KW
Kelly W
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2021
26 Mar 2026, 19:58
Ongoing unwanted contact, poor academic experience, and unprofessional conduct
I previously studied through Skills Academy and had a very frustrating experience overall.
During my time with them, I encountered repeated issues with assignment marking. Correct answers—particularly in mathematical sections—were marked incorrect, even after requesting multiple re-marks. I went as far as verifying the answers with individuals who have strong mathematical backgrounds, and the marking still remained unchanged. This raised serious concerns about the accuracy and quality of their assessment process.
In addition to this, communication was extremely poor. Responses were inconsistent and often came across as dismissive and unhelpful.
I have since moved to another institution, which has been a significantly better experience.
Additionally, during my time with Skills Academy, I received a phone call from a staff member in the evening (around 7:30–8:00 PM), while my baby was sleeping. The call was unprofessional, disrespectful, and felt intimidating, simply because I was asking questions. Although an apology was given afterward, the interaction itself was completely inappropriate for what is meant to be an academic institution.
However, my main concern—and the reason for this review—is ongoing unwanted contact. Despite repeatedly requesting to be removed from their contact list via phone calls, emails, and WhatsApp, I am still receiving regular SMSs and emails from Skills Academy.
This has been ongoing for years and is now extremely frustrating and uncomfortable. At this point, it feels like my requests are being completely ignored.
Continued contact after multiple removal requests is unacceptable and does not align with basic consumer rights or data privacy expectations.
I am simply asking to be removed from all communication channels and for my contact preferences to be respected.
Based on my experience, I would strongly recommend that others carefully consider their options before enrolling.
Helpful (0)
Replies (6)0
Replies (6)
Skills Academy's replyOfficial
27 Mar 2026, 09:25Dear Kelly,
Thank you for bringing these serious concerns to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the ongoing frustration you have experienced and for the fact that your previous requests to be removed from our communication lists have not been honored.
We regret that your academic experience with our marking process and the conduct of our staff did not meet the professional standards we strive to uphold. It is especially concerning to hear about the inappropriate timing of the contact you received, and we apologize for the distress this caused you and your family.
Please be assured that we respect your right to privacy and your choice to move to another institution. We are taking immediate action to ensure your contact details are fully removed from all our marketing and communication channels, including SMS, email, and WhatsApp.
We wish you nothing but the best in your continued studies at your new institution.
Kind regards,
The Skills Academy Team
Skills Academy's reply27 Mar 2026, 09:25
Official
Dear Kelly,
Thank you for bringing these serious concerns to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the ongoing frustration you have experienced and for the fact that your previous requests to be removed from our communication lists have not been honored.
We regret that your academic experience with our marking process and the conduct of our staff did not meet the professional standards we strive to uphold. It is especially concerning to hear about the inappropriate timing of the contact you received, and we apologize for the distress this caused you and your family.
Please be assured that we respect your right to privacy and your choice to move to another institution. We are taking immediate action to ensure your contact details are fully removed from all our marketing and communication channels, including SMS, email, and WhatsApp.
We wish you nothing but the best in your continued studies at your new institution.
Kind regards,
The Skills Academy Team
KW
Kelly W's updateReviewer Update
27 Mar 2026, 14:49Update (27 March 2026):
Following this review, Skills Academy responded and confirmed in writing that my details would be removed from all communication channels. I also received a phone call at 09:02 apologising and confirming the same.
However, despite this, I received yet another SMS from Skills Academy at 14:37 on the same day.
The message included an “opt-out” link, which does not work.
At this point, this is no longer just frustrating—it is completely unacceptable. I have repeatedly requested removal from their systems over an extended period of time, and even after formal acknowledgment and promises to resolve the issue, the unwanted contact continues.
This raises serious concerns about their internal processes and compliance with data protection and privacy regulations.
KW
Kelly W's update27 Mar 2026, 14:49
Reviewer Update
Update (27 March 2026):
Following this review, Skills Academy responded and confirmed in writing that my details would be removed from all communication channels. I also received a phone call at 09:02 apologising and confirming the same.
However, despite this, I received yet another SMS from Skills Academy at 14:37 on the same day.
The message included an “opt-out” link, which does not work.
At this point, this is no longer just frustrating—it is completely unacceptable. I have repeatedly requested removal from their systems over an extended period of time, and even after formal acknowledgment and promises to resolve the issue, the unwanted contact continues.
This raises serious concerns about their internal processes and compliance with data protection and privacy regulations.
Skills Academy's replyOfficial
30 Mar 2026, 10:03Dear Kelly,
Thank you for your patience and for bringing this immediate failure to our attention. We sincerely apologize that, despite our previous correspondence and phone call this morning, you received further communication at 14:37.
