Learn through post college taking money even though account was cancelled? HELP!!

Mumonamission

Hiya I'm really hoping someone can help as the college wont help at all and the attitude and treatment I've just had over the phone was disgusting!!
Basically, I signed up to do a course with stonebridge associated colleges over the phone in January. I am now doing an NVQ through the school I volunteer at so I decided it was pointless to continue the course with Stonebridge and phoned last month to cancel the agreement. I was told over the phone that it wasnt a problem and the account would be cancelled. I never recieved a letter to confirm this and a few days after they took £40 out of my account. I recieved another letter from them yesterday so today I phoned them to explain, yet again that I wanted to cancel the account so can they please stop taking money out of my account. The woman on the phone rather bluntly told me that was impossible as they dont take account cancellations over the phone and that I must write a letter to confirm cancellation, no problem I said just make sure that you dont take any money out of my account this month as I will become overdrawn, no problem says she!! After I hung up the phone in the time it took for me too switch on the computer and sign into my bank someone had taken £51.40 out of my account, now i know exactly what coming out of my account and that was totally unaccounted for :mad: so the only obvious explaination is that they have taken the money out of my account as soon as I hung up the phone!!!!!!!!!!!
Can anyone please help me as the man I spoke to on the phone was extremly rude and unhelpful and seemed to think I was making it up that I had phoned to cancel the account last month!! He also told me that it was nothing to do with their college and that it was to do with the teaching college and he wouldnt give me a phonenumber as he reckons they "dont know"!! I've just had to cancel my bank account, change my card details and everything!! I just want my £51 back, Im a struggling mum with three kids doing a college course and my husband is out of work as he lost his job so £50 is alot of money to have to go without!!

Please please help!! x

CHR15

Get your cencellation letter off asap. Forget phonecalls.

This is why the first advice about anything of this nature is to do EVERYTHING in writing.
The T&C's are usually quite explicit in saying how you should cancel.

To be fair though, if you weren't doing the NVQ at your volunteer school, this money would have been coming out anyway so it shouldn't be causing financial difficulties.

Send the letter recorded too so someone has to sign for it the other end.

Mumonamission

If I had been continuing with the course then I would have no qualms paying the £50, I would have allowed for it and there would be no problem but when you have phoned to cancel somthing and had a verbal agreement over the phone that no more money would be leaving your account it is rather a suprise to find that you are £50 short. The funny thing is they sent me a letter saying they were having problems using my card, didnt have any problems today after I had spoken to them did they...strange that!

Mumonamission

Oh sorry forgot too say, thaks for your advice!! Will be sending letter by recorded delivery later, thanks again

KittyPryde

Are you sure it wasn't a cancellation fee? I recently completed an online course and at the beginning got a letter saying If I cancelled/didn't complete the course then I could be charged up to £100!

Mumonamission

No it wasnt a cancellation fee, that is the course fee. When I contacted them this morning they were adamant there was no record of a cancellation phonecall from me, I have a record of it as their number is on my phonebill but no proof of what exactly the conversation was about