Shaw Academy False Advertise and Steal Your Money. They offer you a 4-week FREE trial on a course and then once you have signed up for that course. Take your money immediately! Now, I don’t know about you but if I’m offered a 4-week FREE trial, my expectation would be to try that course for 4 weeks. If I was happy to continue with the course, then pay the fee required. Is that fair to say? Not to Shaw Academy, it’s not!
What Are You Offered?
Shaw Academy (an online learning company) advertises on Facebook many courses with a 4-week FREE trial. SA advertise on their website: £49.99 per month but FREE for 4 weeks, a button to click to “start your FREE course” and most importantly…….NO COMMITMENT!! The trouble is, this is a blatant lie.
My husband (Jeff) signed up for one of their course on the premise that he would be able to try part of the course for 4 weeks and if happy, then pay the fee advertised £49.99 (as shown in the image).
Once Jeff had signed up though, £49.99 was immediately taken from his bank account! He contacted Shaw Academy straight away to find out why. He got no reply. Hubby tried several times with no response whatsoever!
I did some research and found a customer services number. It was an automated telephone line! The result of phoning this number was being told by a robot, to cancel your account.
The Scam!
Shaw Academy false advertise and steals your money by advertising a 4-week FREE trial to nearly any one of their online courses, therefore, once you have signed up, they take money from your bank/card etc. When you try to contact them, they just ignore you!
If you cancel your account, you are sent emails confirming your cancellation and assuring you you will be refunded and no more money will be taken…….IT’S ALL LIES!!! There is every possibility SA will just reactivate it again, enabling them to take even more money from you.
While researching for a SA customer service number, I came across a Facebook group where there are tons of other people who have also been scammed by Shaw Academy.
Facebook Group Original Shaw Academy / Scam Academy (no Shaw employees). The group shows how people have had hundreds of pounds stolen from them by Shaw Academy, also, how closed/cancelled account has magically become active again.
What Can You Do?
I can only comment about what we had done. I posted my questions all over social media directed at SA asking why they scammed 50 quid out of my husband. Commented on any post I saw by SA warning people to steer clear! I did this daily, several times a day.
In the meantime, we contacted Paypal to get a refund under the “item not as described” consumer rule. They explained to us that because Jeff had cancelled his account, this was not possible. Had Jeff had not cancelled his account, they could probably help.
This was disappointing, to say the least. If you have unauthorised money taken from your bank, the first thing you’d do would be to cancel the account? Yes? How would you know NOT to cancel the account if you want Papal to help?
Anyhow, I kept on emailing the company explaining the consumer law and how they were false advertising and misleading their customers. Quoted to them their own terms & conditions (image above). I may also have mentioned if Jeff didn’t receive a full refund, we would be going to the relevant authorities. I posted similar on social media repeatedly until we eventually got a reply informing us Jeff he would get his refund.
Shaw Academy T&C
1. Your Shaw Academy membership may start with a free trial. The free trial period of your membership lasts for 28 days, unless otherwise specified, from the time of initial registration or as otherwise specified during sign-up and is intended to allow new members and certain former members to try the service. You will be notified during sign-up whether you are eligible for a free trial.
2. We will bill any Payment Method provided by You for your 28 days membership fee at the end of the free trial period unless you cancel your membership prior to the end of the free trial period. To view the 28 days membership end date of your free trial period, visit our website, log into your student account and we will tell you how long you have left in your My Courses page.
3. Free trial offers unlimited access to our courses for a period of 4 weeks. You are able to purchase optional digital content in form of certificates or course material, not a subject to free trial.
They do spell it out very nicely! It is probably one of the worst things a company can do……Not follow their own terms & conditions. You know immediately, the kind of company you are dealing with.
Conclusion
Reading the horror stories on the Facebook group of other customers who have been scammed by Shaw Academy, we are keeping an eye on Jeff’s account as it is possible his account may suddenly become active again and more money taken.
Jeff got his refund but what a fight it was to get it!
I can’t stress this enough, Facebook ads are more often than not, not worth risking dealing with. Too many are scams, poor quality goods. They may seem cheap monetary wise but by god, they are expensive in your time! The time needed to fight when things go badly wrong!
Another point to remember…..ALWAYS READ THE TERMS & CONDITIONS and any reviews you can find BEFORE parting with ANY money!!
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About Cazbarr
Cazbarr is a full-time wheelchair user, who was born with a disability called Arthrogryposis. Primarily she blogs about her disability, her experiences holidaying as a full-time wheelchair user, along with honest products & service reviews.
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