Varsity Tutors LLC

Please see the attached letter for Varsity's response to the Complaint

Please see the attached response

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: I called within days (09/23) because the service they were providing wasn't helping.I also cancelled the service because the tutor didn't call me
back to schedule another tutoring session.By the time Varsity Tutors did call me to schedule a tutor, the paper I needed help with was completed by myself.In my first session, the tutoring was interrupted by either a phone call or an actual person visiting three times.After I had cancelled by phone (talking to a different person each time), my charge card continued to be charged for the same amount as the first session
Sincerely,
*** ***

August 9, 2017Revdex.comNBroadway, Suite 2060StLouis, MORe: Varsity Tutors LLC’s Response to Customer Complaint #***Dear Sir/Madam:Varsity Tutors LLC (“Varsity”) is in receipt of the complaint filed by *** ***(“Ms***”) on July 30, 2017,
(complaint number ***) (the “Complaint”).Varsity’s position is that Ms***’s Complaint is incomplete and inaccurate.Ms*** does not qualify for the refund which she has requested because she is outsideof the refund period as set forth in Varsity’s Terms of Customer Account Use (“TOCAU”), signedby Ms*** on May 1, Nonetheless, Varsity is glad to report that the parties havereached an amicable resolution.Varsity’s BackgroundBy way of background, Varsity is a live learning platform that, among other things, connectscustomers/students with personalized instruction to accelerate academic achievementThisincludes connecting customers/students with tutoring and test-preparation needs with vetted tutorsand test instructors that provide the tutoring and test preparation services directly to thecustomer/student, either in person or online, at times and locations agreed upon between themTheservices are provided by the tutor to the customer/studentThe tutors are independent contractorswith their own materials, styles, and methods as indicated on every page of Varsity’s website,www.varsitytutors.com.Varsity highlights its policies on the website and attempts to set realistic expectations with thepotential customers/students that are seeking to be matched with a contracted tutor throughVarsity’s online platformVarsity is transparent about its services and uses its TOCAU to reinforcethe processIn fact, the potential customer/student must execute the TOCAU and acknowledgeVarsity’s policies before they ever engage the services of a tutor on Varsity’s platform (seeattached)Varsity’s website is also critical in setting these expectations and explaining the processand how it works.Please note that the website directs content to the location of the viewer (e.gsomeone lookingfrom Atlanta, will receive Atlanta content and someone in StLouis will receive StLouis content;however, that should not matter for this inquiry).Ms***Ms*** initially contacted Varsity in April of 2017, seeking in-person tutoring servicesfor her daughter in mathOn April 30, 2017, Ms*** purchased a package of nine (9)hours, and on May 1, 2017, she executed Varsity’s TOCAU (attached hereto for your review, andincorporated by reference)From the outset, Ms*** was informed that being matchedwith an in-person tutor would take slightly longer than being matched with an online tutor, simplydue to the availability of in-person tutors in Ms***’ areaIn an effort to connectMs***’ daughter with a tutor so that she could begin receiving services in a timelymanner, Varsity suggested that Ms*** and her daughter seek the help of an onlinetutor while they waited for Varsity to connect them with an in-person tutor matching their selfselectedcriteriaMs*** agreed to that course of action and proceeded accordingly.On May 1, 2017, Ms***’ daughter was matched with an online tutor who met herself-selected criteria, and their session took place later that eveningMs*** and herdaughter rated the session five (5) out of a possible five (5) stars, and also noted that they wouldenjoy working with this tutor again in the future.On May 2, 2017, Ms***’ daughter had a second online session with a different onlinetutor, and again they rated the session five (5) out of a possible five (5) stars and said that theywould enjoy working with the tutor again in the future.On May 3, 2017, Ms*** contacted Varsity to discuss their options for in-persontutoringVarsity informed Ms*** that in-person matching could take up to five (5)days, and because it has only been four (4) days since Ms***’ purchase, Varsityrequested that Ms*** allow Varsity an additional day to match her with an in-persontutorBecause Ms*** and her daughter noted how much they enjoyed the tutor withwhom they had worked the evening prior, Varsity suggested that Ms*** set up anothersession for her daughter with that tutor in the meantime, and Ms*** agreedVarsityalso credited Ms***’ account with a free session (hours) to be used with the onlinetutorOn May 4, 2017, Ms***’ daughter had another online session with the secondonline tutor, again rating the session five (5) out of a possible five (5) stars.On May 7, 2017, Ms*** was matched with an in-person tutor who met her self-selectedcriteriaHowever, due to scheduling concerns, Ms*** and the in-person tutor wereunable to make contact or schedule a sessionMs*** contacted Varsity to discuss thematter, and again Varsity suggested that Ms*** set up another session with the onlinetutor from whom her daughter had been receiving services, and Varsity would continue to look foran in-person tutor matching Ms***’ self-selected criteriaVarsity also creditedMs***’ account with another free session (hours) in an effort to alleviateMs***’ frustrations over not yet having been matched with an in-person tutor.On May 12, 2017, Ms*** informed Varsity that her daughter had recently taken a mathtest and that they would like to wait for the results of that test before deciding how to proceed withtutoringVarsity received no further communication from Ms*** until June 1, 2017,when Ms*** informed Varsity that she was considering her daughter’s summertutoring needs and would contact Varsity back when she had more specific information to discuss.On June 19, 2017, Ms*** contacted Varsity via email and said she was ready to set upsummer tutoring for her daughter, and requested that Varsity contact her via phone to discuss itfurtherVarsity attempted to contact Ms*** per her requesting, leaving her a voicemailon June 19, Ms*** did not return Varsity’s call until June 29, 2017, and indicatedthat her daughter would not need any services until after July 17, 2017.On July 19, 2017, Ms*** emailed Varsity and indicated that she wanted her daughterto begin receiving services on July 28, 2017, and requested that Varsity contact her via phone tofurther discuss the detailsVarsity called Ms*** as requested, and Ms***indicated that she would wait until after her daughter started the new school year to betterdetermine her daughter’s tutoring needsVarsity noted Ms***’ plans, but informedher that being matched with an in-person tutor may prove to be difficult due to Ms***’location and the number of in-person tutors available in that areaIn an effort to provide a solution,Varsity suggested that Ms*** consider taking her daughter closer to Atlanta to receivethe in-person services, where there were more in-person tutors available and the tutor and herdaughter could meet at a library or coffee shop for the sessionMs*** declinedVarsity’s proposed plan of action, remaining adamant that the in-person services must take placein their homeMs*** acknowledged that she was outside of the refund window as setforth in the TOCAU, but indicated that she intended to pursue a refund anyway as she wasdissatisfied with the inability to be matched with an in-person tutor.Varsity received Ms***’ Complaint on July 31, 2017.Varsity’s ResponseSince the filing of Ms***’ Complaint, Varsity and Ms*** have reachedan amicable resolutionNonetheless, Varsity references the following policy from the TOCAU(signed by Ms*** on May 1, 2017) in its response:Refunds: Unused, pre-paid tutoring hours are refundable up to days from thedate of purchase, provided there has been at least one session with a tutor obtainedthrough Varsity’s platform following the most recent purchasePurchased tutoringhours are valid for use up to one year from the date of purchaseNon-purchasedhours have no cash value, cannot be refunded, and are valid the lesser of one yearfrom the date of issuance or days from the last session by customer reflected onthe customer’s accountFurther, any volume discount obtained may be adjusted toreflect purchased hours actually used

