FAQ

1. What are trial lessons on your site? What are regular lessons on your site?

We understand that our customers would like to try one of our tutors for free before committing and paying for a regular lesson. Thus, we offer customers a 25 minute trial lesson where you can schedule a date & time with one of our tutors and try out a lesson for free before deciding on whether you want to continue and purchase a regular lesson. If you are satisfied with your trial lesson, you can decide to purchase a regular lesson afterwards. Our regular lessons are 50 minutes long (as opposed to the trial lesson which is only 25 minutes long).

2. Can I claim a refund on my purchase?

You may claim a full refund from us on your purchase within 30 days, provided you have not spent any credits. If you have spent any credits within the first 30 days of your purchase, we can give you a prorated refund. Please e-mail us at info@mandarintutor.com within 30 days of your purchase if you would like a refund.

3. How do I pay for regular lessons?

We use PayPal as our payment gateway. You can purchase lessons using your credit card or your PayPal account. If you opt to use your credit card, the credit card transaction is also done at PayPal's website (you do not need to open a PayPal account if you use your credit card). Please click here for more information on how to purchase a regular 50 minute lesson.

We also use Stripe as a payment gateway now. You can purchase lessons using your credit card on Stripe. If you opt to use your credit card, the credit card transaction is done at Stripe's website.

4. Do you store my financial information on your website?

No. We use PayPal as our payment gateway. Any financial information you enter at PayPal, such as your credit card information, stays with PayPal. If Stripe is used as the payment gateway, any financial information submitted to Stripe, such as your credit card information, will stay with Stripe.

5. When I purchase a lesson package, how long do I have until it expires?

Please note we use a "credit" system when booking a lesson. Your lesson credits have a one year expiry date from the date of purchase. Thus, you have one year to consume your lesson. We believe this gives you ample time to consume your lesson on our website (compared to some other Mandarin tutoring sites where you are given as little as 30 days to consume your lesson).

6. What is the minimum lesson purchase?

You can purchase as few as one lesson on our website! Other websites require that you purchase multiple lessons. With us, you can purchase lesson by lesson.

7. What are credits?

We use credits because it allows you to change to a different tutor if you have purchased a lesson package. If you only ever stick with one tutor, then you don't have to worry about the credits too much. If you want to switch tutors though, you can simply book a lesson with a different tutor and our website will deduct the credits accordingly. In general, the credit cost for one lesson with a tutor is the price of a single lesson with that tutor, multiplied by 10. Credits expire in one year so that should give you ample time to use your credits. If you are short credits with a tutor, a "Top Up" button will appear to allow you to purchase extra credits.

8. Why study Mandarin with one of our tutors on Skype or Zoom?

The advantages of studying online with one of our tutors on Skype or Zoom:

1. You can do it from the comfort of your home and reduce commute times.
2. It's generally more cost-effective than a lesson with a physical tutor.
3. If you are frequently travelling (ie. for business), you can continue to learn Mandarin during your travels.

9. What if I have never learned Mandarin before?

All our tutors can help you get started in Mandarin. They can teach you the tones and pinyin system which is critical for all new speakers in Mandarin. From there, they can teach you some basic phrases and words to help get you started. We highly encourage all new learners to Mandarin to get your tones as accurate as possible since speaking Mandarin with the correct tones is critical if you want another Mandarin speaker to understand you as best as possible. Our tutors can quickly help correct your tones to ensure you can rapidly develop your Mandarin speaking skills.

10. What if I plan to use Mandarin for business?

Many of our tutors have prior working experience in different companies and different industries. You can check their profile to see their past working experience. During your lesson, you can request our tutor to emphasize more on business related terms. You can even ask our tutor about typical Chinese customs and common business practices in China. Look for the Business logo on the tutor's profile when you book a lesson.

11. Do you have lessons suitable for children?

Yes. Some of our tutors have experience teaching children. When you book a lesson, look for the Children/Teenagers logo on the tutor's profile. If you have further questions about our tutors that can teach children, you can contact us at info@mandarintutor.com.

12. Do you have tutors that can help me prepare for my Chinese exam?

Yes. Some of our tutors have experience teaching the HSK (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì), a standardized Mandarin proficiency test in China. If you need help with other exams other than the HSK, you can always scan or take a picture of the material you are studying, and then send it to our tutor before or during the lesson to have our tutor help you with your exam preparation. If you need help with the HSK or your Chinese exams, look for the HSK/Test prep logo on the tutor's profile.

13. Why study with a live Mandarin tutor rather than a software tutorial?

Please note that Mandarin is a language heavily dependent on tones - if your tones are incorrect, another Mandarin speaker may have difficulty in understanding you. If you plan to travel to China or Taiwan for an extended period and speak Mandarin there, a tutor is able to correct your tones whereas a software tutorial may have a poor ability to correct your tone. In addition, as you start to deal with more advanced Chinese grammar, a tutor would be able to help you correct your grammar whereas most software programs may be limited in their ability to teach and correct your Chinese grammar.

14. What about your Cantonese tutors?

Some of our tutors can also teach Cantonese. Please look for the Cantonese icon above the tutor's profile. For more information about our Cantonese tutors, please visit our Cantonese tutor page.

15. How many lessons will it take for me to become "fluent" in Chinese?

The answer to this is more complex than we can write in one paragraph. To answer this question, please read our FAQ on how many lessons will it take before I become fluent in Chinese.

16. How can I find my Skype Name when I register my account?

Please read our tutorial on how you can find our Skype Name.

17. How can I find my Zoom Account E-mail Address when I register my account?

Please read our tutorial on how you can find your Zoom Account E-mail Address.