Skills training under scrutiny
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SkillsTrain provides distance learning courses in IT and book-keeping and claims it's Europe's largest computer training organisation. A SkillsTrain advert invites prospective students to board the skills train and "fast track to a new IT career". However, Watchdog has received nearly 200 complaints from students about their courses.
Housekeeper and mum, Daniela Urzica signed up to SkillsTrain's book-keeping course in 2007. Daniela said she was promised all the help she needed online and over the phone. But nine months later, Daniela gave up on her course when she became frustrated with not being able to speak to her tutors.
James Quarterly was looking to improve his career prospects and to provide financial security for his young family. He paid £2,750 for the SkillsTrain Web Design course - thrilled with the promise that he could be earning £25k - but he was less than thrilled with the quality of his course materials.
Stephen Heppell, Professor of New Media Environments at Bournemouth University, took a look at James's course material for Watchdog and said that "some of it is really, really out of date".
Chris Marquis is another unhappy SkillsTrain student. He signed up to SkillsTrain's Microsoft Office Professional (MOS) course, costing £1,660. He also felt that some of his course materials were out of date.
Darren Strange, Microsoft Office Product Manager in the UK, looked at the course materials that were provided to Chris Marquis by SkillsTrain and agreed that parts of it needed updating. He said: "I would have concerns about somebody doing this course."
Darren was also able to help us on another issue. SkillsTrain says on its promotional CD that it's approved and accredited by Microsoft. Darren has confirmed that SkillsTrain isn't approved and accredited by Microsoft. The CD also refers to Cisco Systems, but this company has made it clear it hasn't given the approval claimed by SkillsTrain either.
SkillsTrain's response to Watchdog's report is:
"SkillsTrain and Train4TradeSkills provide affordable courses to give people qualifications to gain better employment or to change to a better career. Like any large organisation, from time to time we receive complaints, and we always act promptly to resolve them and learn any lessons for the future. The vast majority of our students graduate successfully, having achieved their goals. We are very disappointed that the BBC has attempted to discredit the qualifications earned by our students and to damage their chances of future employment, not least given the serious problems currently facing the job-seekers. We have absolute confidence in our tutors and in the courses we offer. We will continue to support our students in obtaining useful and relevant qualifications and seeking new and exciting employment opportunities."
G E Butler CEO of Metropolitan International Schools Limited (trading as SkillsTrain and Trade4TradeSkills).
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I am currently studying under Skills Train for the Microsoft Certification. Does this mean that my qualification will not be valid?
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Ive finished paying for my course but not yet finished it. Worried now it wont help me get a better job and I wont be able to complain and get some money back ?
What can I do ?
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I have just started the book keeping course, and is costing me £75.00 per month. After seeing your show I don't know what to do. I feel very sick at the moment, don't know weather to carry on, how I stand if I cancel my direct debit. If you have any advise please help.
Sharon Pearson
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I am now in the middle of cancelling my Skills Train course that I took out on Saturday. At the time I couldn't understand why the salesman was trying to rush it through, perhaps he knew the programme was being shown tonight. I hope it is as easy to cancel as it was to enrol. I will make sure to stop the gedit agreement before it starts.
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I have signed on to skillstrain, I did the first "exam" which I copied from their study guide and guess what I failed, so far I have not been able to contact my....Tutor? My husband who is paying for all this has so far not paid any mony to them as they have not set up the standing order for which they took all the details, now they tell him he has to set it up, however they have not given him their bank details, nor have they delivered any of the training I am supposed to have. Where do we stand as they are asking for money plus late payment fines and we are saying until they deliver they won't get any.
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After seeing the advert of skilltrain on TV, I sent them an email and call to find out the price of the course, but they refused to provide me with this. I was told that the price of the course was according to each indivual circumstances, which I found very strange.
Someone convinced me to come to my house in order to explain the course and confirm how much it cost. I was reluctant,but I accepted since I wanted to have a better qualification to work in finance. After, seducing me to do the course, the saleswoman who came told me that the price was £2700. I said this was very expensive and I do not have the means to pay for it, but she managed to convinced me and say that we can arrange the finance without interest, which I did. Now I am paying £75 a month for 3 years, like many people who complained about ths course. I find it very difficult to understand this course and gave up about 1 year ago after sending only 2 assessments.
What are my options? How can I cancel this course?
Also since I have not send any assessements, I only received the 1st part of the course (the course is in 3 or 4 part). So, I am paying for nothing.
Please help!
Thanks
I enrolled with skilltrain in feb 2007 and paying
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I too signed up to an interest free payment option at £65.00 a month for 2 years. My 1st section of course work for the (MOS) was 2002, the CD's sent 2003, then I received Windows XP, then Office Professional 2007 Software. All paperwork relates to 2003. As I am confident in all applications accept Access, I have managed to complete the course work without the need of the tutors, however when I did require their help, and when I quieried the differences between material the replies I have received have been of no use. I have to date learnt nothing from this course that I did not already know and it was sold to me as being the latest/most upto date training course I would take. Don't spend your money, you can use the Microsoft self learning sections on-line and learn just as much. Which is what I am doing to complete the Access section. I wish I'd never started the course, but really have no choice but to complete it, or I may as well have just burned my money!!!
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I am a professional website designer but am self taught, I recently applied to a company to work for them, but was turned down due to lack of 'paper' qualifications, When I had a look over the internet for local courses and a mock test to go with it, I was shocked to discover the fact that most these courses are not up to today's standards, they had not even got the basics right. I wrote back to the firm that I had applied to and they agreed with all the points I made and has since agreed to outsource some work my way because I showed them my portfolio. I was also the lead administrator on a popular web design forum and there was always people coming along saying 'I am now a professional designer', but when you look at the sites in their portfolio, you realise that what they were doing is wrong, so it was up to us to help them steer to the right path, otherwise when someone made a website using old techniques, it will not produce the results that customers might expect and they loose all faith in the marketing power of the internet.
