Someone at Scam.com confirmed that these two companies are run by the same people. I have also come to that same conclusion. But that person said the company has not done anything "illegal" and only has one complaint in 2010. I beg to differ and here is why...
What is legal in one country may not be legal in another and we are talking about a company that fishes for victims in one country to go work in another. Also there is a very fine line between what is "legal" and what is "ethical". I believe lying to people to buy something is a scam. Specifically these companies tell people that they can get guaranteed teaching jobs and internships in China, but ONLY IF they buy one of their TEFL courses and get a TEFL certificate. THIS IS A BLATANT LIE. You do not need a TEFL certificate to teach in China. And even if that was true, their certificate is not recognized nor accepted. Only the CELTA & TESOL certificates are internationally recognized. I taught as and ESL teacher in China for almost 3 years and know what I am talking about.
Lastly, it was suggested that this company only had one complaint. Not true. I found many complaints (over a dozen) like this one below that goes back to 2008. There are others from 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Google "i-to-i scam for yourself or onlinetefl scam since there are two companies involved (maybe more that we do not know of yet?) Anyway, I am curious to know the names of the owners of these two companies that have been accumulating victms and complaints for the last 5 years. Here is the 2008 complaint found at this link:
Tefl Spin: Volunteer to be a Sucker
Monday, July 7, 2008
Volunteer to be a Sucker
Following on the heels of the discovery that the TEFL certificate course I completed six years ago is essentially worthless, I'm in a nasty mood regarding all things related to TEFL training.
***
If the ostensible motive for any action is to help out those in need, basically anything goes. Even if the end result is huge profit for those making the supposedly altrusitic effort.
Take a look at this ad dressed up as a "news story." An outfit called i-to-i, a self-proclaimed "volunteer travel operator," will hook you up with schools in Cambodia, where you can teach without receiving any remuneration and feel as if you're making a difference.
The catch, of course, is that you cough up $1425 U.S. dollars for the privilege of doing this for three weeks. Curiously, the dollar figure has an asterisk next to it but nowhere is there an indication what the qualifier is. The payout covers a 40 hour online TEFL course, accommodation, meals and miscellaneous things like "24/7 emergency support."
I've always found that such hand-holding set-ups always play on any newbie's sense of fear when making their sales pitch. It would be interesting to know what this emergency support consists of.
Much of what is stated in the ad strikes me as disingenuous, misleading or just plain out of line.
This kind of arrangement takes away jobs from those who are working as English teachers. Someone might respond by claiming that isn't the case since extremely under-funded schools wouldn't be able to afford foreign teachers anyway. There may be something to that logic but if so, then no one should be reaping a profit from such an undertaking.
For anyone really interested in working with poor children in third world countries, there are numerous NGOs that could help to organize a similar experience. Or, you could simply contact schools online and offer your time or show up in person. Either way, many would welcome volunteers with open arms.
i-to-i (what does that stand for anyway, "ignorance to insipidness"?) should also answer a simple question: are they double dipping? In other words, together with the fees from the volunteers, are they paid by the schools or given government grants for performing such an honourable and selfless service?
They continue on with their misuse of punctuation and other language conventions at the end of the ad when a quote is provided: "The beauty of these projects is that the rewards are mutual..."
The problem is, the words are attributed to no one (presumably they are from the mouth of the individual mentioned five paragraphs previously.) It simply stands alone as if the fact that someone somewhere made the statement lends it credence.
I have no problem with an organization offering such a service and trying to make a buck. But I also feel it is my duty to point out the spin and absurdity.
Posted byKenat12:20 PM
Labels:Tefl News
6 comments:
tuckyusaid...
Interesting insight into the TEFL industry. I imagined that i-to-i sounded a bit dodgy but never imagined the extent of the extent of the scam. Thanks for your warnings!
July 25, 2008 at 2:35 PMAnonymous said...
leaving aside the volunteer aspect of i-to-i, what do you think of the actual certification they offer? if you don't care for that one, is there an online course that you would recommend?
July 28, 2008 at 1:05 AMAnonymous said...
I was recently very interested in doing one of the classroom courses, especially seeing that the price was so competitive. I was emailed the dates and venue of the courses in my city. I phoned the alleged venue and the manager said she has no record of this company holding a course there on those specific dates??
November 26, 2011 at 10:17 AM Anonymous said...
Why is it that when I phone the RSA number they advertise on their website (in order to make enquiries), no one ever answers. There is only a recorded message to say that all the operators are on the phone. I phoned the UK number, and it doesn't exist. Eventually, so fed - up, I requested a call back and the same lady who was on the voice recording phoned me. Are there even any real operators and advisors?????
November 26, 2011 at 10:24 AM
If you google "onlinetefl scam" or "i-t0-i scam" you will see that is just one of very many complaints and problems this company has. My personal experience is limited to two phone calls with these shysters. That was enough for me to realize they would say anything to get my money. Here is one of the 12 complaint links I found about them. You can find more if you look: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...3170222AA7AW44
