(no subject)

[arisha]

Really quick entry because I have to leave for work in twenty minutes, but:

So when I was volunteering at my university's ESL classes and in the process of applying for JET, I decided I wanted to learn more about ESL and the teaching of it, and I started looking for an online class on the subject. Obvious Mistake #1 here is that I even thought of signing up for an overpriced online course with a fairly useless certificate at the end of it, but the reviews on this review site convinced me to sign up for the 100 hour course offered by Ontesol. I did the first two modules, wasn't really enjoying it, figured that with school coming up I'm unlikely to finish it, thought, "eh, sucks that I spent that money but oh well, everyone makes stupid mistakes," and withdrew from the course. I also left a review of the course at the aforementioned review site; you can see that under the clever penname of "Student" at the bottom of this page. I wouldn't even say that's a bad review, just a so-so one, but I woke up this morning to find an e-mail from Ontesol in my inbox:

Considering that you were the only person in the past 3 months who asked to
withdraw form the course (The only people who ever ask for a refund are
those whose deadline is approaching and haven't done anything, everyone else
is very happy with our courses) and the reference you stated on the
enrollment form [I honestly don't even know what he's referring to here], we would like to say that we don't think it's fair leaving
such reviews when you haven't completed the course because of your lack of
commitment and, more precisely, your opinion is flawed considering that you
haven't done anything for the lesson planning stage, which is the core of a
TESOL course.

Unlike other schools, we offer an advanced 250-hour TESOL program (More
advanced than our Trinity and a CELTA) for people who really care about
teaching so they make a slight effort to study more and invest the extra
funds necessary to be a professional teacher.

Our 100-hour course still provides the basics for those who want to start
their teaching career while other online schools do not offer any training
on lesson planning whatsoever. In fact, we started offering the 100-hour
course 4 years after Ontesol was launched because those who had taken a
course at another school were not ready to take our on-site Trinity or
online 250-hour program as they made horrendous mistakes that they had to
unlearn.

Ontesol would like to kindly request that you contact the website and
withdraw your comment.

Happy holidays,
Lucas

A-FRACKING-MAZING.

Considering I didn't leave my name with my review, is it not mondo creepy that he even decided to contact me about it? And never mentions the reviews site by name? That alone just weirds me out.

Also I love how he INSULTS ME and says MY OPINION IS FLAWED and then goes on about a course I never even registered in and all this other stuff and then is all "Please remove your review and happy holidays!" UM WHAT. Because this kind of e-mail is totally going to convince me to change my opinion about your company??

UGH I was going to write a big long rant here but after rereading this e-mail I can't even be coherent right now. Just ... what a joke. What the heck kind of customer service is this even supposed to be. I am hoping that if I just don't reply this will be the last I hear of them, because I am not inclined to remove that review but nor am I inclined to get into a fight with them about it. I mean ... seriously???

UGH I DON'T KNOW GUYS

THIS WHOLE SITUATION IS SO STUPID

WHERE'S MY TIME MACHINE SO I CAN NEVER REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE IN THE FIRST PLACE

OH THAT'S RIGHT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH COMMITMENT TO DO THAT

THANKS FOR HELPING ME SEE THE LIGHT, GUY I'VE ONLY COMMUNICATED WITH TWICE THROUGH E-MAIL

Comments

[xifeng.livejournal.com]

Here is a form letter you may use and claim as your own (it works well with other situations where you are being asked to do clearly unreasonable things, too).

Dear Ontesol,

Your request that I contact [name of review website here] to withdraw my comment of 27 December 2010 has been carefully considered and summarily denied. You do not have the right to appeal this decision.

Cuddles and kisses, [feel free to substitute your own sarcastic close]
[Sarah]

Seriously, I don't fault you for being angry at all. That is no kind of customer service, and I love the passive-aggressive way they spin the blame back onto you. (Given the grammar in that letter, methinks Lucas could benefit from his own product.) Also, you're not alone. Someone else left a less-than-glowing review; I wonder if Ontesol e-mailed them to demand a retraction as well?

I'd be hacked, too, and I'd probably fire off an insult-laden screed because that's what I do best :D

[athena-crikey.livejournal.com]

So I didn't read all the comments, but the fact that apart from only one other they were all glowing makes me wonder if they haven't been bullying other people into retracting their negative statements.

Apart from that, WTF is he doing telling you you don't have an opinion because you didn't complete the course? Uh, a significant reason for you not completing it was your opinion of it. If people are disatisfied with it and dropping out part way through, other people want to know that. (That your disappointment wasn't necessarily the only reason you dropped out is immaterial; it was a part. If you had really enjoyed the course and found it useful, you would have finished it.)

But at a more basic level, it's disgusting that he emailed you to bully you about this. The fact that the review was anonymous makes it really creepy, but regardless, that's just offensive and seriously out of bounds. You do not write to people who leave legitimate reviews of your product to bully them into taking down their review. I would either not reply, or send something along the lines of:

As a paying customer who dropped out of your course due to my disappointment with it, I feel I have a right to express my opinion. I will not be retracting my review. with a side of I find the fact that you replied to a supposedly anonymous review to insult me and my opinion offensive. Please do not contact me again. if you're pissed off enough.

[jazzkittykat.livejournal.com]

Yikes, that's really aggravating. And wrong on so many levels.

You could just let it go--this guy is obviously not worth your time. But if you're looking for an easy way to stick it to him, I wouldn't even bother responding to the email--I would just update your review on the site to say that the company sought you out and tried to bully you into retracting your review, so others should take all of the positive reviews with an extra large grain of salt.

And then I'd forget about the jerk and his silly company.

[arisha.livejournal.com]

I don't think you can edit the reviews on that site, but I wrote another one and it seems like it's not going to go through. It's been awaiting moderator approval for an entire day, and a review that someone wrote afterwards has been posted while mine still hasn't. :/ Oh well! Thank you for your comment, I felt tons better knowing I wasn't the only one who thought this e-mail was out of line. I definitely intend to forget about them now.