Tefl.NET Forums

i'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post in but i thought i'd give it a try anyways.

last year october i participated in a tefl course in buenos aires. we were the first class of a new program and so alot was still a bit disorganized. in the end, i fell out with the head of the program because of personal differences. i was told that i 'barely' passed to acheive my TEFL certificate (this was, also, told to all my classmates which was also a bit unprofessional) and still i failed to receive my certificate in the mail!! regardless of by how much i passed i believe i still deserve to receive my certificate because we paid alot of money for the course and to live in buenos aires for 2 months! i've sent a few emails regarding this matter to the head of the program and they have yet to respond.

what i'm asking is, is there a way for me to get a refund? do you think this is an appropriate action? i just believe that i've been 'ripped off' by being denied my certificate. i need it to prove that i participated so that i can begin applying to colleges and i think that this is COMPLETELY unnecessary. despite our differences the organizer should still have sent my certificate.

any advice would be appreciated. thankyou!

Dear Bizzy,


It sounds as if you feel frustrated. I can certainly understand your frustration. You have spent a lot of money and time; you have also worked hard and have not yet received your certificate. I agree with you that it was wrong to announce your result to your classmates.

You are right to say that if you have barely passed, you have still passed. I would start by contacting the training centre and trying to find an amicable solution. Can you go in to see them or phone them? It could be that the certificates have not been sent out yet – you could check this with others who were on the course. It is also possible that the certificate has been held up in the post. In any case, contact the training centre to find out what is happening.

If this approach doesn’t work, you can consider other options. However, I don’t think it is right to ask for a refund. You paid for the training, materials, etc and you definitely received this.

Good luck and best wishes,


Lucy