Essential Nails Course - Secondhand Beware!

[Michybug]

Hi all,

I hope i've done this right cos I am new to the Nail Geek today .

Anyway, I found something out this week that I feel may benefit some of you out there regarding Essential Nails Home Learn Courses.

Back in February I brought the Acrylic Tip and Overlay course from a lady in Loot and on asking about the certification at the end, she said she'd checked and it could be transferred at no extra cost. I paid £250 for the course, it was all unused and I thought I'd bagged a right bargain and was really pleased with myself.

I had a play with it when I got it home and then I put it away for a while and got it out again this month, determined to get it finished. I got stuck and so rang them for advice, only to find that if I wanted to transfer and complete the course and get a certificate at the end, I would have to buy the exam papers, at a cost of £95 + VAT. At first I thought they'd misundertood me and I told that that the papers were unused, so I didn't need them. BUT... it doesn't matter to them - you still need new papers sent out to register it in your name.

So the moral of this story is BEWARE secondhand Essential Nails courses, as each course you transfer will cost you another £100 or so (EACH!!!) This is ok, if you get the courses cheap cheap - but do your sums and work out whether it would be cheaper to get the kit new and direct.

I must add though, that so far I am enjoying this course - its really good, easy to understand, and I was really impressed by my first set of acrylic tip and overlay nails.

I couldn't fault the staff at Essential Nails, they were very understanding of my situation and nice to me. They sent me more tips, nails for the trainer, glue and nozzles, so that was ok (as all this is free with the £95 for the papers). And I can say that i've learnt more so far than I would have a my local college, just from the video.

I have also just brought two new courses from Ebay (Gel and Airbrushing), but they were cheap enuf to still save me about £60 on each course, if I'd brought them direct.

I hope that this helps at least one person out there LOL

 

[Fingertips ND]

Hi Michelle,

Welcome to TNG site!

 

[glittergirl]

Welcome to the board hope you enjoy it!

 

[NaughtynailsNI]

welcome xxx

 

[Pinkruth]

Hi from one newbie geek to another!!! I have today bought the Essential Nails Acrylic course from those verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry helpful people at Essential Nails.

Im so sorry you got miss lead by this lady on Loot, its all you need when your just starting out.

Anyway welcome and maybe we can pick each others brains about the course!

Ruth:wink2:

 

[christi]

Hello and welcome to both of you!

I am sure you will find lots of help and advice, plenty of encouragement, and friendly criticism, from this fabulous site.

One a Geek always a Geek, there's no turning back now.

We love photo's so get some work on board and don't be afraid if its just training, this is the best place to get good advice.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

Luv 'n' hugs
xxxxxxxxxx
:Love: :hug:

 

[redchris001]

Hi Michelle and welcome aboard - you'll soon be addicted and check out the tutotrials what you will learn there is priceless & won't cost you a penny!!!! :biggrin:

 

[JackieMc]

Hello and welcome!

Yes I agree, people are taking advantage of prospective buyers of their 2nd hand EN courses bynot telling them the truth. I have emailed so many Ebay sellers politely informing them that they should advise their buyers in the listing that a £95 fee will be expected to transfer the course over. Not one of these sellers has bothered to acknowledge my emails or added the info to the listing, so when I have time I send messages to the bidders to tell them - there have been a few retracted bids, which has given me a giggle from time to time.

Anyway, you'll have a great time here, lots of friendly people with great advice to share - enjoy!

Jackie

 

[Glorsclaws]

Hi Michelle,
Welcome to the board.
If you thought the EN video was useful, just stick around here ... believe me, youll learn a whole lot more!
Btw, not sure whether the person selling the EN kit was to blame in regards to selling her kit to you. See, those lovely helpful people at EN didnt always charge £95 to swap unused courses over as you can see here http://www.samuelsweet.com/showthread.php?t=7157&highlight=Essential+nails

At least you have bagged yourself a bargain with the other kits though!

 

[Mrs Geek]

I have also just brought two new courses from Ebay (Gel and Airbrushing), but they were cheap enuf to still save me about £60 on each course, if I'd brought them direct. I hope that this helps at least one person out there LOL

Welcome to the site Michelle and thanks for your post. I have to say however that I and many other pro companies may not find your advice helpful or useful - please let me explain why!

The Nail Geek website was set up as a professional website for professionally trained nail teks. Buying on eBay does not guarantee anything professional as we have seen, heard and witnessed so many times before. Buying from someone via the net or from eBay only inhibits people in their quest to become trained professionals because it is ONLY the professional nail companies that can give the advice, support, backup and expert opinion on their products. If I had been John Grace (MD of ENP), I would have charged for exam papers too.
This may come across as extreme Michelle and I am not intending to have a go at you personally - you are (as you said), new to the industry and rather than go to a professional nail company you decided to try and save a few pounds by going the back door route - which many do... but I think this is more about a lesson of doing things properly in the first place - taking correct exams and courses with a reputable company that will give you the results that you hopefully want to achieve - (to become a professionally qualified nail technician) with properly gained certificates to back you up!

 

[Michybug]

Welcome to the site Michelle and thanks for your post. I have to say however that I and many other pro companies may not find your advice helpful or useful - please let me explain why!

