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

[10pack]

HI there,

Just found this thread. I was a student at Advent and took out a Career Development loan. Am looking in to what I can do to get my loan cancelled/repaid. Is this the right place for info or is there another thread for people with CDLs?

James Thomas

 

You are on a forum for people with the problem you describe.. welcome.. you have a lot of catch up reading to do

Edited November 24, 2010 by 10pack

[Hippy Pie]

Hello there, I too have only just discovered this thread, and I too am almost £5000 out of pocket thanks to Advent & BPF, with no qualification to speak of. I have sent an e-mail to that Fuzzbutt e-mail on the first post, but now seem a group of people seem to have a solicitor together regarding this - is there anything I can get envolved in to try and reclaim my money? I am fed up of being ignored by BPF and do not know enough about financial regulations etc to argue with them on the phone - can anyone please help me? I am desperation point.

[Keith_rb]

Hello there, I too have only just discovered this thread, and I too am almost £5000 out of pocket thanks to Advent & BPF, with no qualification to speak of. I have sent an e-mail to that Fuzzbutt e-mail on the first post, but now seem a group of people seem to have a solicitor together regarding this - is there anything I can get envolved in to try and reclaim my money? I am fed up of being ignored by BPF and do not know enough about financial regulations etc to argue with them on the phone - can anyone please help me? I am desperation point.

 

Wait for Fuzzbutts reply, it will contain all the information you will need to join the legal case and the link to the website she has set up for us. The website has all the forms you need to fill out and send off to Hausfield and lots of useful information on how to deal with DCAs and any other crap that comes your way.

[Fuzzbutt]

I've caught up with all the inquries that came in over the weekend, Hippy Pie, so you should have the link/info now (check junk mail!)

[Fuzzbutt]

FUZZBUTT ANNOUNCEMENT:

 

I have spoken to Ingrid today and will post the authorised version of Hausfeld's latest letter to Barclays on the student website when I receive it in the next few days.

It's a large document, outlining all the issues and legal challenges. Let's say this is Barclays 'last chance to dance'!

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to the call and sent copies of their MP letters, FOS replies and personal accounts of their Advent sales visits and so on to me to pass on, or to Hausfeld directly. THANK YOU!

Ingrid was very impressed with the quality of information you all sent. She has gone through it all with a toothpick and the evidence has firmed up the case against Barclays.

 

Hausfeld can't reply personally at this time, and nor can I, (due to the volume of mail) so just to let you know....

[skyblue dave]

FUZZBUTT ANNOUNCEMENT:

 

I have spoken to Ingrid today and will post the authorised version of Hausfeld's latest letter to Barclays on the student website when I receive it in the next few days.

It's a large document, outlining all the issues and legal challenges. Let's say this is Barclays 'last chance to dance'!

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to the call and sent copies of their MP letters, FOS replies and personal accounts of their Advent sales visits and so on to me to pass on, or to Hausfeld directly. THANK YOU!

Ingrid was very impressed with the quality of information you all sent. She has gone through it all with a toothpick and the evidence has firmed up the case against Barclays.

 

Hausfeld can't reply personally at this time, and nor can I, (due to the volume of mail) so just to let you know....

 

Keep up the good work fuzzbutt - we all appreciate it.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing the latest letter.

[Hippy Pie]

Got it, cheers dude - printed everything off and photocopied all my advent and BPF docs, ready to send off! Fingers crossed for justice!

[Turfs75]

FUZZBUTT ANNOUNCEMENT:

 

I have spoken to Ingrid today and will post the authorised version of Hausfeld's latest letter to Barclays on the student website when I receive it in the next few days.

It's a large document, outlining all the issues and legal challenges. Let's say this is Barclays 'last chance to dance'!

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to the call and sent copies of their MP letters, FOS replies and personal accounts of their Advent sales visits and so on to me to pass on, or to Hausfeld directly. THANK YOU!