The problems with choosing a website designer is that its all about trust, you trust the people you are talking to to know what they are doing, I would suggest anyone that wants a website designed to go to a website designers forum and get your potential designer checked by those that have been shown the latest standards.
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After seeing a article for Skillstrain (which seemed to promise good quality training, help along the way and help getting a placement into a job which I have recieved none of the above) I contacted them and got a time for a representative to come around and discuss the courses available I had picked the (M.C.S.E. course. He came around and was polite but did the hard sell on me saying that all that I needed to pay was £100.00 deposit(this was december 2005) and then a low monthly fee starting after christmas of £75.00 starting in January 2006 total course cost £3000.00 . I did not really want to commit on that day but he said things like they (skillstrain) would help me get a placement into a job with the skills acquired through skillstrain. When I also said that it was a bit much of a commitment with my child running around but his reply to this was that plenty of people were doing the course with children and no problems. He also said that with my previous computer knowledge as I had a Diploma in Information Technology that I should finish the course in a year. It is now 3 years on and I have not even finished the first full segment due to I was part the way through it last year and they sent me an updated book and told I had to start from the beginning. above all I have not received any help with the course and would take them to court if I could afford it as I feel that I have been completely miss sold this course and to have been lied to on the fact that I also believed that Microsoft accredited. This is a total farce, why do the British people have to keep putting up with these people and their get rich quick schemes.
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Is there anything that can be done? I am another student paying £75 per month for out of date work i too am taking the sage line 50 course i was going to change to the office professional course and then i saw the progamme this evening. Any advice would be appreciated. Can they get away with this?
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hi can any one help ??? what do you know about advent IT training ? they want me to take out a £5000 loan to do an IT engineering cause !!!! are they like the company mentioned if any one can hepl please get back to me thanks mark .....
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what shall i do? my brother is payin £50 a month and he is profoundly deaf with 3 kids? doin a course with them help plz
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[Personal details removed by Moderator] I signed up to Skilltrain's Web Design course three years ago. From the moment I received the first section of the course material I knew it was terribly out of date, the "tutor marked assessments" were computer generated answers, and worst of all the "tutors" had no desire to answer queries or give any help whatsoever. I was eventually sent an update to the course material (I had to resit an entire section before Skillstrain would allow me to continue), yet the material still seemed outdated and often inaccurate.
I am currently in a dispute with Skillstrain regarding the course I have wasted £2500 on, plus I am in a dispute with Multimedia Computer Training Ltd who mis-sold the course and "loan" to me under false guarantees.
To say I am disappointed is a complete understatement. I am still in debt to Skillstrain's loan company CDF three years later, despite them offering guarantees to "help out" when I was made redundant in work. And I have absolutely nothing to show for it. The course certificate isn't worth the paper it is written on as I have not come across a single employer who has heard of it.
All I can say is, I want my money back.
[Note from Watchdog: Thank you for your comment. You can write to the complaints department at Skills Train here:
Business Administration and Computer Skills
Hamilton House
80-88 Collingdon Street
Luton
Bedfordshire
Lu1 1RX
Or there is a phone number - 08450 777770.
Regards, Eddie Botsio, Watchdog webteam.]
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I went through the skills train recently and i feel i have been totally mis-sold this course. The way it was explained sounded as if i would be geeting help towards the course fees they said that if i was on a low income i would get goverment funding and that the course would only take about 9 months to complete. I presumed that because i was on a low income i would only have to pay for so much of the course but once i received the letter from the company that has financed me for this I realised that i was actually paying for the full course and it would be over 2 years. I cannot afford to pay for this and dont know what do to about it because they will be able to black list my name if i dont pay. I think it is disgusting that people can be treat in this way and regret taking this course up.
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I started a course in 2005 with skills train and stop doing it in february 2008 and to this day i have not seen or had a email or phone call from any one at skills train. I became surspicious of them put bye need they have taken the money and you are left with paying the loan off. The course's are well out of date and people should have ther money payed back.
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PLUMBING COURSE CITY&GUILDS 6022 6032.
This is something I was sold in Jan 2008. My advisor (salesmen) told me once I finished my training I could become a plumber, start my own business and be earning 25,000 plus. After starting the course that I have paid £3,000 for I purchased 2 plumbing textbooks for £30 which contains all the work which is in my so called textbooks. I now feel really stupid because I realise now that you cannot become a plumber/bricklayer or whatever how these people are proposing, but at the time when you have your advisor (salesmen) in your home spinning you his spiel it all seems phesable. The only reason I carry on with the course is the fact that I have landed my family in £3,000 debt through trying to make a better life. I feel something needs to be done to stop these people preying on people and families like mine.
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I am doing a course with skills train and now feel it is a total rip off,it's going to cost me enough money and what will i get at the end.I'm wondering if there is anyway of finishing the course with having to pay up the rest of the course fee.
If they haven't got the acreditations they say they have from Microsoft and Cisco then surely they have misled there clients.
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I am currently studying a skillstrain course and the watchdog report has given me great deal of cause for concern. Some of the concern was there but I assumed that what I was being taught was current and all neccessary for the course work. Now it appears that it might not be. I am paying a lot of money to do this course.
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I signed up with 'skillstrain' when they were still 'scheidegger'. What a complete waste of £2500. Thank God i'm not the only one who was sucked in by the sales pitch!
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Hi to all!I am one of the students and just been shocked what i have seen and heard about skills train.They are out of date with matherial thats for sure but greatest fake of all that they are even not approved by CISCO and Microsoft.Already paid for 6 mont and now only thinking how to stop paying the and return my money back.Please help!
