Atom Learning’s Business Model: Trap Parents into Subscriptions and Hope They Forget

[DBridgeman]

I just want to warn other parents that Atom Learning’s business model is immoral because if you stop using their service, they don’t contact you and hope you don’t notice the monthly payments. I never thought we’d fall into this trap, but because we used a joint credit card, we did.

We signed up for a free trial, stopped using Atom Learning and didn’t realise the monthly payments were still coming out. When we recently noticed them, the company refused to refund the payments, even though we hadn’t used their service for several months.

Atom Learning does not send you any emails to remind you that your subscription is still running. Once you’ve signed up, the payments just keep coming until you notice and cancel. Due to exploitative companies operating in this way, the law is changing from January 2027 to protect consumers from subscription traps.

Looking at the negative reviews on Trustpilot, it’s clear that many other customers have reported similar experiences. One recent customer was paying monthly, then got charged for an annual subscription and Atom Learning refused to refund it. Quite unbelievable!

We’ve recently started using IXL, which is much cheaper, and they send us regular emails. This shows that Atom’s complete lack of contact is not the industry standard and this reinforces my view that this company is deeply unethical.

Don’t sign up to Atom Learning. It’s not a nice company to give your money to. But if you do, make sure you set yourself a reminder each month, so that if you stop using it, you remember to cancel. They will not contact you at all and the payments will keep coming out in the hope that you will fall into the subscription trap!

This is every subscription service. This was your fault not theirs.

As a grandparent I signed up to upgrade my dgd’s school platform. Her parents had all the passwords and log in details; only the CC info was in my name.
I found the e-mail staff contact very helpful at ensuring our portion was discontinued literally the day after ISEB/consortium tests done.
Test day means stop payment day.

We used Atom for a good 6 months before we got a tutor.Then we cancelled it. It was very simple.

The good thing is that the government have recognised the unfair practice of unethical subscription companies and from the 1st January 2027 the new consumer subscription contract regulations under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) will come into force. Businesses will have to send mandatory reminder notices before free or discounted trials end, six monthly reminders and prior to long-term automatic renewals (such as 12-month commitments).

@CostcoFanofThree did you continue atom up to the interview dates? I understood there were puzzles etc at some interviews so wasn’t sure whether to keep it going

@Alonenotalone no, we saw no need for this. Two reasons dgd’s school did interview prep and we knew that interviewing wasn’t a weakness. Her weakness in this area was oversharing being too at ease.
although it wasn’t long ago I’m pretty sure that the two schools that dgd wanted to attend interviewed in oct (combo open day with some activities and time to chat), tested in nov, with letters received before x-mas.
either way discontinuing the monthly subscription was top of our mind.

Sorry you signed up for a service you used, with no intention of paying the provider, and are now trying to take the moral high ground? 🤔 Are you the same poster who posted this in July or are there two freebie hunters outraged at having to pay for something they used? No such thing as a free lunch. Good luck with IXL, which is a totally different system with different end goals.

Pretty much every free trial service to which you give credit card details at the start of the trial does this. That's the point. 'Twas ever thus, including with gym membership, magazine subscriptions etc etc.

e.g. I haven't looked up a recipe on the Feast app for months, I'm paying £2.99 pcm cos I want to be able to access my already saved ones and cos I think I might go back sometime. That's on me, I will either cancel or restart my usage at some point. But since I get a lot of value out of the Guardian in general, I think it's fair enough!

The real problem with Atom is that they set the 11+ test for a large number of London independent schools including the consortium. So they set the test and sell parents the prep. It’s a great business model! Less good for the parents and even worse for the kids, who end up doing years of boring Atom. Prep schools don’t pay for Atom so they get the kids using it in school and they set loads of it for homework. What a waste of everyone’s time! It’s so sad.

I wouldn't. I have had two dc go through the 11+ and between them 8 interviews. The interviews are usually straightforward. If puzzles or math given its to check their thought process and not a problem if they get it wrong. It is to see how they solve problems or handle challenges.

I think the law changes on 1st Jan 2027, disregarding fault, should you not be told money will be taken out of your account?

The OP was told when she signed up for the trial.

I give up.