The Great Courses’s earns a 1.0-star rating from 0 reviews and 13 complaints, showing that the majority of lifelong learners are dissatisfied with educational content.
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Mixed Feelings About The Great Courses: Solid Content, Sketchy Company
I gotta say, I had some mixed feelings about The Great Courses. On one hand, the content is pretty solid. I mean, you can learn about anything from history to science to cooking. And the professors are legit experts in their fields. But on the other hand, the company itself can be a bit sketchy.
First off, if you're thinking about using a promo code, be careful. I tried to use one and it didn't work. And when I contacted customer service, they were less than helpful. They basically told me tough luck and that the promo code wasn't valid. So, just a heads up.
Also, make sure you know exactly what you're getting into with them. They bill your credit card or bank account and never give you a receipt or email about any subscription. It's like, how am I supposed to keep track of my finances if I don't even know what I'm paying for? It's a bit shady if you ask me.
But all that being said, if you're willing to take the risk, the courses themselves are pretty good. Just be prepared to deal with some less-than-stellar customer service and a lack of transparency when it comes to billing.
Disappointing and Outdated: My Review of The Great Courses
I gotta say, I was pretty disappointed with my second purchase from The Great Courses. I was really hoping they would have stepped up their game and brought in some more modern teaching techniques, but nope. It's just the same old professor standing at the front of the class, talking and talking and talking. And don't even get me started on the lack of visuals. I mean, come on guys, it's 2021! We need more than just a talking head to keep us engaged. I found myself nodding off more than once and had to chug a few cups of coffee just to stay awake. Overall, I wouldn't recommend The Great Courses to anyone looking for a more dynamic and engaging learning experience.
Beware of The Great Courses: Unethical Cancellation Policy and Unauthorized Charges
So, I gotta say, some of the courses on The Great Courses website are alright. But, let me tell you, if you decide to cancel, watch out! They'll take your money without even asking for permission. I mean, I went ahead and changed my credit card number to one with no money on it, and they still managed to steal from me. It's a real shame, because I was enjoying some of the courses, but now I can't recommend them to anyone. Stay away from these guys, they're nothing but a bunch of thieves. I had to go and report them to my bank's fraud department, just to get my money back.
Is The Great Courses Legit?
The Great Courses earns a trustworthiness rating of 91%
Highly recommended, but caution will not hurt.
We found clear and detailed contact information for The Great Courses. The company provides a physical address, 2 phone numbers, and email, as well as 5 social media accounts. This demonstrates a commitment to customer service and transparency, which is a positive sign for building trust with customers.
A long registered date for thegreatcourses.com can be seen as a positive aspect for The Great Courses as it indicates a commitment to maintaining the website and its domain name for a long period of time. It also suggests that the company is organized and has taken steps to secure its online presence.
The age of The Great Courses's domain suggests that they have had sufficient time to establish a reputation as a reliable source of information and services. This can provide reassurance to potential customers seeking quality products or services.
Thegreatcourses.com has a valid SSL certificate, which indicates that the website is secure and trustworthy. Look for the padlock icon in the browser and the "https" prefix in the URL to confirm that the website is using SSL.
Thegreatcourses.com has been deemed safe to visit, as it is protected by a cloud-based cybersecurity solution that uses the Domain Name System (DNS) to help protect networks from online threats.
We looked up The Great Courses and found that the website is receiving a high amount of traffic. This could be a sign of a popular and trustworthy website, but it is still important to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of the site before sharing any personal or financial information
However ComplaintsBoard has detected that:
- While The Great Courses has a high level of trust, our investigation has revealed that the company's complaint resolution process is inadequate and ineffective. As a result, only 0% of 13 complaints are resolved. The support team may have poor customer service skills, lack of training, or not be well-equipped to handle customer complaints.
- We conducted a search on social media and found several negative reviews related to The Great Courses. These reviews may indicate issues with the company's products, services, or customer support. It is important to thoroughly research the company and its offerings before making any purchases to avoid any potential risks.
