give me my money back!

curlsarah

I embarked on a photography course, with the photography institute (PI)- looked like a cocha organisation and I faithfully paid the £400 for the online course. This was a year ago. I have have exactly one email from the tutor welcoming me to the course. Despite sending numerous emails to ask for help I never got a response. Until I asked for a refund. :eek:
Then the nice people at the PI then emailed me back and said that they could extend my course completion date to a further 6 months (bearing in mind I hadnt even started the first module!). I should have realised that this was a total farce as yet again I still recieved no further correspondence from the PI and when it came to trying to get in touch there is no telephone number.
I have now started to send regular emails asking for a refund - they are now denying me this, and are offering an extenstion to complete the course in 2 years. Apparently according to their T&C's if I dont ask for a refund within 7 days I wont get one and I can't cancel either. So now I am £400 out of pocket, no nearer to being qualified as a photographer and stuck with a course I can't and now don't want to do.

Is my money lost forever? Surely the lack of contact and support means they are in breach of contract? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

easyhost

curlsarah wrote: »

I embarked on a photography course, with the photography institute (PI)- looked like a cocha organisation and I faithfully paid the £400 for the online course. This was a year ago. I have have exactly one email from the tutor welcoming me to the course. Despite sending numerous emails to ask for help I never got a response. Until I asked for a refund. :eek:
Then the nice people at the PI then emailed me back and said that they could extend my course completion date to a further 6 months (bearing in mind I hadnt even started the first module!). I should have realised that this was a total farce as yet again I still recieved no further correspondence from the PI and when it came to trying to get in touch there is no telephone number.
I have now started to send regular emails asking for a refund - they are now denying me this, and are offering an extenstion to complete the course in 2 years. Apparently according to their T&C's if I dont ask for a refund within 7 days I wont get one and I can't cancel either. So now I am £400 out of pocket, no nearer to being qualified as a photographer and stuck with a course I can't and now don't want to do.

Is my money lost forever? Surely the lack of contact and support means they are in breach of contract? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

so you paid an unknown person with a cheap wordpress site without contact details.

surely if you are interested in being a pro photographer you could have approached your local college or one of the below professional bodies who all run and recommend courses.

It may be worth mentioning this company to these

The Association of Photographers

The RPS - The Royal Photographic Society

The Master Photographers Association

Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers

British Press Photographers Association

maninthestreet

Is this it?

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/ephotozine-goes-on-the-photography-institute-course-13819

curlsarah

yes well that was a really helpful comment...NOT and it looked the real deal when i explored it as shown below...


The Professional Photography Course is provided online, via the Internet. You study at home, in your own time, at your own pace.

The link is - thephotographyinstitute.co.uk