Advent Computer Training (Barclays Partner Finance)Info and discussion thread

[cryss80]

Please Call the Sun At 0207 7824100 And Tell Your Story About Advent [problem].

Thank You

[wasabi project]

Hi all,

 

2 weeks before this all kicked off I decided that I no longer wanted to continue my course, so rang Advent 5 times and was told i would be rang back so i could cancel my course. I never recieved a call back. My payment would be due on 1st may thsi year. Can anyone advise me as to any action that i should take. Would be greatly appreciated.

[Jeanne5273]

Hi all,

 

2 weeks before this all kicked off I decided that I no longer wanted to continue my course, so rang Advent 5 times and was told i would be rang back so i could cancel my course. I never recieved a call back. My payment would be due on 1st may thsi year. Can anyone advise me as to any action that i should take. Would be greatly appreciated.

 

It's funny you should say that. Here is my story for what it's worth...

 

I took out the training agreement with Advent in Sep 2008 and signed up with BPF with the payments due to start in Sep 2009. In Dec 2008 my health started to deteriorate to such a point that by March of 2009 I was admitted to hospital for two life-saving operations that I had no way of foreseeing. I've not been able to think about anything other than trying to get back to living a normal life since I was discharged. I suddenly realised that BPF were due to start taking payments for something I had never even started in Sep of last year and I immediately contacted Advent to try and cancel the course and stop the loan.

 

I was advised to send in written proof from my GP to substantiate my claim - which I duly did. Advent came back to me and said that they would cancel the course but only at a cost and that my loan agreement wouldn't be affected this was despite me never having received one single thing in return for my money. I've been trying to get this damn thing cancelled ever since - I sent numerous letters and then suddenly I was sent the inevitable e-mail in Dec to say they had gone bust. I have had £1,281 taken out of my bank account since Sep last year for nothing.

 

I wrote to BPF by e-mail on 1.2.10 enclosing all written proof from my doctor and also that I have been trying to cancel the course for months to no avail. I received a letter from Barclays in response to my e-mail stating that they have forwarded my 'complaint' to a dedicated handler who will contact me within the next 15 working days but that I should continue to make the payments in the meantime. Strangely, they decided not to take out my last payment but I put this down to me phoning them and asking for a freeze on my account.

 

Not only has all this had a detrimental effect on my health which was improving, Advent were specifically advised by my doctor that it could make me relapse and they continued to persist with this ridiculous claim for which I have taken absolutely nothing in return. I am anxiously awaiting the decision from BPF - I have advised them that I do not require another training provider as there is no way I can complete the course and that I would like a full refund of the above amount. I really don't hold out much hope but there you go. :(

[cashins]

Would you mind posting the letter you are going to send it would be helpful for the wording to keep me right that would be good

 

Here you go Bluedo.

Account Number:

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your letter of the *********** confirming you are attempting to find an alternative provider suitable to my needs.

This matter is clearly urgent, yet nearly three weeks have now passed with no progress evident. Therefore, I now require that within 28 days, you either find a suitable provider, or if not possible, that you cancel the agreement and refund payments.

Please note, after that period legal action may be taken with no further warning.

Yours faithfully

 

It looks a bit brief as I have taken out the parts that refer to the case I am looking at. Obviously you can adapt it for your own circumstance.

 

David

[Bluedo]

 

Here you go Bluedo.

 

It looks a bit brief as I have taken out the parts that refer to the case I am looking at. Obviously you can adapt it for your own circumstance.

 

David

 

 

Thanks Cashins

Maybe it'll give them a push to get a move on and start refunding everyone I hope. Be good if thousands of us bombarded them with letters to reply to

[Beedles6]

Glad you found my letter helpful davethegrump nice to know i can help.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Beedles6

[Bluedo]

Hi all,

 

2 weeks before this all kicked off I decided that I no longer wanted to continue my course, so rang Advent 5 times and was told i would be rang back so i could cancel my course. I never recieved a call back. My payment would be due on 1st may thsi year. Can anyone advise me as to any action that i should take. Would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hi who is your finance agreement with?

[Beedles6]

Hi all i called Bpf today just to get some update on whats happing and the lady said they are still trying to find a alternative training provider and have not had any success i asked her if there was any time scale or deadline and she said that there was no deadline and couldn't give me any more info thats it so 3 weeks on and still no progress how long can they keep doing this before they have to give us a refund.

[wasabi project]

hi bluedo,

 

my agreement is with BPF (Clydesdale)

[Bluedo]

hi bluedo,

 

my agreement is with BPF (Clydesdale)

 

Your in the same boat as most of us here then. Just copy 1 of the letters that have been posted a couple pages back telling BPF to freeze your account till this gets sorted out and then that new letter by cashins giving them 28days to refund us or supply a training provider that (don't know about you ) but I don't want their training provider I object to being forced to be involved with something I've not chosen myself. keep posting how you get on

[Bluedo]

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Than you for you letter of the ***********concerning the above.

