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

  
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  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:04/25/2023

  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 paid $299 for 4 hours of tutoring for my son which was advertised to me as risk free. After two sessions we were highly dissatisfied. The technology didnt work (sound delay, lack of video of tutor); the tutor made no effort to establish rapport with our son; our communications with the tutor outside of sessions was non-productive. Several phone calls and emails and we are told there is no refund for the unused tutoring hours. Risk free is very misleading advertising. We are looking for a refund of the 2 unused tutoring hours.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/03/2023

  Please see attached response. Thank you!

  Dear Sir or Madam:
  
  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by ************ on April 26, 2023. This letter
  shall serve as Varsitys 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. Varsitys 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 *************** as little as 15 seconds by connecting
  with a tutor through the Instant Tutoring feature on Varsitys 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 Varsitys website (www.varsitytutors.com).
  
  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 Varsitys 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 Varsitys
  online platform. Varsity is transparent about its services and uses its Terms of Customer Accounts Use
  (the *****) to reinforce the process. In fact, the potential customers/students must review and sign
  the ***** and acknowledge the policies before they ever engage in the services of a tutor through
  Complaint # ********
  Page 2
  Varsitys platform. Varsitys 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 ************ specifically and according to Varsitys records, ************ first contacted Varsity in
  April in order to be matched with an online tutor. On April 3, 2023, ************ purchased a Learning
  Membership for use on Varsitys platform. 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. ************** 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. ************ executed the ***** on April 3, 2023. During the Learning
  Membership, two (2) sessions were invoiced to ************** account by her tutor. On April 16, 2023, Ms.
  Wood 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 unused hours remaining
  on the account at the time of cancellation. 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 *****.
  Varsity contacted ************ upon its receipt of the Complaint and ultimately chose to provide a resolution
  that was satisfactory to her.
  
  Please consider this Varsitys 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.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/03/2023

  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:04/25/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  Varsity Tutors ***** ******** services auto renewed 16 April 2023 after one month of tutoring services. Charge was made to **** card.Daughter requested to cancel tutoring services and requested refund 17 April 2023 by telephone. Varsity tutors agreed to cancel tutoring services and denied refund 18 April 2023.I called and requested a full refund 19 April 2023. I have received no response regarding my phone call.I emailed 23 April 2023 and requested a refund explaining my request. Again, No response. No tutoring hours have been used this month (April). We requested a refund within one day of renewal. My daughter did not benefit from the tutoring she received in March. She has no need for eight hours of tutoring this month. I see many people have had issues recently with aggressive sales to young students looking for assistance. This is not the way to do business. I want a prompt refund of $489.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/03/2023

  Please see attached response. Thank you!

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by ************************ on April 26, 2023. This
  letter shall serve as Varsitys 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. Varsitys 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 *************** as little as 15 seconds by connecting
  with a tutor through the Instant Tutoring feature on Varsitys 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 Varsitys website (www.varsitytutors.com).
  
  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 Varsitys 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 Varsitys
  online platform. Varsity is transparent about its services and uses its Terms of Customer Accounts Use
  (the *****) to reinforce the process. In fact, the potential customers/students must review and sign
  the ***** and acknowledge the policies before they ever engage in the services of a tutor through
  Complaint # ********
  Page 2
  Varsitys platform. Varsitys 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 ************************ specifically and according to Varsitys records, Ms. *********** daughter,
  ******, first contacted Varsity in March 2023 in order to be matched with an online tutor. On March 16,
  2023, ****** purchased a Learning Membership for use on Varsitys platform. 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.
  Laurens Learning Membership was for a period of 12 months, and would include eight (8) hours each
  month for use with one-on-one tutoring through the platform. ****** executed the ***** on March 19,
  2023. During the Learning Membership, two (2) sessions were invoiced to Laurens account by her tutor.
  On April 17, 2023, ****** 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 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 *****. Upon
  receipt of the Complaint Varsity communicated with ****** directly and ultimately chose to provide a
  resolution that was satisfactory.
  
  Please consider this Varsitys 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.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/03/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response and, after discussion with a member of varsity tutors client satisfaction team, they agreed to a refund of the unused months tuition.  This complaint has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/24/2023

  Type:Billing 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.

  In September 2022 I reached out to Varsity Tutors for help with my daughter's college course. I paid over ******* in December I called to tell them that the tutoring wasn't helping and I wanted to cancel Services. I was told that I had a 6 month agreement and had to pay until February 2023. I agreed and was told once that was done in February there would be no other charges. My Credit Card was charged in March and April ***** each. I called and spoke with ****** at Varsity Tutors and was told the call in December didnt specify I wanted to cancel. I disagree not only did I tell them I wanted to cancel I let them know how dissatisfied I was with the service. I asked to speak to a manager regarding a refund for the ****** charges for March and April and per ****** she is a manager and will not be issuing a refund. I would like theMarch and April charges refunded.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/28/2023

  Please see attached response. Thank you!

