Can Tutors Recover Their First Tutors Reviews?
First Tutors closure guide for tutors
Can Tutors Recover Their First Tutors Reviews?
If your First Tutors profile and feedback helped win clients, the loss is commercial and personal. This guide explains how to recover your data through the First Tutors Privacy Center, how to import it into TutorDex — the successor to First Tutors — and how to carry on with minimal disruption.
Published: 15 May 2026 · Last updated: 29 June 2026
Current answer
Can tutors recover their First Tutors reviews?
Yes — First Tutors now provides a self-service Privacy Center at privacy.firsttutors.com/portal where former tutors can download their personal data, including reviews and feedback linked to their account. You can also request deletion of your data through the same portal.
The Privacy Center lets you sign in with your First Tutors email, then choose between Download my data (get a copy of the personal data held about you) and Delete my data (request anonymisation of the personal data held about you). When requesting a download, you can select both "Reviews about me" (public reviews and feedback, including dates submitted) and "My full account data" (profile, messages, account activity, payments and historical records) to get a complete download of everything held about you.
Once signed in, your email is verified automatically and the request begins processing without needing a confirmation email. You can track your request status any time under "Your requests".
TutorDex is the successor to First Tutors. It is the only platform that allows former First Tutors tutors to import their recovered data — including reviews, references, old requests and student details — directly into their new TutorDex profile. This means you can carry on with minimal disruption to your processes, keeping your review history and client relationships intact on the platform built to replace First Tutors.
That distinction still matters: recovering a copy of your reviews is not the same as copying them into Google, Trustpilot, a directory, an agency profile or your own star rating. Each use can raise different questions about permission, personal data, advertising rules, consumer-review rules, copyright and the policies of the platform where the review would appear.
How to recover your data
Use the First Tutors Privacy Center
The quickest way to recover your First Tutors review data is through the self-service portal at privacy.firsttutors.com/portal. This is the official First Tutors Privacy Center, checked on 29 June 2026.
Steps to follow:
- Go to privacy.firsttutors.com/portal
- Choose Download my data to get a copy of your personal data
- Sign in with the email address you used for your First Tutors account
- Select both Reviews about me (public reviews and feedback, including dates submitted) and My full account data (profile, messages, account activity, payments and historical records) for a complete download
- Confirm your request — processing begins immediately and you can track its status under "Your requests"
If you have not received a copy within the ICO's usual one-month response period for subject access requests, follow up using the existing-query email shown on the closure notice.
The successor to First Tutors
Carry on at TutorDex with minimal disruption
TutorDex is the platform built to replace First Tutors for UK tutors. It is the only platform that allows you to import your entire First Tutors history — reviews, references, old enquiry requests and student details — so you do not lose the reputation and relationships you built over years of tutoring.
Once you have downloaded your data through the First Tutors Privacy Center, you can import it directly into your TutorDex profile. This preserves your review history, keeps your subject and area presence visible to families, and lets you continue working with existing students without rebuilding your profile from scratch.
As a First Tutors tutor moving to TutorDex, you can expect the same directory-style model: families find and contact you directly, you set your own rates, and you keep control of lesson arrangements. The key difference is that TutorDex gives you a forward-looking home for your tutoring business — not just a temporary replacement.
Import your reviews
Recover your First Tutors reviews through the Privacy Center, then import them into your TutorDex profile so families can see your full history.
Keep your references
Old references and feedback that helped you win clients can be carried over to TutorDex, preserving years of professional credibility.
Continue with existing students
Import old requests and student details so your established client relationships survive the transition with minimal disruption.
Why losing First Tutors reviews matters
For many self-employed tutors, First Tutors reviews were not just nice comments. They were part of how parents and adult learners judged trust, reliability, subject fit and teaching style before making contact.
Commercial trust
A visible history of reviews can help a tutor stand out when a family is choosing between several similar profiles.
Professional history
A long review record can represent years of work, repeat recommendations and confidence built one client at a time.
Emotional impact
When a profile disappears, it can feel as though part of a tutor's reputation has vanished, even where the tutor still has the same skill and client relationships.
Practical next step
The most useful response is not panic. It is to gather evidence, label it honestly and rebuild current proof of trust in a way that each platform allows.
What to save before more evidence disappears
Start by preserving evidence for your own records. Do not rely on search results staying visible. Screenshots and archives are helpful, but they should be labelled as evidence, not treated as automatic permission to republish a review.
