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Also on a more serious note, the only company you really want your training switched to is Computeach, they now stand alone as Barclays did exactly the same to them last year, but as they had been around for a much longer time where able to weather the storm.

If Barclays changed your training provider please also check the following and if they are not registered with these companies they are not the equivelant:

Microsoft Gold Partner

CompTIA Learning Alliance Partner

Institute of IT Training Gold Standard Accredited Training Provider

Authorised Pearson View Test Centre

REC Member

Advent were at this level, therefore your new training provider should have to be too otherwise you should be able to say its not the same as the contract and you want your money back!

Dont forget these things to:

You had a no fail guarantee on your exams.

A careers team to assist you into work.

Free Phone Line.

Min 2 x training days per module.

All course work was from that govening body, for instance Microsoft. It was not skills train dare I say that provided people with Course work 2 years out of date and we ahd just introduced Microsoft Server 2008 and Windows 7 to the Certified Professional Programme.

Your new training provider must offer you these things!

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BBC News article stated that the MD of Advent was Ivor Allchurch. Suspicous as Companies House lists it as John Whitehead.

 

My Finance Agreement was with Anglo Capital Limited whose address is the same as Advent Computer Training / Advent Consulting.

 

According to Companies House, Anglo Capital changed its name to Access 2 Careers Limitedon 7th December 2009 at the same time that Advent CT limited changed its name to Advent Consulting.

 

This is all very suspicious and I hope there is some powerful action; legal or otherwise against Advent.

 

Also I know that last September Advent were pestering me to pay the lump sum (£3000) and to take out a credit card in order that they could have more money / liquidity. Which suggests to me that they knew the situation was not good as far back as September 2009.

 

I have correspondence evidencing that fact.

 

Consumer Direct informed me that:

 

1. If you cancel the direct debits from Anglo Capital / whoever is financing the course then YOU are in breach of contract.

 

2. In order to stop the payments you need to send Anglo Capital a letter stating that Advent have failed to provide the service they were contracted to. I'm sure Anglo Capital know this.

 

Anglo Capital should then stop all payments and/or provide you with a different training provider.

 

3. If Anglo Capital do not respond within 14 days then Consumer Direct should be contacted again.

 

4. In the letter you should state that Payments made from this date (date of letter) are made in protest.

 

So that any payments taken since that date can be reclaimed.

 

According to this:

 

WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information

 

John Whitehead - whoever that is was appointed Director of Advent (Consulting) Limited in 2009.

 

Full details of the company:

 

WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information

 

A Whois Lookup from the Access2Trade website:

 

Access2tradecareers.co.uk - Access 2 Trade Careers - Plumber and electrician training with access2 trade careers

 

For a company with no funds (as Lindsey claims) they seem to be very active and have no problem setting up multiple companies.

 

WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information

 

I think that one may be related also. I am form Greater Manchester and would be VERY interested in some sort of joint legal action.

 

Info on Anglo Capital Ltd / Access 2 Careers:

 

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/0c171ac58a2669f30b015b536f4cf27c/compdetails

 

I don't think these are the actions of an honest company, individual or persons.

Edited by pvincent
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I am so glad that everyone is getting it touch and posting on this forum! I have seen the news on BBC Midlands Today and on the BBC website. I woke up this morning after reading the email last night and it still hasn’t sunken in! It feels like a really bad dream and like others I feel so sick! I signed a contract with Advent and Clydesdale Bank. I don’t know where I stand and surely now that Barclays have taken over there is a clause in my contract somewhere. I’m still paying off the £9800 I took out on loan with Clydesdale.I have only paid £2000 back so far and don't want to continue paying with nothing to show for it!

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Hello everyone david knight here i blew the wistle to the radio station this morning , they are booody gits ,

 

There is a face book group -

 

advent traing scammed us , we want our money back .

 

please " join it "..

 

i spoke to barlcays they said i was the first customer to complain about advent today , yeah right. if they manage to find another provider we all need to say No, this seems like a good [problem] that advent ran i dont want to sign up to another [problem] and be shafted for £4500.

 

When i was interviewed by the radio station the cant belive that we was just emailed by advent,

 

please your put locations lets see how far advent spred over the uk

 

lets turn this around people

 

David knight - location - Maidstone, Kent

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What should I do if I already paid the full course fee? Paid with Barclays Partner Finance by the way.

Also, I was about ready to get through the COMPTIA A+ part of the MCSA course.

Edited by davewave
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BBC News article stated that the MD of Advent was Ivor Allchurch. Suspicous as Companies House lists it as John Whitehead.

 

My Finance Agreement was with Anglo Capital Limited whose address is the same as Advent Computer Training / Advent Consulting.

 

According to Companies House, Anglo Capital changed its name to Access 2 Careers Limitedon 7th December 2009 at the same time that Advent CT limited changed its name to Advent Consulting.

 

This is all very suspicious and I hope there is some powerful action; legal or otherwise against Advent.