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Found an advert for skills train,decided to call them. Several days later a course "advisor" came round to talk about the pc engineering course. It lasted for about two hours what was in essence more of a sales pitch than an interview for a college course. It wasnt until the end that I was told it would cost 2700 pounds. He had already taken my debit card details when he first arrived saying he needed them to verify my identity. The sales tactics he used were very agressive and played on your fears and worst case scenarios eg he said if i didnt take this course i would be stuck in a dead end job.I was also guaranteed a job on completion of the course. After I had signed up to this loan he left virtually straight away. That following night I did some reasearch on the web and found other students comments on skills train and the problems they had,on blog sites. The next day I spent several hours trying to cancel my loan and course, but skills train had provided little info on how to cancel. I phoned the consumer advice line, and they told me to contact barclays partner finance, who were in charge of the loan, and cancel the loan. Barclays said I could not do this over the phone and I would have to contact them in writing. (Skills Train would not provide this information over the phone.)Barclays cancelled the loan. Skills Train has refused to cancel my course even though I have given them written cancellation in accordance to their own cancellation agreement. They still have my 50 pounds deposit.
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I signed up to Skills train in june 2006 for 3 years, the course I started was Website design manager. I have also recently done many other IT related qualifications at my local college and have founfd that even with a bag load of qualifications you cannot get a job in IT without experience, I feel totally let down by skillstrtain, the assignments are too easy and the responses are noot personal to the learner, I ahve never been able to talk to a tutor advisor, I am locked into a debt that I am finding difficult to repay, especially within todays economic climate, I enquired about getting out of the agreement, but was told, hard luck. I contacted watchdog and Im glad others did too as I am at my wits end as to what to do, they suggested I contact my local trading standards. I will be doing that, just wondered if anyone else felt screwed over too? and what did they do to resolve the situation?
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My experience of Skills Train (ST) has been fairly mediocre. I suppose I should not complain too much as I now have a valid CCNA qualification, but the support I have got from Skills Train themselves is minimal. It seems I have paid £3600 to get access to Cisco's own online training facilities. The documentation and workbooks provided by Skills Train are little more than print outs of the Lab exercises from the Cisco Academy, and the very first page of the latest workbook reads "Cisco Acedemy" (SIC) which doesn't inspire confidence in itself. My sales chap assured me that I had access to Lab environments where I could get hands on experience. This has not happened. All I have to practically test what I learn from the Web is a program provided as part of Cisco's online Academy, call Packet Tracer. The online trainings from ST consisted of a recording of a man reading a script whilst showing slides from the Cisco Website which of course I had already covered, so this had no benefit. My £3600 covers for the course up to CCNP level which is the next step up, and as I have now started this, the actual resources provided by Skills Train themselves is now zero. Everything I am doing, is from Cisco's own online academy. I intend and expect to pass this in due course, and to continue my education in this sector, but will certainly not use Skills Train again.
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I embarked on a book keeping course with Skills train 3 years ago, I thought it was me that could not get an answer from my tutor but after seeing this report i had to say something.I agree that some of the materials given to me were dated I was given floppy disks for the Sage, majority of PC's now do not have this facility. I think i had just one response from my tutor throughout the course and i did not and was unable to complete. I have just finished paying back £2520 for nothing and was promised that Inland revenue take on their students that pass and i could be earning £25k or charge £18ph privately. They were wrong. As a NVQ trainer / Assessor myself I would of expected more especially considering the learner is paying for the qualification. How can i get my money back considering they have not delivered the service they promised?
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I felt compelled to write as I have just watched your story on Skillstrain, whilst I am not qualified to dispute your claims about unhappy students I feel I must put forward a case for J.T. Modern reporting seems to relish destroying people before they have taken the time to look beyond the story they want to use. This story could have been reported without the need to mention J.T at all but you cleverly used it to inflame students because of his wealth, a wealth that has not just come from Skillstrain.
You made J.T sound like a greedy man who lives a lavish life off of profits at the expense of his customers. He is nothing of the sort he is a very down to earth approachable humble man who very strongly believes in family values and has never forgotten where he has come from. He uses his wealth to help and support others and many people will be able to tell you of his personal generosity, none of which he does for column inches or publicity.
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at 8:15pm on 20 Oct 2008, jdavies24 wrote:
"I am currently studying under Skills Train for the Microsoft Certification. Does this mean that my qualification will not be valid?"
Once you have completed your coursework you will have to sit the exams in an accredited test centre. This will give you a valid MS certification. I speak from experience of having sat a Cisco course through Skills Train. Microsoft and Cisco may not endorse Skills Train, but in the end if you pass the official exams, you're qualified. An employer is only interested in the qualification, not who you studied with to get it.
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I was about to take a skill train bookeeping course. It would cost me around £2800 and I was promised great future, great money and everything what people without this course don't get. Firstly I was concerned that the meeting with the person who told me about this course had to take place at my home. So I didn't even know what stranger is coming to my place and I was up to do the appointment in front of my door. He was very nice guy so I could feel that he is fine. He started about the company not really about the course etc. When he's left I was thinking about all of it and there was some brake which told me not to take this course as it might not worth it. I've done the right thing to make my mind up not to go for it. It might be also as read here before that the guy chased me a lot if I have make my mind up. He called me every second day... And that was when I understood that he can have a commision from it so that's why he was chasing me that much...
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Further to previous comments I would like to add that my "sales person" advised me that I should be able to complete the course in a year up to CCNP. Skills Train structured the course so that I had to complete a CompTIA N+ first, then CCNA (4 semesters) and then CCNP. The N+ part of the course in itself took 6 months as every time I submitted a Tutor Marked Assignment, I had to wait 5 days to get the computer generated feedback and code to unlock the next section. There were over 20 assignments, so you can see how long it took. 18 months later, I have completed the CCNA. The salesman's time scale that he advised me was 4 months for CCNA and CCNP within the year; simply not possible.
