An update on using Rosetta Stone: Studio now isn't very useful and is not great value as an add-on option

re: An update on using Rosetta Stone: Studio now isn't very useful and is not great value as an add-on option

Don M — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:33:38 GMT

Hello,

I, too, am very unhappy about the changes of Rosetta Studio. I just had to renew my subscription today, unaware of the change in the amount of times you can do a group session, and I have to say that I would NOT have renewed had I known of the changes...

The change from 50 minute to 25 minute sessions was bittersweet, but this new change from unlimited sessions to just TWO PER MONTH is downright ridiculous! After my current cycle is done, I will no longer be a customer of Rosetta Stone unless they change back to the previous format.

And the auto-renew thing is so incredibly sneaky... What's worse is that even if you sign up for 6-months for $75.00, when that cycle ends, it won't renew at the rate of $12.5/month, but it will go to $25/month!!! Soooo sneaky this Rosetta Stone...

Incredibly unhappy. If anybody is reading this now and considering of Rosetta Stone, my verdict for you is NOT RECOMMENDABLE! Stay away!

re: An update on using Rosetta Stone: Studio now isn't very useful and is not great value as an add-on option

Greg Low — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 22:07:43 GMT

I got up at 5am today to attend their "chat" session where they wanted feedback about the Studio changes.

That was a complete waste of time. It was a session that just pushed the line that said the changes were to make it quicker for you to get access to the group sessions and to let you have two instead of one. But they are now much slower and you previously could have unlimited sessions, but could only prebook two.

In the "chat" session, they just avoided all the hard questions.

What's worse, is that they pretended to care. With any of the obvious things that could go wrong with this, they just said "just call us and we'll make it right". However, they don't publish a phone number. I've been to the support "chat" page. They could not answer the questions, said they'd escalated it and that someone would contact me within 24 to 48 hours, but of course no-one ever did do so.

I can only imagine that they've had some sort of change in the company and they've suddenly got very greedy. That's ok for those signing up now but for everyone that was signed up before and understood how it worked, the changes are quite appalling.

While I'd have recommended them in the past (with reservations), there's no way I could recommend their current program or the way that they do business now.

re: An update on using Rosetta Stone: Studio now isn't very useful and is not great value as an add-on option

Mike — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:34:55 GMT

I too got scammed. Really, two 25 minute sessions a month for $25 with 3 other people, technical problems and static! However, I complained and got a refund. There is no way I'll ever buy Rosetta Stone again. It's a massive waste of money. Other programs can teach you just as much or more in less time, for less money and are more entertaining. The only reason I had Rosetta Stone was for the studio sessions.

re: An update on using Rosetta Stone: Studio now isn't very useful and is not great value as an add-on option

Paul — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:38:14 GMT

I dumped the program too. Too bad. I really enjoyed learning Spanish with them. I will miss it.

re: An update on using Rosetta Stone: Studio now isn't very useful and is not great value as an add-on option

Dave — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 02:17:18 GMT

I just finished all three levels of Korean that they offer. I am also disappointed with the studio session changes however, with my three months of free online access, I appear to be limited to four 25 minute sessions per month, not two as other commenters have said. Did RS change their policy?

I don't know. More helpful than the Studio Sessions, I spend most of my online time with their Picari game playing solo which is their flashcard game; I find the game a great review tool and a great way to determine which words I've already forgotten. I still like RS and would buy it again. But I never enjoyed the studio sessions as much as others did.