styles,
  and methods as indicated on every page of Varsity’s website (*********************).
  In addition to the above, Varsity has expanded its offerings through its platform to include Professional
  Certifications. The Professional Certifications offering connects customers/students with tutors and/or
  instructors to assist in various professional certification tests (such as NCLEX or SHRM-SCP, among
  others), in a one-on-one format or group format. As independent contractors, the tutors, instructors, and
  experts who offer their services through the platform (in any capacity) have their own materials, styles,
  and methods as indicated on every page of Varsity’s website.
  Varsity highlights its policies on the website and attempts to set realistic expectations with the potential
  customers/students who seek to be matched with a contracted tutor, instructor, or expert through Varsity’s
  online platform. Varsity is transparent about its services and uses its Terms of Customer Accounts Use
  (the “TOCAU”) to reinforce the process. In fact, the potential customers/students must review and sign
  the TOCAU and acknowledge the policies before they ever engage in the services of a tutor through
  Complaint # ********
  Page 2
  Varsity’s platform. Varsity’s website is also critical in setting these expectations and explaining the
  process and how it works, in addition to setting forth the terms of any guarantees, located at
  ****************.
  Regarding Ms. *** specifically and according to Varsity’s records, Ms. *** first contacted Varsity in
  September 2022 in order to be matched with an online tutor. On September 11, 2022 Ms. *** purchased a
  Learning Membership for use on Varsity’s platform, and executed the TOCAU on September 20, 2022. A
  Learning Membership entitles customers to a set number of live one-on-one tutoring hours per month on a
  recurring monthly basis, in addition to enrollment in certain live classes through the Varsity platform,
  among other benefits. Ms. ***’s Learning Membership was for a period of 12 months, and would include
  four (4) hours each month for use with one-on-one tutoring through the platform. During the Learning
  Membership, 27 sessions were invoiced to Ms. ***’s account by her tutor. On April 17, 2023, Ms. ***
  indicated to Varsity that she did not wish to continue with the Learning Membership for the remainder of
  the term, and she preferred to cancel it and receive a refund for the month(s) which had already been paid.
  While the request for cancellation of the Learning Membership was granted, the request for refund was
  initially denied pursuant to the terms set forth in the TOCAU. Varsity contacted Ms. *** upon its receipt
  of the Complaint and ultimately chose to provide a resolution that was satisfactory to her.
  Please consider this Varsity’s response to the Complaint (which, at this time, Varsity considers to have
  been resolved). 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 do not hesitate to contact me.
  Regards,
  ****** *****
  Senior Corporate Paralegal
  p: ###-###-#### | f: ###-###-####
  ** ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2023

  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.

  My 18 year old son went in to the ********** branch near *** and asked for tutoring for one month. He was very specific and said he only needed one months worth. They had him sign a document and did NOT explain that it will be a recurring monthly fee unless he canceled in advance. They knew good and well that he was being tricked. He is 18 and has never signed paperwork/contract. The next month, he saw the credit card charge and called to tell them he didnt want another month. They will not refund his money. And they will not extend the time for using the extra tutoring hours. He is finished with college for the semester and cannot use it again until the fall. They totally took advantage of my son and had they explained it well to someone who didnt know how this worked, maybe he wouldve better understood that he had to cancel by a certain date. This is bad business and is trickery. I either want a credit of $574 for the 8 hours of tutoring OR I want them to honor these 8 hours for the fall semester.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/18/2023

  This is a complaint about the **********, ** location. I believe the company is based out of ***********.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/22/2023

  Have they replied yet?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/01/2023

  Please see attached response.

