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

[Fuzzbutt]

I've posted again on the 'Legal Action against CT' group on Facebook - no replies, which is disappointing.

I'd have thought their group admin at least would have contacted me. Nevermind.

[blade325]

Hi Fuzzbutt, cant wait to see the show tomorrow, thanks for all your hard work. I have a couple of letters showing just how pushy the sales-people from advent where. I received four letters from them saying that there very limited places on the CCNA course and that if I didnt join I would loose my place. I believe that I got one every month from june 2009.

[10pack]

My dvd recorder is set to record.. on BBC HD freesat channel

 

Good Luck Fuzzbutt hope all goes well.. for us all.

We will all owe you more than a drink after this

[Fuzzbutt]

Thanks guys - hope the show goes out and they don't reschedule again.

The prog researchers spoke to our lawyer and also Bristol Trading Standards. They also invited Barclays to have a say and apparently BPF were going to offer written evidence of their shiny new 'bespoke courses'. I pointed out that it was not the fact they'd found another provider, but WHO, and had taken nearly 3 months to do it!

I shall take pleasure in the thought that clown Radley and crew will be no doubt cringing come 7pm this evening, glued to their TV sets!

[Tricla]

Hello folks.

 

I have received a letter from Sanclare too.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for a letter to send to them to inform them that we will not be complying with them and that we have taken legal advice etc.

 

Any help is appreciated.

[Fuzzbutt]

'ONE SHOW' - now scheduled to run our slot on Weds 8th, our lawyer has told me.

[Tricla]

Ta Fuzz.

 

Just the same one we used for Mercers/Resolvecall then.

[Mustard2243]

Good Luck tonight Fuzz,

 

It's time for the audience of one of the most popular TV programs to know what Barclays are doing to us!!!

[lowdown]

It's time for the audience of one of the most popular TV programs to know what Barclays are doing to us!!!

 

And just as important - HOW BARCLAYS TREAT CUSTOMERS FULL STOP!

[lewis2]

my own bank cannot give me a loan or credit card as i have never previously had credit so there fore have no credit history as such to base any lending on.

Yet Barclay's can throw a £6500 loan to a company in my name!

I just don't get it..... surely this is bad lending procedures or something?

[Mustard2243]

'ONE SHOW' - now scheduled to run our slot on Weds 8th, our lawyer has told me.

 

Didn't see that hey good luck for again for wednesday though Fuzz, why the delay or is it just programming conflicts etc.

[Fuzzbutt]

I think it's just scheduling, Mustard. They were waiting for a response from Barclays (which I assume they've got as I heard nothing more). They interviewed Ingrid too.

[Fuzzbutt]

From Mirror article Feb 26 2010

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2010/02/advice-for-victims-of-collapse.html

 

(Bold emphasis mine.)

 

Quote:

"I've asked the Trading Standards Institute for some practical advice on how to claim. This is their statement:

A claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, for payments made by credit card or linked finance, is an equal liability claim i.e. whatever claim the consumer has against the trader they have the same claim against the Finance company.

This is particularly useful in cases where the trader goes out of business or will not respond to complaints.

Under Section 75 the consumer can either ask for a complete or partial refund, depending on the circumstances.

The finance company obligated under a linked finance agreement or credit card, can offer to complete the contract by, in this case, providing satisfactory training elsewhere.

This alternative training

should however be made available within a reasonable time and within reasonable distance of the consumer.

If the consumer is not satisfied that the alternative training offered is satisfactory they may be entitled to ask for their money back instead.

In a dispute ultimately only a judge can decide whether the alternative offered was "reasonable" and / or "satisfactory".

If the consumers were

missold the training then this could form part of their equal liability claim to the finance company.

Consumers affected should contact Consumer Direct for advice, which will where appropriate refer their case to the relevant trading standards service for investigation and to identify any misselling.

So it's not necessarily enough for Barclays to just provide alternative training. Some people have complained to us that they've already signed up with another course and just want their money back. If Barclays has taken too long to provide an alternative or offered a course too far from your home, this could form part of a claim.

Others, like victims of Fraser McKenzie, say they were promised a job and the course fees paid. This too could form part of a claim.

Similarly, the Property Professionals trainees who feel they were mis-sold the course and have no interest in finishing might have a section 75 claim."

 

Our strongest points are still the mis-selling by Advent and breach of contract S75 CCA, as Barclays are now claiming they are going to match the Advent courses in detail (so that undermines the 'like for like' issue to some extent, unfortunately.

 

The 'One Show' prog is still scheduled for tomorrow anyway.

[jbaggy]

Hi All,

I don't know if this has been mentioned before (sorry if it has), I have just typed in Computeach complaints in search engine and it came up with a thread from CAG (thread called "Computeach or won't they") and the first post that came up was this:-

 

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!!!!!!!

 

So BPF provided CT students with funding before Advent went bust!!

 

Is this a coincidence?????

 

[Fuzzbutt]

Nope, they know full well what CT is like but STILL insist they are 'as good if not better' than Advent!! CT reputation is well known, yet BPF still trot out their platitudes. In short, they think it means they can wash their hands of us and keep our money, while providing a sub-standard trainer and misleading FOS adjudicators that this is adequate and they've fulfilled the contracts we signed with Advent.

[jbaggy]

Obviously BPF were already involved with CT prior to Advent going bust, so have they accutally looked for another training provider for us or just gone with CT for ease?

Seems very sus to me.

[lowdown]

Barclays are now claiming they are going to match the Advent courses in detail (so that undermines the 'like for like' issue to some extent, unfortunately.

 

The thing with that is - Barclays are claiming they will match Advent.

Computeach will claim that to, but in reality they will not put this into concrete writing.[Computeach that is]

Computeach will have a business model to comply with, and that is not giving ex Advents students open ended training or job oppotunities, whatever BPF says. To do that CT will have to mis-sell as did Advent, and with whats going on they will not take a chance on that.