Ingrid was very impressed with the quality of information you all sent. She has gone through it all with a toothpick and the evidence has firmed up the case against Barclays.

 

Hausfeld can't reply personally at this time, and nor can I, (due to the volume of mail) so just to let you know....

 

 

Good work Fuzzbutt. Thanks again for all the work you have put in to this. Not quite sure how you've managed to keep the strength needed to do all this. Once this is all over i would like to give you a donation for all the hard work you've put in regardless of the outcome.

Thanks Turfs

[Turfs75]

FUZZBUTT ANNOUNCEMENT:

 

I have spoken to Ingrid today and will post the authorised version of Hausfeld's latest letter to Barclays on the student website when I receive it in the next few days.

It's a large document, outlining all the issues and legal challenges. Let's say this is Barclays 'last chance to dance'!

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to the call and sent copies of their MP letters, FOS replies and personal accounts of their Advent sales visits and so on to me to pass on, or to Hausfeld directly. THANK YOU!

Ingrid was very impressed with the quality of information you all sent. She has gone through it all with a toothpick and the evidence has firmed up the case against Barclays.

 

Hausfeld can't reply personally at this time, and nor can I, (due to the volume of mail) so just to let you know....

 

 

Good work Fuzzbutt. Thanks again for all the work you have put in to this. Not quite sure how you've managed to keep the strength needed to do all this. Once this is all over i would like to give you a donation for all the hard work you've put in regardless of the outcome.

Thanks Turfs

[Fuzzbutt]

 

Good work Fuzzbutt. Thanks again for all the work you have put in to this. Not quite sure how you've managed to keep the strength needed to do all this. Once this is all over i would like to give you a donation for all the hard work you've put in regardless of the outcome.

Thanks Turfs

 

You're welcome.

It certainly has taken up a lot of my free time, but hopefully we'll get a positive response from Barclays now. I'm hopeful that the legal issues Hausfeld raise will win the day, even if FOS refuses to do right by us. I did point out in my appeal to FOS for an ombudsman to re-visit my case that they seem to have just taken Barclays 'evidence' without question.

[Savarok]

Indeed, I raised a similar point but it appears that in a consumer vs bank arguement you cannot escape the "infallibility" of Banks such as Barclays.

[THE ROADIE]

Well, I said to the FOS that if I was in a similar situation with buying a TV, I bought a TV and waited for delivery, I was told that that TV was no longer available, the company I purchased it from coulnd't force me into accepting a different TV. I then asked why Barclays think they are allowed to do the same, to which the FOS just flat out ignored this point. Top investigating there!

[lowdown]

On BBC1 TV this morning 'Rip Off Britain'

Quite a bit on this whole situation - although the person being interviewed was a Access2trade student, Advent did pop up on the Document shown.

BPF's response was their usual Ball dung. FOS got a bit of a bad mention as well.

But the legal expert talking said there was several 'Class lawsuit action's' pending' against BPF.Who are the others i wonder? People from Facebook?

More bad press for the thieving, lying, conniving crooks known as Barclays Bank.

Looks like things are starting to come to a head.

 

Keep up the great work Fuzz.

[Penny Mitchell]

FUZZBUTT UPDATE: Sorry there's not been any news from me - I know a lot of people are anxious to know what's happening.

Hausfeld are still working with Barclays and there has been some positive steps but nothing concrete I can report at the moment. I hope to have more very soon.

 

I've personally asked FOS to release me the documents BPF sent them to justify their position, so that I may challenge what was said. Unfortunately, FOS aren't obliged to do this under the Freedom of Information Act but the adjudicator did promise to ask Barclays if this was possible (they need their permission!). More wasted time.

Our lawyer is aware of all these manouvers.

Perhaps everyone who has had a refusal by FOS should complain and demand to see the evidence BPF supplied that led to their decision. Please copy to Hausfeld if you get anything.

Thanks.

