Help on getting refunded fees from Distance Learning College

lpd222

I'm not sure if this is the right forum but here goes....

I signed up for a 2 year professional qualification course with a distance learning college on 7th July 2016. Not long after I began the course my health deteriorated and 14 months down the line I've been diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.).

I never started the course at all (the college can see this from my membership page) and I paid over £1k for it. I'm unable to commit to completing the course due to my health & asked if they could issue me with a full or partial refund. I sent my first request to them on 31st October & another one today after no response.

Their T&Cs state that they 'will not issue any refunds after the 10 day cooling off period has passed. This is due to specialist nature of our delivery. Once 10 days has passed the student is committed to their course of study and we will commit to our suppliers as well as allocate the internal resources required for the student to make a success of their studies. At this point no refunds can be made.'

I realise the T&Cs are pretty clear on the 'no refunds' but this is an unforeseeable event, I paid for the course with the full intention of completing it but I'm unable to do so.

Any advice?

CurlySue2017

lpd222 wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is the right forum but here goes....

I signed up for a 2 year professional qualification course with a distance learning college on 7th July 2016. Not long after I began the course my health deteriorated and 14 months down the line I've been diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.).

I never started the course at all (the college can see this from my membership page) and I paid over £1k for it. I'm unable to commit to completing the course due to my health & asked if they could issue me with a full or partial refund. I sent my first request to them on 31st October & another one today after no response.

Their T&Cs state that they 'will not issue any refunds after the 10 day cooling off period has passed. This is due to specialist nature of our delivery. Once 10 days has passed the student is committed to their course of study and we will commit to our suppliers as well as allocate the internal resources required for the student to make a success of their studies. At this point no refunds can be made.'

I realise the T&Cs are pretty clear on the 'no refunds' but this is an unforeseeable event, I paid for the course with the full intention of completing it but I'm unable to do so.

Any advice?

I'm no legal expert, but the T&C's are pretty clear there so I would say your chances are slim to none I'm afraid.

If I am reading your post correctly and you paid for the course in 2016 and have only recently informed them that you can't complete then that makes your chances even smaller I would think, purely because of the timescale involved.

It would be the same as if you booked a holiday but then due to unforseen circumstances you had to cancel - unless you had insurance, you would have little chance of getting a refund.

lpd222

I'm thinking the same myself to be honest but I was hoping they'd look at it slightly more compassionately due to the circumstances & wondered if anyone had experience of this or something similar.

They we're fully aware that I haven't done any studies up to April of this year. I have recently requested a refund due to now being diagnosed so I'm able to furnish them with a valid reason as to why I haven't started & I'm unable to complete my studies.

TELLIT01

Any refund will be entirely down to the company and whether or not they wish to make a goodwill gesture. You don't have any right to a refund, as you have said yourself.

CurlySue2017

I have done courses with them myself, but always completed them so although I have experience with them I haven't had any need to deal with them about anything like this.

As the above poster says, you may be able to appeal to their "goodwill" but that would be your only chance I suspect......no harm in asking though