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I joined Skillstrain early this year on the bookkeeping course, and after waiting 2 months for them to send me course work I soon got a bad feeling about the company. I often couldn't speak to tutors and could not find any other students on the web site to talk to about my concerns. I was worried i wouldnot be able to cancel my course and talked to citizens advice, they told me not to stop my payments as I would incur late payment fees. I sent several letters to Skillstrain and pestered the rep who signed me up and after they took my last payment from my bank account they finally called me. The man from "accounts" was very rude to me but agreed to cancel my conract. He didn't refund any money and didn't send me any cancellation details in writing as asked, but they no longer take my money and I'm very pleased to be free from Skillstrain. To anyone trying to cancel your course do it as soon as possible and write as many letters as you can. To anyone thinking of starting a course....DON'T!!
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After last nights programme it compelled me to call up the skills train team to see if i can get a refund for the money wasted and spent. The number to call is 08450777770 Anthony was the gentleman i spoke with and he advised me to put everything in writing and they may consider refund Please watch dog can you give some advice on what to say and ask for
Thank you in advance
[Note from Watchdog team: Skills Train confirmed 0845 077 7770 is the number to call with any queries (charged at local landline rate). The line is open 0900-1730, Monday-Friday and students should call with their enrolment number to hand.
Best regards, Mariam Abu-Hejleh, web team]
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I think it is absolutely disgraceful what you have done to the students currently enrolled in this course. I don't feel that you even attempted to seek out the opposite opinion of the students that you did show on your program last night. I am currently enrolled in the skillstrain bookkeeping Sage 50 course and I couldnt be happier with all the help I have received from the tutors. As you are well aware these courses are not cheap, and now I feel that you have destroyed my chances of achieving the career I long for in bookkeeping and payroll in this country after your discusting display of one-sided opinions on this subject. I have always had an immediate response to any query regarding my course by both phone and email explanations. I am thoroughly discusted with the BBC for allowing this program to ruin peoples chances at advancement in their careers by airing something that does not show both sides to this subject. What employer will hirer me now after that slanderous program you aired last night. Fair enough about the IT out-dated info. But you had no right to slam the bookkeeping course because the two are completely different principals. This must be rectified by some sort of follow-up to show that the problems in IT ARE NOT APPLICABLE in the bookkeeping course. If not you will be destroying many futures in this career including mine and I feel more research should be done by your 'Watchdog' team before airing such a program!
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I enrolled with Skills Train for a C++ programming course, which cost £1600. Being on Job Seekers Allowance £65 a month was a lot of money. I took the course because there where no computer programming courses at my local college. My course material was printed in 1993 and reprinted in 1995, which is surely out of date. When my assignments came back I was shocked that I had 100% every time. The results coming back seemed computer generated responses. When it came to doing the training days they changed the venue without any notice. It says in the booklet that came with the course that they bring the training to me, so now I have to travel to Luton. I have not attended the training days because of the high cost of getting to Luton. I have been with them for two years now and no emails, telephone calls to ask about my progress on the course. After watching Watchdog I realised it wasn't only me who has been having the same problems.
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I wanted a change of job. I have a good knowledge of computers and thought I should get a recognised qualification. Skills Train promised me the qualification and help if not certainty in getting a job. I chose computer building & maintenance. The rep came round and I was convinced. I only had to pay what I could afford. I started the course and scored well. Yes there was no personal touch in the tutors replies to my course work but hey, I made progress. The workshops with practical experience never materialise and the method of submitting work changed to on line only with no floppydisk backup. Then the problems began. No amount of logging on with my ID and password could get me into the website to submit work. The email address didn't work. They were uncontactable by phone. After three months I gave up. On reviewing the coursework I found it to be almost archaic, certainly not cutting edge.
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I SIGNED UP WITH SKILLSTRAIN 3 YEARS AGO. I WAS ALREADY RUNNING MY OWN BOOKKEEPING BUSINESS AND SAW AN ADVERT FOR FREE SAGE SOFTWARE. I CONTACTED THEM AND THEN MET ONE OF THEIR SALESMEN. I FOOLISHLY SIGNED UP TO DO THEIR BOOK-KEEPING COURSE TO GAIN A FORMAL QUALIFICATION AND TO GET THE "FREE" SOFTWARE. THE COURSE WAS RUBBISH, THE TUTOR UNCONTACTABLE, AND THE WHOLE THING WAS A WASTE OF £2500.
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I started with Skills Train just under a year ago. I originally wanted to take CCNA course, but the representative said that i would need to take A+ and N+ first, before moving to CCNA. I reluctantly agreed and agreed to pay the extra towards the now 3-part course. After finishing and studying the A+ course, I went to sit the exam and the material studied was not was the exam was about and as a result, I failed.
I have tried to get a resit organised by Skills Train, as they claimed that if i failed the exam after studying the course the way they suggested, I would be able to resit the exam free of charge. As of yet, I have sent a few emails to Skills Train Tutors and so far not heard anything from them. This was a few months ago!
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UPDATE
I contacted Skillstrain today and have been advised that my course MOS has been upgraded to MCAS 2007. They have agreed to send me updated/current training material and to pay for me to take my exam at an external exam centre (as they are not approved) at no extra cost to me. I have just confirmed all this in writing to them, and asked for confirmation back, so watch this space...Contact them and see what they have to say about your course. Well done Watchdog, you do make a difference!!
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After seeing last nights story re Skill Train i am concerned that I have been mis-sold my course. When i signed up for the Book Keeping course i was told that i would be guarenteed work for the tax office. Seeing that they have mislead people re Microsoft and Cisco i am concerned that this is also false information. I now feel that i want to cancel my contract with them and want to know the best way about this as a few people have mentioned not to just cancel the direct debit as fees will be involved. Do you have any advice on how to proceed with cancellation?
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I think that your 'moderators' are being quite bias as they are only allowing comments to be posted that agree with your program. As a current student of Skillstrain, I dont see why I am not entitled to post positive opinions of the company as I have had nothing but a positive experience there. Perhaps your researchers should have checked on the different areas of the country because it seems to me that your report does not cover both sides at all, does not even attempt to.
