Traffic School Place takes an interesting approach to online traffic schools by offering customers both an internet curriculum as well as live customer service (during limited hours) that will answer both driving questions and technical/website questions. The course is highly affordable, but does not offer mobile device support. Is the unique approach of Traffic School Place enough to send it to the head of the class?
Top-Rated Online Traffic Schools
Is Traffic School Place Legitimate?
Traffic School Place operates under California DMV license E1829. It is owned and operated by Internet Educational Program and has been in operation since September of 2014, though the license itself was issued in June of 2012. Internet Educational Program also operates Traffic School Street and Coast 2 Coast Traffic School, among others. All of its offerings are legitimate, well-respected traffic schools. There are no current or prior administrative actions against Traffic School Place. The contact address is: TRAFFICSCHOOLPLACE.COM 3440 WILSHIRE BLVD 219 LOS ANGELES CA 90010 Tel: (877)683-6279
Customer Support
Customer support at Traffic School Place is a bit unique in that representatives are not just there to assist with technical or billing issues. The representatives are trained defensive driving specialists and can help with questions about the curriculum or about driving in general. This is a unique approach to customer service and is exceedingly rare among online driving schools. Customer service is only available during normal business hours Monday through Friday. Email is available, but may not be answered during non-business hours. This setup is not ideal for people who need technical assistance or answers to questions in a pinch, but does a reasonable job of providing adequate service without inflating the cost of the course.
Mobile Friendliness
Traffic School Place is not designed for use on mobile devices. It generally works well on tablets and large-format devices, but is not easy to use on phones and small devices. In theory, the course can be accessed through any browser, but screen size will be a factor.
How It Works
Registration is carried out online, but can be completed by customer service during normal business hours if necessary. Users are free to move through the material at their own pace and are given two changes to pass the final exam with a score of 70% or higher. Two failures will result in the need to retake the course. Certifications are automatically submitted to most courts. If certification cannot automatically be submitted, users will be notified during the registration process and before payment is requested. Traffic School Place offers courses not just for in-state traffic violations, but for out-of-state tickets (people ticketed in California who do not live in California) and criminal traffic cases as well. The school also provides a curriculum for insurance discount purposes.
Cost
The price is just $16.95, but Traffic School Place will beat any competitor’s price if the offer is legitimate. That means that users who find sales at other online schools can submit those prices to Traffic School Place and get an even better price. Payment is through credit card. PayPal transactions are not offered. A booklet course is $50.00
What We Like
Traffic School Place offers an interesting approach to customer service, with representatives available to answer both technical/website questions as well as traffic/curriculum questions. This approach makes Traffic School Place a bit more like a conventional classroom, where students can get their questions answers, which is a nice touch. The price is outstanding as is the guarantee to beat any competitor’s price. The ability to take different courses to address different types of violations is also welcome.
What We Don’t Like
Customer service could be offered during better hours (e.g. nights and weekends). The lack of mobile support is concerning given that most people access the internet from mobile devices now. The lack of a money-back guarantee for those who fail the course is a small irritation and one that could easily be remedied.
Summary
Overall, Traffic School Place offers a nice combination of traditional classroom services (i.e. individual attention to student questions) along with the convenience of an online curriculum. It would be nice to see mobile support offered and to see support hours extended or altered to provide coverage during at least a few non-business hours. Overall, however, these are minor quibbles given the outstanding value of the course. Traffic School Place earns an above-average rating.