Ending your Preply membership made easy

About Preply

Preply is an online tutoring marketplace that connects students with private tutors for language learning and academic subjects. Founded in 2012, the platform has grown to serve millions of learners worldwide, offering access to over 32,000 tutors teaching more than 50 languages and various academic subjects. In the UK, Preply has become increasingly popular among individuals seeking personalised learning experiences, whether for professional development, academic support, or personal enrichment.

The platform operates on a flexible model where students can browse tutor profiles, read reviews, watch introduction videos, and book trial lessons before committing to regular sessions. This means you have the opportunity to find a tutor whose teaching style, availability, and expertise match your specific needs. Tutors set their own hourly rates, which typically range from £8 to £40 or more, depending on their qualifications, experience, and subject expertise.

Preply's UK operations are registered at Kemp House, 160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX. As a consumer using their services, you benefit from UK consumer protection laws, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. These regulations provide you with specific rights regarding cancellations and refunds, which we will explore in detail throughout this guide.

The platform generates revenue by taking a commission from tutor payments, whilst students pay directly for lessons through the Preply system. This structure means that when you purchase lessons, you are entering into a contract with Preply as the service provider, not directly with individual tutors. Therefore, any cancellation requests must be directed to Preply itself, and understanding your rights within this arrangement is essential for protecting your interests as a consumer.

Subscription plans and pricing

Unlike traditional subscription services with fixed monthly fees, Preply operates on a lesson credit system. You purchase packages of lessons upfront, which are then used as you schedule sessions with your chosen tutor. This structure provides flexibility but also requires careful understanding of how payments and cancellations work within the platform's framework.

How Preply pricing works

When you find a tutor on Preply, you will see their hourly rate displayed on their profile. Your first lesson is typically offered at a discounted rate, allowing you to trial the tutor's teaching style before making a larger commitment. After the trial lesson, you purchase lesson packages that can range from 6 to 20 hours or more, depending on your learning goals and budget.

The pricing structure means that your total investment can vary significantly. For example, if you choose a tutor charging £15 per hour and purchase a 12-hour package, your upfront cost would be £180. As a result, understanding the cancellation terms becomes particularly important when you have made a substantial financial commitment to your learning journey.

Package options and commitments

In practice, larger packages often come with better value per lesson, but they also represent a greater financial commitment. This means you should carefully consider your availability, learning goals, and financial situation before purchasing extensive lesson packages. Your consumer rights regarding refunds for unused lessons will depend on various factors, including how many lessons you have completed and the specific circumstances of your cancellation request.

Additional costs and considerations

Beyond the lesson fees, you should be aware that Preply includes a service fee in their pricing structure. This fee covers the platform's operational costs, payment processing, and customer support services. The commission structure means that whilst tutors receive a portion of your payment, Preply retains a percentage for facilitating the connection and providing the technical infrastructure.

Payment methods accepted include major credit and debit cards, and the platform processes transactions securely through established payment processors. Therefore, when you need to request a refund or cancellation, the money will typically be returned to the original payment method you used, though processing times can vary depending on your bank or card provider.

Cancellation terms and conditions

Understanding your cancellation rights with Preply requires distinguishing between different types of cancellations: individual lesson cancellations, changing tutors, and cancelling your entire commitment to the platform. Each scenario has different implications for your consumer rights and potential refunds.

Individual lesson cancellation policy

Preply allows you to cancel individual lessons with specific notice periods. Under their standard terms, you can cancel a scheduled lesson up to 4 hours before the start time without penalty. This means the lesson credit returns to your account balance, and you can reschedule with the same tutor or use it for future sessions. However, if you cancel with less than 4 hours notice or simply do not attend, the lesson is typically considered used, and the credit is deducted from your account.

This policy protects both students and tutors, as tutors rely on scheduled lessons for their income and have likely declined other opportunities to accommodate your booking. As a consumer, you should carefully manage your schedule to avoid losing lesson credits through late cancellations or no-shows, as these situations significantly limit your refund options.

