My daughter asked for help on a homework problem so I showed her how to work the problem (a simple word problem). When she brought the homework home it was marked wrong. Being such a simple problem I was questioning myself so I went to google for verification.

That's when I ran across these scam artists. They claim to (according to their google ad):" Math Word Problems Get Free Help With Math Word Problems ... 2 visits - 8:14pm
Solve your Math Word Problems and get Free help in Solving math word problems. Get Free Math Problem Solver to solve your Math Problems Free!!!"

When I got there they started a sales pitch and I informed them that they were not going to get any money from me. Long story short...we parted company after they demanded money for "help".

I then went back and re-read their ad and went back to their chat. The only time I misled this guy was when I told him I had the previous chat. I didn't because I failed to copy it. I didn't make the same mistake on the second chat.

Acad Coordinator: Hello, my name is Glen,
Acad Coordinator: Let me know your grade and subject to help you better.
Guest: This is how your listing in google reads glen. I get here and find out I'm going to be pitched on buying something.
Guest: 6th grade math simple word problem
Guest: I don't appreciate the misleading tactics your company is using.
Acad Coordinator: yes this is what it is advertised for first time users of the website
Guest: this is my first time
Guest: This is a poor way to do business.
Acad Coordinator: no we have a track of students coming for more number of times again for the free help
Acad Coordinator: We have more than 2000 well qualified tutors available round the clock and they don't work for free
Guest: so you're saying I've been here before tonight?
Acad Coordinator: yes ...
Guest: I was chatting with someone 4 minutes ago and I got the same thing. A SALES PITCH!!!
Guest: when?
Acad Coordinator: we have regular track of students coming again ..
Guest: WHEN?
Acad Coordinator: Please wait..
Acad Coordinator: let me check with the system ...
Guest: I'm reporting your company to ripoff report and Google. You're advertising is deceptive! I have NEVER been here before and I EVEN if I had I don't see anything about first time only. I just found your website 10-15 minutes ago.
Guest: The last person I chatted with mentioned NOTHING about me being here before.
Guest: ?
Acad Coordinator: how did you login to our website ..
Guest: login?
Guest: I came straight from google
Acad Coordinator: alright ... may i ask you a question
Guest: yes
Acad Coordinator: our link was the first link you clicked right and there other websites as well did you try it ??
Guest: no
Acad Coordinator: we are the first link to be popped in google for tutoring because the service we provide ...to the students
Acad Coordinator: TutorVista has featured on NBC, BBC and The New York Times as the best and the most affordable tutoring service
Guest: yes, and you also LIED! to get me here. What's your point?
Acad Coordinator: we are not misguiding our students ..
Acad Coordinator: we provide free help for once i had a check with the system ..
Acad Coordinator: you haven't got the free session
Acad Coordinator: well i can get the free session now on this chat
Acad Coordinator: if i can speak to you over the phone ?
Guest: I have now copied both chats and they are going on ripoffreport.com as soon as we're finished. I'm glad you've been on NBC, BBC, and NYT because that's where I'm going to post the chats from tonight. AND in answer to your last question again...NO I have never been here before tonight when I got a sales pitch before any help took place. I have the copy of the chat.
Acad Coordinator: alright
Guest: I wanted to confirm a very simple word problem for my 12 year old and you guys are pulling this bull. You guys are crooked!
Guest: I'm still waiting for the "proof" of my previous visits you were checking on.
Acad Coordinator: we aren't i am still explaining that you have not go that free session
Acad Coordinator: i am ready to give a free session
Guest: oh, that's mighty nice of you!
Guest: Ali, a gardener, is preparing to fertilize a lawn. the lawn is 30 yards by 25 yards. One bag of fertilizer will cover an area of 100 square yards. how many bags of fertilizer does Ali need to buy?
Acad Coordinator: the free session is only or just 5 minutes ...
Acad Coordinator: Please let me get a tutor
Guest: I hope it won't take you that long.
Tutor: Hello
Tutor: I'm your tutoring expert for the day.
Guest: Hi
Tutor: I am working on your problem.
Tutor: so Ali would need 7.5 bags of fartilizer to cover the entire alwn
Tutor: Let me know if you have any doubts.
Guest: ok, thank you. That's what we arrived at (actually 8) the teacher marked it wrong and said it was 9
Tutor: I think you have to ask the teacher again to show you th eclarification
Tutor: because 7.5 or roundinging to 8 would be the answer
Tutor: I hope you are more comfortable with the topic now.
Guest: we are both right. can you put me back to the acad coordinator?
Tutor: You can receive similar tutoring help with us.
Tutor: Our Academic Counselor will be joining this chat to help you further.
Acad Coordinator: hello again this glen again
Acad Coordinator: sorry glen here *
Acad Coordinator: was the session helpful with our tutor ??
Guest: Hi glen, I've been doing some research online while I was waiting on your replies. Your company has a lot of complaints. I think mine would just be a drop in the bucket.
Acad Coordinator: let me inform you
Guest: inform me of what?
Acad Coordinator: that the complaints you see about program would be about auto renewal process once the students sign up ...
Acad Coordinator: not about the tutoring we provide ...
Acad Coordinator: can you tell was anything wrong with the tutor which he helped you with a question ?
Acad Coordinator: did you find it difficult ..
Acad Coordinator: ??
Guest: Well then my report about the deceptive advertising will be unique then. There was nothing wrong with the tutor. Very professional.
Guest: You on the other hand...lol...you're something else.
Acad Coordinator: as parent or a working professional do you work for free anywhere ?
