WyzAnt.com

Since first listing her profile with Wyzant, Ms. [redacted] and Wyzant’s Profile Review Team have been in contact numerous times regarding policy and procedural expectations.  Most notably, explicit information regarding...

ongoing account requirements was provided to Ms. [redacted] in July 2015 and March 2016.  When reminded of Wyzant policies in July 2015, Ms. [redacted] confirmed understanding of these policies and agreed to adhere to them.Most recently, Ms. [redacted]’s tutor profile was removed in accordance with Wyzant's terms and conditions, available on wyzant.com, that she agreed to when listing her profile.  Ms. [redacted] first contacted Wyzant regarding her account status on 8/26/2016 and Wyzant’s Profile Review Team communicated with Ms. [redacted] via email regarding the removal, as well as provided information regarding this action, on 8/30/2016 and 9/01/2016. 
Wyzant reserves the right not to list the services of any individual, and we have chosen not to host Ms [redacted]’s profile going forward.  We wish Ms. [redacted] the best in her future endeavors.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: despite Wyzant's claims, their terms and conditions 1) were not representative of all nuanced, potential arrangements (for example, there is no mention of restrictions on pricing when one vs two students would like to receive tutoring services simultaneously and 2) were not clear, especially to new tutors who recently signed up with Wyzant. In summary, Wyzant did not properly represent their terms nor did they do a good job of making terms and conditions that did exist easily available for new tutors who signed up. In addition, Wyzant did a very poor job of blocking 3rd party recruiters. I was constantly contacted by prospective employers on Wyzant who shared their email address and phone numbers with me, asking me to make arrangements outside of the website. Wyzant would then freeze my account due to breaking terms and conditions even tho it out of my control if I have received a message from others on their messaging system. In general, Wyzant should be ashamed of how they treat their tutors and circumvent blame for their poorly communicated terms and conditions. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Ms. B[redacted] account was removed in accordance with WyzAnt’s Terms of Use, which encompass Wyzant’s Payment Policies and Academic Honesty Policy.  When it is determined that provided services are not in line with the above, Wyzant is not able to continue hosting the associated profile. Wyzant...

reserves the right not to list the services of any individual, and we have chosen not to host Ms B[redacted] profile going forward.  We will, however, reach out to Ms. B[redacted] within 1 business day to provide any additional information or clarification.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/11/21) */
After looking into this matter, WyzAnt found that the tutor's profile was removed according to policy for a violation of the terms of use that the tutor agreed to when WyzAnt listed his profile. The terms of use may be reviewed on WyzAnt's home...

page.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  WYZANT continues to be evasive and unspecific regarding the reason for removal of my profile.  They continue to refer to the Terms and Conditions but refuse to specify which was the reason for removing my Profile, which cost me business.  I was in the process of picking up a new client the day they pulled my Profile.  All I want is the actual reason they pulled the Profile when they did.  The timing is very suspicious.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Service was not helpful.

After reaching out to a tutor, I waited several days for a response only to be told that she will get back to me in a week. When she contacted me again, it was to notify me that she could not help afterall. I reached out to another tutor who also responded several days later that she is not available. Meanwhile, my son continued to struggle in algebra. I contacted customer service who was very polite, apologized for my experience and offered to forward the names of tutors with high ratings. The names were the same ones who I had waited on for many days only to be told they are not available! Desperate for a tutor, I went to [redacted] University's Math Department website and found several young people (seniors and graduate students) who responded within hours and charged a fraction of the tutors at Wyzant! I have since recommended [redacted] University to anyone who needs a tutor and the parents have been extremely happy.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/04/07) */
Ms.[redacted]'s tutor profile was removed in accordance with WyzAnt's terms and conditions which are available to view here. While the account had been active since 2009, and she had tutored a total of 5 hours, the removal of her profile was in...