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/04/2023

  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:04/22/2023

  Type:Billing 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 called this company at the end of January 2023 and clearly stated that my son didnt need anymore tutoring after the 3-months contract ended, which was between Nov2022 to Jan 2023. A staff named *****, said I dont need to cancel and will check up with me at the end of Feb if I have further needs. She never mentioned anything about pausing my membership and said there is no cost to it until I need more tutoring on English or other subjects. ***** left me voicemails several times in March and only said she want to check up on my sons English score and if I need more tutoring hours for any subjects. Again nothing said about membership or automatic billing or unused tutoring hours on my account. I received couple of emails about not able to reach me and only about updating my contact information. I couldnt uploaded the voicemails, so I just screenshot the transcription and uploaded them.I realized there is 2 ******** on my credit card, one on March 1 and the other on April 1. Each time is $462.00 and the total amount is $924.00. I immediately contacted the company and another staff named **** explained to me that I didnt cancel my membership. She processed my cancellation request and escalated my refund request. I later received an email confirming the cancellation, and another email said I was not eligible for refund!I NEVER authorized any automatic billing for this company and I NEVER used any service after the 3-months contract expired. I was mislead to not taking any action after the contract expired and this unethical billing practice is not acceptable. Its a ripoff on innocent students and their families. I wrote to request a FULL REFUND of $924.00 seven days ago. No response at all.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/28/2023

  Please see attached response. Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/01/2023

  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/22/2023

  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.

  In October, 2022, I signed up my daughter for tutoring, at a cost of $549 per month. At no time did the Varsity Tutors representative inform me that the prices quoted to me applied to a 12-month membership commitment. I would not have agreed to these terms as I was clear that my daughter only needed assistance for a Chemistry class ending in December, 2022.
  
  After seeing an email ‘confirming’ a 12-month membership commitment, I called Varsity Tutors in (approximately) the second week of October 2022. I reiterated again, that we did not need any tutoring beyond the Chemistry class that ended in December, 2022. During this phone call, both parties agreed to new terms; namely, a 3-month contract (which increased in price to $649 per month), as we did not require the tutoring services or want to be billed beyond December 2022.
  
  This past week (third week of April 2023), I discovered on my credit card statements that Varsity Tutors had continued to bill me $649 a month beyond the end of the 3-month contract (that ended in December 2022). Specifically, I was billed $649 in January, February, March, and April of 2023 (total = $2,596) for tutoring services that we did not want, need, request or use. As agreed upon, the tutoring services were last used by my daughter in December, 2022. During the period January to mid-April 2023, I did not receive any emails alerting me to continued charges.
  
  After I discovered the unauthorized billing for the four months (January-April 2023), I called Varsity Tutors. I was told by a customer service representative that they would cancel my membership but a refund request would need to be reviewed. Five hours later, we were informed by email that my request for refund was denied. We are requesting a full refund of the amounts paid January through April 2023 in the amount of $2596.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/21/2023

  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 signed my son up for Varsity Tutors to assist in help with Executive Functioning Skills/Study Skills and Organization in November 2022. I was charged for services ($249/month) on 11/16/2022, 12/16/2022, 1/16/2023, 2/16/2023, 3/16/2023, and 4/16/2023 but did not receive a tutoring session until 1/17/2023. The account manager I spoke with stated that this was due to some missing acknowledgement paperwork on my side of things. I understand that but the issue here is that I was charged for 8 hours of tutoring that expired before our first tutoring session in January 2023.
  
  Our tutor cancelled sessions in December 2022 (12/13, 12/26) and then I was removed from her tutoring list in January 2023 without my knowledge or consent (1/10/23). Tutor cancelled again for 2/22/23, 3/22/23, 4/5/23. There was a system outage at Varsity Tutors in March as well that disrupted another session .
  
  There are times that I had to cancel for illness and/custody issues with dad and I take responsibility for that but when a tutor cancels or has to change schedules last minute and I'm still being charged for the services, I find that to be unacceptable.
  
  The account manager's offer was to give us 4 free tutoring sessions and handpick a tutor that would be a better fit but I am not interested in continuing with this service if the 12 tutoring sessions are not either 1) refunded or 2) credited back to my account. I am specifically frustrated with the two months that I was charged with 0 tutoring sessions provided and the hours expired at the end of the month. I have invested a total of $1,245 for total of $500 worth of services.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/28/2023

  Please see attached response. Thank you!