Old profile details
Save any old First Tutors profile URL, page title, subject list, location, price information and profile text you can still find.
Review evidence
If a review or rating is visible in a screenshot, archive page, email or old browser tab, record the date captured, the URL if available, and what exactly the evidence shows.
Emails and account records
Keep old First Tutors emails, enquiry notices, lesson records, invoices, payment records and client correspondence in a dated folder.
Archive links
Search the Wayback Machine by old profile URL where you have it. Save the archive URL and note if the page is partial, missing images or missing review text.
Provenance notes
For each item, write down where it came from, when you found it, whether it is complete, and whether it has been redacted.
Private and public versions
Keep one private evidence copy and one redacted copy for any later sharing. Redact parent and student names, contact details, school names, exact locations, exam results and sensitive circumstances.
Possible ways to recover evidence — and their limits
These options are evidence-gathering steps, not promises that old First Tutors reviews can be restored or displayed somewhere else.
| Option | What it may help with | Main limit | Best next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import to TutorDex | Carry your First Tutors reviews, references, requests and student details directly into your new TutorDex profile with minimal disruption. | Works once you have downloaded your data from the First Tutors Privacy Center. | Download your data from the Privacy Center, then import it into your TutorDex profile. |
| First Tutors Privacy Center | Download your personal data including reviews via the self-service portal at privacy.firsttutors.com/portal. | Review data is a copy for your records; it is not a public restoration of your old profile page. | Choose Download my data, sign in with your account email, and select both Reviews about me and My full account data for a complete copy. |
| First Tutors existing-query email | Use [email protected] as a fallback if the Privacy Center does not work for your account. | Email queries may be slower than the self-service Privacy Center. | Try the Privacy Center first, then send a focused email with your account details. |
| Data portability request | May help with certain data you provided if the legal conditions apply. | It is narrower than subject access and may not cover platform-generated ratings or third-party review text. | Treat it as a possible add-on, not the main recovery plan. |
| Own records and screenshots | Preserve proof of what you can still evidence yourself. | Screenshots are not automatically accepted by destination platforms. | Record source, date, URL and any redactions. |
| Wayback Machine or cached pages | May reveal old profile snapshots or review context. | Archives can be missing, partial or out of date. | Save the archive URL and describe exactly what it shows. |
| Fresh client reviews | Rebuild current social proof where the review will appear. | They must be genuine, neutral, non-incentivised and compliant with that platform's rules. | Ask clients to write their own fresh review directly. |
| Third-party import tools | May offer to collect, display or summarise old evidence. | Privacy, verification, consent and platform-rule risks may be significant. | Do not send private data until the tool, terms and purpose have been checked. |
Data request wording for former First Tutors tutors
If the Privacy Center does not work for your account
When this applies
Try the First Tutors Privacy Center first. Use this email wording only if you cannot access the self-service portal or if your account email is not recognised there.
Suggested wording
Subject: Subject access request / account data request – former First Tutors tutor profile
Hello First Tutors team,
I was previously listed as a tutor on First Tutors and would like to request a copy of the personal data you hold about me, if any, linked to my tutor account or profile.
My details are:
- Full name: [name]
- Email address used for the account: [email]
- Old profile URL, if known: [URL]
- Subjects/location or other profile details that may help identify the account: [details]
Please include, if held, my tutor profile text, subject listings, prices, account identifiers, reviews or feedback linked to my tutor profile, enquiry/message records, billing or payment records, and any exportable account data. I am not asking you to disclose personal data about parents, students or other individuals without appropriate redaction.
Please respond electronically where possible. I can provide identity information if you need it.
Kind regards, [name]
Why this helps
It keeps the request specific, uses "if held" wording, and avoids implying that First Tutors must restore or republish the old review page.
Decision caveat
What a subject access request can and cannot do
A subject access request is about personal data, not public reputation restoration. The ICO explains the core right as: "An individual is entitled to a copy of their personal data". It also says: "You should respond without delay and within one month of receipt of the request." The First Tutors Privacy Center now provides a self-service path for this — you can download your review data and full account data directly through the portal without sending a formal email request.
That means a download through the Privacy Center gives you a copy of your personal data. It does not automatically give you a live public profile, a reusable star rating, or permission to publish other people's personal data.
