Online education is becoming more and more available with each passing year. Many platforms offer courses in just about anything imaginable, which offers flexibility for students wanting to learn on their own schedule.
For those wanting to learn about online marketing, such as digital, content, social media, etc., there are many options online.
One such platform is called Shaw Academy, and I’d like to give you the Shaw Academy review of my research and findings.
When hearing about this platform, things sounded interesting as they offered diplomas in various industries.
But significant research found some concerning facts that need to be considered.
If you are here and reading this recently updated review, I hope to show you all the Shaw Academy provides, as well as pointing out things for you to consider before committing to a membership.
And if you’re wondering how I earn an online income, this is where I learned all about online marketing.
Contents
What Is Shaw Academy?
James Egan and Adrian Murphy founded this online education platform in 2013 and is based in Dublin Ireland, Bangalore India, and London England.
According to Wikipedia, they have over 200 employees and serve a worldwide array of students. By the end of 2016, they had taught over 1.8 million students.
Shaw Academy ran into financial difficulties in January 2019, but have apparently dealt with the issue in April 2019.
The advanced courses are said to be officially accredited and recognized globally. Most courses offer the diploma and accreditation.
They say that all their courses are delivered live with access to recordings if you missed the live presentation.
They also claim to have 24/7 student support for all their webinars, in order to answer all questions. I only say “claim” because I’ve found some conflicting reports… but we’ll look at this further on, OK?
The Courses
Their current list of courses is set up as eight 1-hour lessons each. This is a newly designed course structure and I’ve upgraded this review accordingly.
According to Shaw…
“All our courses are delivered via interactive webinars at scheduled times, twice weekly. You will receive email reminders prior to the lesson and times will be in your local time. You can join the webinars only at the scheduled times. You can join via links in the reminder emails or via your course Member area.”
The following is a list of categories offered, with most categories offering several choices. Some of the courses overlap into other categories…
Photography
- Adobe Lightroom Training Course
- Wedding Photography Course
- Complete Photoshop Training: Beginner to Advanced
- Professional Photography Course
- Video Editing and Production Course
- Phone Photography: Take Pro Photos on iPhone & Android
Marketing
- Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing
- Become a Social Media Marketing Specialist
- Creative Writing: How to Write for Publication
- SEO & Digital Marketing Fundamentals
- Blogging, Content Marketing & Vlogging 101
- Viral Marketing: How to Create Share Worthy Content
Design
- Online Photoshop Course
- Adobe Illustrator Essentials Training
- Fashion Design: How to Build a Fashion Label
- Professional Diploma in Interior Design
- Web Design: HTML, CSS, JS & Bootstrap Fundamentals
- Low Budget Graphic Design: Essential Tools & Techniques
- Online Graphic Design Course
Business
- Big Data and Data Analytics Training Course
- Advanced Microsoft Excel Training Course
- Small Business Bookkeeping & Accounting Diploma
- Entrepreneurship Fundamentals: How to Start a Successful Business
- Leadership & Management: Learn to Lead, Motivate and Inspire
- Project Management Foundations & Methodologies
- Sales & Business Development Training Program
Finance
- Commodities Trading: Master the Supply and Demand Market
- Learn How to Read and Trade Gold
- Bitcoin, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Beginner Trading Course
- Personal Finance & Household Budgeting Course
- How to Invest in Company Shares
- How to Trade Stocks: Learn to Succeed With Stock Trading
- Financial Trading & Investment for Beginners
Health & Wellness
- Personal Trainer Certification
- Meal Planning & Food Science: How to Eat Well on a Budget
- Advanced Diploma in Human Nutrition
- Mindfulness & Meditation For Beginners
- Cooking and Baking Essentials: Complete Foundation Course
- Sports Nutrition Certification: How to Fuel for Optimal Performance
Technology
- Learn Project Management Online
- Bitcoin, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Beginner Trading Course
- Graphic Design Course
- Complete Photoshop Training: Beginner to Advanced
- Coding & Computer Science for Beginners
- Big Data and Data Analytics Training Course
- Mobile App Development: Build & Publish Apps From Scratch
- Microsoft Excel Advanced Training
- Web Development: Become a Full Stack Web Developer
- Scratch Coding For Kids
- Web Design: HTML, CSS, JS & Bootstrap Fundamentals
Beauty
- Makeup, Nails & Beauty Course
- Professional Diploma in Beauty Therapy
Music
- Online Guitar Lessons
- Music Theory Online
Language
-
Learn English for Business, Telephone & Email
The Prices
You can register with Shaw Academy for free. All you need is your email address and a contact number.
But in order to take any classes, you must submit your credit card information. The first 28 days of any course is your free-trial period. After that, they will automatically charge your credit card their monthly membership fee.
- $69.99 CAD per month – this would be my monthly cost of membership. Your cost will be dependant on where you live in the world…
- $34.99 CAD discount for 1st month – If you attempt to leave the page, you’ll be presented with a pop-up offering your first paid month at a discount. Then it will revert to $69.99 CAD per month.
If you’re truly interested, take this offer to save you some money!
There are additional resources if you choose to pay for them:
- Module 1 Toolkit – $49.99 CAD
- Ecertificate (Preorder) – $49.99 CAD
- Hard copy diploma (Preorder) – $99.99 CAD
Please be aware that these are 1-click purchases. So if you click on the link, you’ll be immediately charged for your purchase.
With the changes to their website, I now couldn’t find any information on their diploma costs. I have, though, read some disturbing comments on Quora about dissatisfied students…
Please note, that all membership plans will continue to be billed monthly unless you cancel prior to the billing cycle. This also applies if you’re only taking one course. If you don’t cancel on time, that course cost will increase with each monthly charge.
There seem to be a few expired offers online, for lifetime memberships, on different coupon sites. That might be worth looking into if you are interested. There is one on StackSocial at the moment, for $99 US, which is set to expire Sept. 19, 2018. It may extend…
I haven’t seen any current or valid discount offers from Shaw Academy. They’ve had them in the past, so it’s always good to search for a coupon before taking a course.
The Certifications
This is what’s written in Shaw’s Faqs:
“The Shaw Academy Professional Higher Diploma
- EQF Level 5 Equivalent – will change even more students’ lives and is directly comparable across the globe from both an academic, professional and vocational perspective.
- EQF Level 5 is the equivalent to an Associate Degree (USA), AQF Level Six (Australia), NQF Level Six (South Africa) & QQF Level Eight (Canada).”
So is this true? I’m not sure. According to a reviewer who posted his opinion on Quora in February 2019, when someone asked about their “Master’s certification” sounds too good to be true…
I would highly recommend that you ask your school or place of business if these certification levels are recognized before taking any classes.
If they are for your personal use, then I suppose it always looks good hanging on a wall, lol!
Notice, he also discusses the difficulties of trying to “unsubscribe” to your membership!
Who Is This Platform For?
Shaw Academy is available to anyone who wants to take a course for accreditation, most likely to improve their resumes for a job promotion. Though designed for European qualifications, they say the diploma courses are recognized all over the world.
It’s always worthwhile to continue in your professional development, and some people might enjoy taking these courses for their own personal knowledge.
This online education platform is similar in structure to other platforms, such as:
- Lynda.com
- Udemy.com – please read my Udemy review
- Coursera.org
Online courses offer more flexibility than offline education. Most offline education requires classroom structure at specified times, which requires you to attend in order to be graded.