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by Varsity Tutors in reference to ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Please see the attached document for Varsity's response to the complaint.

Please see the attachment for Varsity Tutors' response.

Please see the attached response and attachment.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Please see the attached document for Varsity's response to the Complaint.

Please see the attached letter for Varsity's response.

Please see the attached document for Varsity's response.

Conclusion Please consider this the “Preliminary Response” to the complaint by Ms. Thornton.  Based upon the above, Varsity Tutors hereby requests that the complaint be removed by the Revdex.com. Varsity Tutors is proud to be an affiliate of the Revdex.com and values the relationship. If you intend or desire to post this response, instead of removing the complaint, Varsity Tutors is willing to modify it in a mutually agreeable manner and would prefer to provide a more comprehensive response, including submitting relevant exhibits.  Also, Varsity Tutors has additional documentation in support of its position that it did not include and can make the additional documentation available to you, if necessary or helpful.  As you can determine from this submission, Varsity Tutors implements and relies on many processes in conducting its business, including the use of software documenting its interactions and follow up with students/clients.  If you have any questions or comments or would like to further discuss, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best, [redacted]

Please see attached response.

We have resolved the dispute.

I found website for Varsity Tutors and it states, "100% money back guarantee."

Please see the attached documents in response to the complaint.

December 13, 2016Revdex.com211 N. Broadway, Suite 2060St. Louis, MO 63102Re: Consumer Complaint # [redacted]Dear Sir/Madam:Varsity Tutors LLC (“Varsity”) received the complaint filed by [redacted] (“Ms. [redacted]-[redacted]") on October 18, 2016 (ID [redacted]). While Varsity will...

address the specifics of the complaintbelow, we were unable to resolve this complaint to our and Ms. [redacted]’s mutual satisfaction.Varsity’s position is that the complaint filed by Ms. [redacted] is incomplete and inaccurate.Ms. [redacted] did not qualify for a refund of the remaining, unused hours in her account at the timeof the request ($265.19) and did not provide proper notification to seek such refund in a timely mannerpursuant to Varsity’s Refund Policy as outlined in the Terms of Use.Varsity’s BackgroundBy way of background, Varsity is a live learning platform that, among other things, connectscustomers/students with personalized instruction to accelerate academic achievement. This includesconnecting customers/students with tutoring and test-preparation needs with vetted tutors and testinstructors that provide the tutoring and test preparation services directly to the customer/student, either inperson or online, at times and locations agreed upon between them. The services are provided by the tutorto the customer/student. The tutors are independent contractors with their own materials, styles, andmethods as indicated on every page of Varsity Tutors’ website, [redacted].Varsity highlights its policies on the website and attempts to set realistic expectations with the potentialcustomers/students that are seeking to be matched with a contracted tutor through Varsity’s online platform.Varsity is transparent about its services and uses its Terms of Use to reinforce the process. In fact, thepotential customer/student must execute the Terms of Use and acknowledge Varsity’s policies before theyever work with a tutor (see attached). Varsity’s website is also critical in setting these expectations andexplaining the process and how it works.Please note that the website directs content to the location of the viewer (e.g. someone looking from KansasCity will receive Kansas City content and someone in St. Louis will receive St. Louis content; however,that should not matter for this inquiry).Ms. [redacted]’s BackgroundOn August 26, 2015, Ms. [redacted] purchased a package of 24 hours of tutoring for a total of$1,340.00. From our understanding and consistent with the written complaint filed by Ms. [redacted],Ms. [redacted] was looking to be connected with a tutor through Varsity’s platform for her daughterfor assistance with ACT Test Preparation, with a specific scheduling request. Ms. [redacted] requestedan online tutor for Sunday afternoons only.Due to Ms. [redacted]’s specific scheduling requests, she experienced difficulty finding a matchthrough Varsity’s platform for Sunday afternoons. On September 29, 2015, a Varsity Sales Representativereached out to Ms. [redacted] and suggested that she consider expanding her requested scheduling inorder to be matched with more tutors. The Sales Representative also suggested that they split up the searchand seek tutors with different ACT Test subject knowledge rather than just one (1) tutor for all areas ofACT Test Preparation. Doing so would help widen the field of suitable tutors to accommodate Ms. [redacted]
