Recently, in Jiangsu, a man spent 26,900 yuan in order to obtain a qualification as a first-class construction engineer. He had enrolled in a cramming class which claimed to have a 100% success rate in predicting exam questions, but ended up not hitting on a single question. On December 18th, this incident sparked discussions on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China.
According to a report from state media CCTV News, Mr. Ding from Huai’an, Jiangsu, works in the construction industry and had aspirations to become a first-class construction engineer. In June of this year, while browsing short videos, Mr. Ding stumbled upon a promotional video for exam preparation.
Upon consulting with a mentor, he was told that by studying for only 6 to 8 hours a week, he could pass the exam and receive a refund if unsuccessful. Thus, Mr. Ding purchased a 2,900 yuan course.
However, the next day, another mentor recommended a “Diamond VIP Practical Training Class” priced at 26,900 yuan, claiming that a designated teacher would provide exam questions with a guaranteed success rate. Intrigued, Mr. Ding paid the fee and signed confidentiality and course agreement forms.
Following the course schedule, Mr. Ding completed the corresponding online classes. In September, he confidently took the national unified exam for first-class construction engineers, only to be shocked when he realized none of the case analysis questions, which accounted for around 80% of the total score, matched what he had studied.
On December 9th, Mr. Ding checked his exam results and found that he did not pass three out of the four subjects. He expressed regret, saying, “I basically revised based on the points they highlighted, which led to only passing one subject this year. If I had studied on my own, maybe I would have passed more subjects. I trusted them too much.”
Mr. Ding then contacted customer service to request a refund but was informed that refunds were not possible, and he could only continue the course. The company that had signed the guaranteed pass agreement was located in Xi’an and Chengdu, not affiliated with the Beijing headquarters.
Subsequently, Mr. Ding filed complaints with the 12345 hotlines in Chengdu and Xi’an. The Xi’an company has promised a refund within 60 working days.
Investigations by media reporters revealed that such low-priced knowledge payment courses with misleading marketing tactics are widespread. Many courses attract consumers with low prices, then promote more expensive courses as being more professional through WeChat or live streaming.
From December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024, the Black Cat Complaint Platform received a total of 14,738 complaints related to online courses.
On December 18th, the topic “Man spends 26,900 yuan on cramming class but does not hit on any questions” trended on Weibo.
Many netizens commented, “Is this another hype from online education? Didn’t it appear on the consumer rights day news before?” “Businesses come up with all sorts of gimmicks, making it difficult for the public to guard against. How can we protect our rights?”
Some remarked, “Is there really such a good deal?” “Not staying grounded and trying to get rich quick will have consequences.” “If the questions on public exams can be accurately predicted, it undermines the fairness and selection purpose of education.”