If you work, you must take time off to complete your course. With online education, most courses are available at your leisure and won’t interfere with your work schedule.
Shaw claims to offer a unique teaching style that most other platforms don’t. They say they offer live broadcasts by their educators.
This is a big advantage when you don’t understand something, and stop to ask a question.
They also claim to have a support team handy throughout the broadcast, to make sure all questions are answered in real-time.
To have this support though, you will have to attend the scheduled twice-weekly webinars. If you can’t attend the appropriate time schedule, they have recorded sessions that you can access at any time.
The courses used to be offered in seven different international languages, but I can no longer find that information on their website…
Now even though this all sounds amazing, please be aware that I’ve found considerable negative reviews online about Shaw Academy. I would recommend you do your research before seriously considering signing on for any of their courses!
How Does It Work?
When you access their website, you’ll want to browse through the course catalogue and choose the course you’d like to take.
To access the courses, you need to sign up for the free membership. You will have to submit your credit card information.
They say you get your first 28 days for free but then will immediately start charging your card after 28 days.
Because you’re required to submit your credit card information, if you wish to cancel, make sure you do so well before your 28 days are up.
Unfortunately, according to Walter’s review in the image above, this might be difficult to do.
You are then given a choice from six courses to choose from for the “free” module #1. You have a variety of weeknight combinations to choose from, and times from 9 am to 10 pm.
Their previous structure offered you a choice from choosing certain courses you could take and get the 28-day free trial.
But now, any course you choose comes with a 28-day free trial before being charged your monthly membership fee.
Finally, you are asked to enter your payment information.
You have a choice of credit card or PayPal. Personally, I would always choose PayPal, because as added security, you can have PayPal cancel any future withdrawals if you choose to cancel.
That way your credit card won’t be deducted.
You are clearly given a date to cancel by and are told you’ll get “reminder” emails. If this is true, why are there so many complaints from people not being able to cancel?
This is the most current review I found on Quora. I’m writing this updated review just 15 hours after she posted her complaint.
With any course you initially choose, you will have access to only that course for 28 days. And you will only access each new lesson as they are scheduled, two per week over four weeks. At the end of the 30 days, you will have the option to cancel or continue paying as a member, at which point you can access all the courses.
It’s a little different for you now that all courses give you a free 30-day trial. If you can manage to finish the course in 4 weeks, and successfully cancel your membership, then you have essentially gotten your course for free.
Beware of additional costs within each course though, like the “toolkit” and if you want your certification.
Below is a bonus video I found on their Youtube channel This will give you an example of what the training videos are like within the courses.
Each course has both theory and practical applications. These are included, but not your final assignment to earn your diploma. This comes at an additional cost. Even more, if you want a hard copy of your diploma.
Previous students have claimed that they would have considered joining if all the extra costs didn’t add up so much. You must pay for your final assignments and your diplomas.
Here is an example of a final examination in Digital Marketing, dated April 24, 2017. I’m sure they’ve all been redone and upgraded by now.
Pros
- 30-day free trial
- Monthly membership costs give you access to all the courses
- Live sessions are available at scheduled times
- Recordings are available 24/7 if you miss the live training
Cons
- The free trial still requires credit card submission
- Members have been frustrated when trying to “unsubscribe”
- Credit cards are being charged regardless of unsubscribing
- Extra costs – toolkit, a final assignment, diplomas
- Information only. No tools to apply what you’ve learned.
Thoughts And Recommendations
I believe anytime you can better yourself with online education, it’s a good thing. The only problem is finding a platform you can trust.
As we’ve seen above, Shaw Academy is another one of those companies that are not completely upfront about their costs. You are led to believe that you will be receiving your diploma for a completed course at the price listed on the website.
It’s not until you’ve paid that you find out there are additional costs for your toolkit, the final examination and diploma itself.
And what about phoning and texting? That just doesn’t seem right to me. I would think that encouraging you to sign up for their yearly membership on the platform itself is one thing. But using your phone number to text and call you to persuade you to sign up is unethical in my books.
I haven’t seen any recent complaints about the phoning. It could be because they now only offer a month to month membership plan…
Online Reviews
The number of negative reviews was alarming when I started researching this platform. There are not a lot of practical Shaw Academy reviews out there. The positive ones are definitely affiliates of the platform, so only point out the positives.
The remaining reviews I found consisted of complaint type forums like the BBB (Better Business Bureau), on Quora, and other online forums.
What I also found disturbing were the comments by former employees. On the website Glassdoor.ie, the employees gave the Shaw academy some pretty dismal reviews. It makes you wonder what goes on there, and how they manage their employees, lol.
The positive reviews were mainly about the course material itself, praising the education, the structure, and the instructors. So that’s encouraging, yet confusing.
The majority of Shaw Academy complaints seem to be with billing, service, or shipping issues. Many students were frustrated when being charged even after cancelling. Many emails and phone calls are never returned, and hard copy diplomas never arriving.
Recorded Webinars
Another valid concern is pre-recorded webinars. Many of the recordings were done in 2016.
Depending on the course you choose, this is a problem.
Take social media, for example. The way you use social media for any type of advertising or promotion changes rapidly. What worked in 2016 will not work today. This type of training needs to be continually upgraded.
I am always careful to take each “scam” comment with a grain of salt, but there are just too many. Below is a screenshot of a complaint from Zara on the website “Online Study Australia“.
So is Shaw Academy a scam? No.
Would I recommend them? A cautious yes.
I believe their platform can offer you legitimate training, but you should also beware of the number of negative reviews. Personally, it’s all the negative reviews holding me back.
The important question you need to ask yourself is…
“Am I doing this to supplement my resume or my income?
If it’s for your resume, and you need a diploma for proof, then OK. But if it’s to supplement your income, can I offer you a better recommendation?
Starting an online affiliate marketing business has given me so many income opportunities. And I’d love for you to come and see where I run my successful business.
This platform not only offers excellent training but for a lower cost than Shaw Academy, you’ll also get:
- all the tools required to set up your own website
- a keyword research tool for your best chances at successfully ranking on Google & Youtube
- and “world-class” support to actually start your own online business.
No surprise upsells or additional costs. And the certification courses are continually updated.
You can learn at your own pace, and start earning a supplemental income that could turn full time if you want it to.
The best part is you can start for free. With no credit card needed!
When you see the value of everything available, you can join and get your first month for only $19. Isn’t that crazy??
Click on the picture below to join, and I will personally meet you on the inside. I promise to be your coach for as long as you need me.
Have you taken any online courses before? Who did you choose, and why? I’d love to hear from you.
If you have any comments or questions, please ask me below and I’ll get right back to you.
Your friend,
Suzanne
Shaw Academy’s lectures are NOT live broadcast!! I can’t believe they actually are trying to claim that. What a joke.
I am currently on the free trial right now. I like that it lets you take as many courses as you’d like. I’m seriously taking like 10 of them right now to take advantage of the offer lol.
They are the spammiest company I’ve ever encountered. I get countless phone calls, texts, and emails every day from them. In the first couple of days, I think I counted 36 text messages from them!
