Thanks for stopping by to check out my Cambly review. If becoming an ESL tutor interests you, Cambly is a great place to start. But… like most people before exchanging money or personal information online, you want to be sure it's not a scam.
I can tell you that Cambly is not a scam… but you don’t have to take my word for it. In this review we’ll dig deeper into that topic and see if Cambly can provide you with a work-at-home income, whether you need it because of health issues, young ones at home or a poor job market where you live.
I get it, I've struggled with all three of those reasons and Cambly is the exact kind of work-at-home job I went looking for too.
In this review I'm going to explain what Cambly is, how it works and whether it's a good fit for you. The topics I'm going to cover include:
- What is Cambly?
- Is Cambly a Scam?
- How Much Does Cambly Pay Their Tutors?
- Cambly Reviews
- Cambly Tutor Requirements (and Recommendations)
- What I Like About Cambly and What I Don't Like
- Where Do You Go From Here?
Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for Cambly. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not to apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info
What Is Cambly?
Cambly is like Skype for ESL students and tutors. You can chat from home on your computer, or use the Cambly app on the go.
The internet (social media in particular) has been getting a bad rap lately… Cambly on the other hand, is one of those ideas that demonstrates that the World Wide Web still has plenty of good to offer.
Cambly brings people together from around the world for a little fun and a productive purpose…
Learning.
Launched on November 2, 2012, Cambly suffered some negative reviews and growing pains early on… mainly due to a lack of training. However… it’s now 2018. Cambly has matured, they’ve established a larger community, and have addressed some of their early challenges.
What’s unique about Cambly compared to some other ESL tutoring platforms such as VIP Kid and Golden Voice English, is the ability to log in unscheduled from wherever you are, for as long (or short) as you want, and connect with students and tutors (depending on which one you are).
Cambly excels is in their casual access to situational advice on things like grammar, punctuation and even cultural slang, without the structure of scheduled online classes or time commitments.
Here’s a real example of a Cambly tutoring session.
If none of this sounds appealing or you're not ready to go on camera, you can also make a some spending money doing surveys on sites like surveyjunkie.com. You can also make money watching videos, searching the web and visiting websites with ​​​​Inbox Dollars. It's not “fire your boss” type of money, but it's a good place to start.
Another option, if you're ready to take on the world 😀 … is to start an online business.
Maybe you're looking for a full-time income from home because of a health issue, kids to take care of or even a job you hate.
An online business that generates passive income may be what you want, and in that case, knowing how (and where) to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
Is Cambly a Scam?
No, Cambly is not a scam… but there are some causes for concern.
As I mentioned above, whenever you’re online and money and information get exchanged, trust is an issue. And of course, you should always take extra precautions to keep your online identity safe.
One area where Cambly could do better at establishing that trust is in letting people know who they are.
With just a simple website, they don’t provide any real information about Cambly’s story, where they are from, or who’s pulling the levers behind the curtain.
That’s usually a big red flag, and one of the first signs you’re dealing with a scam…
The good news, however, is that Cambly is not hiding who they are… they just don’t tell you on their website. If you search for the information you can find it.
Here’s a video with one of Cambly’s founders.
Another important factor in identifying a scam is the community. What are your customers and followers saying about you?
Although Cambly has both a Twitter account and a Facebook page, neither of them show much activity.
Update: Cambly has been far more active on social media lately.
In fact, it seems as though they've abandoned their Facebook page in the summer of 2017.
At this time (April 2018)… their last post was on June 26, of 2017.
Of course, when I say “abandoned”, I don't actually mean they've abandoned it. They could start posting again at any time, but…
If they're not getting any benefit from their Facebook or Twitter accounts, it makes sense that they spend their energy elsewhere.
What's not good though, is that there are comments on that Facebook page with many students, as well as tutors, asking questions to which Cambly has never responded. (As mentioned in my update above… they have been far more active on social media, however… although they are posting frequently, there is little actual engagement when it comes to comments and responses)
None of this means Cambly is a scam, but it could point to a company that’s fading away or simply losing interest. Maybe the owners have more important projects they’re working on.
Hopefully that’s not true… as I’ll discuss in a moment, there are some positive reviews from people who would likely be disappointed to have them disappear.
The problem could also be that Cambly is just understaffed.
Either way… the fact that you can find video of Cambly’s founders, recordings of real students and tutors, as well as credible testimonials… you shouldn’t worry about them being a scam.
How Much Does Cambly Pay Their Tutors?
Taking some heat for being one of the lowest paying tutoring companies online, it should be noted that Cambly is also one of the more flexible ones.
Their current rates for tutors are $.17/minute which works out to $10.20/hour.