  Dear Sir or Madam:
  
  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by Ms. **** on April 21, 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 #19965442
  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
  November 2022 in order to be matched with an online tutor. On November 16, 2023, Ms. ****
  purchased a Learning Membership for use on Varsity’s platform. 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. Varsity contacted Ms. **** on November
  19, 2023, to indicate that she had been matched with a tutor who met her self-selected criteria, and
  advised that in order to begin meeting with the tutor she must execute the TOCAU. Although the
  membership hours were on Ms. ****’s account for her use during November and December, Varsity
  received no further communication from Ms. **** until on or around January 10, 2023, when she
  executed the TOCAU. Ms. **** began meeting with a tutor shortly thereafter. Between January 17,
  2023, and April 19, 2023, eight (8) sessions were invoiced to Ms. ****’s account by her tutor. On April
  20, 2023, Ms. **** indicated to Varsity that she wished to cancel her Learning Membership and to
  receive a refund for the first three (3) months of the membership 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.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/20/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  Tutors do not show up which is extremely disruptive to study schedules. The website does not allow me to cancel the plan, nor does the app, nor does calling into the phone number provided. The call center that answered said someone would call me back. They did not. Instead they left a message for my daughter. I am paying for a service I am not getting and there is no way for me to to cancel and I am being charged every month automatically. Someone at the company needs to cancel my membership, delete my account and refund the amount charged for April.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2023

  Please see attached response. Thank you!

  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by Ms. *** on April 20, 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. ***’s daughter first contacted
  Varsity in February 2023 in order to be matched with an online tutor. On February 22, 2023, a Learning
  Membership for use on Varsity’s platform was purchased. 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 cer***n live classes through the Varsity platform, among other benefits. The Learning
  Membership was on a month-to-month basis, and would include four (4) hours each month for use with
  one-on-one tutoring through the platform. TOCAU was executed on March 13, 2023. During the Learning
  Membership, nine (9) sessions were invoiced to the account (although four (4) of the sessions were
  invoiced as cancellations – meaning the session was canceled by the customer with less than 24 hours’
  notice to the tutor – which is permitted per the TOCAU). On April 20, 2023, a request was made to cancel
  the Learning Membership; however, at that time, an alternate resolution which would allow Ms. ***’s
  daughter to continue using Varsity's platform was initially agreed upon. Upon receipt of the Complaint,
  Varsity contacted Ms. ***, and Ms. *** indicated that she was no longer interested in the alternate
  resolution which had previously been agreed to, and made another request to cancel the Learning
  Membership and receive a refund for the month which had already been paid. Varsity ultimately chose to
  provide a resolution that was satisfactory to Ms. ***.
  
  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.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/19/2023

  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 was auto-billed after I emailed the company according to their written policy that if you do not want auto-billing to email the company seven days prior. The company replied that they received my email. Then the company replied that they attempted to call me and to call them to talk about my request. However, when I spoke to a representative today, he said according to their contract, auto-billing is required; however, I read the contract and it said you can remove that option by emailing. Also, there was nothing written that you must email, then speak to a company representative to turn off auto-billing. Also, there was no option to cancel my membership online, though again, I emailed the company. The representative was borderline rude and kept trying to give me products even though I told him the services were not helpful for my child. Instead of trying to assist me, he cited the "contract" and didn't offer any ways to help the situation besides offering more services. I am very disappointed with the service and customer service of this company.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2023

  Dear Sir or Madam:
  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by Ms. ******* on April 19, 2023 (and of
  which Varsity was made aware on April 20, 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 Ms. ******* specifically and according to Varsity’s records, Ms. ******* first contacted
  Varsity in March 2023 in order to be matched with an online tutor. On March 17, 2023, Ms. *******
  purchased a Learning Membership for use on Varsity’s platform. 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 on a month-to-month basis, and would include eight (8) hours each
  month for use with one-on-one tutoring through the platform. Ms. ******* executed the TOCAU on
  March 19, 2023, and on that same day made a request to cancel the auto-renewal of the membership for
  the following month (although the request was not immediately processed). 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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/19/2023

  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 started using Varsity Tutors as a tutoring service for my son and he was never happy with the tutors he used.
  The first one cancelled several appointments or was late frequently. The second one was more helpful but my son was uncomfortable with his approach. I let my son take a break from the tutoring. We used approximately half of our hours purchased before the break.
  Recently, I called and asked to resume the tutoring lessons and was told no problem and that I still had hours left and could use them. They texted me the other day to offer assistance getting my son back on schedule. I responded yes. They responded "you have no hours" left in your bank. That is is precisely the opposite of what I was told a month ago when I first called to get back on schedule.
  So I called them today and was told the same thing. Upset, I asked for a refund of the unused hours totaling about 1000.00 and was told there are no refunds. Again, that is not what I was originally told when we decided to take a break from the service. They told me the hours would just sit there until we were ready to use them. I am very disappointed with this business both in the quality of services provided and the fact that they are not refunding my unused hours.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2023