You can’t watch a webinar without having to close out of at least 4-5 pop-ups trying to sell you something. Half the time, the webinar doesn’t play and I end up missing my class and having to reschedule. I try accessing it on the apps, my iPhone, my iPad, and my MacBook. Usually, my MacBook will play them but sometimes not. It’s really irritating to have to try all these different platforms and click through all those different pop-ups only to not be able to watch my class.
I don’t know why they make you schedule the classes in advance. They’re all prerecorded and the “live” assistance is just a bot. I tried reaching out to the bot that said they usually respond within 8 minutes. After 23 minutes, I still hadn’t received a response and closed out the window. What is mind-boggling to me is it’s a freaking bot–shouldn’t the response just be instant? Are they trying to make it seem like a real live person and make it more realistic, like having to wait for a live person to help you? It’s so dumb. And then it doesn’t even respond lol.
I definitely will be cancelling after the free trial. I am a little nervous now after reading all these negative reviews. Luckily, I am broke (lol, lucky me!) and they won’t be able to suck any money out of my account without my authorization because there is no money to suck out but it makes me nervous like they might be one of those super shady companies that keep trying to withdraw the money for months on end so when you finally deposit money in, they’ll be there to take it right out. I wonder if anyone has ever experienced that.
Overall, this is a super shady company. It’s nice being able to try out all these classes, but I can tell from the amount of spam I get from this company to the dangerous “one-click” purchases (which, by the way, don’t say they’re one-click purchases…they make it sound like you’re just clicking to learn more about the upsell). If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t sign up for the free trial. They’re just too shady for me.
Thanks, Jennifer, for sharing your experience. It’s good for people to know what happens when they sign up for anything, even a free trial.
One thing people can do in the future is to give an email that you’ve set up just for spam and block the text number you’re getting the texts from. At least, that’s what I would do, lol.
I’m not sure if you get the same amount of pop-ups for a paid course. Because you’re on a “free” trial, I’m sure they’re bugging you as often as possible to get you to pay!
And yes, be very careful of clicking anything. There are a lot of people who claim they’ve unintentionally bought something they didn’t want.
I wish you the best when you decide to cancel. Hopefully, it will go smoothly for you.
Cheers,
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne,
Absolute scam! They charged me for the course I didn’t even choose, then claimed that I opened the module with that money and I have to study it and refuses to refund me.
I never wanted to have that course in the first place. I’m going to fight for the money they stole from me.
Ugne
Hi Ugne,
I’m so sorry this happened to you.
And good for you for fighting for your money! Try registering a complaint with TrustPilot and the Better Business Bureau. That’s helped other people before.
Best wishes to you,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I have never bought a Monthly Subscription from Shaw academy, I paid for everything in my country and I never pressed the button BUY on their website.
But they have charged me a Monthly Subscription for 49,99€. At that moment I realized why it´s not possible to register without number account.
Yes, Shaw academy is a scam!
Izi
Hi Izi, and thanks for sharing.
It’s certainly dangerous to try and access anything with Shaw Academy, isn’t it? I’m so sorry you had to go through that.
I have heard from another customer who complained to TrustPilot and the BBB, and they were able to get a refund. I guess they don’t like it when people go public about their services, lol.
Good luck to you,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
This company is one big scam the prosecution should deal with them.
Adam
Hi Adam,
I have no idea how the legalities work. I can only hope that people are writing to their political officials, asking for reparation.
Especially those who live in the same country as Shaw. There should be something that can be done at the state level.
Thanks for commenting,
Suzanne
Hello,
I would like to describe my experience with Shaw Academy to prevent people falling victims of fraud.
I could document with mails and screenshots what I am writing.
I subscribed for a 4 weeks free trial English course on 2 Sep 2020.
The same day I unsubscribed and canceled my membership. I received a mail from them about how they are upset for my drop-out. But already on 3 Sep 2020 I was deducted 69.99 USD without using no one lesson or material.
I asked about refunding and stopping my membership.
They refused the refund and offered a 6-months free course instead with videos that I could use without entering in the classroom.
I was assured there will be no other payments. While trying to find out the videos I by mistake clicked on a window for purchasing toolkit and immediately was charged 39.99 USD.
Once you are in their site, there is a risk to click on one of the windows (this is very probable if the screen is small and the computer slow, and also because the site is not understandably designed) and to purchase unwanted services immediately, by 1 or 2 clicks of the mouse.
There is no warning or back options.
But if you decide to deactivate your account – then around 20 steps are needed. You even can’t do this yourself like in the normal sites.
They have a relevant team for this task and the full removing of the personal data will take a couple of weeks.
I could not be sure whether they have fully removed or not my personal data.
They have answers for all and are always very sorry about the customer’s negative experience with them, and at the same time they continue to steal you, charging you for new and new things.
Since 3 Sep 2020 I have 38 mails from them, from different persons, always with new proposals, offering you “for free” services you have never meant to participate in. And they are never able to refund you.
I have not counted the telephone calls, many times per day, and not stopping though I was not responding to them. I am afraid that in case of answering them, I could be again charged for something.
I asked them to cite where in their unique rules it is written that the sum for the 4 weeks free trial has to be deducted from your bank account from the first day, as in my case, but I did not receive an answer.
And why the so called toolkit during the trial period is remunerated. Acc. to their explications the toolkit is a record of the attended classes, and I did not participate in no one.
I could not find telephones for connection in their site, neither below the names of the persons writing their mails.
It is especially not honest that the fraud is disguised under the name of “education”, and hits people trying to progress or survive by acquiring new skills and knowledge, not by scam and stealing.
I have seen nothing similar in other educational or social sites.
Do not join Shaw Academy! It has to be Out-of-Law Academy.
Emiliya
Hi Emiliya,
I’m so sorry you had to go through this. Have you tried going to PayPal for help? The comment just before yours shares a similar story, and they were able to get a refund with PayPal’s help.
They also registered a complaint with TrustPilot and the BBB. Those are a couple of other things you can do.
I do really appreciate you sharing your story. It’s important that other readers can see this, and learn what not to do.
Thanks again, and good luck,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I joined the free trial in mid-August. I attempted to cancel within 48 hours and believed I had been successful, but unfortunately didn’t notice that I had not received an email confirmation. I did not think to cancel the PayPal authorization.
I had 15+ calls from overseas numbers that day. I didn’t answer any of them, but a quick google search said the numbers were associated with Shaw Academy.
4 weeks later, my PayPal account was charged $69.99 for one month of premium membership. I emailed requesting a refund within an hour.
The first response offered me 6 months free and said a refund wasn’t possible. The second response offered me 12 months free plus a free toolkit and a free certificate and said a refund wasn’t possible.
In the meantime, I lodged a dispute with Paypal and a complaint with BBB. I also wrote a review on Trustpilot.
They responded to the Trustpilot review saying that a refund was not possible. They responded to the BBB complaint offering a refund in 4-5 business days. And yesterday, the PayPal dispute was resolved in my favour so I got my money back through that.
I think you are being irresponsible to your readers by even cautiously recommending Shaw Academy. I do think they are a scam. I also think that offering someone 12 months free plus other bits and pieces because the customer unhappy about 1 monthly charge shows the true value of their product.
In addition, almost immediately after I signed up, I noticed that a LOT more spam was coming to my email account. It may be a coincidence, but I’m more inclined to think that Shaw Academy passed my details on.
