ATL Training please help!!!!

[Mr Carter]

Hello everybody I would be grateful if anybody could give me some serious advice...

 

I signed up with ATL Practical Training a year ago to train to be a gas engineer,

found the help from the 'tutors' very minimal so I stopped doing the course.

 

 

I am now interested in training again to become a gas engineer,

but when I researched ATL I found they are also known as many other company names such as

'Metropolitan International Schools Ltd'

and now 'ERR' (according to City and Guilds)??

 

 

I was also told I could cancel the course at any time,

which I have found is not the case and would have to pay £3000 to cancel it through Career Finance 4 Trade Skills Ltd!!

 

 

It seems a lot of people have had problems with them, and are in the same boat.

 

This sounds very much like a [problem] and I was wondering whether anyone has done any training with ATL?

 

If so, did you have any problems? Also, did you get your qualifications in the end and were they up to date?

 

I would also be grateful if anyone can recommend any gas engineering courses?

 

Thanks everyone

 

Tony

[Jesusisere]

I was on their Welding course.

 

 

Couldn't make payments and was told to pay upwards of £5000 after they stopped my account.

 

 

However the company appeared on the tv show "Don't get done, get Dom" where it was shown they could not actually give me the qualification that I wanted.

 

 

My suggestion would be to speak to Citizens advice as they helped me before i found this site

[daskip]

Can't view that show on BBC Iplayer. I actually messaged Dom see if he could help me out.

[daskip]

Hi I'm in similar position to you. How have you dealt with ATL since march?? I actually messaged Dom earlier see if he could share some advice

[hella_nutella]

Well looks like I've also been had

although it's only when I've questioned the certification body which ATL practical training use that alarm bells began to ring.

 

 

They state in the course outline which I have sat in front of me that they are NICEIC certified

but I've spoken to the directly and they have nothing to do with them.

 

 

I then questioned ATL practical training about this and they said it was a misprint and it was actually BPEC... some misprint!!

 

 

I spoke to BPEC directly and yes, you guessed it... noting to do with them

 

 

so ultimately I'm paying 160£ a month for unrecognised qualifications.

 

 

ATL pt also advised me that there was no other way for me to become a gas safe registered engineer than by doing an NVQ level 2 in plumbing first..

this is a lie which has since been confirmed by the NGST (national gas services training) centre.

 

 

The course content so far has been quite well orchestrated and suggests a legitimate company

but after reading all these posts I feel my suspicions have been confirmed.

 

 

It seems ATL practical training and Career finance 4 trade skills and one of the same.

I am to speak again with citizens advice in the morning to start the process of getting out of this so called agreement.

 

 

I firmly believe there are grounds for a breach of contract and misrepresentation as they are claiming to be endorsed by governing bodies which have nothing to do with them and probably for the reasons which we all now know.

 

Any response or advice will be greatly appreciated as I'm not going to let them get away with taking my hard earned cash without a fight.

[daskip]

Some insight here

 

http://www.justanswer.com/uk-law/7qjvb-took-contract-atl-practical-learning-full.html

 

and here

 

http://www.collativelearning.com/SKILLSTRAIN%20SCAM%20&%20REFUND.html#refund

[ahill2508]

Hella_Nutella

have you had any luck with pursuing this as I am in the same situation.

 

 

Was told that I would be qualified after this.

 

 

I began nearly 2 years ago and have found the same, tutors not very helpful etc etc,

 

 

I'm paying 135 a month.

 

 

It says after 5 weeks I can register with official to practise and obviously that is not the case at all.

 

Thanks in advance

[stagea]

I'm in the same boat.

On the gas course paying £160.00 a month.

 

 

I first got suspicious when I could not pass the online health and safety assignment.

I have a background in health and safety and wrote to them asking for the correct answers

to which they replied, it is a totally computer generated test to which we have no access.

 

 

I was then sent a written assignment which I found completely excessive, 9000 words NEBOSH ask for 8000 for their diploma .

I believe this part of the course to be a delaying tactic.

 

 

I was told be the sales person that they had a list of companies which provide practical training.

I contacted head office who put me onto the training team who have stated

"we do not have companies we can refer you to as we are a training company".

 

 

Carrying out searches for practical training and writing to companies have proved useless.

I don't thing anyone will provide training.

[477upper]

Has anyone found out what happens if you just stop making payments? If they are a fraudulent company then surely it would be a misrepresentation of goods sold?

[ahill2508]

I'm still looking for advice for the same problem. I feel I've been miss sold this course for many reasons any help on what to do to Try and cancel the course

[477upper]

I have written to them saying that I am unwell and can no longer continue with the course. I have submitted medical evidence to support this. I have requested to cancel and be released from the fees, or rather, loan, and have requested that they provide me with reasons if they can't do this. Watch this space.

[maximoo123]

Hi jesusisere how did you sort out getting out of payments? I'm currently paying for the welding course too and have found that the only thing ATL cares about is taking people's hard earned money.

