Horror Stories - Tutor Recommendation Agencies

[tracyneozx]

hey im looking for tutors for my boy, you mind if you let me know which agencies are bad?

[Kind_Soul]

Hi tracyneozx, just watch out for TxxTutor for now… bad accoutning and they will haunt you after one year… demanding you to retrieve statement prove which will cost you $$. In the end, it’s probabaly easier to just pay it…


Hi HSM, same situation. I called the bank and retrieving the statement is $20/statement. Frankly, I do not even know which month I made the payment. In the end, I have to retrieve 3-4 months which will cost me $60-80. Hence, easier to settle with the $100?

Btw, my lawyer said, the agency can just pay the court $10 to issue small claim. Then the court will summon me to court, which in the end, I still need to produce the statement and turn out in court. Too much hassle. This is a scam and loophole. Parents Watch out. Keep all receipts and statement pls!

Tell you what, I will pay them the $100… then file to CASE! for their cause in stress and bad service, which does not warrant the service I paid for… I won’t let it pass… Anyway, PSLE is over, I have the time to settle this legally… Objective is not to take parents for a ride at the bad time.

[weatherbee]

OMG! That’s terrible! Do let us know how you settle it in the end. Personally, I prefer to find the tutors directly or through recommendations. I find that sometimes the tuition agencies anyhow match.

[RachelLee]

Kind_Soul:

Hi Parents out there, I would like to share my experience, to know if anyone out there has the same experience, how you handled it... If no, take it as a warning..


I went through a tutor reommmendation agency (Txxtutor) in Nov 2011 and they recommended a tutor to me. As the tutor kept using handphone during lessons, I decided to stop her despite one warning to the tutor. So I managed to find another tutor through another agency and she is excellent.. tutoring my children since Jan 2012.

Yesterday, Thur, 27 Oct 2012, I received an SMS from the 1st agency claiming I have not paid the agency fee... and demanded the evidence to be shown by this week. Else, to make payment or they will make small claim through court. How can I produce the evidence within such a short period, especially when the bank transfer could be done in Nov 2011 or even Dec 2011? This is talking about last year statement or a receipt which I caould have discarded when shifted house. They also claimed that if I do not produce, will go through other means that might casue me embarassment...

I am seeking legal advise from my lawyer. As this could happen anytime. The fact that they only stress parents when PSLE just started yesterday. Btw, the fee is only $100... not that I can't pay, is why should I pay? Why they only close accounts one yr later? What if I pay now, and they come back again 1-2 yrs later claiming the same? I am really stressed by them with one child having PSLE and one streaming Sec 2. What will they do especially when they are aware of my children's school and worst, my address.

Any advise?

If you want to get a tutor for your children, don't go through an agent. I know of some agents who even cheat the tutor of their commission. If I were you, I would not seek legal advice for such matters cuz it's not worth it over $100. If possible, I would try to talk to the agent and settle the matter amicably. Hope I helped

[verykiasumummy]

its easier to look for a tutor here direct… there are many threads recommending tutors of different subjects… if not, go to a tuition centre… going thru the agent only benefits the agent, not ur dc and certainly not the tutor too…!!

[Kind_Soul]

Thanks all parents with valueable comments… just upset why such agency start a business and claimed top and such… but deliver nothing…


Yes, I have paid… maybe again the commission… yet, guess what? The lady called Ms Kx SxxHxxx, really used lousy english, insult and even curse me n my family - what karma for default payment… blar blar… OMG… I give up. Feel like I am dealing with a yound kid… as if 50% of their job is ‘anyhow’ match tutors to parents / children; 50% is using all sort of ways to double charge and argue…

Wont have further dealings with such lowly educated and no EQ or moral person… Big Big lesson learnt…

[Kind_Soul]

Anyway, my current tutor for my P6 and Sec 2 kids is very good. Very good in planning, responsible, responsive and reliable. She impart approaches rather than formulas.. Her style is using references from many papers than on assessment books...


Anyone staying in the west keen, I can help to tie up.

[AceTutors123]

verykiasumummy:

its easier to look for a tutor here direct... there are many threads recommending tutors of different subjects... if not, go to a tuition centre... going thru the agent only benefits the agent, not ur dc and certainly not the tutor too..!!

*sigh, there goes the reputation of my industry =/

[verykiasumummy]

AceTutors123:

verykiasumummy:

its easier to look for a tutor here direct... there are many threads recommending tutors of different subjects... if not, go to a tuition centre... going thru the agent only benefits the agent, not ur dc and certainly not the tutor too..!!

*sigh, there goes the reputation of my industry =/

sorry to say that...and u should blame it on the fact that so many black sheep agencies out there...

maybe those good agencies can write a petition to ask acra to impose a law that tuition agencies must also be registered...

[AceTutors123]

verykiasumummy:

AceTutors123:

[quote=\"verykiasumummy\"]its easier to look for a tutor here direct... there are many threads recommending tutors of different subjects... if not, go to a tuition centre... going thru the agent only benefits the agent, not ur dc and certainly not the tutor too..!!

*sigh, there goes the reputation of my industry =/

sorry to say that...and u should blame it on the fact that so many black sheep agencies out there...

maybe those good agencies can write a petition to ask acra to impose a law that tuition agencies must also be registered...[/quote]Yep thought about doing that, but the industry might be too small and therefore not practical for MOM to regulate. MOM started from the insurance industry before moving to the maid and foreign worker agencies. Looking at the revenue size of these industries, it makes regulation practical, since the certification/registration fees collected by MOM is substantial. That's not possible with the tuition matching industry though.