Melanie
Hi Melanie, and thanks so much for sharing your story. I’m so happy you got your refund.
I always do my best to give an honest review with my own personal opinions. I understand that many have been dissatisfied with their registrations, and I believe many may have been scamed.
But I also hear from many who have had good experiences with Shaw Academy, so I have to represent them also.
This is why I say to be cautious. I recommend everyone read the fine print extremely well, and if you’re worried, cancel your PayPal authorization.
Thanks so much for your comment,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
As far as their good comments go, they email you to post a review and they’ll give you a toolkit for free. I’m glad I haven’t done this yet.
I recently joined because my friend sent me a link for free access. I didn’t sign up with a card, so I’m hoping she doesn’t get screwed over because it’s under her info.
They have recently messed up my classes. I was just about to finish module 1 of my social media marketing class but my final assignments weren’t up yet. Before I took my final class, I was getting bombarded with alerts that I was missing my module 2 classes because I was on vacation and rescheduled my last class to the following week. I went to reschedule my module 2 classes to start this coming week, and theY completely reset my module 1.
I contacted support online and they said that in order to continue to module 2, that I must finish module 1 classes all over again since it reset. I begged just to put all the classes back as it was and I’d finish my last couple assignments from the last class, but they’re refusing.
I’m very frustrated, as I feel this should be an easy fix. Especially with the amount of emails and notifications they send. I have proof for everything I did and attended.
I hope my friend and I can get out unscathed. She needs it more than I do to pad her resume and start a business. I was just planning to help her with some work.
The first module was pointless anyways, it was all advertising their school and basic info. One class was decent, but if you’re into technology and have an interest in social media, odds are, the first module is pointless and tiresome. And the pre recorded classes are not engaging or helpful to someone that needs a focus. Yes, it makes it convenient as far as class time availability goes, but it’s tough to concentrate.
Thanks for writing this article and sorry I dragged on. Just frustration pouring out.
Take care!
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for sharing your story. It’s always important for people to read other peoples experiences.
I understand your frustration. Like you said it’s an easy fix I would think. Having to redo a whole module when you shouldn’t have to sounds ridiculous.
I must say I keep hearing more and more negative comments about this platform.
And it’s disappointing to hear that the first module was mostly advertising. That certainly not good to hear.
Thanks again for sharing your experience,
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne,
These guys from Shaw Academy are the most discrete thieves ever. Once they have your debit/credit card details they’ll make unauthorized transactions and steal your money legally for whatever stupid reason.
If you make a complaint and ask for a refund they’ll tell you what’s written in their Terms & Conditions and they can’t accept your request. Also when you call to cancel your account (apparently you have to call, you can’t just do it directly from your account, they’ll never mention this so they have time to screw you up), you’ll be bombarded with offers for new subscriptions (so-called “cheaper options”).
They’ll also give you the opportunity to add others on your account and many more things instead of simply asking you to confirm your account cancellation (the worst part is that you’re talking to a robot so you’re wasting your time like crazy).
One day I got a call from one of their guys and he offered me some full subscription for less then he asked if it sounds good. I told him that it sounds good, I’ll think about it and let them know. But once I hung up my phone they wanted to charge me £100 for something I never agreed on. Good thing the transaction was cancelled due to insufficient funds.
Listen, everyone, don’t get near these guys if you really want to invest in your future. Everything that’s eye-catchy about them is just marketing crap and once you give them access to your bank account they’ll screw you up. Don’t let yourself get fooled by so-called “good reviews” on their website cause it’s all a lie. And not only that, the courses are too much theory-based, unprofessional and a waste of time (feels like they are teaching kids, not students/adults).
Be wise, invest in something that’s actually worth it. Don’t lose your money like me with this scam and always read the reviews first before starting a course online. These are not the only ones. There are others that charge you £1000, then at the end of the day, you’re left with nothing. Unfortunately, you can’t go against them and get your money back, because of the legal power, and what I call “legal stealing”.
PS: Always be cautious, it’s full of scams everywhere!
John
Hi John, and thanks for sharing your experience with Shaw Academy.
I hear this over and over again, and it’s so sad. I don’t know why they are STILL getting away with this.
It’s interesting about your take on their courses, though. It’s always someone commenting on the stealing.
I’d be interested in knowing what other site is charging $1000 and leaving you with nothing. That’s something I’d like to review as well if you can send me the name.
And yes, always be cautious and do your research. That’s why I write my reviews, so my readers can know the truth about all these different programs and products.
Sorry you lost your money, but thanks for commenting,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I signed up for a free 4 week trial through Facebook and 1 day later, before I had even seen my first class, they charged my Paypal $70 for a monthly subscription. It was also made as a recurring payment on PayPal.
I tried to cancel my membership and after several attempts to click cancel it wouldn’t let me and has directed me to a phone number to cancel that is not toll-free and with limited hours.
I have been ignored by the Shaw Academy staff and PayPal will not refund my money as they say I signed up for this. It says nothing about a fee for the FREE trial when you sign up.
There are HUNDREDS of people complaining about being scammed by Shaw Academy online. If you do a search on Facebook and on Twitter, you will see the complaints. People have been charged even up to hundreds of dollars for things they didn’t sign up for.
Many pages show good reviews but they have been in the news for paying for good reviews, only soliciting reviews from satisfied customers, removing negative reviews and offering refunds to people if they remove their negative reviews.
I thought your readers should know!
Thank you,
Marcie
Hi Marcie and thanks so much for sharing your experience.
I didn’t realize how they’ve been manipulating the reviews. That’s horrible but it’s obviously not working, is it? Especially when it hits the news.
I’m sorry PayPal won’t refund your first month’s payment, but at least you can remove the recurring payment option. At least PayPal is good for that option.
I have no idea why they’re continuing to do these things. You’d think they’d be shut down if they’re defrauding people.
Hopefully, people will be very careful to apply with them, if not avoid them altogether. There are many other legitimate e-learning platforms out there.
Thanks again for sharing,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne, I just want to point out one more sneaky tactic… their “4-week free trial”.
This is not your typical 30 days, that most of us think it is. It’s actually 28 days.
If you wait until you’re remotely close to day 28 to cancel, they will make it as ridiculously difficult as possible (even telling you that it’s cancelled but keeping your account active), and then will auto charge you on day 28 saying that you gave them “prior authorization”.
I just wanted your reader to know.
Chris
Hi Chris, and thanks for the heads up.
Can you tell me if their fine print just says “4-week”? Do they explain that it means 28 days vs 30 days?
I can certainly understand how frustrating that would be. And if they tell you your account is cancelled, and still charge you, that’s totally unacceptable. I would think you should be able to get your money back.
I would highly recommend you get everything in writing, and that way they can’t get away with such illegal activity.
Cheers,
Suzanne
My friend shared with me Shaw Academy’s one month free Photography course so I signed up to try it out.
I got tricked with the toolkit purchase which I didn’t realize until checked my credit card account that showed a $34.95 CAD Shaw Academy Paypal transaction that was pending.
I quickly canceled further charges between Paypal and Shaw Academy and asked for a refund, but got a reply that they can’t refund me. Honestly, they even offered me free e-certificate. I don’t know what is the point of getting a certificate from an academy with many bad reviews.
