advice needed

flushy

I need advice on what I can do about my situation.


My son was going to do a home study course and payment was provided through a loan company they work with. I am required to make monthly repayments. Due to a change in both mine and my sons circumstances he is no longer doing the course.
We asked them to cancel before the first payment was due but they still took payment. The company providing the course have said they will postpone but not cancel the course despite us asking before the first payment was due and even before the first assignment was due and state that because it was after the cancellation period (only by a few days!) that we are now liable to receive the course and pay the whole amount even if we don't want it. I am happy for them to keep what I have already paid but don't want to pay anymore for something I haven't had yet and don't want.


I don't want to be paying for something I don't want, have asked to be cancelled and my bank agree with me. They have put a stop to anymore payments coming off my account and have said they will repay me any payments that slip through.


Any advice on where we stand or on what we can do next will be gratefully received.

[Deleted User]

If the terms state you are out of the cancellation period, then you will need to pay. Unfortunately it doens't matter whether the bank agree with you or not.

Does your son intend to do the course at a later date?

flushy

No he doesn't! Each part of the course is release after each assignment is completed so it's not like we have already received it if you see what I mean. It's a crappy situation to be in right now - I also discover payment is not being taken like a regular direct debit that it is being taken like a debit card without card present payment and this is not something that I was aware was going to happen!

macrae2100

flushy wrote: »

this is not something that I was aware was going to happen!

It was probably in the terms and conditions that you ticked to confirm you'd read.

flushy

I have looked back through the paperwork and you are right. Although I was lead to believe I was agreeing to a direct debit, the box for card debit was ticked. I see that direct debit wasn't even an option and that it would have been a standing order anyway!


I feel cheated as I was given false information by the guy that came to my house.


Is there really nothing I can do?

Gaz83

flushy wrote: »

I have looked back through the paperwork and you are right. Although I was lead to believe I was agreeing to a direct debit, the box for card debit was ticked. I see that direct debit wasn't even an option and that it would have been a standing order anyway!


I feel cheated as I was given false information by the guy that came to my house.


Is there really nothing I can do?

What do the terms and conditions say about cancellations?

The issue about debit card vs direct debit is a bit of a red herring, to be honest - you could complain that you feel you were not told the full information about how payment would be made, but they will have a copy of a signed document from yourself confirming that you'd read the T&Cs.

Even if you did complain about this, and it was upheld, it doesn't alter the fact that the T&Cs may say you are liable for the loan even if your son doesn't go through with the course.

flushy

Paperwork says that I only had the right to withdraw direct with the company I am required to make the payments to if I did it within 2 weeks of signing - this would have made it over a month before the first payment was due to be taken and although it was verbalised to us by the course companies rep that the cancellation period with them was 3 weeks I now see going back through the paperwork it was 2 weeks!

dresdendave

I sympathise with your predicament but with hindsight you surely now realise a salesman will tell you anything, if he thinks it will clinch the sale. The only thing that matters is what you have in writing.