Guest: I don't appreciate being called a liar and having someone do the bait and switch on me. Actually I do volunteer but I don't claim to volunteer then charge for my service.
Acad Coordinator: can it be in a personal way saying that you will work for free ...??
Guest: I don't tell someone that I will help them at no charge and then try to bill them.
Guest: absolutely!
Acad Coordinator: everyday ?
Guest: Do it all the time.
Guest: not every day
Guest: you're skirting the issue.
Acad Coordinator: No, we have tutors working from all over the world ...
Guest: you claimed i had been here before yet you provide no evidence.
Acad Coordinator: i am apologizing for which was not provided
Acad Coordinator: you were here in our website before ...
Acad Coordinator: but it was sales person with out helping for the question you had
Guest: Glen, if you are going to advertise FREE help then don't try charging someone for the FREE help. I have never been here before tonight. If I have you show me where I've received FREE help.
Guest: SHOW ME!
Acad Coordinator: the free session is for one time ...
Guest: ok, show me where I've had FREE help!
Acad Coordinator: we have tutors working from all over the world ...day and night
Acad Coordinator: they wont work for free ...
Guest: you're only making yourself look worse here.
Guest: Show me!!!
Acad Coordinator: as you can see the other websites not providing anything for free
Guest: :) SHow me!
Guest: Stop trying to justify the "bait and switch" and show me.
Acad Coordinator: i am make myself looking worse ... but not the service we provide for the tutoring
Guest: If you cannot then you need to apologize. If you can show me then I'll apologize. If you can't show me then this chat will be on scam.com in 10 minutes!
Acad Coordinator: i did wanted to apologize at the first as i can see frustration show about our program ...
Acad Coordinator: i am apologizing for that ..
Guest: i didn't understand the first sentence
Acad Coordinator: at the first when you started saying that you will complaint about service ..i did wanted to apologize
Guest: Glen. You are advertising a FREE service. Where I come from if you're going to do something to help someone for free then you can't turn around and demand payment and say "sorry no service".
Acad Coordinator: i am apologizing for the mislead from one of our acad counselors
Tutor: Sir..we are not demanding you to pay anything..we are just asking that if you liked our service you can subscribe for it
Acad Coordinator: we are not demanding or i am also not
Tutor: If it doesnt satisfy you you can leave without any payment
Tutor: The session we just had is a free session
Acad Coordinator: can check out the chat and see that i have said you to sign up first ...
Guest: Your acad counselor wouldn't help me. You can read the chat and she said "sorry". Then when I came to you, you said I had already received my "one time free" service.
Tutor: I think you understand it now ?
Guest: When did you get into this TUTOR??
Guest: lol
Guest: 1. you advertise free help
Guest: 2. I try to chat and you demand payment
Tutor: i dont agree with second statement
Guest: 3. I said nope I'm not paying
Tutor: we didnt demand
Acad Coordinator: can you check this chat ...
Guest: your acad coordinator wouldn't help
Tutor: then you are free to leave..who demanded you to pay
Guest: we said bye
Guest: i came back with a "copy of ad"
Guest: after a lot of hassle and threatening to report you glen finally stops calling me a liar and agrees to do what your ad on google says
Guest: I'm shooting screen shots of it as soon as we get through
Acad Coordinator: i agreed to give a free session
Guest: it will be on scam.com in a few minutes.
Guest: yes, you did.
Acad Coordinator: because i had a check when you came to us before
Tutor: 1) you looked the ad..and joined a session..and some acad counselor joined right ?
Guest: review the chat and see what I had to do to get you to honor your 'free' service.
Guest: yes
Tutor: 2) The you left the chat and again came into chat?
Guest: yes
Tutor: well you can see that is the thing happened..that is recorded as a session
Tutor: sorry for that
Guest: I see where you're going. You're going to claim that it was recorded as a chat session.
Guest: yes.
Guest: you just verified my suspicion.
Tutor: and we now know that you didnt had a session actually and that i sjust acad counselor chat..so we provided you with a free session
Guest: still does not excuse what your first acad coord. pulled!!!
Acad Coordinator: we have 25000 students coming online everyday
Acad Coordinator: 60 students come again for free help
Guest: PLUS, glen already tried justifying the misleading ads. I think anyone who reads this will clearly see that you guys are misleading people.
Guest: You should read it yourself.
Tutor: I think Glen didnt made a mistake he just didnt knew that the earlier session was just a chat session..so he he thought you already had a session..we apolize for that
Guest: apology accepted.
Tutor: :)
Guest: what about the first rep?
Tutor: he demanded anything /?
Guest: I want to see how you're going to justify that!
Guest: absolutely. look at the chat!
Guest: i know you have it saved.
Acad Coordinator: this is glen here
Acad Coordinator: can read the chat ...
Tutor: well may i know what happened with the first rep..because i dont know what happened
Acad Coordinator: can you see me demanding anything for payment
Guest: were you the acad coord in first chat i was involved in tonight?
Guest: glen?
Tutor: no
Guest: glen!?
Acad Coordinator: no
Tutor: it must be another acad counselor
Acad Coordinator: if i was the one i would have started giving a free session and then explained if you need more help on regular basis
Tutor: Did the names match ?
Acad Coordinator: then i would spoke to you about money and the benefits you get
Guest: go read the chat. I'm thru with this. I wanted to confirm something my daughter's teacher missed on a math homework paper. I didn't want to get into an argument.
Guest: Please be aware! I have a copy of both chats. You can't do anything but make yourself look bad here. Stop trying to justify and just apologize for the misleading ads.
Acad Coordinator: alright
Guest: alright? what?
Acad Coordinator: please go ahead and report ..
Guest: you got it!