It’s my first time trying out Shaw Academy, and think they need to at least give new students a good impression. Now I feel like it’s just another scam.
I am relying on government support to get through this isolation. No one wants to get scammed during a time of financial and job insecurity during a pandemic. Here’s the email reply I received from them.
————
Parnel (Shaw Academy)
Jun 8, 2020, 11:42:41 AM GMT+1
Hi,
Thank you for contacting us.
I see that you have purchased the Toolkit shown in your members area, course page, pop-up banner and email by clicking on the “Buy Now” option.
Your Toolkit includes Webinar Slides for every lesson, Summary Notes for every lesson and Bonus videos. You can download these materials and save them on your device for future reference even after your access period expires.
You can access the toolkit resources under the “Resources” tab on your course page through your student login area (http://www.shawacademy.com/login.php) using a web browser.
Once the Toolkit is activated in your account, it is made available to you immediately for download hence it cannot be disabled or the access cannot be revoked. Hence, we will not be able to process the refund as per our terms and conditions. Click Here to review the same in particular section 5.8.
However, we at Shaw Academy do want to ensure you benefit thoroughly from our services. I would like to offer you credit to the value of $199 which can be used for your Certificate of Completion and also 3 remaining module toolkit and 1 hard copy diploma. This is far in excess of what you paid and you can download and access these for life. The Certificate of Completion will be excellent to achieve your goals for employment or self-improvement.
I have enabled this for you in your account and it will be activated within a few hours, so you have 3 additional toolkit, one E-certificate and a hard copy for free now.
Make sure to keep attending your classes and stick with you plan and you will see the results. You will now also get your Certificate of Completion at the end of the module for free.
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Shaw Academy Team
Kind Regards,
Parnel
Web: http://www.shawacademy.com
Delivering great education, accessibly and affordably, to everyone
Hi Pauline, I’m sorry you had to go through this. I at least hope the course on photography was worth it for you.
Their email to you implies that you clicked a buy now button. It seems strange that they would say this after you said you were tricked into it. I wonder if this is their standard answer to all refund requests whether it’s true or not.
I really appreciate you sharing your story with us. Your experience can help future students be very wary of applying for courses with them. If nothing else, to be very careful what they click on when they attempt to register for a course.
I truly hope you got a lot out of your course, and wish you the best during this difficult time.
Best wishes,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I am doing the Leadership and Management course and have zero issues so far.
If you miss a session you can access the recording like 2 hrs after the session ends. (i.e if the class was 8 am and you “join class” at 8.05 sometimes you won’t get in.) If you log out and go back in you will get to access this.
I schedule classes very easily. As a matter of fact, I did two sessions back to back on the same day. I did not do 2 classes per week, but rather a class every day. So this is very flexible.
With the toolkit, yes, you have to be careful not to click it but you can close it off so I am not understanding people’s issues with this. And NO I am not working at Shaw Academy.
The toolkit is an optional buy if you need the reading and listening material. I bought 1 toolkit for my 4 modules (32 lessons) class and never needed the rest so the only cost to me was the e-certificate at the end of each module.
My only issues are:
1. The lecturer does not respond to emails
2. Shaw does not respond to emails
Thanks for your honest review,
Nicole
Hi Nicole and thanks so much for your comment!
It’s so great to hear some positive reviews for a change, lol. Though most of the negative reviews are about refunds and credit card charges that weren’t approved. It appears you’ve had no problems with that.
It’s too bad about the lack of contact though. Many people may need additional answers to their questions if it’s not provided in the training. I just don’t understand why no one answers emails??
Thanks for letting us all know about your personal experience. I really appreciate it!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne,
I finished a Professional Diploma in Leadership and Management last January 2020. I took it from September 2019-January 2020 because of its 4-month duration.
Even though your classes will fall on a holiday, especially Christmas and New Year, it will still push through. But since everything here is asynchronous, you’ll just replay the missed classes under recordings.
For someone who doesn’t have a management degree, I somehow appreciated the contents of the course that I’ve taken.
In terms of the cost, I must agree that you’ll have to pay extra for a diploma. All in all, I only paid for 3 months subscription (because the first month is free) and the 4 assignments of every module. You need to pay a little extra to be able to access and finish the last assessments per module.
Once you are able to pay those 4 then you will be eligible to acquire the softcopy of the Diploma. However, I thought that maybe it would be special if I had their hardcopy diploma so I purchased it as well. I received their mail within 1.5 to 2 months. I received a printed diploma and a congratulatory/confirmation letter.
To sum up, my experience was satisfactory. I even recommended a friend and colleague to take the Professional Diploma in Graphic Design. He just finished it in April 2020 but we only opted for the softcopy of the diploma.
Martin
That’s wonderful Martin! Congratulations on your diploma!
It sounds like everything went well with your course and your membership.
Can I ask if you needed to contact the teacher for any reason? Did he or she respond to you? That seems to be an issue with some students.
Wishing you well with your future studies!
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne, I have a question.
I have started a 30-day free trial and didn’t have to submit my payment. I just didn’t put in my payment information.
I am not finding anywhere to cancel my membership.
How do I cancel this free trial?
Amelia
Hi Amelia,
You were very fortunate if you didn’t have to add your credit card information. If they don’t have any payment details then just let the free trial run out. They can’t charge you if they don’t have your credit info.
If I misunderstood you, and they do have it, then I’d first try to contact them to cancel for you. But from what I’ve heard it may be next to impossible.
I would consider calling your credit card company and speak to them. They may be able to help you without having to cancel your card.
Good luck and please let us know how it went.
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I have never been so happy to see that others have experienced what I am going through at this very moment. The date is 04/17/2020 and I am about to cry with how frustrated I am right now.
I saw an advert on Facebook that advertised a free month of classes for Graphic Design. I signed up with the intention of cancelling well knowing that they were going to charge me afterwards. After multiple failed attempts to show up to my “online classes,” I figured it was best just to cancel the membership before I reached the deadline.
I was 13 days away from my free trial ending and when I went to go cancel my membership I was met with the website asking if I wanted to restart my free trial instead. I figured I give myself another chance to give this another shot and show up to the classes this time around and decided to restart my free trial.
After the page reloaded, I was brought to the main page where the module was for Graphic Design was listed on the top left-hand corner of the page. My class was about to start in a couple of hours but I knew I wasn’t going to make it. I noticed in that module that there was an edit feature next to the time and date. This I assumed meant I can edit/reschedule when I wanted my classes to be. I scrolled up and clicked on the pen icon next to the date/time of the module when the page suddenly refreshed.
I stood there frozen as the page loaded to a pop-up congratulating me for my $39.99 purchase of a Tool-Kit. What the heck just happened? I didn’t click on any purchase button. I wasn’t even on a page where I was being offered a toolkit. I know for 100% that I did not click on anything other than the edit icon (which was in the shape of a pen) next to the date/time of the module.
I reached out to their customer service through email and was met with a free diploma and 2 additional toolkits as compensation for my inconvenience. I was very direct in the email and demanded the money they stole from me to be returned in full. I am a college student and I was/am desperately relying on that money for groceries as I am being quarantined on campus.
After multiple attempts in getting them to get back to me, the same individual reached out and met me with a “deal” of 2 free diplomas and even more toolkits…I am infuriated and utterly hopeless. I just want my money back and more importantly, I want justice.