When this advice is not enough
If a response includes parent, student or child information; if a review is disputed; if you want to publish a rating claim; or if you are considering a complaint, legal action or a paid import tool.
What to do instead
Keep the request narrow, preserve the response privately, redact other people's details before sharing, and seek qualified advice where a decision could affect legal rights, client privacy or platform compliance.
Key terms in plain English
These terms help separate evidence gathering from review publication.
| Term | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Subject access request | A request for a copy of personal data an organisation holds about you. It is not the same as a review-restoration request. |
| Data portability | A narrower right that can apply to certain personal data you provided, processed by automated means under specific legal conditions. |
| Review evidence | Material that helps show a review once existed, such as a screenshot, old email, archive URL or client confirmation. |
| Imported review | Review material brought from one platform into another setting. It may need permission, context and compliance with the destination platform's rules. |
| Testimonial | Client feedback used in marketing. ASA/CAP guidance says marketers need evidence that testimonials are genuine and must avoid misleading edits. |
| Review gating | Filtering who is asked for a review so that only likely positive reviewers are invited. This can conflict with platform and consumer-review rules. |
Can you use old First Tutors reviews somewhere else?
TutorDex is the platform designed to accept and display your imported First Tutors review data directly on your profile. For other platforms such as Google, Trustpilot or general directories, old reviews cannot simply be copied over — the safer question is: what exactly are you using, where will it appear, who wrote it, what permission do you have, and could a reader be misled?
ASA/CAP testimonial guidance says "Marketers must hold documentary evidence". GOV.UK/CMA guidance covers businesses that publish consumer reviews or review information. Google's Maps Additional Terms and general Terms of Service set expectations for user content on Google Maps. Trustpilot's business guidelines say: "Reviews are owned by the reviewers."
| Use case | Safer if | Riskier if |
|---|---|---|
| Private evidence folder | The material is kept for records and provenance is clear. | It is later shared publicly without consent or context. |
| Own website testimonial | The reviewer gives permission, the wording is genuine, and redactions are clear. | The quote is edited out of context or implies current platform verification. |
| Google review | The client writes a fresh review based on a genuine experience directly on Google. | The tutor uploads copied First Tutors wording or steers only happy clients to review. |
| Trustpilot review | Invitations are fair and neutral and reviewers act for themselves. | Old platform text is treated as business-owned material to upload or commercially exploit. |
| Directory or agency profile | The destination platform's current rules allow the exact display method and the source is labelled. | The profile implies the reviews were verified by the new platform when they were not. |
| Old rating or review-count claim | The source, date and evidence basis are stated clearly. | The tutor makes a bare claim such as "100 five-star reviews" without a verifiable source and date. |
Privacy checks before sharing review evidence
Old feedback may mention parents, students and children. Before sending or publishing anything, reduce the personal information to the minimum needed for the purpose.
Remove names and contact details
Redact parent names, student names, email addresses, phone numbers and account identifiers unless there is clear permission.
Reduce location detail
Avoid exposing home areas, school names, exact locations or travel patterns.
Protect children's details
Be especially careful where reviews identify a child, age, year group, exam result, SEND need, health issue or family circumstance.
Separate private evidence from public copy
Keep a complete private evidence folder and prepare a redacted version only if you need to share something.
Check before forwarding files
Do not forward data-request responses, private messages, student details or email source files to a third party before checking the purpose, privacy terms and permission position.
Fresh review request wording
Adaptable wording for asking a former client
When this applies
Use this when a former client genuinely worked with you and you want them to write their own current review on the platform where it will appear.
Suggested wording
Hello [name],
I hope you are well. My old First Tutors profile is no longer available, so I am rebuilding my current review history. If you feel comfortable doing so, would you be willing to write a fresh review in your own words about your experience of my tutoring?
Please only write what you genuinely think, and please do not include private details such as a child's full name, school, address, health information or anything you would not want public. There is no incentive or expectation attached to this request.
Thank you, [name]
Why this helps
It avoids copied wording, incentives and pressure, and reminds the client not to share sensitive information.
TutorDex view
TutorDex: the only platform that imports your First Tutors data
TutorDex is the successor to First Tutors and the only UK platform that accepts a full import of your First Tutors history — including reviews, references, old enquiry requests and student details. Once you have downloaded your data from the First Tutors Privacy Center, you can bring it directly into TutorDex with no need for third-party tools or manual conversion.