[redacted]’s specific scheduling needs. Ms. [redacted] agreed to this course of action, and as a resultwas matched with two (2) separate tutors on September 30, 2015; one (1) tutor for ACT – Englishpreparation, and one (1) tutor for ACT – Reading/Math preparation.From October 31, 2015, through December 2, 2015, Ms. [redacted]’s daughter participated in seven(7) sessions with the two (2) separate tutors she had been matched with through the platform. Ms. [redacted]-[redacted] provided positive feedback on several of the sessions and rated both tutors five (5) out of five (5)stars. On December 22, 2015, Ms. [redacted] advised Varsity that they were going to take a breakfrom tutoring for the holidays and would likely resume at the end of January 2016. On March 7, 2016, Ms.[redacted] contacted Varsity to advise that her daughter was scheduled to take the ACT in April, afterwhich time they would reassess their tutoring needs.On April 20, 2016, Ms. [redacted] contacted Varsity to resume tutoring sessions with a tutor usingthe remaining nine (9) hours on her account, and also expressed a desire to seek the services of a new tutorrather than continue with those whom she had previously engaged. As a result, Ms. [redacted] wasmatched with a new tutor to provide ACT – Math preparation, and sessions took place on June 18, 2016,and June 29, 2016. Until August 22, 2016, when she contacted Varsity and requested a refund on thegrounds that the tutor had “consistently cancelled” scheduled sessions, Varsity was unaware that Ms. [redacted]-[redacted] was unhappy with the services she had received because she had not provided any feedbackregarding the tutor (positive or negative) Ms. [redacted] was advised that she was outside of the refundwindow (it had been approximately 10 months since she purchase and eight (8) sessions) and was noteligible for a refund as outlined in Varsity’s Terms of Use.On August 23, 2016, Ms. [redacted] communicated with Varsity, again reiterating her frustrationsover the cancellation of sessions by the most recent tutor and requested a refund of the remaining 4.75 hourson her account.Ms. [redacted]’s complaint was posted on October 18, 2016, under the category “Contract Disputes.”Ms. [redacted] initially executed Varsity’s Terms of Use on August 26, 2015. A new Terms of Usewas subsequently signed by Ms. [redacted] on April 28, 2016 (see attached). There are very fewdifferences between the initial Terms of Use and current Terms of Use and neither change the nature ofwhat transpired. Varsity references the following policies in its response:Tutors are Independent ContractorsWhile Varsity understands Ms. [redacted]’s frustration over the cancellation of sessions by the tutor,Varsity cannot regulate the actions of tutors as they are not employees of Varsity but rather independentcontractors. Varsity’s policy is clear and straightforward. Varsity provides the following in the Terms ofUse:Tutors are Independent Contractors: The tutors on Varsity Tutors’ platform are independentcontractors, not employees, with their own tutoring styles and methods. Tutors’ credentials havebeen reviewed by Varsity Tutors. You are free to select whichever tutor you choose from theplatform, provided the tutor agrees to the engagement and your selected preferences for the date,time, and location of the tutoring sessions. You can choose to select different tutors at any timefrom the platform. The materials to be used will be determined directly between you and the tutor.Varsity does not employ tutors. Rather, tutors are independent contractors with their own styles andmethods. While sympathetic to the frustrations of the cancellations made by the tutor, Varsity cannot issuea refund or recognize Ms. [redacted]’s “special circumstances” based on factors over which it has nocontrol. Ms. [redacted] is free to end her relationship with the tutor whom she is experiencingscheduling difficulties and seek to engage with a new tutor. Ms. [redacted] chose not to do so.Varsity’s Refund PolicyMs. [redacted]’s desired settlement request is for a refund of the remaining, unused hours on heraccount (4.75 hours in the amount of $265.19). Varsity’s Refund Policy is clear and straightforward andMs. [redacted]’s request was not compliant with the policy. Varsity provides the following in theTerms of Use:Refunds: Unused, pre-paid tutoring hours are refundable up to 60 days from the date ofpurchase, provided there has been at least one session with a tutor obtained through Varsity Tutors’platform following the most recent purchase. Free hours have no cash value and cannot be refunded.Tutoring hours are valid for use up to one year from the date of purchase.Ms. [redacted]’s request for a refund was made on August 22, 2016, which was 302 days past the 60-day refund window. Although Varsity was not required to do so, Varsity offered to assist Ms. [redacted]-[redacted] and remains ready and willing to work with Ms. [redacted] to select a tutor through theplatform and use any hours remaining in her account.ConclusionPlease consider this Varsity’s response to the complaint filed by Ms. [redacted]. Based on the above,Varsity hereby requests that the complaint be removed by the Revdex.com as Ms. [redacted] was clearly notentitled to the requested refund. Varsity is proud to be an affiliate of the Revdex.com and values the relationship.If you have any questions or comments or would like to further discuss, please do not hesitate to contactme.Regards,[redacted] | Corporate ParalegalVarsity Tutors LLC | [redacted]Saint Louis, Missouri 63105o: [redacted] | f: [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]p.s. Thanks a lot to Revdex.com