These are some of the interactions I had with the customer service representative:
Me:
04/10/2020
I was charged for an online “tool kit” that I never purchased!!!!!
I was ready to cancel my free 30-day trial and decided to give you guys a second chance by restarting my trial. I then went over to the model and clicked on the time it takes place to edit it and all of a sudden the page reloads and with a notification thanking me for my purchase! I want my money back and I want it back now. I am negative on my account and I hope that I don’t get an overdraft fee. I am in complete shock right now. I clicked on the edit tool next to the time and all of a sudden I’m being charged for something? I hope this is not a scam.
Card ending in: ****
Transaction: 04/10/2020
Amount: $39.95
Attachment(s)
Image.jpeg
______
04/13/2020
Rep: Hi J****, Thank you for contacting us.
I see that you have purchased the Toolkit shown in your member’s area, course page, pop-up banner and email.
Your Toolkit includes Webinar Slides for every lesson, Summary Notes for every lesson and Bonus Videos and has proven to be very popular as supporting materials for your classes and revision notes as well. Students using Toolkit very often have both higher completion rates and grades for their courses.
You can also download these materials and save them on your device for future reference even after your access period expires. You can access the toolkit resources under the “Resources” tab on your course page through your student login area **** using a web browser.
Once the Toolkit is activated in your account it is made available to you and we have transferred the content to you hence it cannot be disabled as it was provided therefore, we cannot refund.
However, we at Shaw Academy do want to ensure you benefit thoroughly from our services. Our mission is higher education at a lower cost and my role is to ensure you achieve your learning outcomes, gain the skills you want and need and enjoy the process as well. I have therefore taken the liberty of speaking my manager and we would like to offer you credit to the value of $199 which can be used for 3 remaining module toolkits and 1 hard copy diploma. This is far in excess of what you paid and you have had access until now and will continue to do so for life.
I have activated this for you in your account, so you have 3 additional toolkits and a hard copy for free now.
All that is left to say now is that attending your lessons is key to succeeding, you started with real goals and all you need to do is attend one class at a time and you will achieve them. We pride ourselves on our product and the high-quality standards we maintain. We would like to make things right.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Shaw Academy Team
Kind Regards,
Vincent
Delivering great education, accessibly and affordably, to everyone
_______
04/14/2020
Me: Wait a minute, I ask you for my money back and you come back with this? What part of me wanting my money back for something I DID NOT PURCHASE makes you think I want more tool-kits?
I am a college student and I’m struggling right now because of the quarantine. I needed this money last week! I have run out of groceries, I can’t believe I still haven’t been refunded! Give me my money back now! This is the worst customer service I have ever experienced!!!!
____________
04/15/2020
Rep: Hi J****, Thank you for reaching out again.
I have reviewed your email and this matter further, however, unfortunately, there is no way at all a refund can be processed for you. Unfortunately, the issue remains that the terms and conditions were made readily available, you have clicked on the “Buy Now/One-click Purchase” button to make the payment and the making available of our terms and conditions furthermore we made available the content for which the payment was made. We cannot offer a refund in these circumstances.
I want to help you. During our last exchange, I had offered you 3 module toolkits and 1 hard copy diploma worth $199 an awful lot of money free of charge as I just want to help. I have tried to come up with something further and the very best I can possibly do is to increase that to All courses Toolkit plus 2 Hard Copy Diplomas worth $599.
This is very much an exception as I have listened to everything you said, and I am doing everything to improve your satisfaction and help you to achieve your goals.
What I now request that you do is go into your account and select when you want to start back studying and let’s achieve your goals. All that is left to say now is that attending your lessons is key to succeeding, you started with real goals and all you need to do is attend one class at a time and you will achieve them.
I have activated this for you in your account, so you have All courses Toolkit and 2 Hard Copy Diplomas for free. We pride ourselves on our product and the high-quality standards we maintain. We would like to make things right and help you progress in your career.
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Shaw Academy Team
Kind Regards,
Vincent
___________
04/17/2020
Me: I am in utter shock right now. I honestly want to cry. How dare you call me a liar. I never clicked on that button. Regardless of your terms, I am starving. I am a college student. I have no money and you can’t refund me a measly $40? Shame on you. Shame on all of you. You seriously have a messed up sense of what I want as a customer. Keep your stupid diploma. Keep your stupid toolkit. I will not rest until I get my money back and you can bet I will be taking this to a lawyer. You robbed me. I never pressed that damn button. For a company that is worth so much, you can spare to return money that you stole from me. This will not be the last time you hear from me. That is what I will leave you with.
_______________________________________________________________
PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM SHAW ACADEMY! Learn from my lesson and I hope that if anything I can save other people time and money from being in the hands of these con artists. Calling tomorrow to cancel my membership as I just tried to cancel now and was met with 6 different please of trying to get me to stay then a phone number I have to call to actually cancel?
How is this still happening in 2020? Shaw Academy was the most reliable company I used to go to when I was a teenager. How did this happen? I may never know the answer to this question but I hope that you never get ask it for yourself. Stay away!
Wow, JV, I’m so sorry you had to go through this. I amazed they say you pressed the “buy now” button when you hadn’t.
It’s ridiculous that they treat people this way. And for only $40. You’re right, the customer service is horrible.
I’m not sure what you can do to get this fixed. If you know a lawyer who won’t charge you, go for it. But unfortunately, it could cost you way more than the $40 you lost, so be careful.
You could report them to the BBB, and any other similar site. There are also many Facebook posts on their page. You may want to post your issues there as well.
If I were you, I would consider talking to your credit card company to see if they can be blocked from future purchases. If nothing else, cancel your card and get a new number for safety’s sake.
In the meantime, take advantage of their courses. If I understood their last email, you have toolkits for all their courses? You might as well take the courses. Maybe there are new things you can learn to advance your career.
I wish you all the best and hope this get’s resolved,
Suzanne
I think I may have had a similar experience – I discovered a PayPal payment had been made, yet as far as I was concerned, I had never clicked on any “Buy” options.
However, I’ve since noticed that all over their pages are “1-click purchase” buttons, and am now extremely careful where I click in case I accidentally buy something I don’t want. Until I read these and other reviews on Shaw Academy, I assumed I had unintentionally clicked on one of these buttons, but I’m now convinced that my initial feeling that I didn’t is correct.
I am actually quite enjoying the course, though, so I decided that I would simply make full use of the tool kit I have been tricked into buying. But I have cancelled the PayPal auto payment as I am wary of being charged at the end of the free trial.
What worries me about cancelling in good time is that I may lose access to the course for the remainder of my supposedly free time. Has anyone had any experience of this?
Rachel
Hi JV,
I have suffered the same fate with Shaw Academy only 3 days before you. I was charged without explicit consent and due to the misleading wording on the website.
I don’t know where you are from but I suggest you report this to your local consumer rights organizations, as many times as you can. If within the EU, I have found the ECC (European Consumer Centre) and Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to be responsive BUT no outcome yet.
Many more people like us have been scammed, it is illegal and as a result this fraudulent company has made.. well probably millions by now.
Aside from reporting, I am looking into joining forces with all the victims of the scams to perhaps find a more immediate solution. There is strength in numbers and the fact we are all isolated and can’t contact each other (especially on websites like Trustpilot) makes them immune to actual legal action.