Changing tutors and your rights

If you are dissatisfied with your current tutor, Preply's terms generally allow you to switch to a different tutor and transfer your remaining lesson credits. This flexibility is valuable, as finding the right tutor-student match is crucial for effective learning. In practice, this means you are not locked into continuing with a tutor who does not meet your expectations.

However, there are limitations to this flexibility. After you have completed a certain number of lessons with a tutor, the platform's refund policy becomes more restrictive. Therefore, it is in your interest to evaluate your tutor relationship early and make changes promptly if you are not satisfied with the instruction quality or teaching approach.

Full account cancellation and refunds

When you wish to cancel your Preply account entirely and request a refund for unused lessons, the situation becomes more complex. Under UK consumer law, you have a 14-day cooling-off period for online purchases, during which you can cancel and receive a full refund. However, this right is modified when you have already started receiving the service.

In practice, if you have taken lessons during the cooling-off period, Preply can deduct the cost of those lessons from your refund. After the 14-day period expires, your refund rights depend on Preply's terms of service and whether there has been a breach of contract or service failure on their part. This means that timing is crucial when exercising your cancellation rights.

Circumstances affecting your refund eligibility

Several factors influence whether you will receive a full refund, partial refund, or no refund when cancelling your Preply commitment:

• The number of lessons you have already completed
• Whether you are within the 14-day cooling-off period
• The quality of service provided and whether it matched what was advertised
• Whether you have attempted to resolve issues through customer service first
• The specific terms of the package you purchased

As a result, documenting any service issues, communication problems, or unmet expectations is essential for supporting your cancellation request. Keep records of lesson dates, any complaints you have made, and responses from Preply's customer service team. This documentation strengthens your position if you need to escalate your complaint or seek assistance from consumer protection organisations.

Legal protections under UK consumer law

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 provides you with important protections when purchasing services like online tutoring. Services must be provided with reasonable care and skill, as described, and within a reasonable timeframe. If Preply or a tutor fails to meet these standards, you have grounds to request a refund or compensation.

Additionally, the Consumer Contracts Regulations give you specific rights when purchasing services online or at a distance. These include the right to clear information before purchase, written confirmation of your order, and the cooling-off period mentioned earlier. Therefore, if Preply has not provided clear information about their cancellation terms or has made the cancellation process unreasonably difficult, you may have additional grounds for complaint.

How to cancel Preply by post

Whilst many online services encourage digital communication, sending a formal cancellation letter by post remains the most reliable method for protecting your consumer rights. Postal cancellation creates an official paper trail, provides legal proof of your cancellation request, and ensures your communication receives proper attention from the company's formal complaints or customer service department.

Why postal cancellation is recommended

Email and online chat support can be convenient, but they have significant limitations when dealing with cancellations and refund requests. Messages can be filtered, overlooked, or delayed, and you may find yourself repeating your request multiple times without resolution. In contrast, a formal letter sent by Recorded Delivery provides indisputable evidence that you have communicated your cancellation within required timeframes.

This approach is particularly important if you are within the 14-day cooling-off period and need to prove the exact date of your cancellation request. Under UK law, you meet the deadline if you send your cancellation notice before the period expires, not when the company receives it. Therefore, the postmark on your Recorded Delivery receipt serves as legal proof of when you exercised your cancellation rights.

Furthermore, companies are legally required to acknowledge and process formal written complaints and cancellation requests. This means your letter will likely be handled by staff with appropriate training and authority to resolve your issue, rather than frontline customer service representatives who may have limited decision-making power.

Preparing your cancellation letter

Your cancellation letter should include specific information to ensure it is processed efficiently and to protect your legal position. Include your full name, account email address, and any customer reference number associated with your Preply account. Clearly state that you are cancelling your service and requesting a refund for unused lessons, and specify the date from which you want the cancellation to take effect.