The Nail Geek website was set up as a professional website for professionally trained nail teks. Buying on eBay does not guarantee anything professional as we have seen, heard and witnessed so many times before. Buying from someone via the net or from eBay only inhibits people in their quest to become trained professionals because it is ONLY the professional nail companies that can give the advice, support, backup and expert opinion on their products. If I had been John Grace (MD of ENP), I would have charged for exam papers too.
This may come across as extreme Michelle and I am not intending to have a go at you personally - you are (as you said), new to the industry and rather than go to a professional nail company you decided to try and save a few pounds by going the back door route - which many do... but I think this is more about a lesson of doing things properly in the first place - taking correct exams and courses with a reputable company that will give you the results that you hopefully want to achieve - (to become a professionally qualified nail technician) with properly gained certificates to back you up!

Hi,

I fully appreciate your comments, and I came back on to praise Essential Nails for listening to my comments and actually doing something about it - which is all I was asking them to do.

I had a phone call today from them today, informing me that they have altered their website. In their frequent Q&A section, they have mentioned about Ebay, and about the cost of £95 per course to transfer. As a gesture of goodwill, and to my surprise they are going to waiver the other two fees for me - so thanx to E/Nails - i didn't expect that.

I would like to make it clear that i was not getting at E/Nails... I was merely stating that perhaps if they mentioned it on their site to save others from getting stung. If they had said there was an admin charge of £30/40 I would have said OK, no problem, I understand - i just thought that £95.00 was a bit steep without prior warning, just for a change of name, when they have already been paid once for this and have done nothing with the person that brought it. Anyway, hats off to Essential Nails, for listening to me and doing something about it in only 2 days.

I was hurt a little about your comments about The Nail Geek and being set up for professionals - its kinda hard not to take personally when I spent 7 months going to evening classes at college and trained in VTCT Manicure and Pedicure - this course alone set me back £170 + equipment and exams!! I have two young children and a part-time job as a mobile warden, which I work on a 3 week rota - including a full days and a nights on call, hence 48 hr shifts! Whilst at college, I had to swop shifts with colleagues every 3rd Tuesday, which then meant me working 3 days with nights in a row (a 72hr shift) - which left me exhausted!!

Before I got this job, working with old people, I did a full time VTCT Holistics course for 1 yr in Aromatherapy, Anatomy, Reflexology, Counselling, Massage etc, and I have also done a Reiki course off my own back - so I do know all about professionality and hard work. I have taken the nails route due to arthritus in my hands, (which pains me in massage and reflexology,) and I want to do it professionally, which is why I am going for Essential Nails Home Learn, so I can get a certificate at the end!!!!! I am not taking a back-door route, I am merely working within my means that fits into my job... and my pocket. Surely, just because I brought second hand, doesn't mean that I am not professional in my attitude - it just means that with two school age children, a single parent, and a difficult part-time job - I am doing the best I can. And the only kits I was interested in were new and unused, even though secondhand. With doing 3 Essential Nails courses, paying for college and buying all my equipment for a home salon - I must have spent over £1200 already - so with that in mind, are you saying I am not, or at the end of my Essential Nails courses, will still not be classed as a professional Nail Technician????? Why???? What exactly will it take for me to be classed as a professional nail tech - I'm not getting at you, I just want to know.

Oh and Thanx to everyone in welcoming me to the site.

 

[Mrs Geek]

I was hurt a little about your comments about The Nail Geek and being set up for professionals - its kinda hard not to take personally when I spent 7 months going to evening classes at college and trained in VTCT Manicure and Pedicure - this course alone set me back £170 + equipment and exams!! I have two young children and a part-time job as a mobile warden, which I work on a 3 week rota - including a full days and a nights on call, hence 48 hr shifts! Whilst at college, I had to swop shifts with colleagues every 3rd Tuesday, which then meant me working 3 days with nights in a row (a 72hr shift) - which left me exhausted!!

Before I got this job, working with old people, I did a full time VTCT Holistics course for 1 yr in Aromatherapy, Anatomy, Reflexology, Counselling, Massage etc, and I have also done a Reiki course off my own back - so I do know all about professionality and hard work. I have taken the nails route due to arthritus in my hands, (which pains me in massage and reflexology,) and I want to do it professionally, which is why I am going for Essential Nails Home Learn, so I can get a certificate at the end!!!!! I am not taking a back-door route, I am merely working within my means that fits into my job... and my pocket. Surely, just because I brought second hand, doesn't mean that I am not professional in my attitude - it just means that with two school age children, a single parent, and a difficult part-time job - I am doing the best I can. And the only kits I was interested in were new and unused, even though secondhand. With doing 3 Essential Nails courses, paying for college and buying all my equipment for a home salon - I must have spent over £1200 already - so with that in mind, are you saying I am not, or at the end of my Essential Nails courses, will still not be classed as a professional Nail Technician????? Why???? What exactly will it take for me to be classed as a professional nail tech - I'm not getting at you, I just want to know.

As I said Michelle - PLEASE don't take it personally; of course I do not know your circumstances and maybe my 'back-door' comment was a little harsh - you have been dealing with this for 7 months. I have been battling to have our industry percieved as 'professional' for 15 years. It's good to be passionate and that's exactly what I am when it comes to this industry - of course you must be a pro - you joined this site didn't you :Grope: - so as I say... everyone's circumstances are different but I merely needed to make it clear that one must be careful when it comes to where and how we purchase and that the net/eBay etc is not always the best option! I wish you the absolute best with EN products and I think they have been great in giving you the help they have!!

 

[Michybug]

I merely needed to make it clear that one must be careful when it comes to where and how we purchase and that the net/eBay etc is not always the best option! I wish you the absolute best with EN products and I think they have been great in giving you the help they have!!

I totally agree - beginners beware :wink2: