Next Step Beauty Academy Complaints Thread

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  • Hello!!!

    I'm glad to read that I'm not alone. I booked a course with Next Step Beauty in February and was cancelled 3 times. I asked for my money back as I was annoyed of being let down by them, and they clearly couldn't perform! I was told I was only entitled to £25 rather then then full amount I paid with was well over £100!!! Simply because I printed a piece of paper in preparation for a course that was continuously cancelled! I would never recommended this company!! They are awful, rude and clearly out to take your money!!!! I would wisely advise never to use them.
    I have booked another course with a different company and I couldn't be happier with them!

    Xx
  • Gwozere123
    Gwozere123 Posts: 1 Newbie
    edited 7 April 2014 at 5:01PM
    my partner booked a course with them. The body Message course
    He is epileptic and had a fit and dislocated his shoulder so as he paid for the whole course he tried to rebooked it for early 2014 so his arm would have healed by the the time the exam was.

    When it was a about a month before the exam my partner called them to ask for a some practice exams as (he was sent a leaflet which had lots of
    Spelling mistakes and incorrect
    Pictures) none were given and he didn't feel that confident about the course (it was a body message one) they send him nothing. He then asked for the exam to be rebooked.
    This was in dec 2014 the exam was on the 10/1/14
    They didn't even respond.

    He finally gave up and asked for a refund. Which they said they can only pay him back for the practical side of the exam as he had had the theory side with the print ours and video.
    He even had the amount confirmed stated from them in an email.

    When the refund came it was less then half the amount they suggested. When we complained that said no one had called or sent emails and now they can only refund the theory part not the practical as he has missed his exam. Even though he asked For it to be rebooked. We have emails
    To prove all of this

    They are very unprofessional. In feb after I sent in a recorded delivered letter that I was unhappy and would be taking court action, they sent us another email saying that my complaint had gone to the legal department and they would get back to us in 28 days. We still have heard nothing. We did leave it for a little while to give them ample time To sort it, and I think they may have even forgotten. But on Friday I will be sending them the ccj forms and taking them to court for the full amount we Paid minus the money the have already paid us plus the court fees.

    I'll let you know how we get on!!!
  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    edited 25 March 2019 at 9:39AM
    :j edit - see post #87 NEXT STEP BEAUTY TAKEN TO COURT T& Cs declared illegal :j
    EDIT-trading as totally beauty limited
    Still use the phrase “ next step” in their advertisements.

    CONTINEUD
    ..The head office is ( edit was) in norfolk at so called " Aldercarr hall" actually not a hall at all.The original hall was demolished in the 1960s

    It's classed as a b & b and on tripadviser 34 of its 71 reviews are by people who have posted only once- that's a very high percentage...

    On late rooms it's a " self classified 4 star" b & b

    http://www.aroundaboutbritain.co.uk/pictures/4566-2010-08-26-13-51-406445.jpg



    Edit since March 2016 trading as " beauty education limited"
  • paddyrg
    paddyrg Posts: 13,543 Forumite
    I eventually got a refund through the Section 75 law,... This meant, however, that I received a goodwill refund from Mastercard, and Next Step kept my original payment.
    .

    If it's any reassurance, Master Card will have made darn sure they in turn recovered the £300 from her merchant account, they're no slouches!

    Perhaps if everyone with a bad experience like this wrote to the trading standards in the company's area they would see a pattern emerging. In the meantime, it sounds like it's worth trying section 75 to get refunded (and after enough people, the card companies will no longer give her a card facility if they keep getting hit by charge backs). Alternatively starting a claim through money claim online which will go through small claims court. Strong chance they'll find in your favour if you submit screenshots of empty course material portals, cancellation messages, guarantees you've been given and insults you've received.
  • superflygal
    superflygal Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    Oh my word.

    I haven't been on MSE for ages as I have been doing up my house and have had no time.

    I am SO sorry, disgusted and horrified to read that Next Step Beauty are still scamming people.

    They actually tried to reply to my Opening post on this thread with their own self-justified propaganda, but Martin deleted them and banned them from posting GO MARTIN!:rotfl:

    The problem is, when I searched for reviews on them, I just found good ones, as I had typed in NEXT STEP BEAUTY REVIEWS, rather than NEXT STEP BEAUTY COMPLAINTS.

    You will find any bad reviews are masked by the gushing ones they post themselves (clearly fake).

    OK Here are the steps I took and recommend anyone having problems takes:

    1) Phoned Consumer Direct/Trading Standards, and make a report.