[Jackabeejackson]

Hi All,

 

This is my first post, and I found this thread a little while ago through Google. I haven't yet had time to read all the posts - there are quite a few, so I'm not sure if I'm alone in my opinion or not, but I would just like to say that I wouldn't actually mind carrying on the course I started with Advent in 2008 through CT (MCSE). They have actually provided more support and better training that Advent did and through them I passed the first 2 exams in 3 months, whereas I had nothing from virtually 2 years with Advent, apart from a couple of very expensive text books. It would've been 2 months, but they had no exam/course dates coming up. Sounds like a delaying tactic to me to get more monthly payments from me.

However, my beef with them is trying to charge me £140 per month, for a minimum of 12 months, plus monthly after that until completion. I did email them after passing the 2nd exam and requested access to the next module, to which I recieved a reply saying my support from them ended a month ago (at the time) and I could call a phone number to carry on and discuss options. I replied requesting calrification of why I should pay them, when still paying Barclays, but got no answer back. So I called the number and was told if BPF could provide a letter to state I was still paying them CT would look into letting me carry on with them. However, BPF won't talk to me due to arrears etc.

The weird thing is they were prepared to let me have online training, a 2 day course and exam sitting all after my 3 month period was up.

So atm I'm with Learn Direct and carrying on through them as I resent paying CT and BPF. Advent never told me about an end date to my time with them, just that most people qualify within 18-24 months. Barclays only said pay the loan after 12 months in full or at £204 per month until cleared in 5 years, and those 2 points as I see it are where the contracts differ. Surely the point is the training is not like for like if we have to pay each month?

Sorry if that was a long waffle!

[rally2001]

I havent been on for a while and lost track with whats going on. Im still paying PBF because i dont want to damage my credit rating by cancelling my DD.

 

I dealt with my course over the phone and i felt pressured into signing up because they said they had limited places left on the course. I was also told the course was open ended and there wasnt any time scale on completing the course with advent. I havent really got any evidence to back this up apart from my enrolment form i have which doesnt state an END DATE or even signed by anyone but myself.

 

I feel like the all you guys being mis-sold this course. I have sent what i have to the no win no fee lawyers fuzzbut found. I havent been hassled much from BPF because i have been paying but im not happy about it. I feel from what i have read about the financial onbudsman, its a waste of time even getting in touch with them. I have been in contact but ive lost all faith in them

[Eagle1905]

Hey all. Just thought id let people see this article. Thought Barclays were giving up in Glasgow.

[lowdown]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]21599[/ATTACH]Hey all. Just thought id let people see this article. Thought Barclays were giving up in Glasgow.

 

They were giving up before they were offered a large grant for setting this little lot up.After the money is safely tucked up in their account and a few months down the road, of course they will close that little operation down.

[sadvent/scarcleys]

First time posting after along time reading

 

Thanks fizzbutt!

 

Whats worrying me is that we have no control over what is happening. Its as if Barclays have said we have to go with incomputeach or loose our money.

The agents assigned to divide up the assets of sadvent have said that anyone not wanting to continue their studies has a right to choose what happens, but we seem to be denied this chance.

I work in I.T, and after meeting up with some old friends, one of whom is MCSE certified, he got me into the company he works for which more stable that ones I have worked for in the past. ( this was 4 months before sadvent went under, the day before my birthday)

Asking around and applying for jobs within the company i work for, with regards to my MCSE qualification ( that i was hoping to gain). I am always given the same answer.

IF you did have an MCSE you would be considered for the job, but is is always going to go someone without the qualification who has worked closer to the project / team than you. Nothing can compete with experience. Which after now working in the I.T industry for about 2-3 in various roles I still do not have.

 

So being told by the sales man that they could get me into a role as soon as I had my MCSE is mis-selling, can't really see how that would'nt stand.

 

But due to all the to-ing and fro-ing, I just want to forget about this and put it behind me. By going back to a normal way fo learning i,e college.....

 

A college will not go bust, will teach us relavent and up to date information and will be far more convienent for everyone effected as there is a college close to everyone.

 

Why have we never been given this option? It does not make any sense. Unless of course Scarcleys are not honouring section 75, and mearly cutting cost's, at our expense.

[sadvent/scarcleys]

Here's the extract from the PFK website;

 

4. What if I don.t want to continue my training - how do I get my money back?

Clearly, any BPF Student can choose not to continue their training at any time. However, how you paid

for you course fees will ultimately determine your right to recover monies previously paid.

Given the number of BPF Students that were in active training with Advent prior to its demise, we are not

able to provide specific advice on individual circumstances.

BPF Students seeking to recover monies previously paid and/or to discuss any outstanding finance

balances should contact Barclays Partner Finance on 0844 811 9000 or alternatively contact the

Customer Relations Department, the address of which can be found on the back of your welcome letter

sent to you by Barclays Partner Finance upon commencement of your loan.

5. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (.CCA.)

We understand that certain BPF Students may be entitled to make claims under the terms of the CCA.

As indicated previously, we are not in a position to provide any advice on individual circumstances.

We suggest that any BPF Student who suspects he/she has rights under the CCA should seek the advice

of a lawyer, the Citizens Advice Bureau or some other similar body or organisation.

Any BPF Student who intends to make a claim under the CCA should contact Barclays Partner Finance

and not Advent, the Administrators or Computeach.

 

They seem to be under the impression that we have a right to choose

[Savarok]

did anyone get another email from computeach begging for you to signup?

 

Edit: This rediculour advertisements are getting up my nose now.

[THE ROADIE]

I got another email from computeach too. It reads like one of the spam emails I get...

Edited September 8, 2010 by THE ROADIE