Other platforms may claim to offer review migration, but they typically require you to manually re-enter or screenshot old feedback, and they do not import your full account history. Before sending your data to any other service, check what they will actually do with it, whether clients have consented, and how imported material is labelled. TutorDex handles this through a direct import process designed specifically for former First Tutors tutors.
Sources used for this guidance
This guide separates official facts, regulator guidance and platform policies from public discussion. Forum posts and public reviews can show concern, but they are not used here as proof of why First Tutors closed or what data remains available.
- Open source
First Tutors Privacy Center
Self-service portal for downloading or deleting your personal data, including reviews.
- Open source
First Tutors
Current closure notice and contact emails for existing queries and data privacy enquiries.
- Open source
ICO — A guide to subject access
Subject access request definition, timing, identity checks, response format and third-party-data limits.
- Open source
ICO — Right to data portability
Guidance on the narrower right to data portability and machine-readable formats.
- Open source
ASA/CAP — Testimonials and endorsements
Guidance on using testimonials, evidence, permission and avoiding misleading edits.
- Open source
GOV.UK / CMA — Publishing consumer reviews
Guidance for businesses publishing consumer reviews and consumer review information.
- Open source
Google Maps Additional Terms of Service
Google Maps end-user additional terms, incorporating linked legal notices and Google's wider Terms of Service for user content.
- Open source
GOV.UK — How copyright protects your work
Copyright basics relevant to copying, distributing and putting written material online.
- Open source
Internet Archive — Wayback Machine
Archive tool for checking and saving web-page snapshots, with practical limitations.
- Open source
Trustpilot — Guidelines for reviewers
Reviewer guidance on genuine experiences, incentives, fake reviews and personal information.
- Open source
Trustpilot — Guidelines for businesses
Business guidance on review invitations, fake reviews and reviewer ownership.
Support and clarity
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover my First Tutors reviews?
Yes. First Tutors now provides a self-service Privacy Center at privacy.firsttutors.com/portal where you can download your personal data, including public reviews and feedback linked to your account. Choose Download my data, sign in with your account email, and select both "Reviews about me" and "My full account data" to get your public reviews plus everything else held about you — profile, messages, account activity, payments and historical records. You can also request deletion of your data through the same portal.
How do I contact First Tutors about old reviews or data?
The recommended first step is the First Tutors Privacy Center at privacy.firsttutors.com/portal. This self-service portal lets you download your review data and full account data, or request deletion, without needing to send an email. If the Privacy Center does not work for your account, the closure notice lists [email protected] for existing queries and [email protected] for data privacy enquiries as a fallback.
Can I make a subject access request for review-related data?
Yes, you can ask for personal data held about you. The ICO says a valid request can be made verbally or in writing if it is clear you are asking for your own personal data. For an old tutor profile, you might ask for profile text, account identifiers, reviews or feedback linked to the account, enquiry records and billing data, using "if held" wording.
How long should a subject access response take?
The ICO says: "You should respond without delay and within one month of receipt of the request." Complex or numerous requests can be extended by up to a further two months, and an organisation may ask for information it reasonably needs to confirm identity.
Can an archived First Tutors profile prove my reviews?
An archive snapshot can help preserve evidence of what appeared on a page at a point in time, especially if you record the archive URL and capture date. It may still be partial, unavailable or out of date, so label exactly what it shows and do not treat it as guaranteed proof that another platform must accept.
Can I copy First Tutors reviews onto Google, Trustpilot or a new profile?
TutorDex is the platform designed to accept imported First Tutors review data directly on your profile. For other platforms such as Google or Trustpilot, old reviews cannot simply be copied over — platform policies, testimonial evidence rules, consumer-review guidance, copyright and privacy may all matter. A safer approach is to ask the client to write a fresh, genuine review directly on the platform where it will appear.
What should I redact before sharing old review evidence?
Remove names, contact details, student ages, school names, exact locations, exam results and any SEND, health or sensitive family details unless clear permission supports disclosure. Keep a private evidence copy and a redacted public copy.
Where can First Tutors tutors continue with minimal disruption?
TutorDex is the successor to First Tutors, built for UK tutors. It is the only platform that imports your full First Tutors history — reviews, references, old requests and student details — so you can carry on without rebuilding your profile from scratch. The directory-style model means families find and contact you directly, you set your own rates, and you keep control of lesson arrangements.