Course rip off...What do I do??

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tonilee

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I made a HUGE mistake at Easter, I signed up to do a Hair Extension course, 10 Techniques in a week.....( I know how ridiculous it sounds now..) I spoke to the woman who runs the course and it was a 5 day residential course, the fee included my accomodation (BB) and my kit and it cost THREE AND A HALF THOUSAND POUNDS(bold letters to emphisise how much I am out of pocket..!!) So anyway I stupidly paid and went on the course, I arrived on the Sunday evening (it was a long drive ) she didnt meet me as planned that evening, she met me in the hotel lobby almost 2 hours late on the first day, and I did all my theory, she didnt talk me through it I took a workbook to my room to complete (so I could have arrived a day later) She said the next day we had to travel to London (about 2 hours away) as she had a problem with a girl who was learning only one technique....again she was an hour late arriving to pick me up, we spent 3 hours travelling, 3 hours getting back, this is pretty much how the course went she would arrive at least an hour late, then we would get to the conference room and she would order coffee and go through her emails before she started..her method of teaching was awful she didnt explain anything and sort of raised her voice at you if you got anything wrong....
In the time I was there, I went to London, drove her almost an hour for her to collect her car from the garage, waited around 6-7 hours while she was late, and it turned out I didnt learn 10 techniques I learnt 6 apparantly I have to go back later this year (July time she said) to learn the others...I have no certificate whatsoever to shw for this charade..
Im not sure what to do next she is a one man band, she runs the courses, supplies the hair etc
I havbe emailed her asking for my certificate THREE TIMES and heard nothing, what can I do? What are my rights??
 
Not quite sure what to say hun. That is really shocking - I think maybe you should get in touch with trading standards or citizens advice. They may be able to point you in the right direction and explain your rights.

Others may have some better suggestions.

Training courses can be such a minefield. Hope you get this resolved soon :hug:
 
That is terrible.

Perhaps if she won't answer your calls, you ought to write to her with a clear list of your complaints. You can then give her the option of either
  1. continuing (properly) your training and ensure that you are reimbursed appropriately for additional travel
  2. Full refund as she did not provide the training that you had paid for
  3. If she does neither, that you will be contacting Trading Standards.
She obviously has no respect at all for you as a student and paying client so I think you're going to have to be hard on her.:rolleyes:

Sorry you've been put through this :hug: - it never ceases to amaze me how many people are out there just ready and willing to take our hard earned cash and give nothing of worth in return.:mad:
 
Thanks for the replies.....I feel ever so stupid for falling for it in the first place I ought to have known better....please keep the advise coming if you can think of anything else.....ever so grateful for opinions :hug::hug:
 
I wouldn't bother with contacting the woman herself Just get onto trading Standards there are guidelines for private course to follow and what you received was not a course but a shambles. I really feel for you and think that these rip off agents need to be brought forward there are too many of these private courses around that are full of promise but fail to deliver.
 
Forget the emails...............have you called her?
 
Thanks so much for your replies everyone.....its such a help and thank you so much for the link to the trading standards in York :hug::hug::hug:
 
Thanks for the replies.....I feel ever so stupid for falling for it in the first place I ought to have known better....please keep the advise coming if you can think of anything else.....ever so grateful for opinions :hug::hug:

NOT stupid at all!!! It's not your fault that the woman didn't deliver what you had paid for. You have been a victim of a sham.:hug::hug:
 
Seriously honey, my business experience these days? .... Find a ruthless Solicitor get them to write a very nasty letter and sue her!!!

I have had enough of listening to nice people get mucked about, it's awful! I really feel for you! :hug:

Don't let her get away with this ... You want a refund and claim back your mileage. She won't be in a hurry to muck the next person about!

Good luck! :hug:

xxxx
 
I'm with Rose!
If you have tried to email her then you have given her plenty of time to address the issues you have with her so called training course. By going to a solicitor it shows you are not willing to be walked all over and that you are not going to go away....you deserve your money back....we're not talking peanuts are we!!!
 