 

From this I note, you recognise your responsibilities under Sec 75, Consumer Credit Act 1974, in that you are trying to source an alternative training provider. It is very obvious however, that this may well be a protracted process due to the sheer number of customers and accounts involved.

 

You say in the meantime that my account will continue as normal. This situation is clearly NOT normal. In effect you are saying: that I should continue to pay for a service which is not being provided and which might, (or might not), be provided at some indeterminate point in the future.

 

Therefore I insist that:

 

You ‘freeze’ this account, (including interest) until such time as you can in fact source an alternative provider, that is capable in all respects of fulfilling the contract that has been breached.

 

You confirm in writing that you have taken the above action and that it will not result in adverse data being entered on my credit file.

 

Please give this matter your urgent attention.

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

 

(This is Cashins letter I used)

[cryss80]

Hello everyone,

I am a foreigner but I am in the same boat like everyone else here. I have red all your comments and I am simply terrified ....

My opinion is to GET TOGETHER, make a LIST/PETITION with all the names and signature, contact the best Law Firm in the UK to represent us and SUE both, BARCLAYS and ADVENT just like is says in the contract. I am pretty sure we are gonna win!!!!

THE MORE WE ARE THE GREATER CHANCES TO WIN!!!!!!

What we need at the moment is a LEADER, someone born here in the UK who lives in LONDON to make the list and to arrange a meeting with the LAW COMPANY and discuss the issue. (I would have done it myself if I had been in my home country).

 

Secondly, please send your story to THE SUN newspaper / SKY news channel, by writing an email to

[email protected] / [email protected] , they can help us as well by informing the other students/people where to go and what to do to get their money back.

 

Only together we can win!!!!!!!!!

Thank you

[Bravo3zero]

Hi,

I have just heard in breaking news at 8 AM today that Barclays have made pre-tax profit of 11.6 billion (profit rose by 92%) and Bank empolyees are sharing 2.7 billion bonuses amongst them. Thats the way it is.. there we go !!!

[DINKY_2010]

BPF have told me over the phone that they have frozen my account, then on numerous different letters they contradict themselves!

 

Yesterday I had someone from collections call me regarding the payment not being received and was rather rude to me.

 

BPF are just going to keep passing us round from department to department. They are known for sending generic letters out to us, and will just FOB us off!!!

 

We all need to keep bringing this to the medias light. That is our only hope for Barclays to do the right thing. They won't want to look bad in the public as most people already hate the banks! Keep spreading your stories and telling the media, or we have no chance getting anywhere. They will drag their feet on this!

[DINKY_2010]

Hello everyone,

I am a foreigner but I am in the same boat like everyone else here. I have red all your comments and I am simply terrified ....

My opinion is to GET TOGETHER, make a LIST/PETITION with all the names and signature, contact the best Law Firm in the UK to represent us and SUE both, BARCLAYS and ADVENT just like is says in the contract. I am pretty sure we are gonna win!!!!

THE MORE WE ARE THE GREATER CHANCES TO WIN!!!!!!

What we need at the moment is a LEADER, someone born here in the UK who lives in LONDON to make the list and to arrange a meeting with the LAW COMPANY and discuss the issue. (I would have done it myself if I had been in my home country).

 

Secondly, please send your story to THE SUN newspaper / SKY news channel, by writing an email to

[email protected] / [email protected] , they can help us as well by informing the other students/people where to go and what to do to get their money back.

 

Only together we can win!!!!!!!!!

Thank you

 

 

I agree we all need to get together on this!!! Make sure we don't back down!!! Keep hassling and complaining!!!

[DINKY_2010]

BPF will pass us between all their departments of customer relations/complaints department and collections department and all we will do is get frustrated because we will not be getting anywhere. Because even if the direct debit is on hold they will still threaten to collect the money. So I have reported the matter to the financial ombudsman and enclosed copies correspondace. I hope you all do the same, to put pressure on barclays partner finance. We need people like the ombudsman to want to take this matter further. Watchdog and newspapers should still be told!

 

We have to show there are thousands of us in similar situation. If people sit back and expect others to just cause a stir nothing will be achieved. We all need to keep putting the pressure on and if Barclays want to be known for bullying us students into forcing payments lets not just put up with it!!!

[banker_rhymes_with]

Hello Folks!

 

Barclays, like all banks these days, will not take any of you seriously until you start to get close enough to them to start causing a real problem.

 

Therefore, it's vital that you must all keep things in writing when dealing with them, and all should move steadily towards the nerve at Barclays that will make them sit up and do something.

