Wasted $60 on a 'Masterclass' for Python beginners that was just a sales pitch

3 comments

3 Comments

Yeah I saw a review somewhere that said those masterclass things are mostly just glorified ads for their paid courses. It's basically a funnel to upsell you on their real program. For $60 you could have grabbed a used copy of Automate the Boring Stuff or checked out the free Harvard CS50 course on YouTube. The sad thing is that these sales pitches prey on people who are just starting out and don't know any better. I'd say your best bet is to ask around on Reddit or a coding forum next time, folks are usually pretty honest about what's a scam and what's actually worth your time.

noahwood5d ago

I dunno man, calling it a "scam" feels a bit harsh. It's just a sales pitch, right? Like half the stuff on the internet is trying to upsell you on something. Yeah it sucks they spent $60 but it's not like they got robbed at gunpoint. You can still watch the free CS50 stuff after the fact and learn everything you need to know. People blow these things way out of proportion acting like it's some grand scheme to ruin lives. It's just a dumb marketing tactic that probably worked on a few people. Don't you think we get a little too serious about this stuff sometimes?

the_drew5d ago

I mean, is this really that big of a deal though? Like a $60 mistake in the grand scheme of learning to code is basically nothing. You waste more than that on a bad meal or a night out. I get being annoyed but calling it predatory or preying on beginners feels like a stretch. It's just a sales pitch, same as every other ad on YouTube or Instagram. People act like buying a bad course is some life ruining event but you just move on and learn from it. Maybe it's just me but I think we get way too dramatic about this stuff sometimes.