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/01/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. They have decided to refund our money for the second month.  They also said they will do a better job of explaining to college kids that this is a "subscription model" vs. recurring as most teens are familiar with subscriptions. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2023

  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 April 16 I called Varsity Tutors to see if they would be able to help get a tutor for my son before his final exam in AP Chemistry a week later. They assured me that they do this all the time and it would not be an issue. We were assigned a tutor for Tuesday evening, April 18. A few hours before the session was scheduled, the tutor cancelled with no explanation and no notice to **. The only reason we knew we were cancelled was because we logged in to learn how to access the session and it wasn't there. I called customer service and was told my son should use on demand tutoring that evening and he would be reassigned a tutor for the next day. He attempted to use on demand tutoring, and was placed in an online classroom where he waited for 20 minutes with a message that said the tutor was in the process of logging on. After 20 minutes of nothing, he logged off. He met with the new tutor the next evening, and the tutor knew less about the topic than my son. I watched the video of the session to confirm this. I called the next day and asked for a refund due to services not being delivered as promised. After four hours of calls and being told to "keep my phone line open" for up to 2 hours past my call back time (which is impossible, as I use the phone line for work), I was told it was resolved and I would be cancelled and get a refund. The refund showed up on my statement, but today - a month later - I was charged again. The person I got on the phone was unable to fix it and now I am waiting for a callback again and have to once again keep my phone lines open, preventing me from working. I would like a full refund of the fraudulent charges that were made to my debit card today for a second month of a service I cancelled.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/23/2023

  Please see attached response.

  Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/23/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2023

  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 had previously used Varsity Tutors with success, prior to their change of business model at some point before January 2023. For that reason my credit card information was on file. Varsity apparently changed from an hourly fee to a monthly subscription model. I have no complaints with their new approach. Rather, my complaint follows an interaction with a Varsity rep in January 2023.
  
  Seeking to potentially hire a new tutor, I spoke to Varsity in January 2023 and suggested that I might be looking to rehire a previous tutor or accept a new one, depending on the needs of my high school age son. As it turned out, my son did not require tutoring services at all this past semester. I did not seek a tutor or services after that initial conversation.
  
  In May of 2023 I reviewed my bank statement and found that I had been charged for five months of service at $299 a month by Varsity. I spoke to a representative at Varsity who expressed remorse at my experience and suggested she would seek a refund over the miscommunication. I accepted that outcome. Previously, Varsity sent regular receipt emails regarding charges. Under the new regime I received no such notice.
  
  Within 24 hours I received an unsigned email from Varsity showing me a contract that I supposedly accepted in January 2023 committing to six months of service at $299 a month. Had I not found the charge by accident in my bank account, I might not have noticed the recurring charges at all.
  
  Had I known I would have been charged continuously, I would have canceled immediately. In the May 14 unsigned email I was offered an opportunity to use hours in the future. Considering my recent experience with Varsity, I would prefer a refund of all five months of service paid to date.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/23/2023

