Details, Terms & Conditions for Tutors

1. Your tutoring tervices

1.1 You, as a tutor, shall serve completely independently and in your own name as an independent provider of tutoring services and deal with any potential or actual clients / learners (further referred to as ‘clients’) directly and in your own name. This includes all communication, discussion of details, setting up location and time for tutoring sessions, teaching methods and plans, payment arrangements, anything else related to your contact with clients or your tutoring sessions.

2. Our role

2.1 We serve as an online marketing / listing service that provides tutors with tutoring requests / referrals from time to time on a commission basis.

2.2 As we are not a provider of tutoring service but rather a marketing/listing service, we typically do not participate in your communication with clients or in discussion of their specific needs or any details related to tutoring sessions, their place and time, payment arrangements, etc.

3. Our fees

3.1 Our fee shall be 15% of all service amounts you receive from any clients referred via the Site, BUT a minimum of 5 monetary units (CAD, USD or EUR) per actual paid tutoring hour, in currency listed on your account. In practice, this means that if you list and charge the average rate of 34 or more per hour (e.g., 35, 40, 45, 50, etc), our fees included in this rate will be calculated as 15%. If you list and charge a lower rate (e.g., 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30), our fees included in this rate will be 5 per hour (as 33*0.15 = 4.95 and 5 is our minimum fee per hour). For more information on how and when the fee is paid and for examples of fee calculation, please see Section 11.

3.2 The fee is payable for actual paid lessons (or other related services) for as long as a client is using your services, including the situation when he/she resumes a service after a long break. You shall always notify us and update the status of the request if a client referred earlier resumes services at any time later.

3.3 You shall treat our fees as your marketing expenses and shall not be discussing them with clients or asking clients to pay them for you. You may however adjust your hourly rate listed on your tutoring profile at any time.

4. Tutoring requests

4.1 We will provide you with tutoring requests when potential clients inquire specifically about your services, or when we have general tutoring requests which we feel might be of interest to you.

4.2 When you receive a tutoring request from us, you shall either click on 'Accept' or 'Decline' link in our e-mail notification or shall email us back to let us know if you are interested or not. We usually expect you to accept or decline any request as soon as possible but definitely within 24 hours after it was sent. Please note that accepting a request does not imply any commitment to teach a client. It is just an acknowledgement that you have seen the request, might be interested and will contact the client very soon to see if it's going to work for you. You may decline a request at any time later.

4.3 Tutoring requests sent to new tutors will not list client's contact details. However, once you confirm your interest, we will provide you with client's contact details which may include client’s e-mail address and/or phone number.

4.4 Tutoring requests sent to existing tutors will list client's contact details right in the notification. Tutors are still required to confirm it to us if they are interested or not by clicking on either 'Accept' or 'Decline' link in the notification or by emailing us back.

4.5 In case a tutoring request is not accepted or declined within 24 hours, we may send you a few e-mail, text or automated call reminders. If a request is still not accepted or declined within next day or two, we will assume that you are currently unavailable for any new tutoring requests, and your profile will be put on hold.

5. Contacting clients

5.1 You shall e-mail and/or call a client as soon as possible (same or next day) after you get client's contact details. If a client provided a phone number, it's always better to call unless he/she is specifically asking to use only e-mail. If you just used an e-mail, even though a client's phone number was available, and a client is not responding for more than 24 hours, you shall call the client to confirm that he/she has received your e-mail.

5.2 In order to facilitate contact between you and a client, we may share your e-mail address and/or phone number with the client once you accept his/her tutoring request.

5.3 Please use the first contact with a client to tell him/her more about yourself, answer his/her questions and possibly arrange a lesson. Clients may send inquiries to a few tutors at the same time to choose a tutor that suits their needs best. Accordingly, please treat it as a mini interview as a client may take a decision based on the initial impression and information you will provide. Do keep in mind that if a client inquired about your services, he/she has already pre-qualified you based on the information you have mentioned on your profile, so your chances to be hired by the client are very high.

5.4 If you are failing to reach a client, or he/she is not responding, you shall try again later the same or next day. You shall always update us if you fail to reach a client, or he/she is not responding to your initial contact for more than 48 hours.