Explain your reasons for cancelling, particularly if you are citing service quality issues, misrepresentation, or failure to meet consumer law standards. Be factual and specific rather than emotional, referencing particular incidents, dates, and any previous attempts to resolve the issue. This information strengthens your position if you later need to escalate your complaint to alternative dispute resolution services or consumer protection organisations.

Request written confirmation of your cancellation and a clear timeline for processing your refund. Specify that you expect the refund to be returned to your original payment method within a reasonable timeframe, typically 14 days under consumer protection regulations. Keep a copy of your letter for your records before sending it.

Sending your letter with proof of delivery

Always send cancellation letters via Royal Mail Recorded Delivery or another tracked postal service. This service costs a few pounds but provides invaluable proof that your letter was sent and received. You will receive a receipt with a tracking number and can verify online when the letter was delivered and who signed for it.

The official postal address for Preply's UK operations is:

• Kemp House, 160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX

Address your letter to the Customer Service Department or Legal Department to ensure it reaches the appropriate team. Allow adequate time for postal delivery when calculating deadlines, particularly if you are approaching the end of the 14-day cooling-off period. Letters sent within London typically arrive within 1-2 working days, but you should send your cancellation as early as possible to avoid any disputes about timing.

Using Postclic for professional letter sending

If you find the process of drafting, printing, and posting a formal letter inconvenient, services like Postclic can streamline the process whilst maintaining the legal benefits of postal cancellation. Postclic allows you to create and send tracked letters digitally, handling the printing, enveloping, and posting on your behalf whilst providing you with digital proof of sending and delivery.

This approach saves time and ensures your letter is professionally formatted and sent via tracked delivery. You receive confirmation when your letter is posted and delivered, giving you the same legal protections as sending the letter yourself but without the need to visit a post office or handle physical documents. For consumers managing multiple service cancellations or those with limited mobility, this service can be particularly valuable.

Following up on your cancellation request

After sending your cancellation letter, monitor your records carefully. Companies should acknowledge receipt of your cancellation within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 7-10 working days. If you do not receive confirmation, you have proof of delivery from your tracked postal service, which you can reference in follow-up communications.

If Preply does not process your cancellation or refund within the timeframe specified in their terms of service or within 14 days (the standard period under consumer regulations), you should send a follow-up letter. Reference your original cancellation letter, include the date it was delivered, and state that you are escalating your complaint due to non-response or inadequate resolution.

Escalation options if postal cancellation is unsuccessful

In the unlikely event that Preply does not respond appropriately to your postal cancellation request, you have several escalation options available as a UK consumer. Citizens Advice provides free guidance on consumer rights and can help you understand your options. You can also contact the Consumer Ombudsman or use alternative dispute resolution services if the company is registered with such schemes.

For payment disputes, you may be able to request a chargeback from your credit or debit card provider, particularly if the service was not as described or if Preply has failed to honour their refund obligations. Credit card purchases over £100 also benefit from Section 75 protection, which makes your card provider jointly liable for breaches of contract or misrepresentation.

Customer reviews and tips

Understanding why other customers cancel Preply and learning from their experiences can help you navigate your own cancellation more effectively. Customer reviews and feedback reveal common issues and successful strategies for securing refunds and resolving disputes.

Common reasons for cancellation

Based on customer feedback and reviews, several recurring themes emerge regarding why UK users decide to cancel their Preply commitments. Financial constraints are frequently cited, particularly when users purchase large lesson packages and then experience unexpected changes in their circumstances. The upfront payment model means you commit significant funds before knowing whether the learning arrangement will suit your needs long-term.

Tutor-student mismatch is another common issue. Despite the trial lesson option, some students find that teaching styles, communication approaches, or lesson content do not align with their learning preferences after several sessions. Whilst Preply allows tutor changes, some users prefer to cancel entirely rather than invest time in finding a new tutor and starting the relationship-building process again.