  Dear Sir or Madam:
  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by Mr. ***** on May 15, 2023. This letter
  shall serve as Varsity’s response to the matters raised in the Complaint; however, please note that the
  parties have already reached an amicable resolution that fully resolves any and all issues in the
  Complaint.
  By way of background, Varsity is a live learning platform that, among other things, seamlessly connects
  experts and learners in any subject, anywhere, at any time. This includes connecting students with
  tutoring, academic enrichment, and test-preparation needs with vetted, independently contracted tutors
  and test instructors who provide those services directly to students (not Varsity) online, on dates and at
  times agreed upon between them. Varsity’s platform also offers customers/students several different
  choices for how to engage with tutors, instructors, experts, and professionals including one-on-one
  (between one tutor and student), small group tutoring (between one tutor or instructor and a small group
  of selected students), group courses (with one tutor or instructor leading a session with a large number of
  participants), or combinations of the above. Customers/students of the platform can also get immediate,
  live, one-on-one tutoring or instruction in more than 100 subjects in as little as 15 seconds by connecting
  with a tutor through the Instant Tutoring feature on Varsity’s platform. In 2022, Varsity began offering
  Learning Memberships, which is a comprehensive solution that provides multimodal learning services to
  help customers achieve their learning goals. As independent contractors, the tutors, instructors, and
  experts who offer their services through the platform (in any capacity) have their own materials, styles,
  and methods as indicated on every page of Varsity’s website (*********************).
  In addition to the above, Varsity has expanded its offerings through its platform to include Professional
  Certifications. The Professional Certifications offering connects customers/students with tutors and/or
  instructors to assist in various professional certification tests (such as NCLEX or SHRM-SCP, among
  others), in a one-on-one format or group format. As independent contractors, the tutors, instructors, and
  experts who offer their services through the platform (in any capacity) have their own materials, styles,
  and methods as indicated on every page of Varsity’s website.
  Varsity highlights its policies on the website and attempts to set realistic expectations with the potential
  customers/students who seek to be matched with a contracted tutor, instructor, or expert through Varsity’s
  online platform. Varsity is transparent about its services and uses its Terms of Customer Accounts Use
  (the “TOCAU”) to reinforce the process. In fact, the potential customers/students must review and sign
  the TOCAU and acknowledge the policies before they ever engage in the services of a tutor through
  ********* * ********
  **** *
  Varsity’s platform. Varsity’s website is also critical in setting these expectations and explaining the
  process and how it works, in addition to setting forth the terms of any guarantees, located at
  ****************.
  Regarding Mr. ***** specifically and according to Varsity’s records, Mr. ***** first contacted Varsity in
  October 2019 in order to be matched with an online tutor. Mr. ***** made seven (7) separate purchases
  through Varsity’s platform October, 19, 2019; November 6, 2019; October 11, 2020; April 14, 2021; May
  20, 2021; March 10, 2022; May 3,2022; respectively, and executed five (5) TOCAUs during that time as
  well. Between October 13, 2019, and June 1, 2022, Mr. ***** received ongoing tutoring support from his
  tutor (according to the invoices submitted to Mr. *****’s account). On January 13, 2023, Mr. *****
  converted to a Learning Membership for use on Varsity’s platform, and executed the TOCAU on January
  16, 2023. A Learning Membership entitles customers to a set number of live one-on-one tutoring hours
  per month on a recurring monthly basis, in addition to enrollment in certain live classes through the
  Varsity platform, among other benefits. Mr. *****’s Learning Membership was for a period of six (6)
  months, and would include four (4) hours each month for use with one-on-one tutoring through the
  platform. During the Learning Membership, three (3) sessions were invoiced to Mr. *****’s account by
  his tutor. On May 13, 2023, Mr. ***** indicated to Varsity that he did not wish to continue with the
  Learning Membership for the remainder of the term, and he preferred to cancel it and receive a refund for
  the month(s) which had already been paid. While the request for cancellation of the Learning Membership
  was granted, the request for refund was initially denied pursuant to the terms set forth in the TOCAU.
  Varsity contacted Mr. ***** upon its receipt of the Complaint and ultimately chose to provide a
  resolution that was satisfactory to him.
  Please consider this Varsity’s response to the Complaint (which, at this time, Varsity considers to have
  been resolved). Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the BBB and values the relationship. If you have any
  questions or comments, or

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/13/2023

  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.

  The company is not clear and honest about the cancellation policy. I signed my child up for tutoring to find out if it would help him do better in school. The principals taught to him did not help past a few weeks of active tutoring. He does not have difficulty with the information he only has trouble because of his ADD. They led me to believe I could cancel if it doesn’t work for him. Once I noticed the charge on my account, I called up to cancel, and they told me that I had signed up for a two-year contract. I never would’ve signed up for a guaranteed two-year contract. I didn’t even know if he would benefit. I have to pay whether we’re using the services or not. We have to pay whether the services are working or not. It seems to be robbery from my perspective, as a consumer. They say I had a 30 day window to cancel from the date of signing. There is no way I would have known within 30 days whether or not the service was going to be effective and needed for two years so once again, I never would’ve knowingly signed for a two-year contract. This is fraud and robbery. They are so far refusing to refund my money for a charge that is only pending at this point, in my account. You can see from the pictures that I attached. I took screenshots of the months that they took money out of my account and the months that the service was used and I remember the tutor saying there’s not much more he can do for Briar because he just needs to do the work and follow the schedule so once again, what do I need a two-year contract for when the service is not effective or useful, this is fraud. What’s even worse is that based on our conversation with the tutor he told me we only have him two credits left so I thought it was a month by month basis and they continue to charge every month after not contacting me not trying to schedule appointments nothing all of a sudden. I notice it on my account being withdrawn month after month without using the service another refusing refund.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2023