6. Status updates

6.1 You shall always keep us updated on a status of each tutoring request.

6.2 Main events / statuses you are required to keep us updated on :

• 'Tutor Available' - after receiving a request, to confirm it to us that you might be interested and will be contacting a client to see if it is going to work for you or not;
• 'Tutor Unavailable' - when you have received a request, but you are unavailable or are not interested for any reason;
• 'In Contact' - when you have successfully established contact with a client (e.g., exchanged e-mails/texts or talked on the phone), but it is still unclear if any lessons are going to take place or not;
• 'Not Responding' - when you have problems establishing initial contact with a client (e.g., client is not responding to your initial e-mails and/or phone calls for more than 48 hours);
• 'Lost Contact' - when you were in touch with a client (e.g., exchanged e-mails/texts or talked on the phone), but no paid lessons took place yet, and he/she suddenly stopped responding (e.g., it's likely he/she lost interest in starting lessons);
• 'Lost Client' - when, after establishing contact with a client, you see that a request is not going to work for any reason (e.g., scheduling conflict, some special requirements you cannot meet, other). Please note that the status does not imply it's your fault - it's just an indication that the request did not work out for any reason;
• 'Future Prospect' - when you were in touch with a client and agreed that lessons might start in a few months;
• 'Planning Lessons' - when you have agreed to start paid lessons (e.g., set up a specific start date);
• 'Lessons in Progress' - when you have started paid lessons, and it's likely they will continue;
• 'On Hold' - when you had some paid lessons, but they are now temporarily paused for an extended period of time (a few weeks or months) as agreed between you and a client (e.g., due to a temporary break, vacation, health issues, etc), but it's likely they will resume;
• 'Suddenly Stopped' - when lessons with a client suddently stopped without any explanation, OR they have not resumed from 'On Hold' status, and it's unclear if any new lessons will take place;
• 'Completed' - when you and a client had some paid lessons, but now they are fully completed, and the client does not require your services anymore, or when it's just clear that lessons won't be resumed for any reason;
• Any other important information related to a request;

6.3 To keep us updated on a status of tutoring requests, you shall use 'My Tutoring Requests' link found in your admin zone or a quick access link we will provide you with. Each of the requests listed in your admin zone under 'My Tutoring Requests' page will have a drop-down list with different statuses you may assign, and a ‘Comment’ field where you will be able to provide more details on a current status.

6.4 Alternatively, in case you cannot use or find it difficult to use 'My Tutoring Requests' page or a quick update link, you shall keep us updated by sending us e-mail updates at info@languagetutors.ca.

7. Your charges

7.1 In most cases, you shall quote and charge clients an hourly rate shown on your profile with LanguageTutors.ca. When a client is sending you an inquiry, he/she is generally willing to pay you the rate shown on your profile.

7.2 You shall ask clients to pay you directly right after (or before) each session or shall make other mutually convenient arrangements. You may take cash, cheques or agree other payment methods convenient for both of you. In all cases, you shall be taking payments directly from clients without any involvement from the Site.

7.3 Depending on particular circumstances (e.g., a client requests you to work with a few people at the same time, or there are some other special requirements, or if it's not tutoring but another related service), you may quote and agree with clients a higher hourly rate or a flat service fee.

7.4 Depending on particular circumstances (e.g., when specifically requested by a client, or when a client is willing to prepay a certain number of lessons in advance), you may also consider making discounts to clients.

7.5 If you would like to change your advertised rate for future potential clients, you may always do it from your admin zone or just let us know, and we will do it for you.

8. GST or other local taxes

8.1 If you are registered as a payer of GST or other local taxes and legally required to charge them clients, please consider including the taxes in the rate you quote on LanguageTutors.ca rather than charging them on the top of this amount. In particular, for Canadian tutors, our fee already includes GST, and we do not charge it on the top.

8.2 If you plan to charge taxes on the top on the advertised hourly rate, you shall clearly indicate it on your profile and also inform clients about it when discussing possibility of lessons.

9. Receipts

9.1 If requested by clients, you shall provide them with receipts for total payments received. You may find templates of receipts online or purchase receipt books at many local or online stores.

