Many reviews mention unexpected or repeat charges and trouble cancelling subscriptions. Several users say they lost access after a platform change or that lifetime memberships were ended. Others praise the course content, clear teaching, and flexible self-paced learning. Ratings sit at both extremes, showing both strong satisfaction and strong dissatisfaction.
Examples from available reviews (Dec 2021 – Feb 2026).
Alleges unauthorised charges, spam and had to cancel payment cards.
“They will take money out your account without you knowing”
Rebranding failed to migrate legacy courses and support was unhelpful.
“Only one of my five original courses survives.”
Finds Shaw Academy useful and can study anytime, anywhere.
“Shaw academy is very useful for me.”
Clear instructions, right pace, and worthwhile learning results.
“Good, clear instructions which push you enough to stretch your learning”
Reviews often mention unauthorised payments, double charges, and refunds that never came through. Many users also describe cancelled or ended memberships and accounts they could not access after a platform migration. A smaller group reports smooth payments and issues that were resolved.
Some reviewers say the courses are affordable and good value for what you get. Ongoing billing complaints make others question whether the paid plans are worth it. A few reviews specifically say they paid for certificates that were never issued.
Several users report disrupted sessions, getting kicked out mid-class, and trouble signing back in. Others point to useful self-paced study and positive experiences as lifetime members. Access problems tied to migration come up repeatedly.
Multiple reviews praise clear instruction, good pacing, and current course material. Reviewers mention a wide range of topics and learning outcomes they found worthwhile. A minority report missing certificates or legacy courses that disappeared after platform changes.
Many reviews describe customer support as hard to reach, including emails being blocked when they asked for help. Several users mention persistent marketing contact and unexpected charges linked to trials. A small number report helpful support and easy communication.
Reviews split sharply between people who praise the course quality and those who report billing and access problems. Negative feedback focuses on billing disputes and migration issues. Positive feedback centres on teaching quality and flexible learning.
For each review, the core experience based on original source reviews.
Sources: External Source (20) · Trustpilot (5) · Collected.reviews (1) · Quotes shortened · As of: February 2026
Alleges unauthorised charges, spam and had to cancel payment cards.
“They will take money out your account without you knowing”
Warns of misleading signup, unexpected charges and persistent marketing contacts.
“Money was taken from my account in the first week of the month-long trial I signed up for.”
Reviewer mocks the company and expresses disbelief it's still operating.
“Still trading???!!! Hahahahahaha! Jokers.”
Couldn't cancel subscription, alleges money stolen and excessive pop-ups.
“1.Cannot cancel subscription very easily no matter how hard I tried”
Hasn't used services and cannot judge, notes others speak positively.
“I haven't used their products or attended their programs myself”
Couldn't access account after a payment error despite lifetime membership.
“I don't have access to my account after an error in payment”
Was charged despite cancelling and couldn't obtain a refund.
“Charged me when i cancel before my free trial.”
Finds Shaw Academy useful and can study anytime, anywhere.
“Shaw academy is very useful for me.”
Money taken twice, no refund and lost account access.
“MY MONEY WAS TAKEN TWICE AND THEY DID NOT WANT PAY ME BACK”
Asks how to recover money from Shaw Academy.
“how to get back the money from shaw academy”
Courses are diverse, updated, and offer good value despite issues.
“Shaw Academy is a quality, affordable learning platform.”
Reviewer describes the service as great and super fine.
“Great super fine”
Informative, self-paced learning despite migration and account issues.
“its tip top im doing my financial market diploma and its so informative.”
Claims rebranding cheated people and calls the company a scam.
“Changed name from Shaw Academy to Upskillist and once again cheated people out of their hard earned money.”
Paid for a certificate but did not receive it and lost access.
“paid for the certificate but never received it”
Platform changed without notice causing migration problems resolved after weeks.
“Shaw Academy changed the platform without notifying customers”
Accuses company of repeated unauthorised charges and unreachable customer support.
“they withdraw money out of my card each two weeks.”
Course access disrupted despite active lifetime membership after migration.
“i have an active lifetime membership from shaw academy since 2021”
Paid but cannot access account and support blocked emails.
“after I paid I cannot get access to the account”
Rebranding failed to migrate legacy courses and support was unhelpful.
“Only one of my five original courses survives.”
Satisfied lifetime member experienced smooth migration and good support.
“Everything was easy and went smoothly.”
Kicked out mid-class, couldn't sign back in and couldn't contact support.
“I was in the middle of a class and was kicked out of the site.”
Lifetime membership terminated without notice and cannot log back in.
“my membership has been terminated.”
Clear instructions, right pace, and worthwhile learning results.
“Good, clear instructions which push you enough to stretch your learning”
Claims being charged repeatedly and unable to obtain a refund.
“They charged me 40 euros a month for about 5 months”
I had originally registered in a course called Creative writing from Shaw Academy.
It had little information and the content that was included was of poor quality.
During the free trial period, I was able to cancel.
They then informed me that they will improve the content and extended the free trial period for an additional year.
I didn't care and have since enrolled in a program with a more respectable organization.
Because I had never checked in, they called me at the end of the term to tell me that I could watch all of the fantastic content they'd added since my last visit for another 28 days for free.
I said I'd look into it to get the individual off the phone, and guess what?
They took a payment from my credit card 28 days later without ever talking to me about it.
They keep emailing, calling, and texting you; they are a nasty organization that you should avoid at all costs.
This page combines submitted experiences with public reviews from platforms such as Google, Trustpilot, etc. Recurring points are summarised without changing the content of reviews.
Shaw Academy offers online courses and professional development programmes. It provides live and on-demand video lessons, assessments, and certificates of completion. Learners can enrol in business, technology, design, and finance to build career skills. Courses come through subscription access or individual enrolment options. The company posts course outlines and learning objectives for prospective students.