"READ READ READ before signing up.
I chose to try Lingoda’s sprint program from February 20-April 20. When reviewing the structure and cost (a big decision point for me) I decided that I was dedicated enough to attend all classes and was excited for the opportunity to choose the 50-class reward at the end for attending all 30 classes within 60 days. I reviewed the rules closely and was off. When I received my first 15 credits I scheduled my classes between Feb 20 – March 20 (one month). About a week before March 20, I received the second set of 15 credits, and scheduled them all before the 20th of April. I attended every class at 7am, was never late, never left early and never rescheduled. However, when the sprint ended, Lingoda informed me that I violated the rules. When I asked why, they said I took 17 classes the first month and 13 the second month. This was apparently because February had 28 days and they define a “month” just as 30 days. Their response was “We know it seems unfair, but rules are rules”.
Their motivation is to lure people in who really want a cost-effective option to learn a new language to then use their rules to avoid refunds. Bait and switch. If they wanted people to win and focus on learning (not their rules) they would block days of the first “month” when second set of credits were distributed which wouldn’t allow you to schedule classes before the “second month” of a sprint.
Lingoda will automatically subscribe you for absurd class subscriptions at the end of your course and charge a lot of money without email notifications and because they have rules, they can’t possibly violate them. I guess rules are more important to this company than ethics.
If you want a better and more straightforward experience with a transparent company, please avoid Lingoda and try spanishvip.com."
"Hello fellow language learners, I’d just like to share a word of caution with Lingoda. Firstly, I think the teachers are great and it’s a good system. That’s why it’s such a shame how their customer service operates, and especially how sneaky they are with their ‘Sprint’ programme. I am (soon to be was) an existing student on a subscription for 12 credits per month (equal to 12 classes per month). I thought the Sprint programme was a good way to speed up the learning process but also I was dangled the carrot of the possibility of getting my cash back if I completed it successfully. What a great initiative, I thought. So on 27 June, I signed up for the Sprint starting on 11 July. I worked hard and made sacrifices during the Sprint to happily say at the end of the 2 months I completed everything successfully. They take a while to get back to you on your results - but after nearly 3 months, I got an email saying ‘sorry you were in breach of the rules and therefore will not receive your refund’.
Customer service said I was in breach of this rule:
“The Customer shall be disqualified from the Cashback if the customer uses a Credit for a class that takes place before the Start Date”.
They said that yes I had completed the number of classes required in the period but I since I had taken classes between 27 June and 11 July I breached the rules.
I of course wrote back and said, I was an existing student and therefore had credits I had paid for relating to the previous period and that I didn’t use any credits relating to the sprint - and they said no, you may not use credits relating to ANY period, even if you paid for the previous month. I said, so I’m supposed to stop taking classes for 2 weeks even though I’ve paid for them? And they said yes. I argued back and fourth saying every and all existing students would be disqualified if that was the case - and they said yes that’s the case. Ridiculous.
Once again I’ll say I’ve had a good experience with the teachers and I have made progress in learning German. It’s just such a shame that the company itself wants to bite the hand that feeds them from their student subscribers.
In summary - I’d steer clear of Lingoda, but if you are an existing student, stay away from the Sprint programme, it’s just a means of squeezing more money out of a loyal customer."
"I had a horrible experience in my very first German class. Despite lingoda being very clear no cameras are needed the teacher (Rudolf Walter) proceeded to kick me out after I refused to enable my camera.
Moreover, students cannot simply give the teacher a bad review because
A) if you are kicked out the teacher can simply mark you absent and so you don’t get the review option,
B) reviews are only available to teachers and lingoda…. So teachers are not held accountable.
"
"For the fifth time in a week I get the 403 ERROR
The request could not be satisfied. If I can't load the website to sign up, I imagine now how it goes after the purchase and why there are so many bad reviews."
"So the previous review is 100% true, this is I wanted to share coming here. The company is a pure scam. Surprised how they survive and still promote this Sprint. I've checked popular job board platforms to confirm that if there are so many bad reviews outside from students, there should be even more of them inside. Fish rots from the head. And I was right, their employer brand score is low and employees have been actively reporting the same about scamming on money like peanuts for monkeys."
"Careful on the sprints. They reel you in with promises but then don't keep them when you meet requirements. I was up at the crack of dawn and all night making sure I took all the classes to have them months later tell me I didn't meet the requirements. They even had the wrong data on their end when discussing, which I had to show them the download on their site that showed different information. Now I'm in a battle to try and make them stay true to their word. Not worth the headache. Find another service."
"Here I share a discount code 739rfc.
I have learned a lot with lingoda."
"I purchased 10 lessons. Of them, I took only 2. And suddenly my subscription was out of credits and I could not continue taking classes. I wrote to them and they didn't solve the problem. At least not until now, which is already bad, because a week has passed and I'm losing classes."
"I think that the positive sides in Lingoda are more than the negative ones. Yes I agree that the platform needs some improvement, but to be honest. I have learned through it and my German improved very well.
What I like the most is the flexibility of time. I am a mother and I can not attend a regular school, so for me Lingoda is a good choice.
Also, lingoda offers native teachers.. And that is so important.
But I think that they should reduce the number of the students in the class.. Sometimes you feel that the teacher cannot interact enough with you.
But in general.. This is a great experience.
Try it.. You can learn in the first month just with 9 euro if you subscribed with this coupon code : w7rctx while you register, and if you are not satisfied, you can cancel anytime! Happy learning "
"It's really helpful and easy and it helps. The classes are very helpful and through. They have them anytime. The teachers are very helpful and real "
"CAREFUL! THEY WILL FIND ANY WAY TO STEAL YOUR MONEY AND NOT GIVE IT BACK LATER! AUTOMATED PAYMENTS WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT AND THAT ARE NOT IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS IF YOU WISH TO GET A REFUND AFTER AN UNREQUESTED AUTOMATED PAYMENT OF $339!
When I argued this with one of their customer service employees, she just told me that I should have read the explanation of their version of the Terms and Conditions refund and what they consider to be a first payment in their FAQ. When I told them that an FAQ is not a legal document, and if they wish to change what they meant in their legal Terms and Conditions document, that they should make a new legal document for everyone to read and understand, and not just make up their own version and interpretation that adds new exceptions to their terms constantly. And the only response that I got was a, "Sorry, we will not refund you your money"."
"Great teachers, I've learned a lot. Thank you!"
"Great teachers, I've learned a lot. Thank you!"
"Great teachers, comprehensive learning materials, and I have seen a huge improvement in just a couple of months of regular lessons!
Well worth giving them a try."
"Since learning with Lingoda, I have finally started gaining in confidence and being able to speak German. Teachers are great and qualified, nice materials.
They actually get you SPEAKING, not just studying! "