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KelbyOne

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3.8

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: June 27th, 2019

KelbyOne Media Group has been an established group in the online learning business for over a decade. They offer more than 10,000 videos on subjects from shooting landscapes, portraits, sports and weddings, to improving personal photography businesses, to generating inspiration. All of these courses are offered 24-hours a day, seven days a week and can be accessed on-demand, anytime, anywhere. KelbyOne strives to provide courses led by the most talented, knowledgeable and gifted instructors in the industry. With classes offered for beginners to experts, these professional photographers are able to answer questions, give advice and inspire creativity.

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The Good

  • Unlimited access
  • Transparency
After subscribing to KelbyOne, students gain access to an unlimited amount of courses and are free to pick and choose subjects they are most interested in. They can learn anywhere, anytime from any device. Subscribers also get discounts on the latest photography gear and hardware and receive monthly issues of Photoshop User magazine. Best of all, KelbyOne simulates a classroom environment that places learners directly next to the instructors as they explore and capture amazing images. Kelbyone is also a step ahead of some other online learning sites by not only listing their pricing information directly on their site, but also including a number of support features, including a relevant FAQ section, a blog, as well as email and phone support. They've also partnered with a number of top photo companies in the industry, including Adobe, a Fortune 500 company.
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The Bad

  • Pricing
  • No free trial
KelbyOne's prices are a bit higher than the competitive companies. However, this may be a result of the quality of service students receive in instruction and content. For the time being, the site's lack of direct communication with the instructor is also a downfall for the company, especially for beginners who need extra leadership and instructional support. Also, complaints concerning billing and collection issues seem to be common for KelbyOne. A few users complained about being unknowingly charged for a service they never subscribed to, while others stated that the company refused to honor the set price stated in the terms and conditions. Customers have also complained that the company charged them for unauthorized services. KelbyOne offers no free trial - not even a free demo - of its services. In short, KelbyOne is lacking in three major areas:
  1. Issues with billing and delivery
  2. No free trial or demo of its services
  3. Problems with their mobile apps
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The Bottom Line

All in all, for serious photographers looking to expand their skills and gain inspiration from some of the world's greatest professionals, KelbyOne is one of the best in the industry. Though the price may not be affordable for everyone, subscribers have access to over 10,000 intriguing videos, instructed by 92 of the industries most renowned individuals. Aside from not being AICC or SCORM compliant and not offering any live-interaction courses or completion certificates, most customer reviews and user ratings are outstanding.
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Star Rating

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2.8

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26 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

31%

4 grade

12%

3 grade

8%

2 grade

4%

1 grade

46%

Sentiment Criteria

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Quality

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Service

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Charles Kok

I subscribed to a 7 day trial with Kelbyone. I informed Kelbyone that I will not continue with the subscription after the trial due to the fact that I reside in South Africa and the subscription fee is o expensive due to the current currency. I received an email from Kelbyone confirming that my subscription has been cancelled. However, on 31 August 2016 an amount of 19.99 US dollar was deducted from my account via PayPal. According to the Kelbyone website my subs expire 7 September 2016. This despite the fact that the full monthly subscription was deducted for September. So I am very disappointed in the fact that firstly Kelbyone did not cancel my subscription when requested to and secondly that despite the fact that they deducted a subscription fee for September, they now only provide subs until 7 September 2016. I have sent 3 emails to Subscriptions an have to date not received any feedback.

7 years ago

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Ross Chevalier

I've been a member for ten years. I have no complaints and while the content has always been excellent, customer service has improved substantially since the restructuring. All organizations must continually evolve, this one does. The web presence is better, their new member community is outstanding, and the new app is easier to use and faster. There is a 10 day free trial, contrary to the article. I encourage those interested in learning online to try the service.

6 years ago

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LN

Shortly after I sent the previous review, I managed to establish contact on the phone with Kelbyone. The conversation with the person by Kelbyone was indeed a very pleasant experience. My questions was answered and the issue was solved fast and efficiently. Thanks for that. The person I had the conversation with, told me, that the introduction of the new site is giving them some starting issues. Now I am fully satisfyed, and witout the contact problems, I would give Kelbyone 10 out of 10. If they manage to solve the contact issues in the future, they simply are the best.

8 years ago