Mis-sold Home Learning College Course??

melancholly

i'd remove your email address from the post

farso

It is possible that they have changed the website, but I just had a look about the software they are supplying

Your course material includes the latest Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 Web Standard (Student Version) software.

browny1980

Hi all,
I had exactly the same problem as both of you. I rang for more information regarding an ACA (Adobe) course and a very pushy salesman came round and did a very hard sell on the course. In my naivety I signed up for the course thinking it sounded like it would be worth it. I wish now I had carried out further research as it seems the majority of people who take courses offered by this company have the same complaints as I:

• The software was not the full version but a smaller, student version.
• The money was not refunded after my dissatisfaction was noted (contrary to the guarantee made during signing).
• The course books were watered down versions of the Adobe Classroom in a box series (about 20 quid each, compared to the £2000 course fee offered by Home Learning College).
• The course books were littered with mistakes, grammatical and spelling errors.
• The exam 'voucher' that is received upon completion of the course is valid in only a handful of the testing centres listed and requires a proctor fee, payable to the centre (value of the proctor fee varies from centre to centre).
• The staff telephones were rarely answered (about 10% of the time at an estimate).
• Emails from the office were only replied to after several follow up phone calls (difficult when they don't answer the phones) and only then when the threat of further action was introduced.
  
  These are just a few of the main problems I had with the company. I spotted your thread and felt I had to warn people about this company and their education racket. The adobe books, along with purchasing the exam from one of these centres, would cost you about £200 (depending on where you went, bought the books from, etc) in total and would provide you with a far superior course in the Adobe products than is provided by this company. Be warned and be aware; Home Learning College are bad news and my advice is that before signing anything for them do your research (independently) and find out for yourself whether people are happy with it or not because in my experience there are very few people who don't come out of an HLC course without feeling thoroughly ripped off.

Kindest regards to you all, sorry to rant!

L

AJ83

I had a guy come to my house from the home learning college last week who was a tutor (and a good salesman).

I was looking into the Web Design which at the end would make me an Adobe Certified Associate and able to work in Web Design. He said the course would cost approximately £4000 per year, and said if I let him know on Monday (tomorrow) if I wanted to sign up to the course that he would apply for a grant from the Learning Skills Council on my behalf. That is my first worry as I've gone onto their website and the website has now closed and been replaced by one of LSC's successor organisations. I found this odd anyway, as I have been given no paperwork breaking down costs, only what he has told me. I would of thought if I only had until Monday to make my decision, I should really be given all of the information to be able to make that decision.

I really thought this could be the course for me but now I'm researching a little more I see all these complaints and it doesn't make me feel very confident!

foreign_correspondent

I know someone who has started one of their Web Design courses - he was promised access to certain online facilities that have not materialised - he is very demoralised and dissapointed with them...

guru1

Lokolo wrote: »

Erm you can use the student edition after you finish? You just have to be a student to buy the software in the first place. Hence why I am making the most of it by getting all my free copies of Windows 7 and all sorts of microsoft software

I would be very careful what you post "all my free copies of windows 7" etc sounds like you have more than 1 copy which is in direct violation of MSDNN and the academic alliance. :mad:

guru1

Essentially It is the same with 99% of these companies i.e skills train or Scheidigger ( parent company) or hlc my advice would be go to a certified training organisation, or find the software online DO NOT PAY a training company that offers CIW OR MCSE OR CCNA learn from home etc. It realistically is not happening. You will be much better off signing up with local college and getting an ILA towards the cost and a career development loan NOT VIA the training compay. [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] and the decent ones expect you do do home study and attend for assesment etc.

atypical

guru1 wrote: »

I would be very careful what you post "all my free copies of windows 7" etc sounds like you have more than 1 copy which is in direct violation of MSDNN and the academic alliance. :mad:

On MSDNAA there are several options for Windows 7 Pro. I believe it's around 4 languages with x86 and x64 versions for each. Selecting each of these gives a product key which can be used on any version of Windows 7 Professional. In effect you get 8 product keys.

Can you confirm where it states that users cannot have more than 1 copy?