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JERSEYVAL
I work for a very good distance learning provider and hope I can help. The contract you have entered into is a two-way thing; you provide the money, they provide the materials you need to learn. If you have received anything at all then they have kept some of their side of the bargain and you won't have a case. However if you've received nothing, you are well within your rights to cancel, though this MUST be done in writing.
I'm not sure if they will be able to help you (and everyone else) further as ST may not be affiliated to them, but try asking the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council for their advice.
Your story appears to be the most hopeful, from what's written above, so good luck. In my several years of working in this field, I have heard many many horror stories about ST. They end of the WD piece, where they said they were disappointed, yet remained staunchly arrogant in their approach, doesn't surprise me in the slightest.
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I am a new student to Skills train. I am doing the Bookkeeping, payroll and Diploma in small business Financial management. I am nearly at the end of my first book. I have needed to call the tutor's twice in the last week and both times spoke to a tutor. I have also been happy with what I was told. I am purely doing the course to put a qualification on my CV. I would also like to point out that I work as a Bookkeeper already and think that so far what I have studied is relevant to being a bookkeeper. I would also like to point out Skillstrain put Course updates on their student website and they offer a guarantee on their training if you don't pass you can re take the course free of charge. So it is in Skills trains interest for all their students to pass.
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I am doing the web design course at the moment, i am about 5 months in. Is this course really not going to be worth anything, am i wasting my time and money?
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I signed up for a course with skills training after I recieved a phone call for someone to come out and discuss the options with me. At the time I was suffering from depression and wasn't earning any money so I thought learning a new skill would keep my mind occupied and help me when I eventually could go back to employment. The sales man was really pushy and wasn't concerned that I had no income apart from my husbands wage. I have not finished the course but my payments are now complete after seeing your programme I am wondering where I stand.
Please help!
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I signed up for Netmaster CompTIA Network + certification with a company called scheidegger the video on last nights show showed books and materials. The books and written material I recieved were identical to the materials shown. The Student Progress Report used the same type face and report identification ie TMA02. I too paid £60 per month over two years an interest free loan using a company in scotland. I was also promised practical sessions by the sales guy. The company also registered my details with a website called Peoplebank and the sales guy said I would get a job through them once qualified. Without repeating comments made in the blog above, the course material was badly written and support via email was ok but phone support was non existant. I complained about the course but got no response this was done in writing. Looking at the material, manuals and Student progress reprot as seen on the show it sounds like the company restarted under a different name.
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i had a phone call yesterday from skillstrain. my g.friend must of filled in the online form. it sounded really promising. they said an adviser will b able to come out to me wednesday. i mentioned this to a few mates at work they said i sounded good. but tues i went to work n one of my mates said did u see watchdog last night. which i didnt. but now watched back on iplayer mondays watchdog. im glad some1 who knows me let me know bout it before the advise comes round. im still gonna have the adviser round just to see what he says but wont be giving him any bank details n he definely wont b in my house 2 hours. will update tomorrow 23/10/08 after hes gone.
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I signed up to the E Commerce and Project Manager course. I too was told it wouldn't take long to complete - about a year and was sold the job expectations. After signing up there was no cooling off period for the interest free loan - isn't this wrong? As we were sold something in our homes my belief is that they fall down under FSA regulations. Can someone clarify that and if it is true is there a get out here?
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Does anyone have a postal address for any kind of Complaints department ???
[Note from Watchdog team: Thank you for your comment. If you're asking for a complaints department at Skills Train, you can write to the company here:
Business Administration and Computer Skills
Hamilton House
80-88 Collingdon Street
Luton
Bedfordshire
Lu1 1RX
Or there is a phone number - 08450 777770.
Best wishes, Zoe Behagg - Watchdog website producer]
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I too signed up with skillstrain on the webdesign course. Biggest mistake of my life!! Course material is out of date!! i too was foolish to listen to the sales adviser with all the empty promises!! they shouldnt be able to get away with this.. so many people have been scammed. I'm half way paying the £2700 for my ''briefcase''. which is basically all i got. it and an out dated textbook!great!!
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hi i joined skillstrain about a month r two ago they was in a rush to get me sign up with them but what can i do .im hafe way through the corse and it dose look promiesing iv not had a complant except everything was fine and dandy till a month ago when everything was being late can i do anything about this r am i stuck will i get my degree r not can you help i dont no what to now
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My brother signed up for SkillsTrain IT training during a period of unemployment last year. He signed up for the monthly payment plan to pay £75.00 per month for two years.He completed a couple of assignments but was unimpressed by the "tutoring" and marking. Then he met a new girl and WHAM! he emigrated giving me 10 days notice, and he left me to sort out his admin. i returned to SkillsTrain all of the CD's and paperwork explaining that he had emigrated, did not want to continue the course, and please could they agree to cancel the DD.They politiely replied that their terms were that cancellation could only take place in the first 3 weeks, that had passed so he must pay the £1575 still outstanding. Meanwhile he has received threatening letter, which I have replied to, explaining he is no longer in the country, he tried to cancel the course etc etc. Now he has recieved a letter from The Credit Information Bureau, National Credit Register and Computer Centre. They are a debt collection agency. they won't talk to me about the problem and insist that they will take legal action. My brother is not returning to this country, so really it is pointless me trying to sort out this mess for him, but I feel that the way SkillsTrain operate is wrong and preys on vulnerable people, who are only trying to better themselves. My advice to anyone thinking of signing up to SkillsTrain - DON'T - it is a rip-off. Any legitimate business would accept cancellation on return of their property and give some sort of refund, rather than hound people for huge sums of money.
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I was also 'duped' into signing up for the web design course. The sales man was very convincing and for me I was impressed that the course was microsoft and cisco approved. I had my hesitations about signing there and then, but after doing the initial assessment he gave me and getting full marks, he told me with my current IT knowledge I could complete the course within a year, I felt it would be a good way for me to get into the web design industry.
A year later and about a quarter of the way through, I got frustrated by the work, I was getting no help from 'tutors' about things I was struggling to understand, I was simply told (most probably by a computer) to refer to chapter so and so of the book.
