As students search for the best LSAT prep courses, they have reservations about online LSAT prep courses. They experience all sorts of worries with the online format and potential risks they think are involved. Yet, in reality, many of these worries are overstated, and students should, instead, embrace the online medium.
Students highlight several issues with online LSAT prep courses. First, they claim they do not have sufficient contact information for these courses, such as a phone number, or a street address. Thus, they claim, if they purchased the course, and a problem arises, how do they get a hold of someone? This perceived dilemma is overstated because many online courses do, indeed, offer telephone numbers and addresses. (You simply have to look for them on the website.) They also offer valid e-mail addresses, which, in many cases, can be an even better form of communication. In sum, there are a variety of ways you can contact the people behind an online LSAT prep course.
Second, students claim they do not know what they are purchasing. This worry, again, is more myth than reality. When you purchase a traditional course, you also have no clue what you purchased until you receive the books and attend a class. In addition, some online LSAT prep courses offer money-back guarantees that should alleviate any apprehension you might have about purchasing an unknown product. Finally, online courses display a lot of information on their websites about what their courses contain and what you should expect. Often, they offer much more information than a traditional course displays in its own literature. So, read through this material as much as you can, and you should be well-informed.
Third, students claim there are a lot of people online who want to scam you and take your money. Again, this is an overstatement. Sure, these people exist, but they also exist in the real world and nowhere near the Internet. The online medium is not much more dangerous. Moreover, you will always have the same rights and legal protections when you make an online purchase. You should obviously stay away from websites that request money orders or similar unsecured transfers, but most websites present legitimate methods of payment. Some things you can look for to protect yourself are whether you can use a credit card (err on the side of caution and use a credit card because you can always dispute it later); whether there are certain security assurances (such as whether the page on which you are required to enter your credit card information is a secure page); whether the website contains a privacy policy; and whether the website contains terms and conditions you can read and accept.
The dangers that exist in the online medium are really the same dangers people have been dealing with in the physical marketplace for years. The fears about online LSAT prep courses are truly overstated and should not deter you from purchasing a quality course online.