Just to confirm what Lokolo said:

"Changes in status. You will stop providing the software to anyone who ceases being one of your staff, faculty, or students. However, students may continue to use software they received, in accordance with these terms."

The odd thing about the terms is that it states that the software can only be used "(a) to develop, support, conduct, or take the STEM courses, labs, or programs you offer; (b) in non-commercial STEM research on your behalf; or (c) to design, develop, test, and demonstrate software programs for the above purposes."

Doesn't appear to say you can use the copies for general use but I can't believe Microsoft expects people not to.

EULA here.

rich.rw

I am ashamed to admit it but I was conned by home learning college's sales rep. He came to my house as I was interested in a course. We talked about the course and I informed him that I was on a Debt Management Programme and would not be able to pay monthly and the only way I could pay in full would be to ask my brother. The rep told me it was in my best interest to pay a £50 deposit which would then allow him to send out the full course details that I could then browse at my leisure and if I didn't want to continue with the course I could send the pack back and my £50 would be returned. I told the rep that I wouldn't be progressing with the course for at least 4/5 weeks as I had a lot on at work as it was Christmas at the time. I was asked to sign an enrollment form and told not to worry it was only for the £50, the full amount stated would only be taken if I progressed with the course. 5weeks later I received a demand for the whole amount. The form I had signed was a full enrollment and I had stupidly signed to pay the full amount. After much argument and after seeking advice from CAB I accepted I was going to have to pay. I agreed with them to pay £60 a month and then I started the course. I have finished two assignments. Then last week I received a call to inform me that as the original contract was to pay in full, I was in breach of my contract and I could no longer continue with the course and would face possible court action if I didn't pay in full. Also after reading some of the other comments, I was also informed that I would receive the programmes needed for the course but i only received a 3month trial! But alas as I am now paying over £1400 for a course that I never wanted to do and now can't do, the programme is not important. I beleive the rep's name is ****** for reference.

Titan_Po

Hello All,

I wish i had done better research into Home Learning College before signing anything. I shall now tell my story which is sadly so similar to so many others I've read on this and similar forums...
I wanted to change my career and move into IT and after looking at Home Learning College (HLC) - not well enough - I made an enquiry on their website which led to numerous phone call from one of their learning advisors (a salesman on commision I know understand). He was very pleasant and encouraging (not at any point did I feel I was being sold something) and signed up for a Comptia A+ course over two years costing £2k at £80 a month.
During the sell I was told by him (quote) "you need to sign up by the end of April because Comptia are changing their standards, and if you don't sign up by then, you will have to re-take the exam every 3 years - sign up before April and you will have to take it once and its yours for life". I was also told that "Have you got a PC on Windows XP or better - then you've got everything you need" and the real kicker "You'll be able to apply for Comptia jobs now - just studying for the course will open doors for you and you can earn as you learn". These are the three biggest lies I have been told in my life (and I've heard a few).

Since signing up I have not been contacted by my tutor once (I was told it would be within 3 days - smaller lie), since recieving the course materials I have found out that i need TONS of equipment (2 and 1/2 A4 pages of lists),
most importantly I feel - Comptia are changing their standards, but you have to PASS the course by 31/12/2010 (do-able, but thats not the point, I signed up quickly to avoid having to re-take the exams in years to come).
I've read my copy of the Enrolment Agreement and Fixed Sum Loan Agreement and regards cancellation is reads... "YOUR RIGHT TO CANCEL - Once you have signed this agreement, you have a short time in which to cancel it. We will send you exact details of how and when you can do this."
These exact details are yet to arrive 2 months later.
After starting to work though the course (and spending £90 on tools and equipment and begging and borrowing old bits of computer hardware) I am totally unimpressed with the course material, lack of support (which was their unique selling point I was told), and the absence of customer service (I called through most of May, but their phones rang out and went unanswered - they've recently sent me a letter about payment with a different office address and number on it which may explain that).
I want to cancel. I was mis-sold the course (flat out lied too), and they never told how to cancel or the time frame i had - not even in the small print of their 'fixed-sum loan agreement'. Where do I stand? What can I do?
Please forgive the length of this post, but I've needed to vent this somewhere for a while now...