I put the course on hold temporarily as I was getting so frustrated and time was running out for me to complete it in, I now feel there is no point continuing with it anyway, my money has been lost either way and is there any point wasting my time as well as my money on completing in?
I have pretty much accepted my money has been lost but I wonder if a case was brought forward for false advertising, would we stand a chance of getting compensated for our loss?
I still have about £500 left to pay on the course, I wonder if I still need to pay the remainder?
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I signed up to Skills Train a year ago and i was too sold the hard sell. I opted out of A+ Award, and i am STILL completing the N+ award as i have NO support from my tutors and the material i am using is very out of date. I am now very worried as on the program it said that Cisco has not approved the course and i am paying £100 a month for a qualification that is going to take me at least another 2-3 years to complete.
Can someone advise how to cancel the course and get a refund for the money paid and have my direct debt stopped i was seriously mis sold this course and now wish to cancel.
Can Watchdog help with this as there are SO Many compalints about the company, i will be seeking legal advise as i have definalty been mis sold the course on a number of issues.
1. Cisco hasnt approved the course
2. The tutors are invisable and not had any contact with them at all.
3. the material is out of date.
4. The course is going to take twice as long as advised.
Can someone please help!!!!!
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Hi, just my pennys worth, I am doing my A/N/MCSA, I am now at the end of my MCSA and and getting ready for my exams, just like to say that I enjoyed the course although it was hard, my tudors where fine, and have had all my updates for my MCSE, I am looking forward to my exams and the future and I think it has to be balanced that yes some people are not happy, but my wife and I are very happy, I have a job interview next week and have already talked to them and it is looking good. (at last).
PS. My best friend is also doing a course with skills train and I talked to him last night he was worried, but he has not had any probs, he is on his 8th TMA and working through it.
Thanks....Jimbo...
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I too signed up for the Web Design course with Skillstrain.
I also noticed that the coursework was also a little backdated.
I am disgusted that I have clearly been mis-sold this course!
I only joined in January 2008.
I have wrote to my local Trading Standards Office tonight, any updates I will post on here.
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Hi, Im still paying £65 per month to skillstrain for a course I started in June 07.
I wrote a letter of complaint after a few weeks into the course as I felt I was totally miss sold the course.
I also felt the content was out of date, so I asked to cancel but they said I could not cancel the course as I was outwith the 7 days cooling off period ( on all of the paper work I received & signed it did not say anywhere that I only had 7 days to cancel).
Please is there anything I can do, your help is appreciated.
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I have also piad for this course,did not finish due to no help from tutor's,is it possible to be able to get a refund.
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Same as SOHOSOEV member : I am one of the students and watched the program on skillstrain. I was working through the material and thinking it looked out of date, i was also promised that this was a microsoft certifed and cisco approved course.i have been paying £75 per month for over 8 months and feel ripped off and can anything be done to get peoples money back or atleast stop anymore payments without being blacklisted by credit companys
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My last comment was not published for some reason so I will be brief regarding my issues with Skillstrain so I don't upset the House Rules!
I took up the CIW Web Design course with Skillstrain (Scheidegger) in 2005. Course material was out of date, very basic & often contained errors. TMAs took too long to be returned thus making the 12 month course impossible to complete within the allotted timescale. Why do Skillstrain return TMAs via post when we submit them online?! The "tutor" was very unhelpful and much like the TMAs only gave generic answers. There was no student-tutor relationship. I did not even know his name nor did he ever introduce himself to me!
I also have some major issues with the "course advisor's" sales pitch. It was not made clear I was entering into a loan agreement with another company and I was not given any cancellation/cooling off period documentation.
I've learnt more about web design myself through free online tutorials, and cheap web design books. £2500 was a complete waste of my money. I will never go on a course like this again.
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[Note from Watchdog: Thank you for your comment. You can write to the complaints department at Skills Train here:
Business Administration and Computer Skills
Hamilton House
80-88 Collingdon Street
Luton
Bedfordshire
Lu1 1RX
Or there is a phone number - 08450 777770.
Regards, Mariam, Watchdog webteam.]
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P.S. The only advice I can give on here is keep sending in your letters of complaint to Skillstrain and seek advice from your local CAB, Trading Standards, etc. Search the internet as there are some excellent forums out there with many students in the same situations who can give some great advice.
Good luck to everyone.
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Hi all,
I too signed up with Skillstrain in June 05. As some have already stated the salesman who attended my home was very pushy and was very reluctant to give me a few days to think about whether or not i wanted to undertake the course (the cost being £3,000). At the time i was 19 years old, in part time work and wanted to expand my own possibilities so in the end, unfortunately i joined up. The signs were there that this was a scam but i took no notice as i too was promised full time work, guaranteed pass as at the time the "college" had a pass rate of 94%, more job opportunities and quoted crazy figures p.a. it was only after a few months did i realise what i had gotten into but i decided to stay with the material as i had almost completed the course and the "in-depth" TMA's at the end of each topic. I sat my exam after sucessfully completing the TMA's without any help from the Tutors, the best advice i got was to study harder and this was when i was making a complaint against them. Before i took the exam i called Skillstrain as on the last page of my "study material" it is stated that exam preparation materials will be supplied in the form of past papers. When i called to request these papers i was told that there were no longer available and had not been for some time.
I then took it upon myself and cancelled my Standing Order and after missing one payment i received a letter from a Credit Recovery Agency stating that either i pay the total balance (approx £950), resume my original payment structure or face prosecution. i tried to fight them and sent a letter of complaint to them. I was contacted directly by them, amazing isn't it you can't get a tutor on the phone but when you complain they approach you! Basically i was told that what i said in my letter was wrong and what i had been promised - tech placement, live labs, hands on experience (most i had was assembling a cardboard cutout of a PC motherboard) and detailed materials to work with from home, was incorrect. The offical said that they were prepared to go to Court and told me that i would have to pay their legal fees also. In the end i gave up and continued payment, i have one further payment of £75 due to them, a waste of money through and through. I seriously hope this company can be stopped from ripping innocent people off and get what is due to them. if everyone spreads the word against this Company it will be a step in the right direction.