I hope the owner of this website will let me post some links with information:
https://www.reddit.com/user/Shawacademy_scam/
https://www.instagram.com/shawacademy.scam/
((here you will also find why they have “changed”))
I am not affiliated to these accounts but I hope to discuss a plan of action with other victims of the scam. Please save any evidence/screenshots you have! (the organizations I mentioned above will require them)
Hope we will all get out money back!
I accidentally clicked on their one click payment and I emailed them of the mistake. I received the EXACT first email you did.
Hello Suzanne,
I have used Shaw academy in the past and I did not have this problem. I currently signed up for a free 4 wk course through a T-mobile promotion.
I have the ability to do this training with the mandatory quarantine and just using this time to sharpen my skills and be better for online marketing and content creation.
The information is good and the module is becoming difficult and challenging since I have to follow along and create as I’m going through the course.
In a previous course I took I was able to unsubscribe and did not get charged. I just verified my account since I recently started taking a course and it has a “cancel” and “unsubscribe” button.
I will update you once I try to cancel in the next few weeks. If I do, I was actually thinking of signing up for the year to take advantage of various online courses that would benefit my future plans.
Denisse
Hi Denisse, and thanks so much for your comment!
It’s so good to hear that someone has had a positive experience with Shaw Academy. There are so many bad reviews, that I was wondering what the heck was going on with them.
I’m pleased you’re enjoying the courses. And with this lockdown, it’s a perfect time to take online courses. They offer quite a choice, and with a year membership, you could get a lot of training under your belt.
And yes, please, let us all know if you choose to cancel your subscription. It would be great to know if all goes well.
Thanks again for your reply,
Suzanne
Hi there,
I stumbled across these posts because I was also a bit concerned after reading all the negative reviews on Facebook.
However, what I noticed is that almost all the complaints were about the payment. But not the actual content being taught.
I do find it annoying that we have to pay for every final exam module. But I guess there is no such thing as a free lunch.
The question that I cannot seem to find an answer for is are we wasting our time with the info that we are being taught? I think with me I didn’t even think twice about checking into them before I signed up was because I won a free trial with them from Vodacom who I have a monthly subscription with. So I did not think that this could be a “scam”.
I work in Real Estate and I have dealt with a few situations where the fine print is not read and then people get angry and are so quick to bash us over social media but in the interim they did not ask the relevant questions.
So again it brings me back to where people are quick to say it’s a scam because they are being billed, but no one is talking about the content.
This is what I am interested in finding out the answer.
Thanks again for your honest review,
Charlz
Hi Charlz, and thanks for pointing that out.
Yes, it’s true that people are totally frustrated with their billing department. But from what I’ve heard, the course material is fine. I have no idea if it’s consistently being updated or not, but I haven’t heard otherwise.
I would think that’s important for some courses! Especially if you’re wanting a certificate.
If you’re concerned, I would consider investigating the courses more deeply and trying to discover when they were originally written. I’m not sure if you’ll get any responses to emails, but it’s worth a try.
You might also consider platforms like Udemy. And I know they show their professors names with dates and updates. You can also contact the teachers directly.
I hope this has helped, and thanks for commenting.
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne,
I am a lifetime member that cost me about £18 a few yrs back. I was able to get a diploma in Photography with certification.
Now it seems to charge for certs and everything else. I’m disappointed but not surprised given the offers of between £16-900 for a lifetime membership.
This shows me they have no real business model, and to survive they need all the new costs of certifications and toolkits.
Thanks for sharing,
Hugh
Hi Hugh, and thanks for visiting!
It is disappointing, isn’t it? Like you, I believe they were reliable in the beginning and offered value for their prices. But everything seems to have gone downhill.
I hear more and more bad reviews from some very unhappy members. My biggest concern is their lack of service and charging people’s cards without authorization.
It’s too bad. It’s going to catch up with them I would think.
Thanks again,
Suzanne
Hi there,
Will there be any problem if I just provide my phone number and email, but no credit card details?
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
You can create an account with just your name, email address and phone number. But you can’t take any course material without giving them your credit card information.
Even if they offer the first 4 weeks free, they still require your card.
Sorry about that. I truly think you can find other courses online with a more honest platform. I highly recommend Udemy or LinkedIn Learning. There are many more accredited services as well.
Best wishes to you,
Suzanne
Hey Suzanne,
The Shaw Academy is a scam. Don’t share your credit card details with this company!
I subscribed for the one month free trial with them for the Digital Marketing course. Of course, for this, I had to provide my card information. And their policy clearly states that if you cancel your membership before the trial period ends, your card will not be charged.
After 2 weeks I realized that I don’t like this course and cancelled my membership through Shaw Academy App. I had a few calls from their customer service straight away, asking me for a reason for my cancellation. And a bunch of emails trying to convince me to reactivate my membership by providing a discount, better-paying plans and free knowledge tools.
Interesting thing is – I did not receive an email confirming that my membership was cancelled ( which should have alarmed me at that time). It just stated – non_renewing- status under my profile in their App.
No need to explain how frustrating I was when 1 month later I received a message from my bank saying that my card had been charged by Shaw Academy as a payment for my membership.
I called their customer service agent and the lady told me that she will call me back to resolve my issue. No calls had been ever returned.
I’ve dropped a few emails stating my concern. One email has been answered by someone named Mitchel (no family name or company position was stated in the email). He said many things in his long email but never answered for my question of “how come my card had been charged if I clearly cancelled it before the trial ended”.
He could not answer this question and instead was offering me a 1-year free membership as a means to “improve my satisfaction”. And since the transaction was already completed, he stated: “there is no way at all a refund can be processed for you”.
I’ve sent a few other emails, trying to get my money back, but they don’t even bother to answer anymore.
So, I had to cancel my card and replace it. It’s a learning lesson for me to be more careful and check reviews before providing my card details to any merchants.
Thanks so much for your review, and hopefully it will help others to stay away.
Marina
Hi Marina, and thanks so much for sharing your experience with Shaw Academy.
That sounds totally frustrating! If someone says you can cancel your membership, then you should be able to.
If I were you, I’d be calling the Better Business Bureau! Though I’m sure there are many complaints lodged there already.
This is why I caution everyone who signs up with this business. There are a few happy clients, but the majority seem disappointed or downright angry. It’s just not worth the trouble.
There are many great courses online for any number of topics. Udemy is one of those great sources.
I truly hope this hasn’t turned you off from taking more online courses. But as you said, make sure you do your research first. I’ve personally taken many Udemy courses, and haven’t had any issues.
Best wishes to you,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I am/was a lifetime member and they used to be really good.
The accreditation at EQF level 5 is misleading. They sell it at the start of the course, and if you get the EQF certification at the end of it, you get 10 credits towards the 120 needed for a full certification. But as the subject matters have to be associated, you are never going to get a full certification from Shaw.
My biggest concern is the use of recorded webinars. The Leadership and Management course I took a few weeks ago was nearly 3 years old, and I believe the educator left Shaw 2 years ago.
So they cobbled together an intro from a current member of staff and he ‘handed it over’ to the new educator.
And don’t get me started on the new Certification costs for lifetime members, or especially the ‘Masters’ programme they rolled out in April for a July start earlier this year! It’s still not started.