No… you won’t build your empire on $10.20 an hour, but if you take tutoring gigs between other jobs (or school) which probably have a structured schedule, it’s better to make $10.20 an hour than $0.00 an hour.
Just sayin… 😀
One of the problems working an online job is the downtime that you're not getting paid for. As a freelancer I like to doing multiple jobs so I can take advantage of those downtimes.
I've driven Uber because there's a lot of downtime. Instead of sitting in a coffee shop with my laptop, I'm happy to sit in my car and when the app “dings”, it's usually a much needed 20-30 minute break that I can also use to make money.
During those downtimes I worked on my business, and I had multiple income streams on the go whether it was passively collecting affiliate commissions, or grabbing a few extra bucks with simple surveys on sites like surveyjunkie.com and ​​​​inboxdollars.com.
There's always something you can do online to make money, and whether it's Cambly, your job, or something else… managing your downtime is the best way to maximize your income.
Also, many people can do remote work like this while traveling or living in a country where your money goes much further… so it’s not a terrible rate if you can make it work with your lifestyle.
Cambly pays weekly with a minimum payout of $20.
Cambly Reviews
Most companies have their enthusiastic followers, and their haters. Cambly is no different… and reviews about them reflect that.
You can find both positive and negative reviews…
The negatives reviews highlight things like low pay, not enough work, and what seems like a policy complaint about locking accounts that are inactive… which I don’t know enough about to comment on.
As far as the low pay and lack of work go… not all work-at-home jobs are meant to be exclusive.
If you can afford to have Cambly as your only income, that's great.
However, being an independent contractor or freelancer usually requires a shift in thinking from an employee mentality to an entrepreneurial mentality. You are your own business, and Cambly is your client (who you SELL tutoring services to).
Rarely can a business can survive with one client. Cambly should only be one of many clients.
With more than one income source, you can structure your schedule in the most profitable way. Give priority to your higher paying “clients” and fill your downtime with the others.
Cambly might be one of the others…
Cambly Tutor Requirements (and Recommendations)
You won't have too many obstacles to climb over with Cambly… at least not as far as requirments go.
- Of course you need to speak English, and typically Cambly hires native English speakers from Canada, the US, UK, and Australia.
- You'll also need access to the internet connection, computer with a mic and camera… or a smartphone.
- A distraction free environment is recommended… but as long as your student can see and hear you (and you can see and hear them), tutoring with Cambly can be done just about anywhere (within reason).
- Teaching credentials can improve your chances of getting more tutoring hours (but they are not mandatory).
Before you get started Cambly will also run you though a checklist ( pictured below)
What I Like About Cambly
- It’s a good way to meet people from around the world and get paid for it.
- If your English is solid, the work is relatively simple.
- No experience required.
- Flexible work schedule
What I Don’t Like
- Support is slow to respond (for example, some have reported waiting weeks to get back into a locked account).
- Pay is not great.
- Cambly has no face or personality (the owners and staff are absent) which often leads to a lack of accountabilty.
Where Do You Go From Here?
If you’re a full-time freelancer, or just looking for a side hustle… Cambly is a good company to establish a working relationship with.
Unless your income requirements are low, Cambly won't work as your only source of income… but they can certainly be one of them.
When it comes to making decent money, finding an online “job” isn’t easy. And… if you need the money, it can be stressful too.
Depending on your reasons for wanting (or needing) to work at home, whether it’s your health, kids, or just a bad economy… if your financial situation is uncertain you'll spend far too many nights lying awake and worrying.
Getting peace of mind is definitely something you want and earning income online can provide it, but requires a little research and thinking “outside the box”. I've been there too… and I can tell you this…
It is possible…
Now, I'm going to give you a free step by step beginner's guide to making money online and you can get it by Clicking Here
If you're looking for some immediate money, as mentioned earlier, you can always do things like online surveys with Survey Junkie or make a little extra cash by searching the web using Inbox Dollars and even get paid for things like watching videos and surfing the web.
If you do become a Cambly tutor, just as a reminder… they have some good training videos on their YouTube channel.
Now it’s your turn. Do you have experience with Cambly? Can you suggest other work-at-home gigs?
Please share in the comments section below.
Thank you. This post was very helpful and provided the exact information that I needed.
I wished to join your classes
But you took the money and i cant joun the classes
Im so sad
I send emails for you and i want an answer
I want to get my money back
Hi Salwa, do you mean you sent emails to Cambly? We don’t have classes here or a payment system to take money.
Sorry to hear about your situation. For clarity though, we are not associated with Cambly and any request or correspondence with them would have to be done directly.
I'm a student interested in a part-time job to make a little money on the side. Is there an age requirement for Cambly?
