Cambly
reviews and complaints

I been workin' for Cambly for like 4 and a half years, and guess what? Today, I got this email sayin' goodbye to me. Can you believe it? They said some students complained 'bout me, but they never bothered to give me any details. I asked 'em, you know, like any normal person would, but they straight up refused to spill the beans. Ain't that just swell? So, let me tell ya, don't even bother wastin' your precious time workin' on this site. Trust me, it ain't worth it.

Cambly's customer service, let me tell you, it's like the absolute worst customer service I've ever come across. I mean, seriously, it's like they don't even care about their tutors. So get this, my tutor account, right, it just vanished into thin air. Poof! Gone! I don't even know if I got fired or what, like, did I do something wrong? Who knows? Not me, that's for sure.

You know what's crazy? I've been with Cambly for a whopping three years, man. Three freakin' years! And what do I get in return? My account wiped out, just like that. Can you believe it? I've had over 18,000 chats under my belt, racking up a sweet $47,000 in earnings. I thought everything was hunky-dory, you know? I had three whole weeks of Priority Hours lined up, and a bunch of reservations on the books. I had this tight-knit group of regular students, some of them I've known for ages. It would've been nice to at least bid them farewell, you know? But nope, not gonna happen.

I guess I'll never get the chance to say my goodbyes. It's like Cambly just ghosted me, man. No warning, no explanation, nothing. It's a real bummer, I tell ya. I mean, I've put in so much time and effort into this gig, and this is how they treat me? Not cool, Cambly, not cool at all.

So yeah, if you're thinking about signing up with Cambly, just be prepared for some seriously lousy customer service. They might just pull the rug out from under you without a second thought. It's a real shame, 'cause I had some good times on there. But hey, life goes on, right? I'll find another platform where my hard work is appreciated. Good riddance, Cambly.

I gotta tell ya, Cambly ain't all it's cracked up to be. I've had my fair share of issues with this platform, and let me tell ya, it ain't pretty.

First off, let's talk about the tutors. Now, I don't know about you, but when I sign up for a lesson, I expect the tutor to actually show up on time. But guess what? That rarely happens with Cambly. More than half the time, my lessons didn't even take place. And you know what the excuses were? Laggy servers. Yeah, right. I know it ain't my internet causing the problem. It's all on their end.

And don't even get me started on the virtual classroom. It's a mess. Technical issues left and right. It's like they can't even get their act together. How am I supposed to learn when the platform keeps crashing on me? It's frustrating, to say the least.

Now, let's talk about customer service. Or should I say, lack thereof. Every time I reached out to them for help, all I got was a half-hearted apology. Like, seriously? Is that all they can do? I need real solutions, not just empty words. And when I finally decided to ask for a refund, they couldn't even be bothered to read my message properly. They sent me a generic template that had all the wrong information. It's like they don't even care about their customers.

Honestly, with the way Cambly treats its users, I can't imagine anyone being happy with their service. Trust me, you're better off looking elsewhere. There are plenty of other companies out there that actually value their customers. So do yourself a favor and avoid Cambly like the plague.

A lot of folks out there, you know, they teach English online part time, right? They got their own thing going on, like writing a book or coming up with some cool invention. And let me tell you, if that's you, then you gotta be careful with Cambly, man! I mean, I was checking out their contract, and there's this section number 7 that talks about "developments." And let me tell you, if you agree to that, you're basically giving away all your rights, title, and interest to Cambly for anything you create, man. I'm talking about inventions, creations, improvements, discoveries, methods, developments, software, and works of authorship, whether they can be patented or not. And get this, it doesn't matter if you come up with this stuff during your working hours or even on their premises, man!

And here's the kicker, if you refuse to sign some document they want you to sign, they got this clause that says they can appoint their big-shot executives as your agent and attorney-in-fact. They can sign any papers they want using your signature, man! Can you believe that? They can force you to comply with whatever they want, legally speaking. I mean, I've been teaching English as a second language abroad for like, 6 years, and I've seen some crazy contracts, but this one takes the cake, man.