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I have read all the above comments with interest. I am a qualified NVQ assessor and also work for a very good distant learning provider. My heart goes out to all those who have had a bad experience with ST and others like them. Like the comment from TIGGERTASTICFOX, I also have heard horror stories. I believe that anyone of you who has signed a credit agreement should be able to cancel within 14 days. If you have not received your course material, ST has not full-filled their part of the agreement, but as written above, you must put this request in writting, stating why. My best advise is always do some research first before you committ yourself to any course. Ask what qualifications you will achieve? and make sure the provider is accredited to the body whose qualification you will be taking. Good luck all.
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I was just told by a work collegue about this situation. I am currently going the SAGE Line 50 book-keeping course. Is the material out of date? Can i get my money back?
Please help!!!
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at first i was happy i signed up for skillstrain MCSE costing £3700 i had been singed off work with a medical condition and was on anti depresants , then after about a week i should have recived my login details , and tutor details (im still waiting 6 months later) , i have since seeing watch dog contacted both cisco and microsoft and both say skillstrain are not acredited therefore any qualifications would not be any use , in the interview i was told diffrent so wrongly sold the course its worth less than a betech course costing £150, also they never questioned about me being on anti depresants , asfar as funding go's they said no problem we can set up intrest free credit. i was amazed that this could be done with a 2 min phone call , and no credit check esp as my credit rateing is very bad , i was then very upset to see on the credit form front ( your right to cancle, we will write to you with full details on how to do this ) got nothing stateing this , i then read on the back of the credit form you only have 5 days in which to cancle. i was also suprised but not very to find the skillstrain office in luton is only 2 buildings away from the credit building on the same street skt 80-88 credit 59. i also found this credit dose not show up on experian , or equifax credit reports which by law it should do. i feel as i was presure sold the course , miss sold the course , lied to about the course and end qualifications , and it would apear they use an interal credit company so never is money borowed just your payments taken into there account , so lied to about funding , also no payment protection avalible , so am contacting my bank to stop card payments and going to c.a.b. and tradeing standards if watchdog can help aswell great , im on incapcity benifit so £100 per months is alot
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i have been studing with skillstrain over the past 2.5 yrs, i signed up with them as they said that they were fully accredited and affiliated with cisco,i now find out that this isn't the case,i'm still paying for the course (currently approx £3000 with £600 still to go total £3600) through the credit company which they use (cdf)can i stop paying this immediately and how can i claim some of my money back as i feel that i have been totally misled by skillstrain.Are any qualifications that they do valid andworth anything in the industry to employers, are they really affiliated with manpower in the search for employment. dpn't know where to go,totally gutted
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Hi Guys
I spoke to Skills train the other day after watching the program. I was questioning my course, CIW web design course. They have told me there is now a new, updated version of the course material. I haven't seen it yet but i have requested it.
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I am currently studying under Skills Train for the Microsoft Certification. Does this mean that my qualification will not be valid?
I've paid for 3course's
that's £3,000
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I started with Skills Train in 9-8-2004.I was working as a assembly line operator and so i could change my job,I wanted to be come P.c engineer. 3 course's, A+ ,N+and microsoft office specialist,agreed and agreed to pay the extra towards the now 3-part course.After trying my best to work and study at the same time,I am still trying to pay it off.and finding it hard to keep up with the payments,I have a son to,dont know what to do?
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I joined Skills Train around 2005 when a gentleman came out to explain the course to me after i had made contact. I thought that coming out on a saturday night was strange but the thought it also show dedication. I had applied to do the CCNA course but was told that i would need to do the A+ and N+ course first. Thinking at the time start at the bottom would be great. Now I feel let down as at first the material was out of date, i only found out when going through the student world site and found updates to the course. I received these But the course as now turned into 4 books which are 2006 objectives Part A and Part B and 220-602 Part A and Part B. these books also repeat each other so it is very confusing. I now feel let down and i am thinking of cancelling the course. The course cost £75 till i complete
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I was shocked at the report about Skillstrain having signed up to do a course about 6 months ago. I am doing the web design course and am paying £75 a month. I will certaintly keep an eye on what they send me in future!
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As I was sold this course in the belief that it was accredited to both Microsoft and cisco, is this a breach of contact?
I believe I was missold my course and have been dissappointed with the service
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[Note from Watchdog: Thank you for your comment. You can write to the complaints department at Skills Train here:
Business Administration and Computer Skills
Hamilton House
80-88 Collingdon Street
Luton
Bedfordshire
Lu1 1RX
Or there is a phone number - 08450 777770.
Regards, Mariam Abu-Hejleh, Watchdog webteam.]
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Hi,
I had the guy round, a few weeks back he really hard sell. The thing is I explained I was a computer science graduate from a good Uni. he knocked the course came out with buzz words and put me down for a CIW course, ignoring the fact that I had several heavy duty programming manuals around I paid £75 and signed the paper work, but todate I haven't even recieved my log in details and on reading the legal docs I see I only have 7 days to cancel, well I am cancelling anyway they got £75 out of me and I am out of work they made out I can afford £20 a week even though, I am not impressed given that I had a previous company who made me pay £1475 and made threats when I was not available and I recieved nothing from them bar a payment schedule so there are bigger cowboys out there and they only gave me the ECDL course which was a bit of a joke. The real criminals are the software companies who demand experiance because they are too mean to train people, there is a site about the experiance myth I would recommend, it is amazing how many talented programmers are doing pointless jobs all because these companies seem not to have a clue what they want, then they blame the unis saying that the make the students Jack of all trades master of none, this is a plain lie what it does do is make graduates able to use their skills. Still I cancelled Skillstrain simply because I was not confident in their claims and the fact that the bag I got was in the back of the car and the notes were dog eared but I urge people to read the payment contract I was shocked and angry by them the best term I can come for them is parasites.