 

I asked FOS to release me the documents from BPF and they replied saying that they had not relied upon documentation from BPF but from Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

 

"I would explain that in reaching a conclusion on this case I have not relied on the information provided to me by the business (Barclays Partner Finance) but I have relied on Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

 

As I have explained, Section 75 does not apply in this case because a Debtor-Creditor-Supplier link does not exist.

 

For further information on the Consumer Credit Act or Section 75 I would recommend contacting the Office of Fair Trading or visit its website."

 

My loan was taken out on behalf of my partner. Does anyone have any suggestions about how I should respond?

[10pack]

On BBC1 TV this morning 'Rip Off Britain'

Quite a bit on this whole situation - although the person being interviewed was a Access2trade student, Advent did pop up on the Document shown.

BPF's response was their usual Ball dung. FOS got a bit of a bad mention as well.

But the legal expert talking said there was several 'Class lawsuit action's' pending' against BPF.Who are the others i wonder? People from Facebook?

More bad press for the thieving, lying, conniving crooks known as Barclays Bank.

Looks like things are starting to come to a head.

 

Keep up the great work Fuzz.

 

Hope the one against computeach goes well.. if they put them out of business would be even better.

 

I have written before.. my problem is not with paying barclays.. its about choice.. barclays gave us no choice in the matter.. I know computeach, have already been a student of theirs.. they took my money and laughed all the way to the bank.

If barclays had written and offered several alternatives.. or even asked what company I would like to choose.. that I would have concidered reasonable.. but to force computeach on to me when I have told them reasons as to why computeach are not an acceptable alternative.. they can go and jump.

[lewis2]

hi all got a letter from barclays today stating that my account has been taken off hold and that payments are due to start on the 17th

it asks me to contact them to arrange payment and that if i don't pay my credit score will be affected .

any advise?

[10pack]

hi all got a letter from barclays today stating that my account has been taken off hold and that payments are due to start on the 17th

it asks me to contact them to arrange payment and that if i don't pay my credit score will be affected .

any advise?

 

How is it that they are doing this now?.. were you only now due to start paying?

many of us have refused to pay barclays partner finance due to the reasons you have read on this site.. my own are with the added item that I have already been a computeach student and never wish to be again.. even if they paid me!!.

 

if you refuse to pay.. you can make your complaint letter to barclays.. but meanwhile you will get the usual phone calls from their reps pestering you to pay.. they will add their £22.50 charges each time they write, and if that does not make you pay then they will set mercers debts collection agency onto you(they are barclays really but they think no one knows this, so they still try to scare you with that) then if that does not work they will get other debt collection agencies on to you.. and it goes on...

 

If you have not already.. Join with the legal fight that Fuzzbutt has organised.. I think getting them on mis-selling is how all this will stop.. once you inform barclays that you are in a legal challenge they are supposed to back off.. but they wont... my credit score now has me on a number 8 ..defaulted on my loan, I have put a notice of correction on my account so that any other companies that look can see why I have a perfect credit score except for Clydsdale Bank (barclays partner finance) so will ask why all other bills are being paid except for this one loan??... hopefully .

 

BPF is owned by barclaycard.. and yes if you have a barclaycard or a bank account with barclays they can raid your bank account to take the money.. all legal.. found this out last week from a rep

[lewis2]

hi 10pack i've been involved in this forum from the start,and been part of the class action from the beginning.

i have also gone through all the phone calls had the letters and last time i spoke to barclays i told them that i was part of the class

action and would not pay anything until the lawyers reached a final agreement.

do you think this is just more tactics to get money from people like us?

think i should call them or ignore it till we here more from fuzz?

[Fuzzbutt]

FUZZBUTT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Hausfeld's edited version of their latest letter to Barclays is on the 'Case Updates' page of the student website. You'll need to sign in to download it (Word doc).