line with the terms that she agreed to when WyzAnt listed her profile. We understand that Ms.[redacted] does not agree with this decision, however, WyzAnt reserves the right not to list the services of any individual, and we have chosen not to re-list her profile.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/04/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
WyzAnt.com did not resolve the issue, instead they reiterated the same response. I am highly dissatisfied with their unapologetic reply and unwillingness to help.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/04/15) */
WyzAnt is sorry for the frustration that the removal of Ms.[redacted]'s profile has caused her. It was done in accordance with the terms and conditions that she agreed to when her profile was listed. WyzAnt maintains its adherence to the terms and conditions, and requires that all users who have agreed to the terms honor them as well. Again, we are sorry that this has caused Ms.[redacted] to call into question the decision to remove her profile. However, WyzAnt will remain committed to its adherence to the terms of use it has set forth for all parties involved in any transaction through the website. For further reference, a full listing of the terms and conditions can be found at the bottom of every listed page on the website. Thank you.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/08/13) */
WyzAnt.com offers a marketplace for those seeking tutoring services to connect with those seeking to provide tutoring services. Those who wish to be listed on the site as a tutor must complete a short 7 step application process and have...

their potential profile listing reviewed for approval. Potential tutors are given feedback during this process to help them adjust their submission to ensure the likelihood of approval. However, fewer than 30% of those who submit an application for a listing are approved.
Because a tutor who is listed on WyzAnt.com is an independent tutor, and not an employee of WyzAnt, WyzAnt does not require that a tutor purchase a background check in order to be listed, and the application process is entirely free. The website provides the opportunity for the tutor to purchase a background check if they choose to do so. However, this is neither a requirement of the sign-up process, nor a requirement for approval for a profile listing. Purchasing a background check is completely voluntary for all who wish to have a profile listed. Once a tutor is approved and their listing is available to students, a tutor must agree to consent to having a background check run if a student chooses to purchase one on a tutor.
We are sorry to hear that Mr.[redacted] profile was not approved for a listing. When he contacted Customer Support on August 6, 2014 at 1:44 PM CST, a request for a refund of the $7.99 he paid for his background check was submitted to the Finance Department. That refund of $7.99 was processed on August 8, 2014 at 4:20 PM CST to the MasterCard he placed on his account to purchase the check. We are happy to provide Mr.[redacted] the details of this refund transaction. We recommend he contact his financial institution for the details of that transaction as they pertain to his personal account.
We understand the frustration Mr.[redacted] must feel for not having his application for a profile listing approved. However, since WyzAnt does not guarantee that any individual application for a listing will be approved, and Mr.[redacted] refund was processed the same day he requested it, WyzAnt considers this matter closed.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/03/16) */
Due to a printing error, a replacement check needed to be issued to Mr.[redacted] Upon discovery, Customer Support opened ticket[redacted] with the Finance Department, and a replacement check was mailed the following day. We sincerely apologize for...

the inconvenience this caused!

Wyzant takes the privacy of its users seriously and information on how Wyzant collects, uses and discloses information can be found in our Privacy Policy.  Per this policy, no personal identifiable information contained in Ms. [redacted] emails has been disclosed and nothing would be disclosed...

without Ms. [redacted] consent.  Ms. [redacted] signed the Terms of Use when creating a profile with Wyzant, and per “Section * - Content submitted to the site,” if a user submits any content to wyzant.com, it is on a non-confidential basis and Wyzant has access to any such information.