 

By now they will be well aware they have a short term irritation issue on their hands. By now they will also have alerted and briefed the all embracing dead end of their Customer Services Department, on how to absorb as much of the fuss but without actually doing anything about it.

 

So, forget that, and concentrate on hard hitting letters that you send straight to their HQ.

 

Give them deadlines, and stick to your deadlines.

 

Plan Court action, and proceed with that once you are happy that you have established the legal issues and have a valid point on which to proceed, such as s75 of The Consumer Credit Act 1974, if applicable to your own case.

 

FOS are pro-bank, and are a toothless wonder that is seldom of any use unless the issues are simple enough that they cannot find a way to support the banks.

 

The one thing that will push Barclays to get their act together, is a barrage of well crafted correspondence, landing firmly on their Corporate door step...preferably daily, and by the sack load.

 

If the majority of letters are clearly intent on seeking redress via the Courts, then Barclays will elevate the issue from a mere irritation, to one they have to take very seriously.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers,

BRW

[malchus25]

Hello! As many of you here, I'm in the same situation regarding Advent and of course the much debated Barclays. I am a bit confused, anyway and that's why I require your help which will be much appreciated. I also signed up with Advent in September 2009, and got a loan from Barclays trough BPF of course, so I have this year free of payment. The thing is I haven't paid anything yet to Barclays and still they paid for me Advent (i/m talking about £6000). Now, many of you having got this loan, have started paying barclays and happening what's happened with advent you require from Barclays the exact sum you have paid, not the entire sum barclays paid Advent for you. this being the case, my situation would be clear: having not paid anything I should be able to cancel the agreement, and forget about the all thing as I'm sick and tired of it, is that right?

[cashins]

my situation would be clear: having not paid anything I should be able to cancel the agreement, and forget about the all thing as I'm sick and tired of it, is that right?

 

No, you have still signed a legal agreement with BPF and I would be suprised if they just let you walk away.

 

I however, BPF cannot deliver under S75, then cancellation would be your goal.

 

David

[malchus25]

No, you have still signed a legal agreement with BPF and I would be suprised if they just let you walk away.

 

I however, BPF cannot deliver under S75, then cancellation would be your goal.

 

David

Thank you very much for your answer. Considering the S75 I think you should be more surprised that in this case what seems to be legal is not just, you know it, i know it. There's only one hard fact: thousands of people are about to lose hard earned money, only because they wanted a better future. The rest, it's just talking. A just thing is decided form the citizen's standpoint, Barclays and Advent should only come in the service of the citizens, to make their life better and yet Barclays is messing with us, deciding for us as we were all puppets, just because it has the power of legality and not the justice. I may be wrong, but let's not forget, there's only one hard thing.

[cashins]

Considering the S75 I think you should be more surprised that in this case what seems to be legal is not just, you know it, i know it.

 

Unfortunately, justice and the law are seldom in accord.

 

David

[Chickyboy]

I have also just been sent this email danton, I will try to contact them tommorrow or just wait for them to contact me.

 

Does anyone know if i have lost my £5k, I only got through half of the 1st book (A+ Essentials) as i have been in and out of work since November 2008 when i started the course.

 

 

Hi There,

If you paid on your Credit Card you can get every penny back but if you have paid by any other method it's probable that you won't be able to get anything.

[wasabi project]

Your in the same boat as most of us here then. Just copy 1 of the letters that have been posted a couple pages back telling BPF to freeze your account till this gets sorted out and then that new letter by cashins giving them 28days to refund us or supply a training provider that (don't know about you ) but I don't want their training provider I object to being forced to be involved with something I've not chosen myself. keep posting how you get on

 

Thanks bluedo, much appreciated

 

just a couple of things, do i need to send both letters together or separately, and what do i put where you have put the stars

[SajstarHero]

I am going to see what they can offer, and if their new IT provider does not offer me a guaranteed job they can forget it. Thats what I was promised, though I know Advent probably had no intention of doing so, it was still what I was told when signing, therefore Barclay's has to find me a similar set of terms. . . . . I am more or less gauranteed a job within my company as it is on the provisions I get my damn qualifications or at least a Comptia A+, therefore I just switch departments. Though it seems messed up as to when I am going to go for it as theres no mentor now to answer my questions :S

[cashins]

Thanks bluedo, much appreciated

 

just a couple of things, do i need to send both letters together or separately, and what do i put where you have put the stars

 

Finally got hold of a copy of the advent contract which allows 30 days to rectify an Event of Default (breach of contract).

 

Working on a letter, in effect a Default Notice, which specifies the breach

and gives 30 days to rectify it.

 

Thinking it will need to go to both Advent (waste of time I know but..) and BPF.

 

After that period they run out of time.

 

Letter will be up some time tomorrow.

 

David