I thought Cole's Classroom was a reputable business because they've been around so long. I've always heard great things about them in the past. But WOW their current marketing strategy to pull in new photographers is SUPER sneaky and sleazy. The end feeling you walk away with is that they totally just took advantage of you.I was targeted in a facbeook ad. They made an offer for an enticingly cheap course. I made the purchase. At checkout, they offered a last minute deal - much like candy at the register of a grocery store. The offer was something like - Pay $1, and get access to MORE free stuff. I don't recall adding this option on, but apparently I was billed for it. I was also then billed 10 days later for a $49 monthly subscription to Cole's Classroom. I later found out through their website's knowledge base that the $1 offer at checkout was a "10 day trial membership" and that after that time, I'd be billed a monthly subscription to their community. This was hidden in the fine print under the $1 offer.I followed their knowledge base article to unsubscribe so that I wouldn't be billed again in the future. The article instructed me to log into my account to cancel the subscription. When I tried to log in, I realized I couldn't - I had never created an account with them in the first place.I don't understand how I can be billed a monthly subscription to a community I never signed up with. I couldn't even find a new link to create a new account without being billed again. How is this legal???The fact that Cole's Classroom has a whole article explaining why I was billed the $49 means that they've gotten a lot of backlash from this in the past and they've published an article to reduce the number of email complaints they get about this exact same incident.Instead of taking the time to write a help article of how I was tricked into a monthly subscription service I didn't sign up for, wouldn't it be a better use of time to stop the practice that causes the backlash to begin with? It's such a shame. Cole's Classroom might actually have had really great content and been an excellent place to learn from. But because of the sleazy marketing strategy they currently practice, I'll never know. I'll never sign up for a Cole's Classroom course, pdf, or membership ever again. In addition to that, I'll continue to warn every photographer I know not to do business with this sleazy company.At this point I have contacted their customer support team and am still waiting to hear back.---------------An Update -It also looks like this company cheats their reviews on this platform. After writing my own, I scrolled back and saw all of the other negative reviews complaining about the exact same situation I'm currently in. There's a sudden influx of positive 5 star reviews around February 19th/20th 2020. Prior to 2/19 - 2/20, there were another round of awful 1 star reviews complaining about the same issue. The sudden influx of 5 star positive reviews in mid February look like an attempt to burry all the negative reviews. I'm shocked.
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Since 2014, our mission at Cole’s Classroom has been simple: to provide affordable, high-quality training for photographers at every stage of their journey—from brand-new beginners to seasoned professionals.
Regarding our Trustpilot reviews, we want to offer full clarity about our most popular program: Cole’s Classroom Pro. This monthly membership includes access to more than 28 in-depth courses, over 300 quick video tutorials, and 15 behind-the-scenes, on-location photo sessions, all for $49 per month.
To make joining risk-free, every new member begins with a 10-day free trial. This gives full access to the entire library so photographers can explore everything and decide—without pressure—whether the membership is right for them.
We’re committed to transparency. At the time of purchase, we clearly outline what’s included, how the trial works, and when it converts. We also make cancellation easy: there is a cancellation link on our product pages and support pages, and we send multiple reminder emails before any trial converts to a paid membership.
If you ever need help, our support team is available 7 days a week at support@colesclassroom.com.See more
