Paid for an Online Course That Was a Scam? Refund Under the ACL

The webinar was slick. “Only 10 spots left.” “Six-figure income in 90 days.” “Personal coaching and lifetime access.” You paid $2,997, or set up a payment plan for $4,500. What you got was a login to a portal of recycled videos, a Facebook group where nobody answers, and a “coach” who is now selling the next course.

You feel stupid. You are not. These courses are built by people who study persuasion for a living. And the law was written for exactly this.

What the seller promised is what matters

Under the Australian Consumer Law, section 18 bans misleading or deceptive conduct in trade or commerce. Section 29 specifically bans false claims about the standard, quality or benefits of a service. If the sales page said:

• “Weekly live coaching calls” and there were none
• “1-on-1 mentoring” and you got a chatbot
• “Guaranteed results” and there was no guarantee
• “Lifetime access” and the portal shut down

then the seller has broken the law, and section 236 lets you recover your loss.

Separately, section 60 and 61 require the course to be delivered with due care and skill and be fit for the purpose advertised.

Does it matter if the seller is overseas?

It helps enormously if they are Australian or have an Australian entity, ABN or bank account. The ACL applies to anyone carrying on business in Australia, including online. If the company is in the US or Dubai, a Letter of Demand can still work (they often refund to avoid chargebacks and bad press), but enforcement is harder. Focus on the Australian ones first.

Act on two fronts at once

1. Chargeback. If you paid by credit or debit card, ask your bank for a chargeback for “services not as described.” You typically have 120 days from the transaction. Do this today.
2. Letter of Demand. Send a formal letter demanding a full refund under sections 18, 29 and 60 of the ACL within 14 days, or you file at the tribunal and report to the ACCC and your state fair trading office.

Course sellers hate formal letters because they run on testimonials and Facebook ads. A tribunal judgment or an ACCC complaint is a reputation problem they cannot buy their way out of.

Cancel the payment plan

If you are on a direct debit or “buy now pay later” plan, contact the provider in writing and dispute the remaining payments on the same grounds. Do not just cancel the debit; put the dispute in writing so it is not treated as a default.

Evidence

• Screenshot the sales page, the webinar slides and every promise, right now, before they change it
• Save your receipt and the terms you agreed to
• Screenshot the actual portal, showing what is there and what is missing
• Keep every unanswered support ticket

The people selling these courses count on you being too embarrassed to fight. Prove them wrong.

Claim Done drafts your Letter of Demand for $49. Done in about 5 minutes. You approve it before it is sent.