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I signed up to do the Skillstrain Bookkeeping Course. I found it extremely hard to understand and I found I didnt receive adequate help from the tutors. I gave up the course and tried to cancel. Unfortunately no matter the circumstances, once you have signed on you are unable to cancel halfway through the course. They got very nasty and made me pay the whole amount. I was unable to pay immediately and had to go to reduced payments because of money problems. They were very nasty about the whole situation and not prepared to help at all. However I have paid for the entire course now but have never received all the of the course work to which I am entitled to even though I do not want to do the course. At the very least I would like to receive all of the outstanding coursework for which I have paid for or a refund of the money I have paid for a course I was not able to complete.
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I had a sales guy round this week and I signed up! I just heard about all this madness today :S The thing is, the e-commerce and project management course seems pretty good. If I decided to stick with them and passed, would the certification be recognised? Is there really no hope of me being taken seriously with that qualification? Please reply!
Thanks,
C
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hi i have just signed up to the book-keeping course with skills train 2 weeks ago and after reading this report and everyone else's comments i really don't want to go any further. but the advisor who came round my house took all my bank details and i signed a couple of things as well. i don't want to be paying them £75 a month. please can someone advise me on what to do.
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Now i am realy fed up,i signed up for a IT & Pc Engineering course on Sat 25th Oct.
How can i cancel,is there a cooling of period?
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Hi I am currently signed up to do the Book-keeping course with the Skillstrain since about April, paying £75 a month for 36 months. Having seen your report I'm a bit concerned I'm wasting my time and and wondering what my rights are on cancelling it and whether I even can cancel it?? please help!
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I have started a course with skill train. Book keeping they have now put a debt collector on to me because I could not keep up the payments because of the credit squeeze. Also I had to have an eye operation in the middle of the course I told them but all my letters have been ignores The course did nothing for me. I completely lost interest in it. But still have to pay for the course. I haven't the fund s so what do I do now.
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I am in the same position as most people posting, left with a bitter taste in my mouth with the £3000 cost,the course was sold to me whilst i was on long term sick after surgery, does that mean i cannot use the Discretionary benifits payments protection plan, was i missold this course on this basis, any info would be greatly recieved
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im studying the CompTIA A+ with computeach at the moment. Can anyone else tell me if they are having problems with the exams?? I find the questions to be ambiguous to say the least. The course material for this year is 2 years out of date and most of the content isnt reflected is the exams. Also, the course i originaly wanted to do had to be part of a 4 course package with cost £3500. This is irespective of my current skills and qualifications. Cancellation isnt an option even for the cousres i havent started. Lastly, i will be charged for not completing by new year! Please help!!
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My boyfriend joined skills train in September, instead of going to college. He pays £18 a month for three years and he realized alot of the stuff he was reading was out of date. He was training to be a Computer technician and he has had some trouble but couldn't contact anyone and he sent off a practise test to his "tutor" a month ago and still nothing back. He saw this and decided to stop. I nearly did this but chose to go to college.
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Dear Watchdog, I have sent this to Skills Train. I am very unhappy with what they have done.
Dear Sir/Madam
I earlier sent you the statement written below in italics. In response you have sent me some references from former students. However, these in no way overcome the objections I have raised. Indeed you acknowledge, in your latest correspondence, that you are accredited by an organisation called Prosoft. This is not Microsoft. I consider you have misled me. I would not have signed up for this course if I had not been told by you that it was accredited by Microsoft. I therefore continue to expect you to pay a full refund of the money I have already paid you. I have already cancelled my bank order.
When I signed up for my SkillsTrain course I was told through your promotional material that SkillsTrain is approved and accredited by Microsoft. The fact that you stated this in your advertising was a very important consideration when I decided to sign up for your course. I have now heard that this is not so and that Microsoft has stated that your course is not accredited by them and Microsoft does not approve it. I have also heard that Microsoft has stated that some of the materials provided by Skills Train needed updating.
I consider I was misled by your advertising and am withholding further payments. I also consider you should refund the money I have already spent on this course.
I will look forward to hearing from you and receiving a full refund.
Yours faithfully, [Personal details removed by Moderator]
You can send this to Consumer Direct as well and check that it is ok. However, it is very important that you check that the advertising re Microsoft/Cisco accreditation refers to your course.
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SKILLS TRAIN DID SEND ME A BOOK OF COMMENTS THAT SUPPORTS THEIR SIDE. THEY DON'T TO TOUCH MY REQUEST THAT I WANT MY MONEY BACK. NO MATTER I DID STOPPED MY PAYMENTS TO THEM, BUT I WANT MY PAID MONEY BACK.
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from comment 54,
i cant believe the course isnt microsoft and cisco approved, my advisor assured me it was approved on his 'sales pitch'. that is the main reason i felt comfortable on signing up for the course.
I feel so let down by skillstrain!!
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Dear WATCHDOG : Last august the second I enroll SKILLS TRAIN COURSES. TOTAL COST £ 3225 for 42 month installments of every mounth £ 75 Plus Agent Fee of £ 75. But as I receive Course Material Which was very old- 8 years at list- I paid them September $ October October the 23'th I was watching watchdog, which skills train was under scrutiny. Their promised qualifications had been fake. neither microsoft nor Cisco had approved them, simply they don't know the name of the SKILLS TRAIN in their list. Today I did stopped their payment and I did ask my paid money return to my account. I been sold very low and old quality material very high price. Skills train also fails to compile the quality of the Course Certificates There isn't any, microsoft or Cisco related certificate approwement. I been victimized by them. I'm complaining about skills train company and applying for further proceedings taken For skills train courses and related companies. Thanks in advance for your time of co-operation. Your sincerely. [Personal details removed by Moderator]
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I have been studying this corse and was going to apply for an extension, im devistated to think that the time and money i've put into this corse was a complete waste.
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