Yes, I worked as an online tutor with Cambly, and got on quite well, with ever increasing regular students, and no complaints from management, the feedback from each and every student was positive, and there was never a harsh word spoken to, or from any student ever……..until……..suddenly my tutor account was deactivated, for no reason, or warning given. I have tried to communicate with them, the response given "We've gotten a few of reports from students that they were unable to find what they were looking for with you", without being specific.
I have tried to contact them for further information, but am simply ignored.
here are some other experiences:
a. When enquiring or asking a pertinent or direct question, the reply is vague, and typically will make references to tutor agreements.
b. Cambly doesnt look after their tutors, they dont support the advancement of their tutors.
c. One cannot have any form of voice conversation with any member of staff.
d. They expect loyalty and dedication from their online tutors, but they dont reciprocate. Its just use, abuse and dump.
e. the facebook page, is controlled by them, and they censor all posts, and remove those that dont suit "the image".
f. a tutor builds up a working relationship with students, and some become "friends" then, when Cambly decides to fire their tutor, there is no chance to say bye to the student, which is unfair to both the student and the tutor. – some of my students have found me by being resourceful and expressed their dismay.
In summary, a nice place to work, but, realise you are controlled, monitored and dumped if it suits Cambly……when it suits Cambly…………..
I hope this is of some value to those considering to join, and/or those teaching with Cambly
It’s not a scam, no…
It’s just out and out exploitation. The rate of pay is criminal just like uber and all these ‘gigging’ services that people use without thinking about the underpaid person they are using.
“You don’t have to use them!” I hear you say.
My reply is no, you don’t but they don’t have to exploit people in the first place so they can build their own silicon valley empire.
I saw a documentary the other day about the exploitation of illegal mexican migrants on $8.50 per hour. If you’re not busy 100% of the time on cambly, and you won’t be, then you’ll be earning less than that..
Cambly is based in San Fran. The average wage there is $15 per hour…
You do get to help individuals who normally wouldn’t be able to afford English lessons but that’s about it.
I refuse to work there. It's exploitation. I'm qualified and work elsewhere for $25 per hour. When I signed up for cambly I assumed it ran on a telephone, and you didn't have to show your face. When I saw they wanted to pay $10.20 per hour of TALK time, expected HIGH SPEED INTERNET, and a FAST COMPUTER, I said f-off cambly.
I Absolutely agree with you………
Can I pay per week not per month
Hi Sama, thanks for reading. If you mean get paid weekly, yes. Cambly pays weekly via Paypal.
Jay
Definitely not a scam. I think you describe it well!. I would only say that if you skip classes, several times… then yes, it will affect you… like any job! On the other hand, I’ve had the opportunity to meet amazing people. Yup, pay is low, but it’s a good filler jig and more if you want, depending where you live. And, it’s dependable because it pays you weekly. Like any job, you definitely have to give it your all. Once you establish yourself, you get amazing regulars, and class conversations are so enlightening. Sometimes, it’s just a great way to spend an hour over coffee with very bright people from all over the world.
Hi Jackie, thanks for sharing your insight, it will be helpful for others. And… I agree, weekly pay while meeting people around the world isn’t bad at all 🙂
I appreciate you taking the time stop by, read and share your experience,
Jay
they wanted me to pay them $300 in order to work there.
it’s a scam.
Hi Denise, sorry to hear that. Was it for something specific or were they just asking you for money? I’m not aware of changes regarding costs to tutors. Thank you for this insight though, if there’s any other information you can provide it would be greatly appreciated.
Kindest Regards,
Jay
Hello Jay, Thank you for this article. I am looking into teaching with Cambly and the information you presented was useful.
Regarding the person’s comment above, perhaps they tried to sign up for a subscription to Cambly as a student, not a teacher? $300 is one of the price packages.
Hi Rosie, thanks for reading and for sharing,
Jay
Jay, does Cambly charge tutors a joining fee or is there any other upfront payment requirement?
I just started with Cambly four weeks ago – June 2021. There are no upfront fees to be a tutor. I do not know what others are speaking of. I am actually quite happy with the gig. Sure, I wish I could make more money but these days (after searching for days for online jobs, and I have got ‘credentials and experience’) I was happy to do this! I guess I place more value on the experience and how much I have enjoyed talking to people from all over the world – than the actual low pay. I travel to experience new cultures and people, so this has been a great addition – and I will be able to make it work to fund my travels as well. I will find another gig to supplement – but I like the flexibility. I thought I would be sitting waiting my first day, and I got students calling all day long! Lots of fun really. 🙂
That was NOT Cambly, no uprfornt charges to tutors.
OOPs *Upfront