Last updated: September 10, 2026
Summary
TEFL Online Pro has provided international online TEFL/TESOL certification courses since 2019. The TEFL Academy (TTA) operated under different ownership for years without incident; TTA was acquired by its current owners in 2021. Since that change of ownership, we have been the subject of two separate posts published by individuals who are official TTA Brand Ambassadors. Neither post disclosed that relationship at the time of publication. This page sets out the facts, the evidence, and the timeline, so readers can make their own assessment.
We are publishing this page in the interest of transparency, not to attack anyone individually. We welcome fair, independent reviews of our program — our concern is specifically with undisclosed commercial relationships behind content that reads as independent commentary.
About TEFL Online Pro
TEFL Online Pro has been providing international online TEFL/TESOL certification courses since 2019. We are fully accredited by ACTEFLC (Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language Courses) and have trained more than 50,000 graduates worldwide. In addition to this, we are an eight-time winner of the prestigious Teachers’ Choice Award. We had no notable disputes with TTA prior to 2021, when TTA changed ownership. The claims addressed on this page began only after that change.
Background: TTA’s Brand Ambassador and Affiliate Programs
TTA runs promotional programs — including a “Brand Ambassador” program — in which individuals are featured promoting TTA’s courses. Whether structured as a flat ambassadorship or a commission-based affiliate link, this is a common and legitimate marketing model when disclosed properly. Advertising standards bodies, including the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) and the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority, require that such commercial relationships be clearly disclosed whenever someone publishes content that could be mistaken for independent opinion.
Separately, TTA also operates a formal, commission-based affiliate program through the ShareASale network (part of Awin), under which participants earn approximately 10–15% commission (typically $20–60) per course sale referred through their personal link, paid out via ShareASale. [Source: TTA’s ShareASale merchant listing and TTA’s own affiliate programme page, archived June 2024.] In Caitriona McTiernan’s case, we have direct evidence of a personal, active TTA affiliate link with accompanying disclosure language (see Evidence #5) — confirming she holds both the Brand Ambassador title and a specific, commission-based affiliate relationship. We have not found equivalent link-specific evidence for Megan Broccoli at this time; her relationship with TTA is documented via the Brand Ambassador graphic only.
The two incidents below involve content that, in our view, should have carried a disclosure of the author’s promotional relationship with TTA and did not.
The Underlying Dispute: Refund Request and Certificate Recognition
Ms. Broccoli’s Reddit post centers on a payment dispute, not only her relationship with TTA, and we believe readers deserve the full picture rather than just the affiliate angle. Here are the relevant facts:
- Ms. Broccoli filed a PayPal chargeback after her certificate was not accepted by a specific school she applied to.
- The chargeback was resolved in our favor; the disputed payment was never refunded. This is reflected in our own transaction and business records.
- Our TEFL certification is accepted by employers worldwide, and we are fully accredited by ACTEFLC (see “About TEFL Online Pro,” above).
- We offer a job guarantee: free, ongoing international job placement support for all graduates, whether teaching English abroad or online. To date, we are not aware of any graduate of our program who was unable to find work after completing the course.
- We did communicate with Ms. Broccoli regarding the chargeback dispute. We informed her that the course had been paid for, completed, and passed; that her course certificate had been issued; and that she had received 24/7 tutor support throughout. We asked why she was pursuing a chargeback in light of this.
Timeline of Events
2021–2022: Blog Post by Caitriona McTiernan (TPR Teaching)
- Mar 30, 2021: Caitriona McTiernan, an official TTA Brand Ambassador with a personal, commission-based TTA affiliate link (see Evidence #5), published a review of TEFL Online Pro on her TPR Teaching blog titled “TEFL Online Pro Review Warning: Is it Legit?” — independently confirmed via the Wayback Machine’s archive of the post (see Evidence #14). The post states that there was no evidence the course was regulated or accredited. This claim was inaccurate: TEFL Online Pro was accredited by ACTEFLC at the time this post was published, the same accreditation we hold today (see “About TEFL Online Pro,” above). Neither the post nor this comment carried any affiliate or commercial disclosure. Notably, Ms. McTiernan does include affiliate disclosure language in other content promoting TTA, which makes its absence here more conspicuous.
- Shortly after, Mar 2021: In direct response to her blog post, we published a rebuttal on our own site, including screenshots of the original post and of her Brand Ambassador status.
- Jul 11, 2021, 7:20 PM: In a comment reply on the same post — after our rebuttal was already public — Ms. McTiernan (posted under “Caitriona Maria,” her middle/maiden name) went further, stating directly: “Yes, TEFL Online Pro is a scam.” (See Evidence #6.)
- We hold documentation showing Ms. McTiernan’s direct commercial relationship with TTA at the time the post was published. [Screenshot available below.]
- Apr 19, 2022: We contacted An Garda Síochána (Irish police) regarding the post.