We acknowledge that this is completely unacceptable and that our internal systems did not sync quickly enough to prevent that automated SMS. We also take note of your feedback regarding the non-functional opt-out link and will be investigating this with our technical team as a priority.
Please be assured that we are taking additional manual steps right now to verify that your profile is flagged as "Do Not Contact" across every single one of our communication platforms to ensure this does not happen again.
We respect your privacy and regret the further frustration this has caused.
Kind regards,
The Skills Academy Team
Skills Academy's reply30 Mar 2026, 10:03
Official
Dear Kelly,
Thank you for your patience and for bringing this immediate failure to our attention. We sincerely apologize that, despite our previous correspondence and phone call this morning, you received further communication at 14:37.
We acknowledge that this is completely unacceptable and that our internal systems did not sync quickly enough to prevent that automated SMS. We also take note of your feedback regarding the non-functional opt-out link and will be investigating this with our technical team as a priority.
Please be assured that we are taking additional manual steps right now to verify that your profile is flagged as "Do Not Contact" across every single one of our communication platforms to ensure this does not happen again.
We respect your privacy and regret the further frustration this has caused.
Kind regards,
The Skills Academy Team
KW
Kelly W's updateReviewer Update
01 Apr 2026, 12:09 Dear Skills Academy,
Thank you for your response and for taking steps to implement a “Do Not Contact” status across your systems.
I would, however, like to clarify that this is not an isolated or immediate issue. This has been an ongoing problem over several years, during which I have repeatedly requested to be removed from your contact lists via multiple channels, including phone calls, emails, and WhatsApp.
Despite these efforts, my requests were consistently not actioned, which is what led to the current situation.
While I acknowledge your explanation regarding the recent SMS, I trust that the manual intervention you have now implemented will finally resolve what has been a long-standing issue.
I will continue to monitor the situation and expect that no further communication will be received.
KW
Kelly W's update01 Apr 2026, 12:09
Reviewer Update
Dear Skills Academy,
Thank you for your response and for taking steps to implement a “Do Not Contact” status across your systems.
I would, however, like to clarify that this is not an isolated or immediate issue. This has been an ongoing problem over several years, during which I have repeatedly requested to be removed from your contact lists via multiple channels, including phone calls, emails, and WhatsApp.
Despite these efforts, my requests were consistently not actioned, which is what led to the current situation.
While I acknowledge your explanation regarding the recent SMS, I trust that the manual intervention you have now implemented will finally resolve what has been a long-standing issue.
I will continue to monitor the situation and expect that no further communication will be received.
Skills Academy's replyOfficial
02 Apr 2026, 11:54Dear Kelly,
Thank you for your response and for providing this additional context. We acknowledge that this has been a long-standing issue and that your previous requests over the years should have been actioned correctly from the start.
We fully accept that our previous efforts fell short. Please be assured that the manual intervention implemented is intended to be the final and permanent solution to ensure your contact preferences are respected moving forward.
We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and wish you all the best.
Kind regards,
The Skills Academy Team
Skills Academy's reply02 Apr 2026, 11:54
Official
Dear Kelly,
Thank you for your response and for providing this additional context. We acknowledge that this has been a long-standing issue and that your previous requests over the years should have been actioned correctly from the start.
We fully accept that our previous efforts fell short. Please be assured that the manual intervention implemented is intended to be the final and permanent solution to ensure your contact preferences are respected moving forward.
We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and wish you all the best.
Kind regards,
The Skills Academy Team
KW
Kelly W's updateReviewer Update
21 Apr 2026, 10:37 Update (21 April 2026):
Despite written confirmation from Skills Academy on 27 March 2026 that my details had been removed from all communication platforms and flagged as “Do Not Contact,” I have once again received an SMS from them today (21 April 2026).
This is now after:
- Years of repeated removal requests
- A formal complaint
- A public review
- Written confirmation that the matter had been resolved
At this point, this is no longer a system issue—it is a failure to comply with clear instructions and raises serious concerns regarding their handling of personal information and adherence to POPIA.
KW
Kelly W's update21 Apr 2026, 10:37
Reviewer Update
Update (21 April 2026):
Despite written confirmation from Skills Academy on 27 March 2026 that my details had been removed from all communication platforms and flagged as “Do Not Contact,” I have once again received an SMS from them today (21 April 2026).
This is now after:
- Years of repeated removal requests
- A formal complaint
- A public review
- Written confirmation that the matter had been resolved
At this point, this is no longer a system issue—it is a failure to comply with clear instructions and raises serious concerns regarding their handling of personal information and adherence to POPIA.