This is Barclays last chance basically to 'come to the table' to resolve this. Hopefully their lawyer will respond quickly to Hausfeld and we will then know whether this will have to go to court action if they refuse to negotiate (next step).

[Timage]

This letter does address all the points, I think. I hope it gets the right response from Barclays, but maybe that would be over-optimistic.

 

One thing: The end of the letter said about advising students to pursue their claims individually either through courts or through FOS. Is this likely to be the end result, do we think?

 

On a different note, there was someone who had teamed up with other unhappy ex-students of Advent, and paid for solicitor. (Was the name Aaron?). This was looking quite close to going to court some time back. Does anyone know if they got a result, or what happened?

[Savarok]

I suppose it was either a success and they were held to a none disclosure clause or it failed and they dont want to come on here and say why.

 

*Disclaimer* I am being very presumptious here.

[Timage]

Yes, that's what I thought, as well. Aren't we all becoming cynical?

[DonnieB]

This letter does address all the points, I think. I hope it gets the right response from Barclays, but maybe that would be over-optimistic.

 

One thing: The end of the letter said about advising students to pursue their claims individually either through courts or through FOS. Is this likely to be the end result, do we think?

 

On a different note, there was someone who had teamed up with other unhappy ex-students of Advent, and paid for solicitor. (Was the name Aaron?). This was looking quite close to going to court some time back. Does anyone know if they got a result, or what happened?

 

Not to sound in any way ungrateful for what Hausfield are doing as I really do appreciate their help and the letter seems to cover all things very comprehensively but I gotta agree that that last line of the letter does seem to suggest that Hausfield wont be taking it to court themselves on our behalf? Which I kinda thought was the point? Or did I misunderstand that? Apologies if this is not what that line is suggesting.

 

And yeah, I think it was Aaron. There was also another dude who said his parents had already got a court date or something as he'd been unaware of this group and so had just progressed things on his own. And I thought it was for around November time.

 

EDIT: Re-reading the letter I may be wrong. This is from one lawyer to BPF’s lawyer. Hausfield are not the claimants – the students are – so they may have to phrase it that way. They could well be saying “if BPF don’t respond reasonably to this class action and come up with some cash, we will arm several hundred students with the necessary advice to pursue this individually and that will be much more expensive for BPF”

Edited December 3, 2010 by DonnieB

[Fuzzbutt]

Not to sound in any way ungrateful for what Hausfield are doing as I really do appreciate their help and the letter seems to cover all things very comprehensively but I gotta agree that that last line of the letter does seem to suggest that Hausfield wont be taking it to court themselves on our behalf? Which I kinda thought was the point? Or did I misunderstand that? Apologies if this is not what that line is suggesting.

 

And yeah, I think it was Aaron. There was also another dude who said his parents had already got a court date or something as he'd been unaware of this group and so had just progressed things on his own. And I thought it was for around November time.

 

EDIT: Re-reading the letter I may be wrong. This is from one lawyer to BPF’s lawyer. Hausfield are not the claimants – the students are – so they may have to phrase it that way. They could well be saying “if BPF don’t respond reasonably to this class action and come up with some cash, we will arm several hundred students with the necessary advice to pursue this individually and that will be much more expensive for BPF”

 

As I gather that is pretty much the case. I understand from Ingrid that Barclays don't like individual actions against them in her experience of previous dealings with banks. She is still hoping that threat will make them resolve this out of court now, I think, which will be quicker for us. Failing that, a number of individuals including myself as lead plaintiff (who were quoted, I believe in the original full letter to Barclays) will appear as individuals in court. I'm not entirely sure how it works but it may be everyone has to put in their case under Hausfeld's umbrella then, or just be named on a document that's read out in court without them personally having to be there (the form you printed off the website and signed for them).

I guess we'll know more when Barclays reply to Hausfeld, hopefully soon.

[mugsymo]

I have just read the hausfield letter it everything sounds good, i just hope BPF don't squirm out of it