    2) Followed Consumer Direct/TS advice (I was told to write a letter, asking for reply in 7 days, and asking for a refund as they had not provided me with the goods I had paid for.

    3) Send letter RECORDED delivery and keep all receipts and responses (you won't get a reply!)

    4) Type up your story and send to watchdog and national and local newspapers this lady had her complaint against Next Step Beauty featured in the Daily Express:
    http://www.express.co.uk/finance/crusader/355000/Sue-sees-ugly-side-of-beauty-training

    5) Contact your credit/Debit card company and ask to claim the money back using a 'chargeback' or a Section 75 claim.

    6) My card issuer refunded me under Section 75.

    7) If no luck, TAKE THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS!! It costs £35 iirc, and is well worth doing. One person I spoke to on Salon Geek, had successfully sued them for a refund.

    Please post your updates and I will make an effort to come on regularly and offer my help and support!:grouphug:

    SFG x

    PS Don't give up, FIGHT!!:beer:
  • superflygal
    superflygal Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    Oh, and of course, post your reviews on review websites!!
  • superflygal
    superflygal Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    paddyrg wrote: »
    If it's any reassurance, Master Card will have made darn sure they in turn recovered the £300 from her merchant account, they're no slouches!

    Perhaps if everyone with a bad experience like this wrote to the trading standards in the company's area they would see a pattern emerging. In the meantime, it sounds like it's worth trying section 75 to get refunded (and after enough people, the card companies will no longer give her a card facility if they keep getting hit by charge backs). Alternatively starting a claim through money claim online which will go through small claims court. Strong chance they'll find in your favour if you submit screenshots of empty course material portals, cancellation messages, guarantees you've been given and insults you've received.

    That's actually really great advice- thanks very much Paddyrg!

    SFG x
  • superflygal
    superflygal Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    edited 19 May 2014 at 8:14AM
    http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1211835-d1601518-Reviews-Aldercarr_Hall-Attleborough_Norfolk_East_Anglia_England.html#REVIEWS

    Hilarious! As the owner is also called Denise, it would appear this is another enterprise by same the perma-tanned Denise running the beauty courses.

    Look at the 1/5 reviews. I nearly PMSL when I read about the afternoon tea consisting of a cheap supermarket sponge covered with toilet paper to stop all the hoards of flies landing on it! I was horrified to hear of the family who were told to GET OUT!! Of the swimming pool as the Orange husband looked at their 1 year old baby with disgust (after charging them £10 to use it!). One person heard the owners saying horrible things about the staff, and another said the manicure his wife had was so poor, he could have done a better job himself!!

    TRIP ADVISOR if you are reading this, even one reviewer of their 'hotel' said they thought they had written their own reviews! For the sake of travellers please remove them!

    Folks, we really need to keep reporting these people. One day they will be caught. They are clearly millionaires through fraudulently running fake courses, and posting fake reviews.

    On another note, after I posted my bad review on Review Centre about them, literally hundred of 5/5 reviews written in same style appeared within days. They must employ one person simply to do the fake reviews.
  • superflygal
    superflygal Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    Nice one Sweet Cheek! x
  • superflygal
    superflygal Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    Hi Char,

    Please floow these steps:

    1) Phone Consumer Direct/Trading Standards, and make a report. The more complaints they get the less chance of others being ripped off by Next Step Beauty!

    2) Follow Consumer Direct/TS advice (I was told to write a letter, asking for reply in 7 days, and asking for a refund as they had not provided me with the goods I had paid for). They will dictate a letter if you are not sure what to write, so don't let this put you off.

    3) Send letter RECORDED delivery and keep all receipts and responses (you won't get a reply from NSB!)

    4) Type up your story and send to watchdog and national and local newspapers this lady had her complaint against Next Step Beauty featured in the Daily Express:
    http://www.express.co.uk/finance/cru...eauty-training

    5) Contact your credit/Debit card company and ask to claim the money back using a 'chargeback' or a Section 75 claim.

    6) My card issuer refunded me under Section 75.

    7) If no luck, TAKE THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS!! It costs £35 iirc, and is well worth doing. One person I spoke to on Salon Geek, had successfully sued them for a refund.

    I will happily attend court if I can and add my story as a witness. I would love to see Denise and co. stew for scamming so many innocent people, and see her face when she is indicted in court for her crimes (as she will be)!

    Post and let us know how you get on Char, and FIGHT, don't be put off, why should this woman take your hard earned money?
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