10 Questions to Ask Before You Pay for Online English Classes
The most common complaints about online English schools are about cancelled lessons, changing teachers, refunds and hidden rules. Ask these ten questions first.
Why ask before you pay
When parents are unhappy with an online English school, it is rarely about the English. It is usually about the rules: a lesson counted as used when the internet went down, a teacher who cancelled at the last minute, a refund that never came, a subscription that was hard to stop. Asking a few questions first saves a lot of trouble.
The ten questions
- What happens if my child can't come? How many hours before must I cancel, and do I get a make-up lesson?
- What happens if the teacher cancels? Is there another teacher, a make-up lesson or a refund?
- What if the connection fails during a lesson?
- How do I stop the plan? Can I stop it online, at any time, without calling anyone?
- What is the refund policy, in writing?
- Can we pause for holidays without losing our times?
- Are there any other fees, such as materials, registration or apps?
- Will my child have regular weekly times?
- Is there a free trial, and do I need to give a card for it?
- Can I see the lesson plan and my child's progress?
Read the policy, not only the advert
A good school puts its cancellation and refund policy on a public page you can read before you sign up. If the rules are only in small print after payment, be careful.
Little Fluent's answers
- Can't come: cancel in time on the family page, and you get a make-up lesson to book at another free time.
- Teacher can't teach: another teacher covers, or you get a make-up lesson.
- Stopping: stop your plan from renewing at any time on the family page; lessons continue to the end of the paid period, and you are not charged again.
- Pausing: ask us to pause your plan, for example for a holiday; there are no payments while it is paused and your weekly times stay yours.
- Refunds: plans are paid in advance, so we don't refund single lessons that were taken or missed; if we could not give lessons you paid for, or something went wrong on our side, we refund those lessons fairly.
- Trial: each new child can book one free trial lesson, without a card.
- One price for every level, shown before you pay. Our full cancellation and refund policy is public on our website.
Questions parents ask
What should I check before paying for online English classes?
The cancellation and make-up rules, what happens when a teacher cancels, how to stop the plan, the refund policy, extra fees and whether there is a free trial.
Should an online English school offer make-up lessons?
Yes, when you cancel in time or when the school cancels. Ask how many hours' notice is needed.
Do I need a card for a free trial lesson?
Not with every school. At Little Fluent, each new child can book one free trial lesson without a card.