VIPKids (teaching ESL to kids in China via the internet) -- scam or legit?

[dmjacobsen]

This is probably a question better suited for some ESL forum, Quora, or something similar, but I'm active here and I'm too lazy to go be active anywhere else.

A friend of mine has started working for a company called VIPKids, where she teaches English to children in China via a sort of Skype-like interface. She's well-credentialed to teach, but has her own children that she homeschools and thus is not able to teach full-time during the day. So, this opportunity seems like it's right up her alley.

However, I've gotten a little concerned with some of her Facebook posts lately, many of which are affiliate links for others to sign up to teach. She posts screenshots of her payouts (very out of character for her to brag about this) and also has a few FB "friends" (not real life friends) who are replying to her payout posts with their own payout screenshots.

These sorts of activities are very consistent with MLM scams. However, the only negative reviews I can find about the company discuss their inconsistent policies for their employees and that they frequently dock pay for failing to comply with those ever-changing policies. I've even read a couple of reviews stating that pay is docked to the point that the employee actually owes the company money (another MLM red flag). I can't find any information on this affiliate program, though.

tl;dr Is VIPKids an MLM-like scam or is it legit?

[cookderosa]

One of our long-time members here is a teacher, I'll message her and see if she wants to comment.

Bottom line- very legit! Huge growth in their company. They were actually a case study in my husband's MBA class.

[dfrecore]

Not related to this company, but my son was interested in taking an online course in Arabic, and the only one that looked good was one where you met weekly via Skype for classes.

I also know that Skype is a popular method for practicing face-to-face languages with people around the world (websites where I might go online as an English-speaking native, who wants to practice Spanish, and find someone who was a Spanish-speaking native who wanted to practice English, and we'd talk to each other right then).

So from someone who has been checking into this a bit, it doesn't sound like a scam in the way it's laid out. Which is funny, because then they do the whole scammy FB posting and make it look like it's not legit.

[dmjacobsen]

So from someone who has been checking into this a bit, it doesn't sound like a scam in the way it's laid out. Which is funny, because then they do the whole scammy FB posting and make it look like it's not legit.

I certainly didn't mean to imply that the Skype-like course delivery was sketchy. Just that the posting payout screenshots along with affiliate links seemed really suspect.

Bottom line- very legit! Huge growth in their company. They were actually a case study in my husband's MBA class.

Good to know. Maybe the payout screenshot thing was just a one-off and not something encouraged by the company. And, hopefully, the stories about negative paychecks were fabricated.

[StoicJ]

Might be NICE if it had some sort of MLM component to it, but seems like it's just teach and get paid. Looks like there are traditional-type bonuses that make the per-hour look pretty decent. Posting pay screenshots does seem a little strange, but maybe it IS just people trying to share a way to make money that's working for them. Beats posting political stuff I suppose

[Mamasaphire]

Thanks Jennifer for the heads up! Short answer is that VIPKID is legitimate and I greatly enjoy teaching through them. Here is my referral link (they are apparently mainly hiring those who already know a teacher, rather than just random applicants, so it adds to the rubric score somehow): https://t.vipkid.com.cn/?refereeId=4192374

I'll try to come back later and leave a longer answer. Hosting a grad party this weekend, so running around doing 5 things at once

[Mamasaphire]

I certainly didn't mean to imply that the Skype-like course delivery was sketchy. Just that the posting payout screenshots along with affiliate links seemed really suspect.


Good to know. Maybe the payout screenshot thing was just a one-off and not something encouraged by the company. And, hopefully, the stories about negative paychecks were fabricated.

Yeah, I don't know why some teachers post MLM type things. It's certainly not encouraged by VIPKID themselves. And one person's wages may not match another's based on time worked, etc. Basically all VIPKID teachers are self employed contractors. Pay is based upon classes taught, with monthly bonuses for working more than the minimum, and there is a current teacher recruitment push, which is likely why your friend posted what she did, but I don't get any MLM vibes from the company itself.

[dmjacobsen]

Yeah, I don't know why some teachers post MLM type things. It's certainly not encouraged by VIPKID themselves. And one person's wages may not match another's based on time worked, etc. Basically all VIPKID teachers are self employed contractors. Pay is based upon classes taught, with monthly bonuses for working more than the minimum, and there is a current teacher recruitment push, which is likely why your friend posted what she did, but I don't get any MLM vibes from the company itself.

Good to hear this from someone on the inside. Thanks for taking the time to respond to this and clear it up for me. I really wanted to make sure my friend wasn't being sucked into a con game, because it does seem like a great opportunity for her. But, I've seen too many friends fall victim to companies like Cutco/Vector Marketing and Kirby Vacuums, and my Scammy Sense™ was tingling.

[bjcheung77]

Scammy Sense™ was tingling.

Haha, I would too! err, rather, my sixth sense would tingle too!
That actually would be my initial reaction as well to these type of companies.

[RANSOMSOUL]

But, I've seen too many friends fall victim to companies like Cutco

. Thought I'd mention that I worked for CUTCO for all of 24 hours back in 1996! I was unaware until looking them up, but my tenure was actually the first year they launched the company. At the time I was working as a nurses aid in the OR (my first step into medical) and thought this CUTCO company might be a way to make some additional income on the side. The story is short and sweet:

Bought Kit (scissor & a couple of knives)
You're HIRED!!!
Drove home - slept on the master plan and decided it was not for me come morning.

The funny part is that I gave the set to my mother who ended up using it for YEARS. Anytime I come across someone who bought their stuff, they go on and one about how they actually worked well. It's crazy to hear that Cutco is still around rocking the same program.

Thank you for going down RANSOMSOUL memory lane