Why I Didn’t Join “Scaler Academy” – My initial experience, refund process, and review of Scaler Academy.

How they reach to you?

If you are an IT professional or Engineering Student, you are aware of the name “Scaler Academy”. Basically, they provide online training to freshers, college students, and IT professionals. They do regular basis marketing on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc. on 3 hours of FREE masterclass sessions on different programming topics, like, ReactJs, Python, AI, etc.

Once you are registered for a free session, and after the session is completed, they will start to call you and ask basic questions about you, your qualification, your existing job, and the reason to attend the master class. If you are doing the job they will ask for your salary and during the discussion, s/he will tell you that you are getting low according to the current market.

I got a call from a scaler executive her name is “Vartika” – I informed her that I have experience of around 10 years as a Web Developer and currently I am getting a 12L package. She told me that as per my experience it should be a minimum of 25L, they recruited students with a lower experience, compared to me with a 25L package to Amazon, Facebook, etc product-based company. During the conversation, I asked for the fees and she told me that it is around 2.99L including GST with an EMI facility and I will get the interview calls after 3 months. I got time to take the decision to make ready on this such high amount to upgrade myself.

She told me that “do your research about the Scaler” and take the decision”, and she also told me that she will send me the Audit report of the recruitment done by the Scaler. But I got the basic introduction email from her without any Audit report of placements. Okay, not a big issue.

Formal Entrance Exam

On the next day, she called me again and told for an entrance test because without an entrance test admission is not possible. I was ready for the test and asked her to schedule the test. The test didn’t go well for me because there are many questions related to maths calculation and other formula-based and friendly speaking, I didn’t face such types of questions or works and I got a lower score (around 30%). As soon as I finished my test, I got a call from Ms. Vartika and she told me that my score is very poor and I have to get a minimum of 50% to enroll. I told her the difficulties I faced (lake of such types of knowledge). She sent me the result of my test with the correct answer and told me that try to give a re-test, 80% chance are there that the questions are repeated. But as I want to join Scaler to increase my knowledge and not to join any company for the job, I gave my re-test honestly way. I attempt the few questions with more effort and tried to understand the questions. Even though I didn’t attempt the question, I had answers to them. This time by luck I got a 50% score. Ms. Varitka congratulate me for the same but was friendly speaking this time I was not feeling happy because I feel like the test process does really not matter they have just processed and enrolled the students in the same way they tried with me, I may be wrong but that was my thinking.

What if I am not from Engineering Background (BCA, MCA, BTech, etc)?

Once, the test was completed and she congrats me for passing the test. Now, after the test, I got a few questions that came to my mind and I started to clear them one by one:

1. I have passed my graduation with a B.Com stream and don’t have any degree like MCA, Engineering, etc. is this a good course for me?
   
   She replied, it doesn’t matter from which background you came, it may take a little longer time than a regular Engineer student to complete the course. So don’t worry we have experienced teachers and mentors who guide you.
   
   
2. As per my best knowledge and attempt to apply to big and reputed companies, I have to select the degree of “BCA, MCA, BTech, etc” as a qualification, I didn’t see “Bcom” there at all. How is it possible that once I complete the course I will get a job at the companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, etc you mentioned for placements?
   
   She replied, that once you complete the program, you have conducted the interview with those companies without sharing your resume with them. We provide the resources with the knowledge they want, so we don’t share your resume with them at all. You have to pass the interview process by giving the mock tests. Even if you have more queries or questions I’ll pass the call to our manager and he will clear all your doubts.

15days Trial Period Policy.

Now, Mr. Ayush was on a call with me and I asked the same above questions I told her and he told me that he is a little confused with my qualification and experience and offer 30 days trial period instead of 15 days. If they feel that I am not a good student and not eligible to complete the program, they will refund my admission fees (Rs. 20,000) and cancel my admission. He told me that he is going to send me a link of payment to pay the Admission fees and I have to pay it within 30 minutes.

Admission Fees to book your seat.

I proceed with the admission and paid Rs.20,000 as admission fees. I wanted to try the trial period of 15 days on this amount and thought that if it was not good, I will cancel my enrollment.

Loan Process call before Trial Period Starts.

But the main twist came on next day when I got a call from a company “LiquidLoan” and the executive told me that I got this call because I have applied for an “Education Loan” – for scaler. And I told the executive that I don’t have any requirements for the loan and no one from “Scaler” informed me about it. As soon as I reject to give them any documents and personal information, I got a call from Ms. Vartika and she told me to go with the process of the loan. I told him that I don’t want any loan for this course, I’ll pay the EMI from my Bank account directly. She told me that this is interest-free EMI and you must go with them because the company pays the whole amount to Scaler and take the EMI from the student.

I was not ready for this big surprise, because I thought that I have to do ECS for EMI direct from my bank account to scaler academy. At that time, I told her we can go with this process after the completion of my trial period of 30 days (offered by the manager Mr. Ayush instead of the regular 15 days). But she is not ready to agree with me and told me that this process confirms your seat for this year’s admission. I have still a time of 14 days (instead of 30 days) to cancel it and once I cancel the enrolment, the loan process automatically cancels. When I remind her that Mr. Ayush allowed me 30 days and you are asking for 14 days, it was something confusing and seems a communication gap. She replied that we will give you 30 day trial period but you have only 14 days to claim the refund. After 14 days you will not get any refund. She told me that don’t worry about it there is no situation coming for the refund so move ahead and do the process for the loan. But at this time I was not ready and agree to it because I don’t want to take any headache or burden of the loan cancellation and other surprises related to it.