Definitely see a solicitor!
I would get the Yellow Pages out and phone local long-established firms and see if they can offer you a free 30 min appt so you can explain it all to them and they can advise you if they can help.
Also, just a thought - if you paid by credit card you may be able to get some sort of redress from your credit card provider(?)
This is absolutely terrible! But I am sure you will be able to do something.
Keep us informed:hug:
 
Thanks, when I email she doesnt answer and when I ring she doesnt answer either!!! I have emailed 3 times asking for my certificates and no reponse!!!
 
do you know who the course was accredited by ?

for example,the courses i teach are acredited by the guild of professional beauty therapists .

if you knew who it was, then it might be worth getting in touch with them and seing if you can persue this any further.

also most beauty insurers have some kind of legal helpline, maybe they could advise on a way forward with this.
 
this is a posting i put on a website at the end of march beginning of April:
I paid £3,500 for a course to learn ten hair extension techniques, I paid a £60 deposit at the beginning of February 2007 and the balance on 27th February,it was a 12 module course, with theory. I was to stay in a hotel for five days and train at a purpose built training centre, and be competent in all ten techniques by the time i left. In my fee was bed breakfast, lunch and dinner, payment for a car to pick me up and take me to the training school and drop me back at the hotel every night too and a professional kit.
I arrived at the hotel on sunday night, the woman who runs the course was supposeed to meet me at 8pm as stated in the training schedule, she didnt trn up, i called her, she had no intention of coming but said she would come over if i really wanted her to, as it was 9,45pm by that time, i said i couldnt ecpect her to come out to the hotel at that time as it was too late now, i asked her where the car would pick me up to take me to the training school, as stated in the schedule, the first bomb shell, the training school wasnt fully built, so i would be training in a conference room at the hotel.
I was having serious doubts as to the professionalism of this woman at this point but decided to stick it out and hoped things improved.
She turned up the next day and we had to go to this conference room where out mannequin head to practice on were attached to low tables, not at the correct height at all, it wasnt an adequately equipped room in no way shape or form.
I had to spend all morning photo copying my own training manual, whilst she sat there goingt hrough her messages on her dating site profile, I was also led to believe i would recieve one to one training, another girl turned up on the course who was staying with her at her house.
I answered a few appraisals that she told us to find the wustions in the manuals, i didnt do that cos i saw it as cheating.
We had lunch taht was supposed to be provided as stated in the training agreement and schedule and i ended up having to pay for mine, she then went off to fetch some supplies, apparently, me and the other girl went back to the room to carry on sitting there as we had nothing to do, we hadnt been taught any techniques, so couldnt practice, so i carried on with my photocopying as instructed by the tutor, by 7pm she still hadnt returned, our training days were meant to be 10am -5pm, so at 7pm when the ink ran out on the photocopier i left the room and went back to my room very upset and worried.
The next day, I sat waiting outside the conference room, i couldnt get in as i didnt have a key, she called at 10.30am and told me to get a key from reception that she was just taking her car into the garage, i let myself in the room and finished my photocopying cos she had finally returned on monday night at 8pm and put new ink in for me, so i spent another hour photocopying the rest of my own manual, they finally turned up in the room at 11.45am, we sat around and did almost nothing again and then she taught us how to do one tachnique, we spent less than hour on that technique and that was it, that one technique costs £350 to learn. We finished at around 6.30pm
The next day, I let myself in the room and recieved a text telling me that they were on there way but they had to go and see the builders at the teaining centre, they turned up at just after 11am, she used to go through her messages first, them do her hair and her make up then we would start around 12.00, we practiced doing ordinary plaits over and over again whilst she was online checking her messages.we learned to microbraid and sew a weft on on one part of the head, it took about an hour, for that it cost £499.