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:First of all I have not heard from Varsity Tutors since I last contacted them on May 26, 2017.  The statement that they have contacted me several times and their attempts have gone unanswered are...

false. Also, I tried to explain to Varsity Tutors that the tutoring services they provide work for other kids but did not seem to work for my son and that took time on my part to realize why his grades were not improving.  Unfortunately I thought it was my son's fault and not the tutors but what I later realized is that he needed a teacher that had taught in his district and understood their curriculum.  Once I found a retired teacher and she started to tutor him his grades in Chemistry went up significantly.  I tried to let Varsity tutors know that I thought they were helpful in trying to find a proper tutor for my son but unfortunately it just wasn't the right fit for us.  I did know the refund policy but thought that once I explained to them the problem and why it didn't work out they would understand that and make an exception since sometimes these things take time to figure out and it was essentially the service they provided failed my son.  I would think that when you have that many sessions outstanding that they would be a little more flexible and understanding.  I also explained to them that the other reason it took me so long to respond was my daughter had been very sick and was in the hospital and having testing done.  I told them I could provide documentation to this and they just kept reiterating their return policy like a robot.  I feel Varsity Tutors is very unsympathetic and all they care about is the money and not whether or not their services helped the student. When they told me I could use them for my other child I explained that she does very well in school and is not in need of any tutoring.  I also, don't have any friends that I could gift these to and after the way they have dealt with this whole matter I would not want any of my friends to use them.
Sincerely,
[redacted]