Now, Mr. Ayush called me to know the reason and try to convince me of the loan process. But I was clear on it and told him the same thing and asked to let me first attend the demo class and after that, we’ll process. I am already interested to learn and that’s why I have paid Rs.20,000/- admission fees, so, I requested to wait until the demo lecture was completed because I am not sure if that is good for me or not and even as you told me that you are confused with my experience and education background.

After a long discussion, I told him and show my interest to go with the loan after 30 days of the demo period and ask a genuine question, what if I am not happy with the course or due to any other issue I want to cancel my enrolment after 1 month. What will be the process of discontinuing or stopping the loan process? He told me that after 14 days there is no way to come out of this course, and you have to pay the remaining fees even if you don’t want to continue.

No way to cancel your admission even if you don’t like the course and want to discontinue with refund.

So, this sound that the company “LiquidLoan” pay them on our behalf, and now they will recover the rest of the amount from us in their own way. So, finally, after knowing this system and process, I felt like it was not trustworthy and not good to move ahead. I told Mr. Ayush that you can help to stop the loans if I don’t want to continue and charge me for whatever you taught me and I attend the classes but he refused my request and told me that it is not possible.

Request for Admission fees refund before trial period expired.

So, I took the decision and told him that I don’t want to go with this system so please process my cancellation and refund (I still didn’t attend the single lecture because the batch was started after a week) and he told me ok they will process to cancel the admission and refund me my money.

This was not the end of this matter.

The next day, I got a call from a sales executive of “Scaler” who offer me the course and I told him that I already canceled it and asked for a refund. The executive got the detail about it and the reason for the cancellation. During the conversation he told me that to get a refund, I have to send an email to [email protected] otherwise I’ll not get any money. This is again new surprised me that neither Mr. Ayush nor Ms. Vartika informed me about it. Anyway, I email to refund department for cancellation and refund of my money. I waited for 2-3 days but I didn’t get any confirmation or any update from the refund department. So, I called Ms. Vartika but she wasn’t pick up my phone. I called Mr. Ayush, but he also didn’t pick up my call, so, I was a little afraid. I keep trying to call Ms. Vartical and Mr. Ayush and once Ms. Vartika pick up my call and told me that she’ll ask the concerned department and update me shortly. After 2 days, I got a call from the refund department asking for the reason. I explained everything and he told me how we can trust students that they will pay the complete fees for the course, so we have a company in-between to take the risk and this is the common system. He tried to give me some irrelevant examples when we didn’t get the money back once paid like purchasing a bike, refrigerator, etc. I told him that when I am spending a good amount of fees such as 3Lakhs to learn something, I have to think about it and there should be a way to exit in between. But during the conversation, his tone of talking seems angry, and not ready to understand any issue from my end he told me that he don’t like me to join the course and he is going to cancel my registration.

As per the policy before the 14 days, I requested the refund on the 2nd day, and as I was committed that I got the refund within 2-4 days.

Again, the matter was not closed here.

A week passed and I didn’t get a refund. I again mailed to the refund department and called Ms. Vartika and Mr. Ayush but this time no response from anyone. So, I logged in to my student dashboard and raised a ticket, and leave a message to the student forum that I faced the issue of a refund and no one is responding. This way worked and I got a message from the support team that they have forwarded it to the refund department and they will contact me shortly.

No response and reply in “Refund” – only getting new dates.

The next day, I got an email from the refund department that it will be processed in 9-11 WORKING days. Now, this increased the frustration level but there was no option to wait.

Again, this is not the end of the matter.

I waited for 15 days but I neither get a refund nor get any update from anyone. So, I again started to call and mailed them but didn’t get any update from them. Now, my frustration level goes very high. And again, I tried to contact them by joining the “Online media Streaming…” development webinar and I got a call from the executive Ms. Pratibha – and I told him my whole story, and help me to give the email or contact number of high authority because they are not responding to any email (i.e. Support, Refund, etc). She told me that she will direct talk to the Manager and get back to me in a few hours. But I didn’t get any update from her too. But after two days, I tried to contact her and she call back me after 2-3 hrs and update me that she put my complaint to the manager and they will get back to me. After that I got another email from the refund department mentioning below:

End of frustration…

This was my first experience trying to enroll in an online training program and it was horrible and finally decided to go with the Online paid course video from Udemy instead of joining such companies. I enrolled in two Udemy courses and it is worth to money because there is a very low risk of money that we can afford.

I wrote this blog to help other students to know the reality of the process of “Scaler” which is not 100% transparent and mentioned on their website. Some students may have good experience and get a good job from them but my personal experience was not good at all and I am even not thinking to join it in the future.

Thanks for spending your time reading about my experience with the Scaler. If you faced such a bad experience with them or any other company, please do share it here. So, we can save our unknown friends time and money too.