Teachers Pay Teachers review: Seller account

What Happened

I was a long-time seller on Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) through my store, Atom Academy. I devoted years of work, thousands of dollars in materials, and countless hours creating educational resources for their marketplace.

When TpT suddenly terminated my account, I had $1,910 in finalized marketplace earnings. Their own Terms of Service (Section 5.B and Section 11) state that finalized marketplace earnings remain payable even after an account is closed.

Instead of honoring this obligation, TpT:

Locked me out of my account immediately, cutting off all access to sales data, transaction records, and payout history.

Withheld the $1,910 without any explanation or contractual basis.

Ignored all email communication. They no longer even send automated replies to my emails, suggesting they may have blocked my address.

Provide no phone support number anywhere on their website. There is no way to speak with a human.

Failed to respond to Certified Mail sent to both their New York and California addresses.

My Attempts to Resolve the Issue

I did not sit quietly. I made every possible effort to resolve this in good faith:

Emailed multiple TpT contact addresses, including support and legal. No meaningful reply.

Sent Certified Mail to both their New York and California business addresses. No acknowledgment.

Filed formal complaints with the following agencies:

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Better Business Bureau (BBB) — complaint + public review

New York Attorney General (Consumer Frauds Bureau)

California Attorney General (Consumer Protection Section)

New Mexico Attorney General (my state)

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — since TpT uses Hyperwallet/PayPal for payments

Prepared complaints to state financial regulators overseeing PayPal/Hyperwallet licenses.

Left public reviews (Trustpilot, SiteJabber, ConsumerAffairs, etc.) to warn others.

Despite all this, Teachers Pay Teachers has refused to pay what is rightfully owed.

Why This is Unethical

This is not just a small oversight:

They used my labor and intellectual property to generate sales and profit.

They then terminated my account without warning and withheld the money I had already earned.

They have engaged in a deliberate stonewalling strategy: no phone support, no email response, no acknowledgement of certified letters, no transparency into their decision-making.

As part of IXL Learning, a large, well-funded edtech company, they have the resources to do better but instead choose to exploit the very teachers who make their marketplace successful.

Teachers trust TpT with their work. Schools and districts trust the site with purchasing curriculum. If they are willing to withhold money from sellers, what does that say about their integrity in dealing with customers?

Resolution I Am Seeking

Immediate payment of the $1,910 in finalized earnings.

Full access to my seller account records (sales reports, payout history, dashboard data) so I can independently verify the balance.

A written explanation of why I was terminated and the exact contractual basis for withholding payment.

Public acknowledgment that their sellers deserve transparency, accountability, and basic respect.

Conclusion

Teachers Pay Teachers / Teacher Synergy, LLC (an IXL company) has shown itself to be unethical, non-transparent, and exploitative toward educators.

I urge other teachers, parents, and schools to think carefully before putting trust in this company. If they can treat a long-time seller like this — withholding earned income and ignoring all communications — they can do it to anyone.