GoAbroad.com Reviews Scam.
This article looks at fake TEFL reviews on the https://www.goabroad.com/ travel abroad website.
Specifically, we are looking at the ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd program that partners with GoAbroad.
Earlier this month, Trusted TEFL Reviews exposed ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd for:
- Running fake Level 3-5 TEFL courses.
- Lying about its charity donation claims.
- Owning the accreditation website that “independently accredits” the program.
- Writing fake reviews of its program.
That article:
https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/10/22/itt-international-tefl-and-tesol-ltd/
Because the evidence for the above is so clear-cut, we wanted to warn the websites that ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd partner with.
https://www.eslbase.com/ immediately deleted its ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd program listing.
GoAbroad, on the other hand, responded:
“We are now giving ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd time to process TEFL accreditation from legitimate accrediting bodies. If they are not able to complete the process within the time given to them, we will be removing their listings from GoAbroad.com.”
GoAbroad
We thought this was really odd.
GoAbroad is openly admitting that ITT International TEFL and TESOL are not accredited by a legitimate accreditation body, and that, after an unspecified amount of time, the program will be removed if they are unable to gain legitimate accreditation.
This means that the ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd program, with its fake accreditation, is still listed on GoAbroad and is still being promoted by GoAbroad.
We decided to write this Goabroad.com Reviews Scam article because not only is this TEFL program, with its fake accreditation, still listed on GoAbroad, but it is also plainly obvious to anyone who digs a bit that the “customer reviews” for the program on GoAbroad are fake.
You can tell that the reviews are fake because:
- All of the reviews look the same.
- The reviews all suffer from the same grammar errors.
You can view for yourselves:
https://www.goabroad.com/providers/itt-international-tefl-and-tesol
The question is, why would GoAbroad continue to list a TEFL program that it admits itself operates under a fake accreditation website?
Also, why does GoAbroad put up with fake reviews?
GoAbroad is a US/Philippines company, with the vast majority of its workforce based in the Philippines.
https://www.goabroad.com/about/meet-the-team
Its business model is intrinsically linked to referrals and affiliate marketing.
What does this mean?
It means that GoAbroad earns money from TEFL programs paying for a listing on GoAbroad.
GoAbroad also earns a referral affiliate’s fee every time someone purchases a TEFL course through the GoAbroad website.
The TEFL programs listed on GoAbroad are actually GoAbroad’s customers.
It, therefore, is in the financial interests of GoAbroad to promote positive reviews and to deter negative reviews of the TEFL programs that it lists.
It is also very much in the financial interests of GoAbroad to keep listing the ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd program, despite the fact that the program is operating under fake accreditation claims, with fake TEFL courses, and despite the fact that GoAbroad has been made fully aware of these facts.
You just can’t believe the reviews listed on GoAbroad.
Read more about the ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd program scam and, bear in mind, that GoAbroad has also read the article and continues to list the program on its website:
https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/10/22/itt-international-tefl-and-tesol-ltd/
Thank you for reading this GoAbroad.com Reviews Scam article.
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews
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If I write a positive review all is fine, but as soon as I write a negative review I suddenly need to prove myself/identity and if not my review will be put on hold. It’s a waste of time to write on goabroad.
Louise.
Thanks for your feedback.
Yes, we have also heard that it is very easy to leave a positive review on GoAbroad but that it is often very difficult to leave a negative review.
Trusted TEFL Reviews has received a sudden burst of traffic activity from the Philippines so that very likely means that ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd and GoAbroad are now aware of this article having been published.
ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd and GoAbroad are very welcome to respond to this article.
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews
Don’t trust GoAbroad! I got scammed buying a TEFL course from ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd. I was rejected from a job because it wasn’t possible to get the TEFL certificate legalized for the work permit. When I wrote on GoAbroad (I chose the program based on GoAbroad reviews) my review was declined. I sent them a copy of my TEFL course payment, as well as the TEFL certificate. They still haven’t published my review. I read online that GoAbroad get kickbacks from the programs they list. GoAbroad should stop promoting TEFL courses that are not legitimate! I’ve even read that ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd. are not even accredited! How on earth are they still allowed to advertise on GoAbroad?
Tammy.
Thanks for your feedback.
Unfortunately, you are not alone regarding your bad experience of the ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd TESOL certification course online program.
Trusted TEFL Reviews recently published an article, exposing the program, its owner, and the scam that is ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd and World TEFL Institute:
https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/11/01/itt-international-tefl-and-tesol-ltd/
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews
It’s scandalous that goabroad.com is still promoting internationaltefltesol.com and worldteflinstitute.net, given the clear evidence on trustedteflreviews.com that both programs are fraudulent.
The most probable reason why goabroad.com continues to promote both programs is because of the affiliate money that it receives from the referral sales when people purchase a TEFL course from either program.
Three more factors make me suspicious about the whole setup.
1. James Dwyer, who it is clear is the owner of both TEFL programs, has written abusive comments in response to the two articles on trustedteflreviews.com that expose him and his businesses.
This shows to me that he doesn’t care so much about the public perception of himself and his TEFL programs because he thinks that whatever he writes he will continue to receive a steady stream of referral business from goabroad.com.
2. goabroad.com has stated that it is investigating internationaltefltesol.com and worldteflinstitute.net and that both programs will remain on the goabroad.com website until a time when they acquire legitimate accreditation.
If goabroad.com were a credible source for TEFL certification information, it would have ceased its partnership with both companies immediately pending a review.
3. goabroad.com is a US-registered company, but all of its staff (with the exception of one person) reside in the Philippines. internationaltefltesol.com and worldteflinstitute.net are registered in the UK, and their sole owner (James Dwyer) also resides in the Philippines.
