Coursera.org Reviews

Coursera is a rip off. I have tried to cancel the monthly charge of $49 for over a year and they are simply inaccessible and/or unresponsive. I have no idea how I am going to get this cancelled. I am considering changing banks to get rid of this scam of a company. Until then I will post my honest review of this horrible company who sadly claims to help educate people, but only steals their money.

I have been taking the free courses through Coursera for years. Subjects that were suited to my particular interests and some that simply sounded interesting. I have enjoyed them!

I have not had the need to pay for anything such as a certificate, so have no experience with them in that regard.........but, I can say that if you simply want to learn it is a great place to do it!

The subscription won't stop even after you finish the course or even the whole specialty.

They just keep charging you covertly, until one day you find out the huge amounts of dollar deducted for Coursera.

Then, there is no way to contact them directly. And their email reply is basically just saying it's your fault that you didn't cancel the subscription.

I learned about this the hard way after losing about $250x4 = $1000 dollars to them for nothing.

This company should be sued.

Coursera is a ripoff. They use shady business practices to make a buck. You sign up for a free trial and if you don't cancel in time they charge you $50 with no refund.

They don't send any notice before charging you the money. You are only notified after it is too late. A significant't amount of their income comes form people who don't want or intend to use their service, but Coursera hides behind their TOS to screw these people out of $50.

They should focus on the people that want to use their service instead of spending so much effort screwing people that don't.

Their refund policy is that you can't get a refund after 2 weeks from when you paid. So if you paid on the first day of a course, and get through the first 2 weeks, no refund is possible.

The problem is that in the Specialization I took for learning code. The first class, Programming the Web for Beginners, became ridiculously hard after the second week. A good example is that the lecture videos teach you what a function is, and it's basic components, then for the quiz, they ask you to write 5 different programs, full on programs. So people who are truly Beginners, who have never read or written code in their lives, are supposed to just magically know what to do because a video told them what a function is.

I quit after week 3, for there was no passing that class. When I complained and asked for a refund for the remaining classes that I have not, and will not be taking, they told me that they "Absolutely cannot fathom" me. That their refund policy is clearly stated, and they insinuated that I'm an idiot for even asking.

This organization is criminal. How convenient that the class got beyond ridiculous after their refund period. Do not waste your time or money on them.

1] Error in review: not all courses are free.

2] It is one of those sites that look like they are organized and structured but when it comes to

speed+loading+accessibility+support, it is not adequate, for a site that handles thousands and thousands in a short span of time.

3] The course so far is not on par with the names it is associated with. I understand the need to keep it general but the online version and college version can't be the same. College students are not the same as adult learners/professionals in the workforce who are using this course as professional development.

Overall, not a place I will return to when there are so many online courses to choose from, including other MOOCs.