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

[Mustard2243]

This whole thing is Barclays Fault failing the Group Action and The FO my plan B is to go Bankrupt they will never get anything from me.

[gfunkasaur]

Well..... point out to BPF that a two year contract will only amount to £2,400.00 with CT, and £4,900.00 as with Advent - Not like for like.

And ask for a refund on the balance.

This is where BPF are not being consistent,and are just busking it.

They are chancers hoping if they bully enough you will all cave in.

Open another dispute over the balance...

Bully them for the balance, or they cancel your agreement, and i am being serious...I hope you point out these little things to FOS...They all add up.

 

 

My contract said the same 2 yrs so as you say, £1200 x2 does not equal the £5950. I'm a musician and therefore struggle to count past 16 but I definitely know my 12 times table and even I can work that out!! Is it because of this kind of mathematics that the government(us!) had to bail out all the banks and how Barclays and Co managed to pay out so many mahoosive bonuses?!!

[lowdown]

I'm a musician and therefore struggle to count past 16

 

That only applies when everything is in 4/4..

Try 5/4 and you will make it up to 20...

Sorry...

[gfunkasaur]

@Lowdown. You must be a jazz musician!! :D I think BPF must be changin time signatures every bar and if they think I'm gonna play along with sort of crazy counting they can away and immerse themselves in wildebeest excretions!!!!

[lowdown]

@Lowdown. You must be a jazz musician!! :D I think BPF must be changin time signatures every bar and if they think I'm gonna play along with sort of crazy counting they can away and immerse themselves in wildebeest excretions!!!!

 

BPF are very much busking it...

And with no coda insight! [for them anyway]

[gfunkasaur]

9 calls from barclays since friday morning and every one of them has left a silent answerphone message, this is after I spoke to the "dedicated complaint handler"!! FOS will be getting a call on monday or should it be someone else that I contact? They haven't actually acknowledged that my account is in dispute only that i have registered a complaint(see cHankins letter pg172, mine was the same). Any ideas?

 

G

[The_Viper87]

Hey Everybody

I have been following this forum since it was first started but this is my first post and i wanted to thank everybody for coming on here and helping each other out, you have all been a big help to me with your advice. Has anybody had a text from Barclays? I got one on Friday saying your first payment is due 27th May and please pay it and all that crap. I would never of thought they would text, i thought they would of called me. Seems strange to me.

Anyway i found this mesage from a guy called leaves007, he wrote it back in January

 

Hi

 

I was mis sold a Computeach course in Jan '09 financed by Barclays Partner

Finance. Promises of top tutors & online experts that could get me trained

up & back in work in reality turned out to be two badly written books &

online support that was down most of the time. Computeach have said they

wont refund the £2700!!! paid by Barclays....can somebody help. I notice now

that there are a lot of people who have been ripped off by these [problematic]!

I haven't paid anything yet but they wont payment before the 24th Jan or it

will go up to £5.583 on there 28.9% loan. Help!!!!!!!

 

 

Now i didn't know Barclays were already doing financial stuff for Computeach, i thought they had just started. So it seems to me when they took all the months to find a provider, they weren't looking, they had computeach already in mind. What does everybody else think?

[lowdown]

Hey Everybody

 

I have been following this forum since it was first started but this is my first post and i wanted to thank everybody for coming on here and helping each other out, you have all been a big help to me with your advice. Has anybody had a text from Barclays? I got one on Friday saying your first payment is due 27th May and please pay it and all that crap. I would never of thought they would text, i thought they would of called me. Seems strange to me.

 

Anyway i found this mesage from a guy called leaves007, he wrote it back in January

 

Hi

 

I was mis sold a Computeach course in Jan '09 financed by Barclays Partner

Finance. Promises of top tutors & online experts that could get me trained

up & back in work in reality turned out to be two badly written books &

online support that was down most of the time. Computeach have said they

wont refund the £2700!!! paid by Barclays....can somebody help. I notice now

that there are a lot of people who have been ripped off by these [problem]mers!