- Apr 19, 2022, same day: We notified Ms. McTiernan that we had contacted An Garda Síochána.
- Around Jul 2022: The post was removed from the TPR Teaching blog.
- As this is a civil rather than criminal matter, An Garda Síochána did not take further action — which is consistent with how most jurisdictions handle disputes of this kind.
- Dec 2, 2022: In further written correspondence with TTA’s support team regarding this dispute, TTA initially stated that a related YouTube video was “from a creator we are unaware of.” When we identified Caitriona McTiernan by name as having left comments on the video, TTA’s support team replied in writing that “Caitriona McTiernan no longer works for company” — confirming, in writing, that she had in fact worked for TTA. (See Evidence #11–13.)
2024: Reddit Post and Blog Post by Megan Broccoli
- Fri, Oct 11, 2024, 7:38 AM: Megan Broccoli completed TEFL Online Pro’s 120-hour flagship course.
- Fri, Oct 11, 2024, 12:51 PM: Ms. Broccoli’s course completion certificate was issued.
- Sun, Oct 13, 2024: Ms. Broccoli published a lengthy Reddit post on r/TEFL, later added to by anonymous accounts, claiming that she had applied to a school in Italy and was told her certificate was not recognized.
- Ms. Broccoli also published related content on her personal blog.
- We hold documentation showing Ms. Broccoli’s Brand Ambassador status with TTA. [Screenshot available below.]
- Approx. Oct 14, 2024: We contacted Italian police regarding the matter.
- Neither the Reddit post nor the blog post disclosed this relationship.
- The PayPal chargeback Ms. Broccoli filed was resolved in our favor; the disputed payment was never refunded (see “The Underlying Dispute,” above).
- The Reddit thread continues to circulate and has been referenced in AI-generated search summaries, which is part of why we’re publishing this report.
Evidence
1. Official “TTA Brand Ambassador” graphic featuring Caitriona McTiernan, published as promotional content by/for The TEFL Academy.
2. Official “TTA Brand Ambassador” graphic featuring Megan Broccoli, published as promotional content by/for The TEFL Academy.
3. TTA’s ShareASale affiliate program listing, showing TTA’s commission-based affiliate structure (general program evidence; not specific to any individual named on this page).
4. TTA’s own affiliate programme page, detailing commission terms (10–15%, $20–60 per sale, paid via ShareASale).
5. A YouTube video published by Caitriona McTiernan (“The TEFL Academy Review (+ My Story),” TPR Teaching channel, published May 8, 2022), whose description includes a personal affiliate link to TTA’s courses along with an affiliate disclosure statement, confirming she holds an active, commission-based affiliate relationship with TTA specifically — not only the Brand Ambassador title.
(also viewable at youtube.com/watch?v=pYLfO-5pZvA)
6. A comment by Caitriona McTiernan (posted under “Caitriona Maria,” her middle/maiden name), dated July 11, 2021 at 7:20 PM, on tprteaching.com/tefl-online-pro-review/, in which she states: “Yes, TEFL Online Pro is a scam.”
7. Screenshot of a section within Caitriona McTiernan’s original TPR Teaching post (titled “TEFL Online Pro Review Warning: Is it Legit?”), showing the “Recommendation: Avoid” section, in which she claims there is no evidence the course is regulated or accredited. This section is preserved among our legal case files.
8. Screenshot of Megan Broccoli’s Reddit post, showing the title, summary, and confirmed submission date of October 13, 2024.
9. Internal record confirming Megan Broccoli’s course completion (7:38 AM) and certificate issuance (12:51 PM) on October 11, 2024. Retained on file but not published here, to protect her personal information; the timeline above states these facts as our documented business record.
10. A search result snippet showing the Reddit post’s title and preview text appearing when searching for TEFL Online Pro, demonstrating its ongoing visibility.
11. Email from TTA’s support team, Dec 2, 2022, 12:49 PM, stating a related YouTube video was “from a creator we are unaware of.”
12. Email exchange, Dec 2, 2022, 12:51–1:03 PM, in which we identified Caitriona McTiernan by name and TTA’s support team asked for evidence of her comments.
13. Email from TTA’s support team, Dec 2, 2022, 1:03 PM, confirming in writing that “Caitriona McTiernan no longer works for company.”
14. Wayback Machine archive of Caitriona McTiernan’s TPR Teaching blog, independently confirming the post “TEFL Online Pro Review Warning: Is it Legit?” was published March 30, 2021, and preserving the “Scam or Legit?” image used on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TEFL Online Pro legitimate? TEFL Online Pro has operated international online TEFL/TESOL certification courses since 2019. We are fully accredited by ACTEFLC and have trained more than 50,000 graduates worldwide.
Was Caitriona McTiernan’s claim about accreditation accurate? No. Her post stated there was no evidence our course was regulated or accredited. We were accredited by ACTEFLC at the time of publication — the same accreditation we hold today (see “About TEFL Online Pro,” above).