  Dear Sir or Madam:
  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by Ms. ******** on May 13, 2023 (and of
  which Varsity was made aware on May 14, 2023). This letter shall serve as Varsity’s response to the
  matters raised in the Complaint; however, please note that the parties have already reached an amicable
  resolution that fully resolves any and all issues in the Complaint.
  By way of background, Varsity is a live learning platform that, among other things, seamlessly connects
  experts and learners in any subject, anywhere, at any time. This includes connecting students with
  tutoring, academic enrichment, and test-preparation needs with vetted, independently contracted tutors
  and test instructors who provide those services directly to students (not Varsity) online, on dates and at
  times agreed upon between them. Varsity’s platform also offers customers/students several different
  choices for how to engage with tutors, instructors, experts, and professionals including one-on-one
  (between one tutor and student), small group tutoring (between one tutor or instructor and a small group
  of selected students), group courses (with one tutor or instructor leading a session with a large number of
  participants), or combinations of the above. Customers/students of the platform can also get immediate,
  live, one-on-one tutoring or instruction in more than 100 subjects in as little as 15 seconds by connecting
  with a tutor through the Instant Tutoring feature on Varsity’s platform. In 2022, Varsity began offering
  Learning Memberships, which is a comprehensive solution that provides multimodal learning services to
  help customers achieve their learning goals. As independent contractors, the tutors, instructors, and
  experts who offer their services through the platform (in any capacity) have their own materials, styles,
  and methods as indicated on every page of Varsity’s website (*********************).
  In addition to the above, Varsity has expanded its offerings through its platform to include Professional
  Certifications. The Professional Certifications offering connects customers/students with tutors and/or
  instructors to assist in various professional certification tests (such as NCLEX or SHRM-SCP, among
  others), in a one-on-one format or group format. As independent contractors, the tutors, instructors, and
  experts who offer their services through the platform (in any capacity) have their own materials, styles,
  and methods as indicated on every page of Varsity’s website.
  Varsity highlights its policies on the website and attempts to set realistic expectations with the potential
  customers/students who seek to be matched with a contracted tutor, instructor, or expert through Varsity’s
  online platform. Varsity is transparent about its services and uses its Terms of Customer Accounts Use
  (the “TOCAU”) to reinforce the process. In fact, the potential customers/students must review and sign
  the TOCAU and acknowledge the policies before they ever engage in the services of a tutor through
  Complaint # ********
  Varsity’s platform. Varsity’s website is also critical in setting these expectations and explaining the
  process and how it works, in addition to setting forth the terms of any guarantees, located at
  ****************.
  Regarding Ms. ******** specifically and according to Varsity’s records, Ms. ******** first contacted
  Varsity in October 2022 in order to be matched with an online tutor. On October 13, 2022, Ms. ********
  purchased a Learning Membership for use on Varsity’s platform, and executed the TOCAU on October
  15, 2022. A Learning Membership entitles customers to a set number of live one-on-one tutoring hours
  per month on a recurring monthly basis, in addition to enrollment in certain live classes through the
  Varsity platform, among other benefits. Ms. ********’s Learning Membership was for a period of 24
  months, and would include four (4) hours each month for use with one-on-one tutoring through the
  platform. During the Learning Membership, six (6) sessions were invoiced to Ms. ********’s account by
  her tutor. On May 13, 2023, Ms. ******** indicated to Varsity that she did not wish to continue with the
  Learning Membership for the remainder of the term, and she preferred to cancel it. The request was
  initially denied, as it was outside of the cancellation window outlined in the TOCAU. Varsity contacted
  Ms. ******** upon its receipt of the Complaint and ultimately chose to provide a resolution that was
  satisfactory to her.
  Please consider this Varsity’s response to the Complaint (which, at this time, Varsity considers to have
  been resolved). 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 do not hesitate to contact me.
  Regards,
  ****** *****
  ****** ********* *********
  ** ***** ******** * ** ***** ********