I haven't paid anything yet but they wont payment before the 24th Jan or it

will go up to £5.583 on there 28.9% loan. Help!!!!!!!

 

 

Now i didn't know Barclays were already doing financial stuff for Computeach, i thought they had just started. So it seems to me when they took all the months to find a provider, they weren't looking, they had computeach already in mind. What does everybody else think?

 

Hi,

Have you signed up with the legal team - organised by Fuzzbutt?

If not, it might be worth doing so as the legal team might want to look at that.You will be part of the class action against Barclays [ and it wont cost you anything]

Edited December 31, 2010 by the_shadow
Removal of instruction to PM

[The_Viper87]

Hi,

Have you signed up with the legal team - organised by Fuzzbutt?

If not, it might be worth doing so as the legal team might want to look at that.You will be part of the class action against Barclays [ and it wont cost you anything]

PM Fuzzbutt and join in.[ if you look back over the past few pages you will see Fuzzbutt posts - so PM]

 

 

Hi Mate

 

Yeah i know about all the stuff Fuzzbutt is doing. I have posted my letters off today, so im with all you guys. Thanks anyway for letting me know, much appreciated

[Fuzzbutt]

9 calls from barclays since friday morning and every one of them has left a silent answerphone message, this is after I spoke to the "dedicated complaint handler"!! FOS will be getting a call on monday or should it be someone else that I contact? They haven't actually acknowledged that my account is in dispute only that i have registered a complaint(see cHankins letter pg172, mine was the same). Any ideas?

 

G

 

Hi Gfunkasaur

 

you could contact the Office of Fair Trading too but definately raise it with the FOS as part of your complaint, as they are breaking both the OFT guidelines and the rules laid down by the Lending Standards Board (which they are a member of so should be adhering too!) I'd keep a diary of all the calls (time/date etc) if you aren't already.

 

But breaking rules everyone else adheres to shouldn't be a surprise when we consider this is the bank that ignored a legal ruling on boycotting during South Africas aparteid years to continue supporting the regime and allowed:rolleyes: criminals to continue banking with them!

[Fuzzbutt]

Hi,

Have you signed up with the legal team - organised by Fuzzbutt?

If not, it might be worth doing so as the legal team might want to look at that.You will be part of the class action against Barclays [ and it wont cost you anything]

PM Fuzzbutt and join in.[ if you look back over the past few pages you will see Fuzzbutt posts - so PM]

 

Good point, guys.

 

I'll raise it with the legal team.

Many of us have long had suspicions over Barclays role in all this. And just where has the diference in the fees between the CT courses and what we paid Advent gone? I raised this with Paul Noble a while back (BPF's Managing Director) and his bland reply was the standard Wilma-of-Customer Service response, no attempt to even address the issue.

[10pack]

Hey Everybody

 

I have been following this forum since it was first started but this is my first post and i wanted to thank everybody for coming on here and helping each other out, you have all been a big help to me with your advice. Has anybody had a text from Barclays? I got one on Friday saying your first payment is due 27th May and please pay it and all that crap. I would never of thought they would text, i thought they would of called me. Seems strange to me.

 

Anyway i found this mesage from a guy called leaves007, he wrote it back in January

 

Hi

 

I was mis sold a Computeach course in Jan '09 financed by Barclays Partner

Finance. Promises of top tutors & online experts that could get me trained

up & back in work in reality turned out to be two badly written books &

online support that was down most of the time. Computeach have said they

wont refund the £2700!!! paid by Barclays....can somebody help. I notice now

that there are a lot of people who have been ripped off by these [problematic]!

I haven't paid anything yet but they wont payment before the 24th Jan or it

will go up to £5.583 on there 28.9% loan. Help!!!!!!!

 

 

Now i didn't know Barclays were already doing financial stuff for Computeach, i thought they had just started. So it seems to me when they took all the months to find a provider, they weren't looking, they had computeach already in mind. What does everybody else think?