The Great Courses: Lifetime Guarantee or Scam? My Disappointing Experience with Returns
So, I had this situation where my uncle passed away and left me with 10 courses from The Great Courses. I was not interested in keeping them, so I decided to return them. I mean, they advertise a lifetime guarantee or 1 year return for any reason, right? Well, let me tell you, it was not that easy.
I went to their website and followed the instructions to initiate the return process. I packaged the courses back up and sent them back to The Great Courses. But then, I received an email saying that they could not accept the return because the guarantee was personal to my late uncle. What?! That's not what they advertise!
I tried to explain the situation, but they were not willing to budge. It was really disappointing and frustrating. I mean, I understand that they have policies, but this just seems like a scam. I would not recommend buying from The Great Courses if you are expecting to be able to return anything for any reason.
Overall, my experience with The Great Courses was not great. The courses themselves may be good, but their customer service and return policies are not up to par. It's a shame, really. I wish they would honor their guarantee and make things right.
The Great Courses: Quality Education at Your Own Pace, But Watch Out for Sales!
So, I gotta tell ya, I had a bit of a scare when I ordered some stuff from The Great Courses during a sale. I mean, who doesn't love a good sale, right? But when I got my credit card statement, I saw that they charged me the full price instead of the sale price. I was like, "What the heck, man? That's not cool!" But I called up their customer service and they were pretty chill about it. They gave me my money back and all that jazz. But it got me thinking, what if someone didn't notice that they got charged the wrong amount? That could be a major bummer, especially if we're talking about a big ol' chunk of change like $500 or more.
Anyway, aside from that little hiccup, I gotta say that I'm pretty stoked about The Great Courses. They've got all kinds of cool stuff to learn about, from history to science to cooking and beyond. And the best part is that you can learn at your own pace, without having to worry about grades or anything like that. Plus, the instructors are all top-notch experts in their fields, so you know you're getting some quality knowledge.
One thing I will say, though, is that some of the courses can be a bit pricey. But if you keep an eye out for sales and discounts, you can usually snag a good deal. And honestly, I think it's worth it to invest in your own education. I mean, who knows when you might need to know about the history of the Byzantine Empire or the intricacies of molecular gastronomy, right?
All in all, I'd say that The Great Courses is a pretty sweet deal. Just be sure to double-check your credit card statements if you order during a sale, ya dig?
Disappointing Experience with The Great Courses: Issues with Roku App and Name Change to Wondrium
I gotta say, I was pretty disappointed with my experience with The Great Courses. I mean, I was really excited to dive into all the cool courses they had to offer, but things just went downhill from there.
First off, I had some major issues with their Roku app. I mean, I paid good money for a subscription, but after just two months, the app updated and lost all my account information. And when I tried to get help from some guy named Albert at Roku, he just didn't seem to get it. I mean, come on man, I paid for this stuff!
But it gets worse. After calling around and doing Roku's job for them (seriously, what's up with that?), I found out that The Great Courses had actually changed their name to Wondrium. Like, what the heck? Why didn't anyone tell me?
Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll be renewing my subscription with these guys. I mean, the courses themselves were pretty good, but the whole experience just left a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe I'll try some other online learning platform next time.
Disappointing Experience with The Great Courses: Website Navigation and Customer Service Issues
So, I was checking out The Great Courses website and it was a bit funky to navigate. I ended up ordering something I didn't even want! I was pretty bummed out about it, but I contacted customer service right away. They told me there was nothing they could do except for me to return it when I received it.
But wait, there's more! A few days later, I noticed that they removed a promotional code I had entered that was accepted. And to top it off, they charged my credit card the incremental difference without my authorization. I was pretty upset about this and reached out to customer service again. But unfortunately, I didn't hear back from them.
Overall, I'm not too impressed with The Great Courses. The website could use some work and the customer service could definitely be better. I'm not sure if I'll be ordering from them again anytime soon.
