Here's the summary if you don't want to read all the drama:
They took my money without permission, I didnt benefit from the classes, please AVOID this "school" if you can help it! Its in your best interest NOT to risk it!
I pay the enrollment fee, $150, have to wait a month to actually START the classes, after the first class, I realize that this isn't for me, the level is WAY too low to be a Level 4 (classmates not even knowing how to read basic hebrew), the teaching style is very rigid and technical.
I call to cancel, but they persuade and push for me to just try a higher level. Another fee for this: $50 to hold my spot or smthing like that. I wait another MONTH to start classes of a higher level, I try out the first class, get charged my first installment of payment $116.50, I still don't like it, I call them to get a full refund, because I'm not enjoying the classes.
They refuse to give me a refund, I fight for my refund but they simply refuse saying their policy only provides a full refund if you cancel by the first class to which I tell them that I DID TRY TO CANCEL after the FIRST class and that the customer service person pushed me to try a higher level, NOT telling me I wouldn't get a refund if I tried that class and didn't want to continue!
They simply refuse to refund me.
The day after the phone call I get a bank notification that $582.50 has been charged to my account from the Rosen School. AFTER ASKING FOR A REFUND, they CHARGED ME THE REST OF THE "TUITION" COST, A TOTAL OF $582.50! I immediately call them as soon as I found out and tell them that I did not authorize any such transaction (I agreed to pay in installments over the 7 months of class).
They REFUSE to return the money, and discontinue all contact. At this point it had been around three months of back and forth and fighting to get my money back and trying to get a quality learning experience, so I gave up.
In total (I referenced my bank statements)
I was charged:
$150
$50
$116.50
$582.50
A GRAND TOTAL OF $899 for approximately 2 CLASSES
The classes themselves are taught through a skype/zoom/facetime style of call, the teacher in the corner reviews slides of information, teaching grammar rules, and very technical aspects of hebrew.
This type of learning is really structural and not intuitive at all. It's hard as it is with the only setting but the information is not easy to absorb in any case.
Additionally, if you hold a day job (like I do) you'll likely be taking this class in the evening, which means your teacher, in Israel will likely be 7/8/9 hours ahead of you ie: teaching in the middle of the night for him/her. SO, the teacher will likely be half-asleep at best (as was my experience).
I did try to attend two more classes after this whole thing, because they had already charged me anyway so I might as well see if I can gain anything BUT ALAS the classes were so BAD and SLOW and TECHNICAL that it was impossible to focus and really learn.
JUST AVOID, ITS REALLY *******NOT***** WORTH IT!
Really BAD SERVICE from the bunch nearer the top of this smoke screened company - poorly paid lower level service team working globally, on the other hand, much nicer - exploited like the people enrolling on the courses
Company won't make itself transparent - as to it's structure - a bunch of youngish yobbish, males trying to sweet talk or bully people into paying more for silly courses and so called special offers- a lot of sweet and elderly, gullible people on these courses that have been taken advantage of - all the images however on the slides we see are of teenagers and people in their 20's - rather funny as most of the people - we 've seen in the classes are older - so frustrating - the lack of politeness - and clarity as to whats going on - 'Enjoy your profits while they last - as it probably won't be for much longer!' - Perhaps you can go back to falafel market stalls instead and be as gruff as you like!
If you are not happy with a course - they refuse to refund you and put someone else to replace you in the class - far to expensive for what you get - easily downloadable material - but teachers overworked and - for sure underpaid
We are just persevering til the end but definitely wouldn't recomend it - Don't enrol - Get a private one to one teacher - it would be much cheaper and far more rewarding
You will get simply barages of emails and calls from them - all disconnected - making no sense - an email congratulating you on being able to accept a special offer as you are supposedly doing so well - followed by a creept phone call by some gruff male - trying his best to be polite with a sarcastic and aggressive tome to his voice - just aswell we don't have to see them face to face
On an educational level - the information is good and most of the grammar explanations - the teachers are genuine - just the group running the business - would be better selling dodgy cars and calling themselves Arfur Dailey's tat for tit!
After being sweet talked by a pushy persistent sales rep who failed to mention some rather important info about the products terms and conditions, and told untruths about the product, I unfortunately agreed to a self teach program with this very shady Israeli company.
Once the payment was taken, the email stated that if I wish to cancel within certain time scales (1 month being the longest) I would only be reimbursed a fraction of what I had paid. Surely this should have been mentioned by the sales rep before purchasing. Also there was no free trial period to see if it was actually any good. Let me tell you it was terrible! The self teach videos are slow loading, jump, randomly skip, freeze, and sometime just dont load at all. The "teacher" in the video is patronising and talks at you as if you are 2 years old. Not what I would expect from an adult learning product.
After approx 3 weeks of attempted use I finally decided the product was very poor, and definately not worth the price that was paid for it!
This is where the fun begins, when trying to contact etachers so called customer service department, the phone rings forever and no one ever answers! So we tried to call the sales line, and got an answer straight away. I tried to explain the problems and issues, but the sales team, just told me to call customer service, to which I told them that nobody ever answers. They then tried to transfer me and cut me off. This is eteachers customer service favourite trick, they say "hold on, let me put you through" leave you on hold forever then cut you off after a message "sorry there has been an error".
Then, when you get through, the staff are unhelpful, unapologetic, and poorly trained and do all they can to get you off the phone.
They tried to tell me that it was my internet connection, when I asked them the speed required to run their stream player, the guy in tech told me minimum 2.5mps... my connection was running at almost 6mps.
They refuse to refund the full cost of the poor product, they do not attempt to satisfactorily resolve issues. All they are interested in is getting your money!
When trying to get a refund full or partial, they told me numberous times that someone will call you today, or, someone will call you tomorrow, to which nobody ever did, they make you chase them in the cat and mouse game of cutting you off. Keeping you on hold, transfering you to wrong departments, or transfering you to people who know noting about your case, and the problems you have. Trust me... you will be doing yourself a favour by steering well clear of this bunch of cowboys!