Look, it's one thing for your employer to own what you create while you're on the clock, you know? That's pretty standard stuff. But Cambly, they take it to a whole new level, man. They wanna own everything you create in your free time too! Can you imagine? They could come after any royalties you make from your own creative projects while you're under contract with them. That's just not right, man. It's like they wanna control every aspect of your life, even your personal stuff.

So, my advice to you, my friend, is to think twice before signing up with Cambly. I mean, if you're cool with giving away all your rights and letting them control your creative endeavors, then go ahead. But if you value your freedom and want to keep your own stuff, then steer clear of these guys. There are plenty of other options out there, man. Don't let Cambly hold you back from pursuing your dreams.

I taught on the platform for over a year as I traveled the world, and let me tell you, the pay was not great and the platform itself had its fair share of issues. But you know what? Despite all that, I actually really enjoyed working with the students. Unlike what some other folks have said in their reviews, I had a fantastic experience with the students and even formed some wonderful friendships along the way. It was truly rewarding to see them grow and succeed, whether it was gaining knowledge, getting into English-speaking universities, or securing jobs with the help of my instruction. That part made it all worth it.

However, I must say that the company's tutor agreement, which they've made some changes to, is just plain abusive. They want to have the rights to ANY and ALL creative things that tutors come up with while working for them, like novels, apps, screenplays, and whatnot. Now, mind you, the contract clearly states that tutors are independent contractors, so this just doesn't sit right with me. On top of that, they can use tutors' likenesses for advertising without even asking for permission or giving any compensation. And get this, they can even sign tutors' names on legal documents! I mean, is that even legal? It's all a bit sketchy if you ask me. Oh, and they also forbid tutors from participating in class action lawsuits. Talk about limiting our rights!

Now, I want to make it clear that I'm not some disgruntled worker seeking revenge by writing this review. In fact, I had a pretty decent rating of 8.84 out of a possible 9.0 as a tutor. I had actually planned on quitting the platform when the new agreement was supposed to take effect on May 17, 2021. But guess what? Two weeks before that date, I tried to log in and was forced to sign the new agreement early or else I couldn't access the platform. And here's the kicker: I already had around 20 hours of scheduled sessions that I couldn't cancel because I couldn't log in. So, basically, I ended up looking like I disappeared to my students who had booked those hours. This is just the kind of thing Cambly does, you know? They don't seem to care about us tutors or the students. It's all about grabbing as much money as they can.

So, in conclusion, while I did enjoy working with the students and seeing their progress, the pay wasn't great and the platform had its flaws. And let's not forget about the questionable practices in their tutor agreement. It's clear that Cambly prioritizes profit over the well-being of tutors and students. It's a shame, really.

The quality of the teachers ain't that good, to be honest. They don't seem too keen on helping with my personal goals. I mean, I booked lessons with a few of them, and one of them had the audacity to tell me that she ain't gonna prepare for my class because she's got 8 years of experience and apparently, "the most exciting topics come from students' hobbies so pre-planned topics are impossible." Can you believe that? And then there was another one who said, "Unfortunately I do have many students so I am not able to prepare ahead of class." Like, seriously? What's the point of paying for lessons if the teachers ain't gonna bother preparing?

Most of these teachers talk a big game in their videos, all passionate about teaching and helping students achieve their language goals. But when it comes down to it, they don't let us decide what we wanna learn. They either brush off our requests with a "yes, sure! No problem! Sure thing!" and then conveniently forget about it during the lesson. It's frustrating, you know? And there ain't even a trial class, so I'm just wasting my money left and right. It's been 4 months of this exhausting journey trying to find the right teacher on Cambly, and I'm starting to think I'll never find one. Maybe quitting is my only option.

And let's not forget about the no-shows. I try to avoid this problem by messaging the tutors the day before to confirm if they're available. But guess what? They're so darn irresponsible that even if they promise to show up, they might just bail on you without any consequences. And I can't even leave a comment about it. Cambly's excuse is always "something unexpected can happen." Well, ain't that "something" happening a bit too often?