Personally, I would advise people not to take as face value any of the content published on goabroad.com.
gooverseas.com appears to follow the same business model as goabroad.com and also has some type of business partnership with James Dwyer’s TEFL programs.
I will be writing to the BBB in Northern Colorado and Wyoming to warn them about the strange business activity of goabroad.com.
Michael S.
Thank you for your input.
I contacted the Better Business Bureau in Northern Colorado and Wyoming a few minutes ago after reading your comment and have received a complaint case number.
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews
Like others I wrote a review on GoAbroad and it wasn’t published. Provided proof of payment, proof of certification, screenshots of emails sent from ITT International TEFL and TESOL. When Paypal requested similar documents they immediately processed a refund for me. GoAbroad is very fishy. Especially now that I read GoAbroad is a Filipino company. The country is scam central. Sorry it is.
We encourage all users and readers to conduct independent research of the partners on GoAbroad.com.
GoAbroad.com is a registered business that was founded in 1997. If you have questions about how we operate or would like to speak to a member of our team, please contact info@goabroad.com.
GoAbroad.com is an online search directory. Voluntary, free use of this resource is at the discretion of the user. GoAbroad.com bears no responsibility for the outcome of any program or position. All users should research prospective programs, institutions, and organizations thoroughly before applying and participating. Users are encouraged to request all information directly from the program provider, ask questions, gather information, and research before enrolling in a program. Participants are also encouraged to research and validate programs directly by requesting alumni contacts and/or professionals in the field, or reading reviews and interviews from past participants.
GoAbroad.com reviews are intended to provide independent reviews of program providers listed on the website. Our full review policies can be viewed here (https://www.goabroad.com/privacy/reviews/).
More information about GoAbroad.com can be found here (https://www.goabroad.com/about/) and you can review our Terms and Policies here (https://www.goabroad.com/privacy/) and here (https://www.goabroad.com/legal/).
GoAbroad.
Thanks for finally addressing the issue and getting back to Trusted TEFL Reviews with a full response, two weeks after we first notified you about the publication of this article.
Your answer appears to contradict your initial response:
“We are now giving ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd time to process TEFL accreditation from legitimate accrediting bodies. If they are not able to complete the process within the time given to them, we will be removing their listings from GoAbroad.com.”
I can see the mechanics of your operation.
Your business model is centered around earning referral affiliate’s revenue from the people that choose a TEFL program on goabroad.com.
They choose a TEFL program, based on the program’s information on goabroad.com, and GoAbroad subsequently earns a sales commission from each sale.
You take no responsibility, whatsoever, for the legitimacy of the TEFL programs that you list and promote.
If you did, you would already have de-listed the ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd program, which you yourself wrote does not have legitimate accreditation.
Instead, you still list this fake TEFL program and you still have it announced on its listing that it is accredited. In addition, you continue to pay for Google ads to promote this program’s listing on the goabroad.com website.
It is one thing to claim that all reviews are moderated on the goabroad.com platform, it is entirely another thing when people consistently complain about their negative reviews not being allowed publication and when people complain that they have purchased a fake TEFL course because it turns out that many (in ITT’s case most, if not all) of the four and five-star reviews published on the goabroad.com platform – reviews they believed were written by course graduates – are obviously fake and have been written by the TEFL program.
If you were honest, you would have written:
GoAbroad earns its revenue from listing TEFL programs and other abroad programs on the GoAbroad.com website. This is our main source of revenue stream.
TEFL programs and other abroad programs pay for a listing on GoAbroad.com, and GoAbroad receives commission sales every time someone purchases a TEFL course or other abroad program on the GoAbroad.com website.
It is, therefore, in our best interest to present all programs listed on GoAbroad.com in a positive light because GoAbroad earns more affiliate money from positive reviews about the programs it lists.
GoAbroad heavily promotes the programs it lists on the GoAbroad.com website through Google ads.
GoAbroad has a stringent reviews moderation policy when receiving negative reviews of a TEFL program or other abroad program, but has a really lenient policy when receiving (fake and real) positive reviews of a TEFL program or other abroad program.
This has been GoAbroad’s business model for the past fifteen years.
If someone purchases a TEFL program or other abroad program on the GoAbroad.com website and discovers that they have been scammed, GoAbroad says that the person should have done more independent research and shouldn’t have relied on the information published on GoAbroad.com.
There is a zero chance that GoAbroad will remove the listing of ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd from the goabroad.com website.
It isn’t in your financial interests to do so.
GoAbroad doesn’t care about the TEFL course consumer because GoAbroad’s customers are the TEFL programs and other abroad programs that it lists on the goabroad.com website.
Shame on you, GoAbroad!
Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews
Dear Mia,
GoAbroad isn’t accredited by the BBB and that means that GoAbroad either hasn’t applied for accreditation from the BBB or has applied for it and had their application denied.
To get BBB accredited, businesses have to pay the bureau’s fees, maintain a consistent base of operations that is on file with the bureau, and promise to uphold the organization’s ideals. Once businesses are accredited, they’re subject to periodic reviews by the BBB to determine whether their grade is correct.
These ideals include:
Transparent business practices
Honest advertising
Comprehensive competency licensing
Addressing consumer complaints and resolving consumer problems promptly
I think it is unlikely GoAbroad would apply for BBB accreditation because GoAbroad wouldn’t satisfy the conditions for accreditation acceptance.
Thank you for everything you and Trusted TEFL Reviews do ~ Mike
We can confirm that GoAbroad still lists the scam TEFL/TESOL program ITT International TEFL and TESOL Ltd., with its fake accreditation.
Related article:
https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/11/14/itt-international-tefl-and-tesol-ltd/