A note on accreditation terminology In the TEFL industry, “accredited” is often used loosely, and providers may describe themselves as “regulated” or “approved” by a body without that being equivalent to formal accreditation by a dedicated accrediting agency. Based on our 25+ years in this industry, we’d encourage anyone evaluating a TEFL provider to check exactly what a given credential means — regulation, approval, and accreditation aren’t interchangeable — rather than relying on the label alone.
Why were these claims published? We can’t speak to anyone’s motives. What we can document is that both authors held promotional relationships with a direct competitor at the time of publication, and in Caitriona McTiernan’s case, a specific commission-based affiliate link.
Did either author disclose their relationship with TTA elsewhere? Yes. Caitriona McTiernan includes affiliate disclosure language in other content promoting TTA (see Evidence #5). No such disclosure appeared in the post about TEFL Online Pro.
In your professional experience, is Megan’s timeline realistic? We don’t claim it’s impossible. Based on our experience operating in the TEFL and international teaching industry, a job application process — submission, resume review, scheduling an interview, the interview itself, and a hiring decision — typically takes longer than the roughly two days between Ms. Broccoli’s certificate issuance and her Reddit post. We think this is worth readers’ consideration.
Did either author retract their claims? Caitriona McTiernan’s post was removed from her blog following our contact with An Garda Síochána. Megan Broccoli has not retracted any of her claims.
What is TEFL Online Pro doing about this? We’ve raised the matter with [ASAI / CCPC / UK ASA] regarding undisclosed commercial marketing content, and reported the relevant posts to the platforms involved for policy violations. We’re also maintaining this page as the authoritative, factual record.
What about TEFL Online Pro’s placement on r/TEFL’s “blacklist”? TEFL Online Pro has been added to r/TEFL’s community blacklist, a designation we were not given a clear or specific reason for. In our professional opinion — based on over 25 years of direct experience in the TEFL industry — we believe the subreddit’s treatment of providers is not always even-handed. It isn’t unheard of for niche subreddits to be run by individuals or companies with financial interests in their specific sector, which creates conditions for worrying conflicts of interest. This is our assessment, not a documented finding.
Has TEFL Online Pro taken legal action? Yes. We sent a formal cease-and-desist letter to Megan Broccoli on October 20, 2024, addressing statements we consider defamatory, and requesting that she remove the relevant content and cease further publication. We contacted Italian police regarding the matter on approximately October 14, 2024, and An Garda Síochána (Irish police) regarding the Caitriona McTiernan matter on April 19, 2022.
We are also formally involved in two separate civil cases with The TEFL Academy. We are continuing to gather evidence with a view to filing a formal criminal complaint with Irish authorities, and are evaluating our options with UK authorities as well.
A Note on Affiliate Marketing and Disclosure
We have no issue with affiliate marketing as a business model, or with genuine, disclosed reviews — positive or negative. Our concern is narrow and specific: content that reads as independent commentary while the author has an undisclosed financial relationship with a competitor. We believe readers deserve to know when they’re looking at marketing rather than opinion.
TEFL Online Pro does not run an affiliate-marketing business model.
TEFL Online Pro Reviews
1. Trusted TEFL Reviews We are the top-rated online TEFL/TESOL certification program. View on Trusted TEFL Reviews
2. Facebook Reviews 100% recommend. View on Facebook
3. Google Reviews Read verified feedback directly on Google. View on Google
4. Video Testimonials from Graduates We currently feature 11 graduate video testimonials, including three alumni who recorded both a post-course review and a TEFL jobs follow-up video. View on YouTube
Independent Industry Recognition TEFL Online Pro has also been independently featured by Cambodia Bucket List, after a member of their team anonymously completed our 120-Hour Professional TEFL/TESOL course. Following their experience, they selected TEFL Online Pro as the best value-for-money online TEFL/TESOL certification program in Southeast Asia. Read the feature
Further information about TEFL Online Pro can be found on our Reviews page.
It is our company policy not to specifically ask our graduates to write reviews, and we do not incentivize our graduates in return for writing reviews.
A Note on Reading Online Reviews In our experience across the service industry, the vast majority of satisfied customers simply move on with their lives rather than spend time writing a review — this holds true for TEFL providers as much as any other business. We’d encourage anyone researching a TEFL provider to read review patterns with a critical eye: four or more five-star reviews appearing within a single day is worth pausing on. It’s also worth understanding what review platforms actually verify. On Trustpilot, for example, a “Verified” badge confirms only that the reviewer’s email address was validated — not that the review reflects a genuine experience with the company being reviewed.
Contact
If you have questions about anything on this page, or if you are a journalist, regulator, or platform representative looking for source documentation, contact us at info@teflonlinepro.com.
This page will be updated if new information becomes available or if either party responds.
