Can I cancel a Home Learning course?

katwoman434

My boyfriend is one year into a home study course to train in plumbing. He started it when he wanted to change career but needed to carry on working.

Since starting the course he has got a job as a plumber's mate and is rapidly gaining experience. He is planning to do his gas certificate next year (something his course doesn't cover) and will then be a qualified gas engineer.

In the meantime he is paying out £135 per month to Train4TradeSkills but not really progressing on the home course, and is due to be paying this out for 5 years!!! (i think the total cost is around £6k). He did basically sign a loan agreement, through the company, but is there any way he can get out of this and cancel the course? They don't give you an option, but do his consumer rights allow him to be tied to this for that amount of time and money? So far he has only received one course book and has paid out nearly £2k!!!

Any advice gratefully received!

SailorSam

There have been lots of stories in the press and on Tv on the likes of Watchdog, i've seen threads on Internet forums as well. The thing everyone seems to agree on is these people are 'con' artists and their training worthless and unrecognised by the industry.

Which Act or Reg covers Train4TradeSkills? - Consumer Forum

heretolearn_2

this might be better over in the Consumer Rights thread.

DVardysShadow

katwoman434 wrote: »

My boyfriend is one year into a home study course to train in plumbing. He started it when he wanted to change career but needed to carry on working.

Since starting the course he has got a job as a plumber's mate and is rapidly gaining experience. He is planning to do his gas certificate next year (something his course doesn't cover) and will then be a qualified gas engineer.

In the meantime he is paying out £135 per month to Train4TradeSkills but not really progressing on the home course, and is due to be paying this out for 5 years!!! (i think the total cost is around £6k). He did basically sign a loan agreement, through the company, but is there any way he can get out of this and cancel the course? They don't give you an option, but do his consumer rights allow him to be tied to this for that amount of time and money? So far he has only received one course book and has paid out nearly £2k!!!

Any advice gratefully received!

He appears to be well and truly caught. The company have probably taken him for the whole 5 years money, which they have taken from a loan company who have paid them upfront. If he stops paying, he will trash his credit record. And if the company goes bust [which I fully expect this one to do], he remains responsible for paying the loan.

You need to get out all of the paperwork for the deal and go through it with a finetooth comb.

Sorry to bear bad news, the lessons are

• if you do a deal with a training company, never commit to more than 1 year at a time
• and whatever the contract is, be it training or gym, never do it with a back to back loan as part of the deal.

katwoman434

As I suspected, but thanks for the replies all :-)

Geeza

I am in need of some help I've enrolled in a course with ATL but my bag with paper work & leaflets (meant to be course introduction) has Train4TradeSkills.
I was pressured into taking a course I didnt make
An enquire about.!
Ive just joined so might have cought the 7day cancelation period.!
I wanted to ask is the 7 day cancelation period mean 7 working days???!
Are Saturday and Sunday also included??
If I enrolled on a Friday and posted a cancelation letter on Friday Signed for delivery, have i cought the 7 day window or not???!
My case is fresh so lets see what we can do to
This company.!
Also can someone take me throw the steps of what next move I should take.