 

Also I know that last September Advent were pestering me to pay the lump sum (£3000) and to take out a credit card in order that they could have more money / liquidity. Which suggests to me that they knew the situation was not good as far back as September 2009.

 

I have correspondence evidencing that fact.

 

Consumer Direct informed me that:

 

1. If you cancel the direct debits from Anglo Capital / whoever is financing the course then YOU are in breach of contract.

 

2. In order to stop the payments you need to send Anglo Capital a letter stating that Advent have failed to provide the service they were contracted to. I'm sure Anglo Capital know this.

 

Anglo Capital should then stop all payments and/or provide you with a different training provider.

 

3. If Anglo Capital do not respond within 14 days then Consumer Direct should be contacted again.

 

4. In the letter you should state that Payments made from this date (date of letter) are made in protest.

 

So that any payments taken since that date can be reclaimed.

 

According to this:

 

WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information

 

John Whitehead - whoever that is was appointed Director of Advent (Consulting) Limited in 2009.

 

Full details of the company:

 

WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information

 

A Whois Lookup from the Access2Trade website:

 

Access2tradecareers.co.uk - Access 2 Trade Careers - Plumber and electrician training with access2 trade careers

 

For a company with no funds (as Lindsey claims) they seem to be very active and have no problem setting up multiple companies.

 

WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information

 

I think that one may be related also. I am form Greater Manchester and would be VERY interested in some sort of joint legal action.

 

Info on Anglo Capital Ltd / Access 2 Careers:

 

WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information

 

I don't think these are the actions of an honest company, individual or persons.

 

This is not a claim! It is exactly what we have been told. I also have no idea who John Whitehead is, which is very concerning as I have worked for the company for the last 16 months!

 

My employer is Advent Consulting Ltd and the two directors names I have on my letter only match one mentioned.

 

Just to make this clear, I have worked from the 1st January 2010 including 15 hours unpaid overtime and been laid off with the agreed guarnteed pay for 5 days of £21.50. I have a mortgage and am now out of a very good job and will probably have no wages until the practioner see fit to pay them to any of the staff and I now have to go and work filling lucky bags on minimum wage to pay my mortgage, so believe you me I have no vested interest in making claims I do not believe are true!

 

I have quoted the letters I have recieved over the last two weeks and also the information we were told on the 18th January 2010 when all of the training advisors were laid off!

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Also on a more serious note, the only company you really want your training switched to is Computeach, they now stand alone as Barclays did exactly the same to them last year, but as they had been around for a much longer time where able to weather the storm.

If Barclays changed your training provider please also check the following and if they are not registered with these companies they are not the equivelant:

Microsoft Gold Partner

CompTIA Learning Alliance Partner

Institute of IT Training Gold Standard Accredited Training Provider

Authorised Pearson View Test Centre

REC Member

Advent were at this level, therefore your new training provider should have to be too otherwise you should be able to say its not the same as the contract and you want your money back!

Dont forget these things to:

You had a no fail guarantee on your exams.

A careers team to assist you into work.

Free Phone Line.

Min 2 x training days per module.

All course work was from that govening body, for instance Microsoft. It was not skills train dare I say that provided people with Course work 2 years out of date and we ahd just introduced Microsoft Server 2008 and Windows 7 to the Certified Professional Programme.

Your new training provider must offer you these things!

 

Lindsey, somebody who has access to the database of advent training has it on file his name is "Andrew Richard Allchurch" and he has 6 Businesses.

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I'm from Leicester and after joining this forum late last night and watching and reading the news on the BBC I needed to add my name to the list of others affected by all of this.

If anyone is in the Midlands area please, please contact the BBC Midlands News Room on 0121 567 6104 and they will take your name and number. They want to hear from you!

 

Russell

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If 6500 people are training with Advent and if they all paid at least £5,000 over 5 years (which alot of you seem to have done credit agreements), with interest the total comes to £53million. Part of which would have been paid and if half the amount has been paid then Barclays and Advent have to account for the balance 26million.

 

We now understand that another sister company has stopped trading called access which would increase these amounts.

 

Bottom line, Barclays want to find us another training programme....surely this is a conflict of interest! We need an immediate reply on how this money is to be accounted for!!!

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Lindsey, somebody who has access to the database of advent training has it on file his name is "Andrew Richard Allchurch" and he has 6 Businesses.

 

The names on my letter as directors of Advent Consulting Ltd are Ashley Jones and Ivor Allchurch.

 

We were also notified last year that Ashley would be the director and Ivor would be the chairman.

 

If what you guys are saying is true, then who has truly been screwed over, all of their staff that have not got the first idea clearly at what has been happening.

 

I came on the Advent forum to try and offer some help to those who need it as much as I do right now and I have no job and no training to fall back on!

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The names on my letter as directors of Advent Consulting Ltd are Ashley Jones and Ivor Allchurch.