Not for Beginners: A Review of a Confusing Piano Theory Course
This course ain't for no beginners, let me tell ya! I ain't no beginner on the piano myself, but I wanted to brush up on some theory and use this course as a "refresher" after being away from the ivory keys for a hot minute. But dang, the terminology they use in this course was all new to me and I found it mighty confusing. And the workbook they give ya ain't all that helpful either. And don't even get me started on the video - it's hard to tell what keys the professor is playing when she's up there on the screen. If you've played an instrument before, you might be able to make sense of the music scores they show ya, but if you're a newbie, you're gonna be lost as a goose.
The Great Courses: Great Content, But Overwhelming Mailings and Customer Service
I gotta say, I'm a big fan of The Great Courses. They got some real good stuff on there, but some of it is just too dang expensive if you ask me. But that ain't even the worst part. The real problem is the mailings. I swear, I get a catalog from them at least once a week, sometimes even twice! And the more I buy, the more they send. It's like they don't even care about my mailbox getting all cluttered up.
So I called up customer service to see if they could do something about it. And you know what I got? A robot. Yeah, a robot. It let me opt-out of the mailings, but that didn't do squat. It slowed down for like three weeks, but then it started right back up again.
Now don't get me wrong, I really like The Great Courses. But if they don't start treating me like a human being and stop bombarding me with all these catalogs, I'm gonna have to take my business elsewhere. It's just not right, you know?
Disappointing Experience with The Great Courses: Boring Presentations and Lack of Quality Control
I was really excited to learn more about history and science, so I decided to check out The Great Courses website. I ended up buying several courses, but unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with what I got. To be honest, they were all pretty boring. It felt like the presenters weren't really putting in any effort to make the topics interesting or engaging. It was just like they were reading from a script at a really fast pace, and sometimes they even had trouble speaking clearly.
I was also pretty skeptical of the fact that all of the presenters were introduced as professors with PhDs. I mean, just because someone has a degree doesn't necessarily mean they're a good teacher, right? And to be honest, I didn't really feel like I was learning anything new or exciting from these courses.
One thing that really bothered me was that all of the courses seemed to be produced in the same room, with just a plain green background. It made me wonder if this company was really just trying to churn out as many courses as possible without really caring about the quality.
Overall, I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with my purchase from The Great Courses. It felt like they were just trying to make a quick buck without really taking responsibility for the quality of their products. In the end, I ended up throwing all of my courses in the garbage can.
Product packaging
I have purchased over 180 courses from this company, and have found them to range from 'good' to 'excellent'. I have included in every one of my reviews my concern about their present method of packaging by putting all DVDs on a single pole. It is annoying to say the least, and does nothing to reduce the overall size of the package. On going through the Course, or going back to review a lecture, this stacking makes for painful selection, and can possibly result in damage to the discs. It certainly does little to reduce costs. They have continuously opted to not comment on this criticism. I can only hope this will lead to TTC reverting to individual storage within the box.
Desired outcome: A change back to storing each disc on its own pole.
xxl refill cups
Obviously, you don't give a [censored] what we think because the same problems exist. My question is, what is the purpose for buying the XXL refill cups for $1, then have to still pay $1 for a refill? The customers are no longer paying for the cup. So the need for paying $1 for just a refill is for what? Will you fix this please? Thanks in advance. I've bought three of those cups and i refuse to pay another$1 for a cup I've already bought.
non-delivery
The course I ordered wasn't worth the money and time I spent on it. They sent my course by fedex and it never arrived. I paid $15 for its delivery. Any other delivery or postal service would do it much faster. I contacted the service and got a very blurred answer, that sounded more like "we don't care". I don't want to give them the second chance.
Overview of The Great Courses complaint handling
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The Great Courses Contacts
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The Great Courses phone numbers+1 (800) 832-2412+1 (800) 832-2412Click up if you have successfully reached The Great Courses by calling +1 (800) 832-2412 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached The Great Courses by calling +1 (800) 832-2412 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached The Great Courses by calling +1 (800) 832-2412 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached The Great Courses by calling +1 (800) 832-2412 phone number
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The Great Courses address4840 Westfields Blvd, Suite 500, Chantilly, Virginia, 20151, United States
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The Great Courses social media
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Checked and verified by Michael This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn moreJun 17, 2025
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