10. Keeping records

10.1 You shall keep accurate records with information on tutoring hours and total amounts received from clients we refer to you. You may keep paper or electronic records, whatever is more convenient for you.

11. Monthly reports and paying our fees

11.1 If you had any paid tutoring sessions with clients we referred to you and/or provided any other paid services to such clients during a calendar month, and/or if you had any tutoring requests listed in the status 'Lessons in Progress' at any time during the calendar month, and/or if there is/are some unpaid balance and/or hours or amounts from previous periods not reported before, you shall submit to us a monthly report with the accurate information on the number of tutoring hours, total amounts received and other necessary details at the end of the calendar month or not later than by the 3^rd day of the next month. The monthly report link is available in your admin zone. If you experience any problems with the report, you may alternatively submit the information by e-mail.

11.2 Our fees will be calculated automatically when you fill in required information on your monthly report.

11.3 The amount in the invoice shall be based on 15% of total amounts you receive from clients during a calendar month, BUT a minimum of 5 monetary units for each paid tutoring hour.

11.4 Once your report is received, we will e-mail you an invoice with all necessary payment instructions.

11.5 Payment options available in Canada: 1) PayPal / credit cards; 2) online banking transfer via Interac e-Transfer; 3) direct cash deposit to our bank account at any CIBC branch in Canada. For tutors located outside Canada, the available payment options are: 1) PayPal / credit cards; 2) Payoneer platform. Other payment options can be agreed if necessary.

11.6 You shall pay the invoice within one week after you receive it. If a monthly hours report is submitted with a substantial delay (e.g., after 10th of a month), the payment shall be due immediately.

11.7 We will e-mail you a confirmation once we receive and process the payment.

11.8 When doing your taxes, you may deduct our fees as your marketing / advertising expenses.

12. Communication with clients

12.1 In all cases, you shall communicate with clients in an amicable, professional manner and provide the best professional service you can.

13. Information in your tutoring profile

13.1 You shall always maintain accurate, up-to-date information on your profile.

13.2 The photo is not mandatory but essential for an effective profile. It should be a photo of you. No logos, unrelated or abstract images are allowed

13.3 Your video introduction (Youtube or Vimeo link) is optional but recommended. The video should briefly introduce the service you provide and/or showcase your related skills.

13.4 The public section of your profile, including any text, photo or video, should never contain any direct contact information. In particular, no e-mail addresses, phones, instant messenger IDs or website urls are allowed.

14. Your profile status

14.1 If you are temporary unavailable for new tutoring requests (e.g., traveling, busy or fully booked up with clients), please put your profile on a temporary hold from your admin zone or just let us know, and we will do it for you.

15. Your profile ranking

15.1 Your profile ranking on the Site shall depend on many factors: quality of the profile, completion of the profile (e.g., if photo is included), how fast you reply to our messages, how fast and efficient you establish contact with clients (e.g., calls vs. just e-mails), your flexibility and availability, percentage of potential clients who become actual clients, how long clients stay with you, feedback from clients, how timely you pay our fees, other factors.

16. Profile/Account removal

16.1 You may submit profile/account removal request at any time from your admin zone or by e-mailing us at info@languagetutors.ca. Your profile/account will be removed from the Site once we verity that there are no outstanding amounts or active tutoring requests on your account. Otherwise, it will just be automatically put on hold until all the lessons are completed, and all outstanding amounts are fully paid. Once your profile/account is removed, you are not allowed to have lessons with or provide any other related services to any of the clients referred to you via the Site earlier, unless you create a new account with LanguageTutors.ca and inform us about resuming lessons.

17. Disclaimer

17.1 Please note that the only information we have about the potential clients is the information provided by clients themselves in their tutoring requests. We do not verify validity of information provided in tutoring requests, health and/or mental state of potential clients or their criminal records. We cannot predict or control their behavior, actions or any other circumstances. Thus, whenever you deal with potential or actual clients, please use your best judgment just as you do when dealing with clients who found you directly or with other people you do not know. It's your responsibility to be reasonably careful when communicating with or meeting clients. Under no circumstances we can be liable for any aspects of your relations with clients, or for any inconveniences or any type of physical, financial or emotional damage or distress caused by clients, or by any other people or circumstances you may encounter due to your contact with clients.