 

Yes I think the same.. I cant help wondering if we was stitched up and this is just a means by which these companies are just screwing us for money.

 

the training companies get us to join, the bank gets us signed to a finance agreement, and then we find we cant get past our first exams and it drags on for months/years.. hardly any course materials need to be supplied and the cash just keeps on rolling in because we had an agreement to pay the loans..

 

everyone is a winner except us students

[pigwig]

Did anyone have any luck contacting their salesman for help?

Mine seems to have just been playing along on the phone and not keeping to his word! (not like a salesman at all!)

[Turfs75]

Hi all,

Sent a letter using one of the templates and got a reply from Barclays stating the usual spill about there sorry i'm not happy with computeach and my compliants has been fwd to the complaints dept. I wonder if the complaints dept is a metal cylinder with a lid and a platic bag in it?

Gonna send a copy to the legal team and anymore info i can get my hands on that will help us.

It is incredible that the CT course is so much cheaper than Advent. I would of probably settled with CT if Barclays offered to refund the difference. Too late now, there cold inhuman way of doing buisness has riled me into demanding a complete refund.

[Fuzzbutt]

Hi all,

Sent a letter using one of the templates and got a reply from Barclays stating the usual spill about there sorry i'm not happy with computeach and my compliants has been fwd to the complaints dept. I wonder if the complaints dept is a metal cylinder with a lid and a platic bag in it?

Gonna send a copy to the legal team and anymore info i can get my hands on that will help us.

It is incredible that the CT course is so much cheaper than Advent. I would of probably settled with CT if Barclays offered to refund the difference. Too late now, there cold inhuman way of doing buisness has riled me into demanding a complete refund.

 

Bet you're right there, Turfs! And a reminder sticker on it saying 'give no straight answer'.

 

If anyone is interested, here's the letter I sent to MD Paul Noble back in April.....

 

"Re; Refund of my course fees from Barclays Partner Finance linked loan.

 

Dear Mr Noble

 

Following the collapse of Advent Computer Training, with which I was signed up to do a Master CIW Designer course, I have written several times to Barclays Partner Finance Customer Relations regarding a refund of my £4,950 course fees (paid for with a linked loan from Barclays PF).

 

This remains unresolved and I have only received mass-mail replies, the last of which was frankly insulting to my intelligence. I attach, for your information, the last response from your supposed ‘relations’ team and my last letter, dated 31 March, in response.

 

Computeach is NOT a suitable provider by any stretch of the imagination for all my listed reasons in the letter to Ms Thompson.

 

• They do not provide the course options I signed up for with Advent.

• They do not provide unlimited attempts at the exams with no extra charge.

• They do not allow extended ‘flexible & at your own pace’ study – if you don’t complete the course within 12 months you PAY more. This was not the deal with Advent which was one flat fee, regardless of how long it took to complete.

• Their exams are only taken in Dudley, not at any local exam centre as Advent promised, using a voucher system.

• There is no dedicated recruitment team, as Advent promised, sourcing work placements within a 10 mile radius of my home.

• They provide atrocious service and have been found wanting by Dudley Trading Standards, the Financial Ombudsman and their own students who are currently taking legal action against them!

 

I signed for a course with Advent and they no longer exist. I did not sign a contract with anyone else, nor does my loan agreement give Barclays permission to fob me off onto a course with any other provider against my better judgement.

 

There has been a clear Breach of Contract under S75 of the Consumer Credit Act, as I have been without any service provision since 27 January 2010. You are therefore obliged to refund me for a course which I have not, and am not, receiving.

 

As Computeach charge several thousands pounds less on average for their courses than Advent did, may I ask why Barclays expect all the ex students to now go along with a course that costs less to start with than the £4,950 average paid to Advent? Who is benefitting from this difference in fees and pocketing the money?