If you'll notice "glen" never proved up anything and even if this was a "misunderstanding" because glen got me on my second time back, it still doesn't excuse the first Acad Coordinator. Try it for yourself.

Billing Issue my 17 year daughter asked for permission to purchase 19.99 tutoring for a week on 12/21/2010 from this site. I called to cancel, today 12/28/2010 with in the week exactly. I was told by their customer service rep that, I only had a week to cancel I told him that today was the last day, I was then informed that because they had already charge me $99.99 for the month, which by the way is a day early they are refusing to refund my money, satiating a non refund policy! I did insist that I was canceling within the allotted time! The customer service rep, offered me 4 months of continual access instead of a refund. I insisted that I was still within the cancellation period of a week the 7days before they were supposed to charge me! Therefore their no refund policy did not apply simply because they charge me early!, their actions are illegal, this is plain and simple fraud!!! I would like your assistance, to shut down their site

This is to complain about service I recently received from Tutorvista.com, customer service representative named Eric.

I called Tutorvista.com on 20th October 2010 to find out how to book sessions. After I had been on hold for several minutes, Eric came on the line. I had to explain my problem to him several times because he did not seem to be listening and therefore asked me the same questions repeatedly. Eric put me on hold for several minutes, and then returned to say he could not help me. Needless to say, I was quite frustrated.

I expected a much higher level of service from this tutoring company, and I was quite disappointed. After an hour, Cristy from the care team called me back and apologized, and gave me clear instructions to book sessions. This was very surprising, but true!!!

I wish the care team works in a much professional way. They should take care of this complaint and help customers use the service well. They provide excellent teaching, and their assistance has helped my son improve his grades.

I would rather say this to be a feedback to Eric rather than a complaint, but this need to be addressed.