To set the scene, about 4 years ago I was made redundant from an IT role. With lots of experience but little qualifications, I decided to obtain accreditation with Microsoft to become a Systems Engineer using my redundancy money. I decided to save a few quid by doing this through distance learning (3 grand instead of 9 for a residential course) and chose a local IT training company to do it with, for personal reasons I never finished the course and about 3 years ago I wrote it off as a bad mistake.

Well.....

I just had a rather peculiar letter through the door this weekend, which reads like this - note I have had to remove quite a bit in order to keep the accused anonymous so hope I've still made sense here:

100% REFUND ON YOUR IT TRAINING (PUBLIC NOTICE)

Dear Student

The training material supplied to you for your [training company's name] course is an unlicensed Pirate copy. This means that all associated software has not been endorsed by the appropriate software manufacturer. You have all been tricked, lied to and missold a dream.

Regardless of your progress on the course or when you enrolled you are entitled to a full refund on your course fees and if applicable, finance interest. Also any incurred expenses and compensation can be charged.

Since the inception of [training company's name] or [limited company's name] as they are officially known, only FOUR individuals from a total of over 3000 have passed their IT training Courses. Primarily this is due to the fact that they have inadequate support and tuition and poor training material. The company claims to be a Microsoft Learning Solutions Training Partner. To achieve this awared the company needs at least two MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainers). They only have one - [MCT's name].

[MCT'], [General Manager] and [A N Other] all knew and were actively involved in the Piracy.

The Managing Director of the [training company's new name!!!], as it is now branding itself, consisting of [limited company's name], [two other trading names] is a [Mr X]. He is fully aware and endorsing the copying of IT software and in many cases training materials without copyright license. He can be found at [address of company] or is home address [his home address!!!]

Mr X is not a stranger to controversy having had dealings with the WatchDog in Wales. This may be a further matter for the BBC WatchDog or Ferret as it is known in Wales. In addition to this, Mr X has twice had his LSC license suspended! The company is currently offering Plumbing courses and is currently having major problems with false promises to students and unqualified courses.

To stop Mr X from continuing with his bullish attitude to students and his lack of concern, once the company has the student's money, you must do all the suggested......

1 Keep safe all discs, brochures, enrolment and finance forms. They could be used as evidence for a criminal investigation. Do not return your disks to [training company's name].

2 If funded by Clydesdale Finance, write to [Managing Director of CF]. State clearly that you have been provided with Pirate software and that you will be stopping all further payments to them and you demand a full and immediate refund.

3 If funded through a Career Development Loan you will have to write to the Learning Skills Council and the bank which approved your CDL. Again, state clearly that you have been provided with pirate software and that you will be stopping all further payments to them and you demand a full and immediate refund.

4 If funded by [limited company's name] you simply write to them asking for a full refund and stop all standing orders to the company. You may in this instance wish to write to the OFT informing them that you wish for [limited company's name] to have their Consumer Credit License withdrawn. It is interesting to note that none of the sales people are covered contractually by the company's consumer credit license. Again you have been sold finance illegally. You can also take up the matter with your local trading standards office.

5 Please contact Microsoft directly, this can be done on the Microsoft piracy reporting website

6 Finally Piracy software is a criminal offense so report to your local police station.

I have been doing some research this evening and have discovered, that I paid something in the region of £3200 for this course. It WAS funded by the company itself but I paid for it outright once I received my redundancy money. This situation isn't covered in the above list of options (but I have a pretty good idea what I can do lol ). I'm pretty sure that I don't have any of the papers or documentation that I was given either. I am hunting round the house trying to unearth anything in relation to the course and am scouring the old PC for any old letters I sent them - so far the only records I can find is a discussion via email with the company regarding my intention to stop the course and my (failed) request for a partial refund and the payments (by standing order, then a lump sum by cheque) on my statements (thank goodness for SARs!!).

I have sent an email to both Watchdog and the Ferret (ITV Wales' equivalent of WD) to see whether they have had similar contact from others and to try and find out how valid this is as the letter is anonymous!!

Anyone care to input??

Anyone (long shot) had this letter too?? Would be interested to hear from you.

Who is this letter from exactly?

It's not clear.........

I've contacted the OFT who are passing my details on to Trading Standards, I've also contacted Microsoft, the Ferret and Watchdog.

I'm concerned right now by the fact that this letter doesn't make clear who it has come from and therefore could be a hoax by a disgruntled ex employee and as a result am stressing this to all I am contacting.

The ferret have responded saying that they have had lots of people contacting them and they have got in touch with the company - they have responded by saying that there are no grounds to the allegations. It is going to be on the ferret's next programme which is on ITV Wales @ 7.30 tomorrow.

We shall wait and see.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not counting the money out yet, but I am making enquiries with the relevant parties involved in order to find out whether these allegations are true or not.

All quite exciting though!!

I wonder how they got your details? it seems a strange letter you have no idea who sent it to you?

I hope you do get all your money back just proceed with caution is my advice

Agreed which makes me wonder whether it has come internally. It would seem lots of others have been contacted as well from the ferret's response. Not making any moves that could cause me trouble (as in contacting the police or sending prelims) just yet until I know more.

Will watching the programme with interest tomorrow.

Will keep you posted.....

I'm concerned right now by the fact that this letter doesn't make clear who it has come from and therefore could be a hoax by a disgruntled ex employee and as a result am stressing this to all I am contacting.

This is my concern.

Alarm bells are ringing quite loudly on this one.

You are right to hold on for a while.

Trading standards have contacted me this morning to acknowledge my complaint and also to confirm that I am one of many (nationwide, not just wales) to have registered complaints. They have a copy of the letter, a copy of the software and are looking into it.

He has is concerns as have I, but has said that they are working to proving the letter is right or wrong either way and will be contacting everyone in a week or so.

I've also requested a copy of the cheque I paid to this company from my bank which will be with me in a few days in case its needed.

Sky plussed the ferret programme on tonight, interested in what this will have to say.

If its true you're going to want to get in there before everyone else or the company is just going to fold.

Well this is still ongoing.

In the last month I've had 4 letters........

2 are from the training company telling me that there is no truth in any of the allegations and responding to each point in turn and I suspected suggesting that it is the work of two disgruntled ex employees.

I have had acknowledgment from Microsoft and Trading Standards to say they have registered my issues and will let me know when they hear any more. I have been in contact with trading standards via phone too to discuss a few things.

And that's about it! TS haven't ruled out the possibility that this is true.....YET so we shall wait and see.

This thread is now in "Training & Apprenticeships" forum

It is purely an administrative move.