 

I am writing to you to alert you to this situation and hope you will now act on these complaints by myself and over 2,000 other ex-Advent students. We do NOT want to be palmed off onto Computeach in order for Barclays to be able to wash its hands of us and sanctimoniously say it has provided its customers with a training course that is claimed (laughably) to be ‘of equivalent if not better standard’ when it is clearly not!

 

As you will see, I asked Ms Thompson for a response within 14 days of my letter to her.

My complaint is lodged with the Financial Ombudsman and Bristol Trading Standards, who I understand are also writing to you regarding my complaint.

 

I hope this will be resolved before I am obliged to take further legal action."

Here's his reply to Bristol Trading Standards, who also wrote on my behalf.

 

Noble reply page 1.pdf

Noble reply page 2.pdf

 

All duly noted and copied to the Financial Ombudsman, thanks Mr Noble - you're lookin' good on paper, guy!

 

"Our aim is to resolve all complaints internally...."

Well, they're doing a good job there then!!!

Edited May 24, 2010 by Fuzzbutt

[Lankus]

Not long to go now until the petition end date - 3rd June. Lets see what this coalition government is made of.

[Penny Mitchell]

i paid for my course by a credit agreement hopfully it wont stand,

 

any one else ?

 

david knight maidstone , kent

Hi I am in the same position as you. I am looking for legal advice. I am asking Barclays Parner finance to cancel my loan as I don't want to be taught by Computeach. Has anyone had any information from them and do you think it will be possible to get the loan cancelled?

[Penny Mitchell]

I'm new to this thread but I have also had over 25 calls from Barclays Partner Finance and three letters saying I am in default. I dont want to pay anything as I don't want to be taught by Computeach. Should I continue not paying? My correspondence re. the dispute is with the financial ombudsman and I have told BPF that I want my money back. They have not answered me but just asked again and again for my monthly payments to be continued. I would like some legal advice?

Does anyone have any update?

[pigwig]

Not long to go now until the petition end date - 3rd June. Lets see what this coalition government is made of.

 

 

do you have the link to the petition please? last time i went on, it was on hold till after the election and i completely forgot about it till now!

 

Thanks

[THE ROADIE]

do you have the link to the petition please? last time i went on, it was on hold till after the election and i completely forgot about it till now!

 

Thanks

 

Here you go mate

[DjOneel]

Did anyone have any luck contacting their salesman for help?

Mine seems to have just been playing along on the phone and not keeping to his word! (not like a salesman at all!)

 

 

Sent an email over a week ago, nothing yet.

[Lankus]

do you have the link to the petition please? last time i went on, it was on hold till after the election and i completely forgot about it till now!

 

Thanks

 

Here you go: Petition to: Request money back for students of the collapsed IT Firm Advent Consulting Ltd. | Number10.gov.uk

[sburymozza]

I'm tryin to track down CT's website saying that we were led to believe the course was open-ended. I've seen it once but cannot find it again. I need it for FOS. Anyone saved the link?

 

 

its on the facebook page but it has been removed from the net i have search all over the place and carnt find it but the facebook has a copy of it in the photo section

[cHankin]

the day has finally come! someone from barclays phoned me today,askin me to pay them 2 hundred sumthing,and i said no,u aint gettin a penny,my account is in dispute..and she said,she will give me a extra 30 days..to sort this out,and i said i am seeing a solicitor,and she said,as soon as possible is better,so i did,and my solicitor gave me a folder,to fill with all my documents,letters ect,and he will look over it free of charge! but when she phoned me i told her straight,u aint gettin a penny from me,because i have'nt recieved nuthing.

[lowdown]

All duly noted and copied to the Financial Ombudsman, thanks Mr Noble - you're lookin' good on paper, guy!

 

"Our aim is to resolve all complaints internally...."

Well, they're doing a good job there then!!!

 

 

Well Noble by name, and not by nature then.

Edited December 31, 2010 by the_shadow
Removal of personal insult