Graeme
Oh dear, Graeme, I’m sorry you’re not enjoying your lifetime membership.
This is what bothers me. Most of what I hear about the Shaw Academy is negative. I don’t know why they can’t provide a better service.
Their website is impressive and makes you feel like they really care, but I’m not sure they do. It’s almost as if it’s only about the money now.
If this keeps up, I expect they’ll have to shut down in the future. I hope you don’t lose too much money in the process.
Cheers,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
This is great information you share here.
I am done my course here, and I am wondering if I should pay for the certificate. What I need to know is if there is any value for the certificate?
Deval
Hi Deval, I’m happy you enjoyed my post.
The certificate would be useful if the course you took was for job advancement. If you add this to your resume, it would show that you’ve taken the initiative to further your knowledge.
It really depends on your reasoning for taking these courses. If you took a course for personal development, then the certificate would simply be for your own benefit. Is the cost worth having it to hang on your own wall? That’s only something you can answer.
Apparently, in the UK and area, there are businesses who would take these courses as accredited, so if you’re from that part of the world, getting your certificate could be useful.
I don’t believe they would be recognized in the Americas.
I hope this answered your question, and if you have any more, please let me know!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Terrible.
I have tried to cancel my subscription multiple times with no success and was charged for 2 months after contacting them the first time with no response, then after being charged again, reached out again and get told I can’t get my money back because it shows no attempt to cancel!
So not happy about this.
Oh dear, I’m so sorry you have to go through this.
You’re certainly not the first one to have said this. There are quite a few reviews like yours online.
I’m not sure why they’re not concerned about their reputation. It’s only going to hurt their business.
I truly hope you’re able to get this settled, if not by the academy, then maybe with your credit card.
Wishing you success,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
Your readers need to know this.
When you’re in a trial mode there is no cancel button, for you to stop it before billing.
The cancel button will appear on the day of payment and that’s crazy.
I never wanted to continue with their services because I was not satisfied with the first course. I tried to cancel but there was nowhere to do that.
Now they’ve charged my account. This is a scam! Be careful!
Hi Isie,
Thanks so much for letting us know! That’s such a shame. I sure hope you got in touch with them via phone or email.
This is something I was worried about, and why I never joined the platform. There were too many negative reviews.
You should have been allowed to cancel at any point. That’s pretty sneaky of them to only provide the means on the day your payment is due. They might be hoping that people won’t want to fight them and just let the payment through. They could make a lot of extra money that way.
I encourage you to fight to get your money back. And thanks again for commenting and letting everyone know what happened. It will help others decide what to do in the future, I’m sure!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Hi,
I invested some of my savings in Shaw Academy shares one year ago, and they talked about 3-4 times gain in a two to three years period.
Unfortunately, I believed them, and I feel like a fool…..
A couple of days ago I received a check for one Euro in return…and no shares left.
Don’t let them fool more people!
Hi Anders,
Wow. I had no idea they were selling shares. And I’m so sorry you lost your money.
Buying and selling shares on the open market is something entirely different again. This is a risky business. I know many people who dabble in this, and many lose more money than they gain. I believe you have to be quite experienced to know what you’re doing, and even then it’s a risk.
It sounds like they needed some cash and sold shares to get it. But instead of their shares gaining in value, they lost. Again, I’m so sorry that happened to you.
Thanks for sharing your story,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I think that the article is misleading a bit. It is true that the courses are basic but that is only for the regular basic course. The advanced courses are complex and a great starting point for career knowledge.
The other thing is that the advanced course programs are accredited to an EQF 5 level. Simply, it means that it is worth putting it on a resume.
Now, keep in mind that knowledge doesn’t stop here and you should always learn more and more. This is just a great start point.
Cheers
Hi An, and I appreciate your comment.
It’s always good to hear from someone who’s actually taken their courses. And I’m happy to hear that the advanced courses offer more in-depth training.
Are you from Europe by chance? I’m told the accreditation is beneficial there, more than anywhere else.
I’d love to know what you think about the support. This was one of my concerns. Unfortunately, the reviews aren’t very good, and my readers would appreciate hearing something positive, lol.
You’re certainly right about always learning. Especially when it comes to the area of your employment. The more knowledge you gain, the greater the chances for advancement.
Thanks again for leaving your personal experience.
Suzanne
Very interesting review and thanks.
Yes, there are so many vehicles to learn online today and of course, you need to be careful. There are times the price might be ‘right’ and the information ‘sketchy’…it is a rare thing when you find both factors coming together for a worthwhile union.
I guess you really can’t downplay traditional school too much – at least you could find the teacher and ask for more information.
Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
There are certainly many platforms claiming they can teach you a variety of things. And yes, it’s often hard to find one that does what they claim.
I’m a big believer in reading reviews on anything you wish to purchase online. If you average out all the reviews, it’s usually pretty close to what you can expect. Though I believe this platform to be ok, I’m worried about the lack of support.
Having been with Wealthy Affiliate for years now, I can honestly say they deliver what they promise, and you have several different types of support for quick and easy answers.
Cheers,
Suzanne
Even though I have never heard about the Shaw Academy, they seem to offer some good courses.
Nonetheless, it is so important to read reviews like this before committing to these online courses.
I know I had my share of these, and ever since I found the right training, I don’t look at any other. I am satisfied with what Wealthy Affiliate offers.
Great article that brings awareness.
Hi Carol and thanks for your comment.
Yes, some of their courses look very interesting. I’m just concerned about their services “behind the scene”. I think if you read all the reviews, both good and bad, then you should be able to make an informed decision.
With Wealthy Affiliate, you don’t have to worry about anything shady going on. They’ve always proved themselves trustworthy and transparent. I’m glad you think so too!
Cheers,
Suzanne
Great review! I have not heard of Shaw Academy, but the internet is a big place.
It is always a red flag to me when you are asked to provide a phone number with your application. I hate those phone calls and I resent companies that want to call me to do a personal up-sell.
I am also a member of an online education site that uses videos from 5 years ago. For online marketing, that is hopelessly out of date and hugely disappointing.
Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Irma, and thanks for commenting.
Thankfully I haven’t gotten any phone calls yet, but I haven’t gone as far as to actually pay for a course yet. The emails have been relentless, though, even though I have unsubscribed.
And yes, any training in online marketing should be updated yearly. Some social media sites change more often than that! Personally, I think this is a sign that they’re more interested in people’s money than in beneficial training.
Cheers,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I read with interest about Shaw Academy, and think you have thoroughly reviewed their offer.
I will use this to find out some more information about them and alternative options.
Thanks, Alan
Hi Alan,
I’m glad you liked my review. I believe their courses are legitimate and many students enjoy them. They are limited in what they offer, and hopefully, they continue to add to their list of topics.
You should always do research on any platform you might be thinking about purchasing. It’s from the reviews that you gain student opinions and this always helps to make up your mind.
Cheers,
Suzanne
Interesting. I’ve never heard of this before. A unique approach to the live training. Although I know of another that has that.
Laura
Hi Laura,
It is different than most in that regards, yes. You’re not always speaking with the instructor, but their “extras” who help answer questions are supposed to be knowledgeable on the topic.
Yes, I’m guessing you’re talking about Wealthy Affiliate’s weekly live webinars. They are great too!
Cheers,
Suzanne