Oh, and don't get me started on customer service. Since I'm in Hong Kong, they always assign people from Taiwan to answer my questions in Chinese. But here's the thing, my language setting is English! I ain't a native Chinese speaker, so it's hella confusing for me. I write to them in English, so why can't they just write back to me in English? It's frustrating, to say the least.

Overall, my experience with Cambly has been a letdown. The teachers ain't up to par, the no-shows are a constant headache, and the customer service is just plain confusing. I'm starting to lose hope in finding a decent teacher on this platform.

This website, Cambly, ain't the best when it comes to dealing with serious issues that affect their teachers. I worked on Cambly as a freelancer for a little over a year while I was traveling, and let me tell you, it was a nightmare for freelance teachers. Those Middle Eastern students, let me tell ya, they regularly whip out their private parts on camera during their 15-minute free trials. It's happened to plenty of teachers, and they've made it known on Cambly's Facebook Corner page.

Now, personally, I had this complete nutter/buffoon from South Korea who decided to go on a mission to make outrageously offensive remarks towards me. And get this, he even started stalking me outside of Cambly. Can you believe it? I reported it to Cambly right away, but you know what they did? They just removed me from the site without any notice or reason. Talk about an easy way to sweep the problem under the rug, right? Well, I ain't letting it slide. I've reported this to the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission, and a class action lawsuit is on its way.

On April 2, 2018, Cambly had the audacity to tell me, and I quote from their email, "based on your great work tutoring on Cambly, we've selected you for the Cambly IELTS tutor list (...)." But guess what? On May 2, 2018, just a month later, after I reported that incident with 'Mr. Gangnam Style on steroids,' they sent me some standard BS email saying they deactivated my account because I no longer met their "standards" as a tutor. They never even bothered to respond to my complaint about the student. My rating on the site was 4.89 out of 5.0, mind you.

It's a common practice for them to deactivate accounts without any notice or reason. Just take a look at the attached photo of one of their tutors on Cambly Corner, their Facebook private group page. They remove you from there too, so they can censor you like some communist regime.

Now, let's talk about this whole independent contractor status they claim. You gotta sign an agreement saying you're an independent contractor, not an employee of Cambly. They give you access to their platform, but if you miss too many calls or cancel a scheduled session within 12 hours, they might issue a warning or even suspend your account for three days. And worst of all, they might take away your access to scheduled sessions completely. How in the world do they get away with this? You're either an independent contractor or you work for them. If they can punish you by taking away access to sessions, that's just like an employer's behavior.

Oh, and let's not forget about the technical issues. The site went down completely once. And there are always problems with sound, the ringer turning off, and that internet test you gotta take before you can start tutoring.

Now, let me tell you about the five-minute trial calls. They're a nightmare. There's absolutely no vetting of teachers or students. Teachers have to deal with students exposing themselves, flirting openly, cursing at them, laughing at them, and just overall abusing them. And get this, even if you choose to teach intermediate and up, you still get calls from beginners. Can you imagine being connected with someone who can only say "No English" or "What?" That's all they say!

And don't even get me started on tutor support. It's practically non-existent. There's no one to call or email with your issues. You gotta go to the support tab, send in a ticket, and then wait for them to get back to you. And let me tell you, that can take hours or even a couple of days. Other than the tutor guide they ask you to read, you're pretty much on your own, learning as you go.

Oh, and here's a juicy bit of information. Cambly was using this "Chinese student" living in Australia, who they call "GRACE," as bait. They wanted to get their hands on more information and materials on IELTS writing, so they could use it on their own website without permission. I knew what she was up to the whole time. They just can't come up with their own materials, so they resort to stealing from other countries.

And let's not forget about their so-called "library." Most of the stuff in there ain't even Cambly's original material. They just take articles from other sites and put them in their library for tutors to use. I have no idea how they get away with copyright infringement.

