Misinformed / Miss-sold Online Learning Course

SexyNatalie26 · 19 February 2015 at 10:32PM

Hi

I saw a great deal and purchased an online course via “Wowcher” to study an online ‘SEN Teaching Assistant course’ through mydistance - learing – college . com

Shortly after signing up I fell pregnant - I wasn't able to do any work during pregnancy as I went through a very tough time.

I’m now ready and able to study and have logged in to make a start. However, I couldn’t find anything that tells me how I can get started - I can see no modules listed, or assignment details, nor learning resources.

I contacted mydistance - learing – college . com with the above basic info and this is the response that I got:

“As you purchased your course through a deal website at a greatly reduced price from that price quoted on our website, this only carries 6 month tutor support not the 12 month you would receive had you paid the full price as quoted on our site.I apologise if you feel you have been misled in any way as this should have been made clear to you from the site you bought that you bought the course from”.

All I wanted was to start my course (within what I believed was 12 months as per website) so was astounded that they came back to say I signed up to 6 months tutor support (by tutor support they must also be referring to accessing study materials, assignments, and marking of work as none is accessible to me)!

If this is the case I have wasted over £100 on signing up to a course that I had wanted to do to enhance my career options.

Before buying I spent a long time reading the @mydistancelearn website I’m 100% certain that there was no mention of this. Indeed, I have since dug out my email confirmations from @Wowcher and having read the product descriptions and ‘Important Information’ there’s no mention of this whatsoever.

This has come as a total surprise and I feel I have been totally missed on this basis and the impact is loss / waste of money (no goods or services received) and also loss of future earnings as I can’t get a job in childcare without this qualification; nor can I cannot afford to buy another course

My question is this: What can I do and what legal basis have I got to either get back onto the course or get my money back?

I have a feeling from reading online reviews that neither @mydistancelearn or @wowcher will be of any help as their service is apparently shocking!

Your help is very much appreciated, Natalie.

daytona0 · 19 February 2015 at 11:04PM

Hmm, ok so checking the T's and C's for the site and I can see that it only currently mentions:

Duration of your MyDistance Learning College Course

Your course will be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. Tutor support is included for that period. Should you need more time to complete your studies, validity and tutor support can be extended on payment of the appropriate fee.

Also, the waybackmachine (see: http://web.archive.org/web/20140827222008/http://mydistance-learning-college.com/terms-conditions/) may say that on the 27th August 2014 the T's and C's were similar.

So it all boils down to whether wowcher had displayed any extra information regarding this offer. They should be your first port of call.

On the face of it, you SEEM to have 12 months to use the resources! You may therefore be able to send a letter before action and then initiate (small claims) court proceedings if they are not adhering to the T's and C's they outline on the website.