[477upper]

In my letter I said I wished to cancel the course (due to ill health and provided reasons) and make no further payments. I think that is reasonable and I would hope they agree.At the moment I am still making those payments (in case I have to step it up a gear) and seek legal advice - the advice I have been given so far is contradictory which is why I am on this forum, hoping that someone can give me idea of what they have done in a similar situation with the result.

[maximoo123]

Hi 477 upper,

 

Just wondering if you ever got a response back off ATL from the letter you sent? I'm currently trying to put a letter together myself.

 

Thanks.

[Chemista]

Has anyone found out what happens if you just stop making payments? If they are a fraudulent company then surely it would be a misrepresentation of goods sold?

 

I'll keep you posted... Not made payments since Nov'15 now and received a letter every month demanding payment plus penalty charge.

 

This was only possible due to my debit card running out in Nov'15 so they could no longer charge it every month for £160. I signed up in 2011 or 2012 i think it was (ATL with trade skills 4 u finance agreement) and have not studied any of the material initially or been contacted by ATL even once to see how I was doing. A few months in my physical health deteriorated and I knew I couldn't carry on. Still made payments however. I'm WELL ABOVE 50% of the total costs so will probably write back to them and say cancel the course, the payments, the lot... and leave me alone. Unless anyone has any other suggestions?

[dx100uk]

about time anyone paying these muppets stopped totally.

cash cowed from day one me thinks.

 

 

dx

[Ariesprado]

Im doing domestic electrical installer with ATLPT...

 

I just found out that some colleges only offer it for £600 and they charged me with more or less 5K...

 

I passed the Health and safety test in one go...

 

Now they bombard me with tones of books...imagine almost 200 pages to read for a 20 question to answer...

 

and it only repeat everything it says...

 

I am on the 35th assignment and is only 5 assignments more to finish this damn training....

 

they promise me QCF 3 AND 17TH EDITION...

[SUK16]

Hello Mr Carter,

I read with interest your article and I am going through the same with ATLPT since 2012.

 

I was mis-sold the course as a Domestic Renewable Energy Engineer for a Solar Installer course which is what I was after.

 

I have had numerous documented run-ins with them

recently found out that the Leeds training centre does not even have Solar Installation training facility.

 

The admin are rude and unhelpful.

Their manager is witless and does not respond to my requests etc etc.

 

I recently got redundant and appoached ATLPT and CF4TS to see if I could claim my insurance for the loan taken with them.

They stated that as I had not copleted my 1st assignment within the first 3 months that I have breached the conditions!!!

I was not made aware of this whatsoever by anyone.

 

I was wondering if you had any success with your issues with them.

 

I now want to sue them for misrepresentation and fraudulent activity.

 

Can you / anyone else assist with evidences against these fraudsters?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

Regards

Sinam

[dx100uk]

so you were mis sold insurance too?

[SUK16]

thanks for pointing that out dx100uk.I didnt even think that far.

 

The question is now what can I do initially. Are the regulators any good? pls advise. Thanks.

[dx100uk]

need to see the agreement and the t&c's

upload

[SUK16]

need to see the agreement and the t&c's

upload

 

Don't have PDF facility at moment. I can email but the wording is exactly

"To qualify for redundancy cover, students must have commenced their course within 60 days of enrolement." (Page 8 of a pamphlet they sent me yesterday which I never was given by salesman.)

This was never brought to my attention.

[removed per email - dx]

[dx100uk]

follow the upload guide if you are on a pc

 

 

dx

[imo3333]

I am currently on the domestic electrical engineer course and didnt even Know about the program being aired.....

[clarkey100]

Hi Guys

 

Well i believe ATL are still continuing to be the worst practical training provider about

 

 

i signed up back in 2013 for level 2 and 3 plumbing course with a 36 month time limit on it but it states in there paper work work at your leisure hmmm!!!

 

my course has expired this July 2016 and I haven't been able to finish it due to several reason getting the time off as I am self employed, getting dates to go on the practical weeks I have had to wait for, a sudden death in the family last year etc so its been difficult try to juggle things.

 

I applied for an extension which ATL does not in any shap or form do,

they passed me on to a company Benchmark that offer you 12 months for a fee of £200 admin

if you fit the criteria but apparently i don't

 

when ask what the criteria was my provider stated that i could not complete the level 3 within this time bracket

so I'm currently asking ATL what is their time frame to complete level 3

as i was give 36 months to do both level2 and 3 in at my own leisure??

 

ATL are still continue to take me money for the course as its a financial agreement plan

which I am no longer able to continue as I have no ways of doing so as they are not helping in any way in the direction where i need to go

 

Im awaiting correspondence from them still, may I add other people on the same course but through different provider which have merge in to ATL for one reason or another have had extensions

 

I'm just at a brick wall as i have paid out nearly £6000 for a course which I am unable to complete and would love any advice or links that i could go to to finish this off would be muchly appreciated.

Edited August 3, 2016 by honeybee13
Paras.