Now, if you look online, you might find a few "glowing reviews" for Cambly. But let me tell you, those are from tutors who are desperate to make more money. Cambly pays them $20 per referral, so you can see why they might be singing its praises.

So, if you enjoy working for nothing, being treated unfairly by clueless management, dealing with constant technical problems, and abusive students, then this job is perfect for you.

This website ain't good at handling the serious stuff that affects their teachers. I worked on Cambly as a freelancer for just over a year as a side gig while traveling and let me tell ya, it's the worst site for freelance teachers. Them Middle Eastern students keep flashin' their private parts on camera during their 15-minute free trials - it's happened to plenty of teachers and they've been shoutin' about it on Cambly's Facebook Corner page.

Personally, I had this South Korean nutcase who thought it'd be funny to make outrageously offensive remarks towards me using my own website (he even started stalkin' me outside Cambly). I reported it to Cambly, but all they did was kick me off the site without any notice or reason. They just wanted the problem to disappear, ya know? Well, I reported 'em to the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission, and they're gonna face a class action lawsuit real soon.

On April 2, 2018, Cambly told me in an email, and I quote, "based on your great work tutoring on Cambly, we've selected you for the Cambly IELTS tutor list (...)." But on May 2, 2018 (just a month later), right after I reported that incident with that 'Mr. Gangnam Style on steroids', I got their standard BS email sayin' my account was deactivated 'cause I suddenly didn't meet their "standards" as a tutor. They never bothered to respond to my complaint about the student. My rating on the site was 4.89 outta 5.0.

They love deactivatin' accounts without any notice or reason, just like you can see in the photo of one of their tutors on Cambly Corner (their Facebook private group page). And they'll remove you from the page so they can censor you, like some communist-style censorship.

They call us independent contractors, but they still treat us like employees. If you miss too many calls or cancel a lesson within 12 hours of bookin' it, they might give you a warning, but sometimes they'll suspend your account for 3 days or even take away access to lessons completely. How do they get away with this? You're either an independent contractor or you work for them, and if they can punish you by takin' away access to lessons, then they're actin' like an employer.

The site went down completely once, and there are always issues with sound, the ringer turnin' off, and passin' the internet test you gotta take before you can start tutorin'.

Let me tell ya, them five-minute trial calls are stressin' me out. They don't vet the teachers or the students. Teachers gotta deal with students exposin' themselves, flirtin' openly, cursin' at 'em, laughin' at 'em, and just overall abusin' 'em. Tutors can choose the level of students they wanna teach, but even if you choose intermediate and up, you still get calls from beginners, lots of 'em. Imagine gettin' connected with someone who can only say, "No English" or "what?" That's all they say!

Tutor support? It's practically non-existent. There's no one to call or email with issues. You gotta go to the support tab, send in a ticket, and wait for 'em to get back to ya. It can take hours or even a couple of days. Other than the tutor guide they give ya, you're pretty much on your own, learnin' as you go.

Cambly was dumb enough to use a "Chinese student" (AKA infiltrated agent) livin' in Australia named "GRACE" as bait to get more info and materials on IELTS writing. They wanted to use 'em on their own website without permission (copyright infringement, anyone?). I knew what she was up to the whole time. They can't come up with their own materials 'cause they're too busy stealin' from other countries.

Most of the stuff in their "library" ain't even Cambly's original material - they just take it from other sites. If you look at the "class" materials, you'll see they're usin' articles from other sites that they put in their library for tutors to use. I have no idea how they get away with copyright infringement.

The only positive reviews for Cambly online are from desperate tutors tryin' to make more money. Cambly pays $20 per referral, so you can see why they're so eager to write good things about it.

If you enjoy workin' for nothin', bein' treated unfairly by clueless management, dealin' with constant technical problems, and abusive students, then this job is perfect for ya.

my child subscription got renewed without my permission, I did not get any agreement to save my account details and use them without my permission. this is why I am kindly asking you to deposit the money taken from my account as I am not planning for any further classes with Cambly for the time being. I hope this will happen smoothly without an official complaint against the site.