 

We were also notified last year that Ashley would be the director and Ivor would be the chairman.

 

If what you guys are saying is true, then who has truly been screwed over, all of their staff that have not got the first idea clearly at what has been happening.

 

I came on the Advent forum to try and offer some help to those who need it as much as I do right now and I have no job and no training to fall back on!

We are all in a bad situation here Lindsay, None of us are having the best of luck finding out what to do, where to go, where we stand etc.

 

We are currently not sure whether out £5,000 is going to get us anywhere, Some even have their own mortgage and kids and have no work relying on this course to get them work.

 

You and your colleagues have lost jobs and need a income to replace it.

 

We just need to stick together and fight this, Barclays will probably find another company to continure to train us, But i dont want that. I want my money back in full so i can move on with my life and train in the same career by myself.

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If Barclays had our interest at heart ...then WE would be allowed to choose IF we want another training programme to replace advent. OR we should be entitled to stop future payments and be refunded. But I'm sure we all know this is all so predictable how it will turn out. Will not give up without a fight though!

 

Please see my previous posts for what we should all do. This matter should not be put to rest!!!

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I totally agree Luke! We've all got to stick together and let everyone know about this! The BBC Midlands news article estimates 6000 students but we know the number is going to continue growing by tomorrow morning.

 

I wonder if we'll receive anything in writing. My standing order goes out on the 8th Feb so I don't know whether to just stop it. What do you think folks?

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ok i have a point people u cant get a full refund, cos in a way u have had some training and have taken some exams so u have something out of it, i have been doin it for a yeah and taken exams so im happy to carry on and finish and i would of already spent some money of my loan

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ok i have a point people u cant get a full refund, cos in a way u have had some training and have taken some exams so u have something out of it, i have been doin it for a yeah and taken exams so im happy to carry on and finish and i would of already spent some money of my loan

I wouldnt just expect a refund if i didnt want to do it anymore, But the company have gone bust mate.

 

I dont want to carry on knowing that the next company barclays choose can have the same happen to them what we have had with Advent.

 

I would rather not take that risk and attempt to educate myself instead.

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Hi I live in manchester

 

I recieved that same dodgy email. I paid £1000 straight up to the rep, which was a years and a half worth of saving for me. Then the rest of it was taken on a Barclays Loan. I don't even know where my wife has stashed the paperwork for the contract with them. I am freaking as I only have a crappy low income job that pays 700-800 pounds per month. I was struggling heavily with finances previously.

 

I wish I knew what was happening. I just want my money back to goto Manchester College now and finish the same A+ coarse in a class based enviroment once per week. I can't afford not to finish my studies. I have also got a big chance of getting a IT Field technician job provided within the company I already work for.

 

Everything I had was riding on this, I did not care if I could not finish the entire thing as long as I gave 100% but all those hours where for naught! I hope Barclays contacts me soon so I can get something from them, and also this so called insolvency guy they emailed me with to get my £1000 or at least something so I can get my qualification. I'm so close to the job and yet so far.

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i was only up there on a course last thursday and friday and i sat my A+ technician exam and everyone seemed fine, how comes no one said anything when i was there???

 

As I have said, Advent have acted very shadily. I will be contacting Watchdog and however many other organisations I can tomorrow.

 

Also I forgot to mention that Consumer Direct told me that since I have begun the course - despite not having finished it or received the "complete" service as outlined in the agreement(s) I am not entitled to a refund.

 

But hopefully she was wrong. She said there may be grounds to sue but it depends on the terms and conditions etc.

 

In a letter I have from 2006 the typed signature says:

 

Ashley Jones

Training Director

 

But is signed (in writing) J Whitehead.

 

If I have time tomorrow I will take all the documents and info I have to a solicitor and ask for advice. And will report back here.

 

Looking at my Student Finance Plan Agreement it states the following:

 

Name of Supplier

 

Advent Consulting Ltd

 

...

 

The agreement also gives you a number of rights

 

(2) If you have obtained unsatisfactory goods or services under this agreement then you MAY have the right to sue us.

 

Terms:

 

8.1 You and us both acknowledge that the Student Finance Plan is to be used as payment of your fees FOR the course MICROSOFT CERTIFIED SYSTEMS ENGINEER offered by Advent Consulting Limited.

 

Note: MCSE actually involves a number of separate courses and I am not MCSE certified so as I see if the goods/services are unsatisfactory and have not been delivered.

 

So as far as I can see my finance agreement is with Advent Consulting and payment is taken by Anglo Capital Limited.

 

I will recheck the documents though because I think I did see an Anglo Capital agreement of some sort.

 

We should all post as much info as possible and JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP

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I have joined and just looked at it with my dad and I do agree with you, I dont even know who these people are!

 

I am very, very concerned!

 

Thank you, please look at the Photos in the group and see there financial side, we had their address yet the guy who sent this urged me due to curcumstance to remove it as in a way it's exposing there private life to the public.

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