apex/home learning college-advice really needed!

[iwannawinlotto]

Hi, first post. Apex Credit Management. My god they just wont take no for an answer! My wife is unemployed, wanted to get better qualifications etc. applied for Home Learning College on the web. applied for a sage accounts course. £880, payable in instalments.
she tried the course for a week. she rang them back and said she was unable to do the course because it was beyond her capability so she attempted to cancel. H.L.C stated she would still have to pay the full cost of the course! Wife said no way, not used tutor help over the phone etc. little while later Apex harassing for the course costs, told them wife could not do the course, feel it wasnt fair she was told she couldnt cancel and stop paying so we werent going to pay. Months of Apex threats of court etc. i asked them to prove a legally binding contract actually exists, have asked them repeatedly for months to send a photocopy of the signed agreement, to prove a contract exists, we get no proof, just letters threatening us with legal action, and they constantly phone asking for the debt to be paid. i kept writing to them asking for proof of the debt, they ignore this. i believe my wife never actually signed an agreement and the terms and conditions are very short on their website. have tried bbc watchdog, waiting for reply. believe it is harassment from apex? as they will not prove the debt exists to me/wife. how can i stop them harassing us? have threatened them with the office of fair trading, which could result in their business licence being suspended, but Apex just carry on demanding payment. if they took my wife to court, could we possibly lose? we really could use advice as it's becoming a nightmare!. thank-you in advance. i have copies of all correspondence, proper letter to Apex, but bog standard reply from them just changing the date on their letters, no response to points made, just threats, one after the other.

oh what a joy, i have found many threads today regarding Apex & Home Learning College-I am new to this site, it appears they are not!!! you all have my sympathy if you are unfortunate enough to have to of done business with either of them.

[The GodMother]

good luck.

i would cca them.

[iwannawinlotto]

I did send a registered letter to Apex using a template from this site asking them to provide us with a copy of the consumer credit agreement that they say they have, i sent them a £1.oo p/o to cover cost. they now have 12 days to provide it. I have asked them to prove the debt) with the template letter, but have ben asking Apex to do this for 4 months anyway, and they have not. but today i have received a letter from Apex's solicitor telling me i have only 72 hours to offer payment. I am now worried a little,. can their solicitor take any action, whilst i await the 12 days to pass? i am unemployed and have no solicitor myself, I can't afford a solicitor and can't find much help from solicitor free advice from search engines regarding this type of thing, if anyone can offer advice, please feel free to do so ASAP ! I started Anti-depressants from the doctor yesterday, as all the agony of being chased for debts is getting me down.

[palomino]

The solicitor can of course make this request, however it serves as a good indicator that they are having difficulty with your credit agreement. I would wait until the 12 days has expired and see if they can come up with anything.

[The GodMother]

write to the solicitor advising that u are waiting on a legally requested cca and that as of xx apex has 12 WORKING days to supply it until the cca is produced no offer will be made.

working days are mon - friday

[iwannawinlotto]

Thanks god Mother & Palomino, I will do exactly what You have both suggested, Ie; I will inform their Solicitor of the CCA request & will try not to panic while I await for the response (realistically) though I do not ever remember signing any agreement with them in the first place and secondly. I did not sign the letter asking fo rthe CCA, I just printed my name as suggested with the template (why was this?) the only reason I can think not to sign the letter is incase they try underhand or illegal practice of copying my signature? does this happen? anyone have a link where I can get Free legal advice or representation should I have to go to court over this? Citizens Advice were a dead loss previously.

[eddie12]

Hi iwannawinlotto,

I'd really like to know how you got on and whether you have been able to cancel the course without paying the full fee. Last week a HLC "salesperson" came to my house after I requested information online about a computer course. The guy managed to get me to enroll, for £100 deposit and £75 a month for 2 years.

After the guy left I googled Home Learning College and found a load of people in the same position as you. So I phoned up to cancel my application. I was told to send an email to customer.support@homelear ningcollege.com giving my name, address, student number and course code, which I did. I also sent a hard copy to the address on the contract. No reply. I phoned the next day and they claimed to have no record of the email I sent them. I sent the email again today, stating that the contract says that I "have the right to cancel up to the seventh day after receiving course Materials". As I have't received course materials yet so I assume that I am fully within my rights to cancel all Service and Credit agreements.

Now I'm really worried as I'm currently unemployed and I really don't need this hassle, so I'd really appreciate knowing whether and how your situation has been resolved.

Thanks in advance.

Eddie

[iwannawinlotto]

Hi, Eddie, sorry did not reply straight away. I had a fair bit of trouble trying to log in as i forgot my password. Anyhow I am so sorry you have been stuck with this horrible leach of a firm! run quick mate, you can run but you cant hide from them! Seriously though, WE waited 4 months, for HLC to send us a copy of the credit agreement then to my horror they finally sent me a photocopied credit agreement! I have spent a year and a half trying to cancel/get out of a course that was beyond my wifes capability-to no avail. They told me over the phone i'd still have to pay. So a year and a half later WE are still paying for a course that my wife am not clever enough to do, and she dont use their tutors-so i would get more satisfaction setting fire to £1000 in notes and pushing it down the drain, at least i would get value for money! I would keep on at them, but i doubt it would do you any good. there are many people on here that have signed up for a course that has only 7 days cancellation with H.L.C we would of assumed you had 28 days-Wrong! they have most of us by the short and curlies. it has been a nightmare for so long, anyone thinking of doing business with these people-good luck is all i can say. Oh by the way if you dont pay they use Apex Credit management who phone you every single day, and bombard you with 3 to 4 leeters a week threatening you with legal action. Ever feel you are in hell? welcome to my world!, oh and it doesn't matter a jot if you are unemployed and can't afford it, you signed a nasty little contract with so few get out clauses, that it should be an illegal contract. best of luck, your'e stuck with the course! check out other threads on here for BCW group they were called Apex later on. Has anybody on this site actually found a way out of this contract, if so Please please post it so we can all try our luck!