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Pimsleurapproach.com - CAUTION | ||
Tags: Fake Reviews | Pimsleur | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| palfrey Senior Member Canada Joined 5084 days ago 81 posts - 180 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: German, French | Message 1 of 8 01 October 2012 at 5:07am | IP Logged |
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Lately, on some sites, at least in North America, I've noticed banner ads saying something like "Language professors hate him" along with a photo of Paul Pimsleur. If you click on these things, you're taken to "pimsleurapproach.com". There, you get a lengthy explanation of Dr. Pimsleur's method, and an offer to sell you a basic 10-lesson Pimsleur course for only $10.
Now, I have found that the Pimsleur approach is not for me. I feel a need for grammatical rules and explanations, and I also prefer to have written materials as well as audio. So I have not taken them up on this offer. But I wondered whether this site was part of pimsleur.com, the official site run by Simon and Schuster, who are the actual publishers of Pimsleur materials. The answer appears to be No. Pimsleurapproach appear to be resellers of the Pimsleur courses, and are not affiliated with Simon and Schuster. Now, in general there is nothing inherently wrong with reselling. But in this case, the situation does not look very pleasant. There have been many complaints on the web about this company's practices. If I understand them correctly, the story is usually this: In the fine print of your order, the company has included a clause saying that you have bought a much more expensive pimsleur course, in addition to the basic 10-lesson one. They do send both to you, but you are charged as much as $300. And it is difficult, if not impossible, to get the money refunded. Anyways, just google terms such as "pimsleurapproach.com" and "complaint". There are enough complaints out there that I would be very leery of ordering anything from these people. Instead, if you really want to try Pimsleur, I would suggest sites such as Amazon (where many of the basic 10-lesson courses are currently selling for less than $20). Or try your library, as many have suggested. Also, if you just want a taste of the method, Simon and Schuster have put the first lesson for many courses on their website, pimsleur.com, as well as on youtube. Any of these is a far safer route to use than following the "language professors hate him" banner ad. 9 persons have voted this message useful | |
| hobbitofny Senior Member United States Joined 6044 days ago 280 posts - 408 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Russian | Message 2 of 8 01 October 2012 at 5:26am | IP Logged |
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Correct. They are NOT part of Simon and Schuster. They are a reselling company. I am surprise pimsleurapproach.com has not been shut down.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Peregrinus Senior Member United States Joined 4303 days ago 149 posts - 273 votes Speaks: English* | Message 3 of 8 01 October 2012 at 8:10am | IP Logged |
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While fraudsters can cycle through a myriad of credit card processors these days, if S&S pulled their reselling license that would be it if followed up on legally if they continued to sell (presumably digital downloads). And S&S should then also be able to claim copyright infringement or domain squatting to get them to give up the domain.
One would also think that a company like S&S does not need resellers like a smaller one might, and the system definitely inflates the price. If S&S dumped the reselling program, I would find it hard to believe in the day of Amazon which provides digital downloads, that increased sales at a substantially reduced price would not make up for lost sales via reselling. Perhaps an email campaign targeted to S&S from readers of this forum might have an effect, though of course I guess they could be limited by some expansive term unlimited contract they inherited when they bought Pimsleur. Also that particular ad is seen all the time on sites like the language sites of about.com, and targeting complaints to them and their adservers might also have an effect. I would think as well that if the price were cut in half and S&S offered a compressed version of each course with the response spaces significantly cut out like forum readers do themselves with Audacity, then sales might really soar as cost + time are the main complaints here re Pimsleur courses. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| alang Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 7032 days ago 563 posts - 757 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish | Message 4 of 8 01 October 2012 at 11:34pm | IP Logged |
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This is the same company, that advertises learn a language in 10 days. I would not be too surprised if this was the same company who had the 99% fluency if you use all three comprehensives marketing a couple years back. When I contacted S&S about the 99% claim, they responded, that it was probably a reseller, as S&S has never advertised such claims. Steve Kaufmann in one of his videos talks about Pimsleur and did not differentiate the claims from this company and the legitimate product itself. They were both lumped together. This is one way Pimsleur gets a bad reputation. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |
| TerryW Senior Member United States Joined 6168 days ago 370 posts - 783 votes Speaks: English* | Message 5 of 8 02 October 2012 at 2:48am | IP Logged |
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About a year ago, I ordered the 10-lesson Mandarin for $10 from them. (I had used many
Pimsleur (cassette) courses long ago from the resource library at work and really like Pims) It included a welcome letter about how they would be sending the balance of lessons (11 to 30) "on trial" (as in returnable) after a month or so. When 2 or 3 months elapsed with no delivery, I called them to see what was up. They said nothing has been sent (I'm guessing too many people complained as stated above), but I could have them send it out to me now for $X (I don't remember how much, but pretty sure over $200). I told the guy on the phone not to send, and that I would be ordering the Audible download version from Amazon for $130, obviously much cheaper than their price for the disks. The guy said that they could meet that price, and I said OK. I was expecting the disks for lessons 11-30, but I got a very nice sleek and classy-looking "pencil box" sized black case with gold lettering that says "Pimsleur Approach - Gold Edition" with 16 disks in nice cardboard folders. (30 lessons + the 16th disk contains "Readings A" and "B," which I haven't listened to yet.) My credit card was billed 1/3 the $130 for 3 consecutive months, which is how they said they would bill the automatic "on trial" CDs after X days. I'm completely satisfied with Pims Approach (at least from the experience a year ago) If I want to get any more Pimsleur, I will be calling Pimsleur Approach and negotiating a price for the disks (I don't like MP3 downloads as much as having the CDs). The disks say "Pimsleur Approach - Gold Edition" and "(c)(p) 2010 Simon & Schuster, Inc. PIMSLEUR is a registered trademark of Beverly Pimsleur. This product is published by Internet Order LLC under license from Simon & Shuster..." Edited by TerryW on 02 October 2012 at 3:16am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Peregrinus Senior Member United States Joined 4303 days ago 149 posts - 273 votes Speaks: English* | Message 6 of 8 02 October 2012 at 4:41am | IP Logged |
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While it is nice to know that they can be negotiated down in price, it still remains that it is a shady practice to only state in fine print that the rest of the course will be charged for and sent unless you notify them otherwise to cancel.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| palfrey Senior Member Canada Joined 5084 days ago 81 posts - 180 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, French | Message 7 of 8 05 October 2012 at 4:13am | IP Logged |
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I notice that when I visit this forum (i.e., HTLAL) without logging in, I now sometimes see links to pimsleurapproach.com in the ads. I guess the forum administrator has no qualms or concerns about accepting ad revenue from this company.
As for me, I stand by my advice to think carefully before deciding to deal with them. Personally, I think they present their negative billing option in a very disingenuous manner, and I would therefore avoid them. But at least you now have some more information to make up your own mind. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| hobbitofny Senior Member United States Joined 6044 days ago 280 posts - 408 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Russian | Message 8 of 8 05 October 2012 at 4:34am | IP Logged |
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I do not think he controls the ads. Most sites' ads are done a company that match content to ads. Ads are most times not screened. I would never assume ads on wedsite like this are approved by the site's admin.
By the way, Kaspersky Internet Security software blocks most ads on this site. I only see Amazon on a few pages. Most pages no ads at all. Edited by hobbitofny on 05 October 2012 at 5:06am 1 person has voted this message useful |
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