Don't waste your time applying to WyzAnt as I just experienced their abusive clause and potentially [redacted] practices.
I applied online and exceeded all the conditions and expectations listed in their job offer. I also scored 100% on WyzAnt skills tests. Nevertheless, my application was denied. I can understand that, but I required some explanation from WyzAnt. I contacted the company by phone and email. A "ticket" and "case number" was opened and I expected a reply from a representative.
I copy/pasted here the reply I got, for your own appreciation:
"The decision to deactivate your WyzAnt tutor account was made in accordance with our terms and conditions, which are available for review on WyzAnt.com.
WyzAnt considers this decision to be final and a representative will not be made available to further discuss this matter.
Sincerely,
The WyzAnt Profile Review Team"
I reviewed the terms and conditions WyzAnt refers to in what I consider being a bold and shameful reply, and it includes the following: "WyzAnt may provide notice to Users via email, regular mail, or posting notices or links to notices on the Site. WyzAnt reserves the right at any time to modify, suspend or terminate the services (or any part thereof), and/or use of or access to them, with or without notice. WyzAnt may also delete, or bar access to or use of, all related information and files. WyzAnt will not be liable to Users or any third-party for any modification, suspension, or termination of service, or loss of related information. WyzAnt may amend these Terms at any time by posting the amended terms on this Site." (art. 21 of WyzAnt Terms).
For your full understanding of the situation, let me also underline that I did not infringe any of WyzAnt terms, and I did not post any inappropriate content on my profile and application. Yet, it was denied.
Once again, I can totally accept a NO to a job application, I just ask for an explanation when I meet all criteria, when I usually get a YES from similar job offers, when my skills have been proven through 15+ years of experience and satisfied clients/students.
I took 5 minutes of my time to share with you how WyzAnt actually operates. I hope this helps you make your own judgement on this company and service.

Complaint: [redacted]
This response is unsatisfactory because WyzAnt does not adequately address either main portion of my complaint.
For the first part, I criticized them for not specifying why my provided information failed to meet their standards in response to my email describing in detail how it did. Their statement that my "application did not meet those [the communicated] requirements" continues this trend of saying nothing and obfuscating the true point of contention; what matters is not that they think my application was insufficient, but their inability to articulate exactly why it was below their standards despite clearly saying everything that they told me it needed to say. They assert things are a certain way, but are completely unable or unwilling to defend it with specific details. Moreover, they completely ignore their mendacious claim that my performance on their proprietary competence exams was unsatisfactory. I met the standard they told me, and saying otherwise is an outright lie.
For the second part, I pointed out that they misrepresented (i.e. lied about) their terms of use multiple times and made a claim to property (my submitted writing) that they contractually agreed to not claim. It should be self-evident that their week statement about their terms of use does nothing to address this point. They have their right to not grant me what is rightfully mine because of the terms of use, but that does not absolve them of their egregious dishonesty in denying a simple request in good faith.
In addition, they were unable to get my honorific (Mr.) correct despite presumably seeing it on the complaint. Given WyzAnt's regrettable behavioral history, I am not sure this was accidental. While I personally am not offended by their inability to respect my gender identity, others in a similar situation might be more sensitive to such a slight, and I want to draw attention to that.
For these reasons, it is understandable that I must reject their grossly subpar explanation. WyzAnt's business practices are demonstrably below the standard implied by a Revdex.com A+ rating, and I urge the Revdex.com to adjust WyzAnt's rating accordingly.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

After working for WyzAnt for five years as a tutor in English, especially for writing essays, I just looked at Revdex.com and was surprised to see the many negative reviews. Yes, WyzAnt takes a big cut at the beginning, and I agree they should be more generous with people who have more education and experience, but they also make many connections for the tutor and handle 90% of the paperwork. The connections and the paperwork are worth a lot to me. They have also been excellent about resolving a few misunderstandings I have had with customers. Also, as far as experience, that is left to the individual to decide what to charge. I charge less than others because I do not have a teaching credential. However, I have excellent skills in organizing a paper and correcting grammar. I also have a talent for getting my younger students who hate writing to feel more comfortable and become more interested in writing; that is worth a lot to many parents. So, although there are some negatives, and I believe WyzAnt does need to reward effective tutors a little more - maybe a periodic bonus each year to keep us - I think if you follow the rules, they are a good company for a side job.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/05/06) */
Thank you for your inquiry. WyzAnt successfully processed a refund to Mr.[redacted] Visa ending in[redacted] on [redacted] 4th, 2015 in the amount of $7.99. Those funds will be made available according to the card holder's banking institutions schedule of...

refund availability. Mr.[redacted] is welcome to call Customer Support to receive the transaction approval code in the event his refund has not posted to his account within 3-10 business days, the typical time it takes to appear on a card holder's account.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/05/06) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)