Schedule conflicts and time management challenges also prompt cancellations. Online learning requires consistent time commitment, and users sometimes overestimate their ability to maintain regular lessons alongside work, family, and other responsibilities. As a result, lesson credits accumulate unused, and customers seek refunds rather than allowing their investment to expire.

Customer experiences with refunds

Reviews indicate that refund experiences with Preply vary considerably depending on individual circumstances and timing. Customers who cancel within the cooling-off period and have completed few or no lessons generally report receiving refunds, though processing times can extend beyond the standard 14-day period that consumer regulations recommend.

Those who have completed multiple lessons or are cancelling after the cooling-off period report more difficulty securing refunds. Some customers describe lengthy email exchanges with customer service, requests for additional documentation, or offers of partial refunds rather than full reimbursement for unused lessons. This underscores the importance of formal written communication and clear documentation of your cancellation request.

Several reviewers note that persistence and formal escalation were necessary to achieve satisfactory outcomes. Customers who sent formal complaint letters, referenced specific consumer protection regulations, and clearly documented service failures reported better results than those who relied solely on informal email requests.

Tips from experienced users

Based on collective customer experiences, several practical tips emerge for anyone considering cancelling their Preply commitment:

• Start with small lesson packages to test the platform and your chosen tutor before making larger financial commitments
• Document any issues with lesson quality, tutor reliability, or platform functionality as they occur
• Act quickly if you are dissatisfied, particularly within the 14-day cooling-off period
• Communicate your concerns to Preply before cancelling to give them opportunity to resolve issues
• Keep records of all communications, including dates, times, and the content of conversations
• Use formal written communication for cancellation requests rather than relying on email or chat
• Be specific about your reasons for cancelling, particularly if citing service quality or consumer rights issues
• Request written confirmation of your cancellation and refund processing timeline

Protecting yourself as a consumer

Prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to service cancellations. Before purchasing lesson packages, carefully review Preply's terms and conditions, paying particular attention to cancellation and refund clauses. Take advantage of the trial lesson to assess whether the tutor and platform meet your expectations before committing to larger packages.

Consider your learning goals realistically. If you are uncertain about your ability to commit to regular lessons, smaller packages provide more flexibility and reduce financial risk if you need to cancel. Remember that you can always purchase additional lessons if your initial package works well, but securing refunds for unused lessons can be challenging.

Maintain good records from the start of your Preply journey. Save confirmation emails, lesson receipts, and any communications with tutors or customer service. This documentation becomes invaluable if you later need to dispute charges, request refunds, or escalate complaints to consumer protection organisations.

Alternative dispute resolution

If you cannot resolve your cancellation and refund issues directly with Preply, remember that you have access to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The UK has established consumer protection frameworks specifically designed to help individuals resolve disputes with businesses without resorting to expensive legal action.

Citizens Advice offers free, impartial guidance on consumer rights and can help you understand your options and strengthen your case. Trading Standards can investigate businesses that consistently fail to honour consumer rights or engage in unfair trading practices. For specific disputes about online services, you may also be able to access online dispute resolution platforms recognised by UK and EU consumer protection regulations.

Your payment provider offers another avenue for dispute resolution. Credit card companies, in particular, have established chargeback procedures that allow you to dispute charges when services are not provided as described or when companies fail to honour refund obligations. This option can be particularly effective when direct communication with the service provider has failed to produce satisfactory results.

As a final consideration, remember that your consumer rights exist to protect you from unfair business practices and ensure you receive the services you pay for. Do not hesitate to exercise these rights when circumstances warrant. Companies operating in the UK market are bound by consumer protection laws, and you are entitled to fair treatment, clear information, and appropriate remedies when services fail to meet reasonable standards. By understanding your rights, documenting your experiences, and using formal communication methods like postal cancellation, you significantly strengthen your position and increase the likelihood of achieving a satisfactory resolution to your Preply cancellation.