  *** ** ****** ***** ***** *** * *** ****** ** ***** | *********************
  
  April 26, 2023
  
  Better Business Bureau
  *** ** ********* **** ****
  *** ****** ** *****
  
  Re: Complaint #******** (the “Complaint”) – *** ***** (“Ms. *****”)
  Varsity Tutors LLC (“Varsity”) Response to the Complaint
  
  Dear Sir or Madam:
  
  Varsity is in receipt of the Complaint (as defined above) filed by Ms. ***** on April 19, 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
  https://************************************** *
  
  Regarding Ms. ***** specifically and according to Varsity’s records, Ms. ***** first contacted Varsity in
  December 2021 in order to be matched with an online tutor. On December 31, 2021, Ms. ***** purchased
  a package of hours for use on Varsity’s platform, and executed the TOCAU on that same date. Between
  January 17, 2022, and May 6, 2022, 12 sessions were invoiced to Ms. *****’s account by her tutors for a
  total of 21 hours. Shortly after the last session on May 6, 2022, Ms. ***** indicated to Varsity that they
  had no additional tutoring needs at that time, and that she would communicate with Varsity if/when the
  need arose. As set forth in the TOCAU, purchased hours may be redeemed up to one year from the date of
  purchase; accordingly, the 19 hours that remained on Ms. *****’s account as of January 1, 2023, expired.
  On April 19, 2023 (the same day the Complaint was received), Ms. ***** contacted Varsity and indicated
  she was unaware that the hours on her account had expired and requested a refund for the expired hours.
  This request was initially denied, as it was outside of the 30-day refund window set forth in the TOCAU.
  Varsity contacted Ms. ***** upon its receipt of the Complaint 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,
  
  
  ***** *****
  ****** ********* *********
  ** ***** ******** * ** ***** ********
  ** ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/18/2023

  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 was looking to prep for my board exam NAPLEX and came across Varsity Tutors online and decided to try them out. I was hesitant at first until I spoke to CSR on the phone and she informed me about their 100% pass guarantee on 12/31/2021. I decided to purchase a package for their highest hour of 1:1 tutoring after careful deliberation. I had 3 more attempts to pass the board. I purchased the package on 03/12/2021 and made the final payment on 04/12/2021. Now I can request a refund within 30 days if I had first met with a tutor but I did not have a meeting with a tutor until 05/16/2021. The tutor and I met twice and didn't meet again. No other tutor was assigned to me until 12/31/2021 and our chemistry did not mesh. I am a kinesthetic learner which I conveyed to CSR at Varsity Tutors and as such require a tutor that can meet my learning needs. So while still waiting on a tutor, on March 13, 2022, my hours expired and I was left dumbfounded. how can 45 hours of the 48 hours I purchased just expire so I contacted Varsity and they credited the hours back. My next tutor was assigned on 03/16/2022 and we prepped for nine months because we had conflicting schedules and he had a lot of students under his tutelage. We met on a weekly or twice weekly basis until May 4, 2022, then not again until 8/20/22 and Varsity Tutor was aware of this dilemma the whole time. After 08/20/2022, My tutor and I continued to meet without interruptions until I finally took my exam on December 12, 2022. Unfortunately, I did not pass and inquired about the Pass Guarantee or getting a refund. I submitted my score from the Board to them and had taken my exam within 14 days of the last session with my tutor and I was informed that it was up to the account management office to determine if am eligible. I was informed that it was a busy time for them. As I continued to wait, one, two, and almost 3 weeks later, and continuously exhausted phone conversations with several CSR, they credited hours back to me rather than a refund while still awaiting the management office to respond. Apparently, I must have met the criteria for credit and pass guarantee. I was also informed that I had to use the hours within 3 months but if I was actively meeting with a tutor, it will be extended. I had to wait for a new tutor which I did not receive until 01/30/2023 because the other tutors assigned to me were not even pharmacists and never took the NAPLEX before so I felt they were not knowledgeable in my field and couldn't possibly be of assistance. I have up to 3 requests for credit toward passing my exam per the pass guarantee policy. This information was echoed back to me by several CSR I spoke to and now with my board exam scheduled for July 2023, they have removed the remaining 28 hours of credit on my account and stated that it has expired. I've spoken to 4 different individuals and at first, I was told by *****, that the notation on my account states that I can continue with *********** after the 3 months now ***** tells me that I would need to purchase more hours, and I had all this clarified in December 2022 and that is the reason I accept the credit hours instead of waiting for a refund. I feel bamboozled and I need resolutions not just to keep spending money. I want my hours credited back instead I am being told that I have to pay for them again and that is atrocious.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/19/2023

  Varsity Tutors responded in my favor. Thanks