Shaw Academy Ltd has agreed to refund hundreds of former students after admitting some students experienced difficulties cancelling a free trial offered by Shaw Academy before it became a paid subscription to the company’s online courses.
This follows an ACCC investigation into Shaw Academy, an international online education organisation providing students with online courses.
“It is important that businesses offering subscription services allow consumers to cancel with as much ease as it took to sign up, particularly when they offer a free trial,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
The ACCC was concerned that Shaw Academy offered consumers a free trial to its online education courses but then charged some of them a subscription fee even when they had cancelled or tried to cancel before the end of the trial.
Shaw Academy also allegedly refused to refund subscription fees it had charged to consumers who had previously cancelled or tried to cancel their subscription.
“Businesses must have the necessary systems in place to handle cancellations of subscription services, including complaints or queries about cancellations,” Ms Rickard said.
Shaw Academy has agreed to refund about 450 affected consumers, totalling approximately $50,000, and committed to improving their systems to facilitate refunds to consumers.