We broke for lunch and were told to come back after an hour, i went to my room and broke down in tears, the training was very sloppy, her time keeping was disgusting and the course was not at all as described, I rang my husband and told him that i wanted to come home that night.
I went back into the conference room after an hour, the tutor wasnt there, an hour after we were supposed to restart, she strolled in with KFC asking if we minded her eating her dinner in there, she sat down and ate her dinner for another half an hour.
I felt totally incompetent at all of the techniques as we were only allowed to do them once, she then asked us to put our glue guns on, that she described as professional extension glue guns, that heat up to 700 degrees, i knew that was a lie and that the whole thing would melt at that temperature, i have since found out the guns are just ordinary household glue guns used for multi purpose.
We put 7 single hair extensions in, it took 20 minutes, for that it costs £459, we spent no more time on that.
I packed my kit away at the end of the day and went to my room and started packing, I had seen enough, my dad and sister came to pick me up as my husband was still at work and i signed out of the hotel, came home and emailed her, she still hasnt read the email but has offered me two training days in the cnetre when it is built, she put me leaving down to me missing the kids and the bed being uncomfortable, i tld her that it wasnt and that i had sent her an email explaining my reasons and that i would await her response to that, I have stated that i would like all correspondence via email or letter so that i have copies.
I have been pricing up the kit that i paid £280 the most i can get the total to by pricing up at a few shops is £170.
I also got the hotel to give me a beakdown of the cost of accomodation that i had been charged for as part of the package by the trainer, I had been charged, £1120, my bill with breakfast and dinner came to £550, I only ate 2 meals the whole time i was there as i was so churned up from the stress of realising that i had been ripped off. So i actually ran up £406 of a bill, which included bed and breakfast and the two meals.

I still cant eat properly, i feel sick and feel really stressed.
Do you think I have a legitimate claim???
I sent an email to my local consumer advice office and i am awaiting a response, I atill havent had a response to my email that i sent to the woman who runs this course, she is basically ignoring me.
 
blimy that aweful thats happened to u chick!!! the whole thing sounds a rite ordeal for u . i def think u should attempt to contact the woman again stating u will be taking this further . def see a solicitor. she will prob be liable for ur court costs if u win which im sure u will .

did u keep in contact with anyone else on the course ? maybe theyy have complained to ? i have been on sevaral courses b4 that give shoddy or rushed training and they just give everyone certs at the end even if they struggled or are crap at it . some therapists dont min d as all they want is the cert but u didnt even get that ! u def should do something about all this chick otherwise it mite be too late soon and u cant keep letting urself get down about it . let us know how u get on with this case regards vicky
 
From doing searchs on this site and pm'ing people I have found there is about 4 other girls with exactly the same experience...I am def going to take this further. This company and woman is an absolute disgrace.
 
Do you have an address for her, possible a business address. You could write to her, stating that if she doesn't reply in 10 days, then you will go to a solicitor.

What about the products she supplied, can you figure out where they came from, maybe contact that supplier.

Hope you can get this sorted.
 
All her products are branded with her logo!! I have no idea where they come from, the joy of her course is also that she supplies the hair, you have to order directly from her!!

I am def going to seek legal advice though, how yet I am not sure she seems invinsible but I def will!!
 
All her products are branded with her logo!! I have no idea where they come from, the joy of her course is also that she supplies the hair, you have to order directly from her!!

I am def going to seek legal advice though, how yet I am not sure she seems invinsible but I def will!!

Is there a way were she can be caught. Maybe if you approached a watch dog type thing, because basically its fraud and deception and it IS a criminal offence. She needs to be stopped, god im fuming and it isnt even me it happened to. Im really sorry for you and the other people that have been conned by this woman, she is vile, praying on people who are paying a huge amount of money to better them selves, and try and get a career to earn money and shes ripping them off. If you havent got an address. Someone should make out they have 5 girls they want to put on the course and meet with her to discuss the details of course and then catch her that way. im sure because of her greed she will fall for this. I really feel for you, what a b*@!h. hope you get it sorted. :hug::hug: xxx
 
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