CELTA nightmare?

Discussion about courses, qualifications etc

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Velvet
Member
Posts: 13
Joined: 30 Sep 2008, 20:08

Re: CELTA nightmare?

Unread post by Velvet »

Wow, I am happy to find a witness!Would you be able to give your name to what you have said if it will be needed?
Well,Citizen's Advice did not reply yet but I am going to make an appointment with them personally,but DIUS Register of Education and Training Providers started an investigation against them,and they can remove them from their register if my allegations are true.They also passed my complaint to the Companies Investigation Branch at the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for further investigation. That is one thing I could do,but this still does not give my money back,so I definitely will need a legal person's help.The guy (who is the only dodgy manager of the whole college)is called Ian Holding,as far as I remember his surname,but Ian is for sure.The reason why I dont know his surname is becuase he removed the old website and the new one has no information as such.Yes,they were still Elite College when I registered and paid the the first amount,and from September they became Access,but its the same s...,only the name and the logo changed.... I paid the second amount under Access.So I have receipts from both Elite and Access,which is again another proof.
Have you got that newspaper article?I would love to read it.Is it available on the internet or would u be able to scan it and send it to me?
I really need a genuine witness like you,would you mind contacting me by email,so I know your contact details...
As I said I will sue them but I need legal advice from Cititzen's Advice first,as police said it is a civil case.
Anyway,the guy did not call me 1 week later as he promised to 'think about it',so I made these steps and waiting for Citizen's email reply as they said they will reply in 10 days.Soon I will manage to go to their office in the morning too,to sort it out.
I am planning to call the manager again using a firm voice and asking about his decision,also threatening him.
My email is: okina76@hotmail.com

Thanks very much!

Velvet
Velvet
Member
Posts: 13
Joined: 30 Sep 2008, 20:08

Re: CELTA nightmare?

Unread post by Velvet »

HI All!

My case is going to be passed to the court soon,I am seeing a lawyer next week.At Citizens Advice they already heard about Elite/Acces-dodgy-bogus college and said the court is going to push them and force them as much as possible.
Now they (Elite)removed their teachers trainig option from their website,as a sign of getting scared,haha!I have all the proofs against them and they said I have a very good chance to win.
Home Office is also investigating them.
I am looking for as many witnesses as possible, 'Welshman' where are u???
Witnesses might help my case.
Anybody who has been cheated by Elite-Access College please contact me!
SunShine
Rising Star
Posts: 32
Joined: 13 Nov 2008, 17:55

Re: CELTA nightmare?

Unread post by SunShine »

Hello Velvet, sorry to hear about your experience. I am also a victim of a rip-off, although I managed to pass my course and got a TEFL certificate. This school operates in Granada, Spain and is merely a franchise operation, ie. business venture for the DOS and his wife. They are not even CELTA/Cambridge certified but by some obscure University of Birminham Body. But, now that I have read this thread, I learnt that I can complain to the certifying body, which is what I will do. I mean, catching bed bugs in a filthy hostel is quite something. No apologies, nothing. And the DOS gets his cut out of the accommodation fees.
SunShine
Rising Star
Posts: 32
Joined: 13 Nov 2008, 17:55

Re: CELTA nightmare?

Unread post by SunShine »

Correction: Birmingham University have long since washed their hands off this cowboy outfit, and so have the last moderator, Hunter College in the States. What's more, I have just heard from my young friend in Granada that the interviews the DOS arranged for three of them were bogus. The school they went to had never heard of the DOS and neither did they have any work. They are all struggling now to make ends meet. I feel sorry for them. Also, when you go on VL official site, they have dropped the Granada operation and replaced it with something different. Do not ever consider doing this course. Waste of money. Also, their reputation is such that my job applications never get considered.
systematic
Top Contributor
Posts: 525
Joined: 21 Apr 2008, 12:38
Status: Other

Re: CELTA nightmare?

Unread post by systematic »

SunShine wrote:...when you go on VL official site, they have dropped the Granada operation and replaced it with something different. Do not ever consider doing this course. Waste of money. Also, their reputation is such that my job applications never get considered.
VL is so similar to another operation that has been hotly debated on the Alex Case blog, that it is hard to know which is a carbon copy of the other. They are obviously not connected, but both claim to be the largest or near largest n the world, neither are accredited but insists that they are quality controlled by a board of advisers, both are a chain of franchises, and the hype on their websites follows a very similar pattern.
As one commentator stated very recently on Alex's page:
"As to the accreditation scheme, it never gets involved in teachers’ terms and conditions, even when they have a direct effect of quality. How effective is that?”
Which just about sums up the the situation for complaints about accommodation and anything thing else that is not academically related to the course.

A franchisee, often a man-and-wife team, has bought the brand and perhaps the course content, and the franchise sellers are not in the slightest bit interested in how these independent businesses are managed.

The 'parent' organisations will of course, however, close ranks to protect the image of the brand.

To quote another member on these organisations "90% percent of the complaints are about the same 2% of the providers."
- at least that give hope that the other 98% of the TESOL institutes do a good job.

When looking for work, bear in mind also that the same formula applies equally to the franchise chains of language schools. The dodgiest ones are often the ones that claim to be the largest, and are the ones that attract the most flak.
I offer any information or advice 'as is' and hope that it has been of help. I am not an admin of this board, and my postings do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the board management.
ralfi
Member
Posts: 1
Joined: 14 Apr 2014, 13:25
Status: Other

Re: CELTA nightmare?

Unread post by ralfi »

Velvet wrote:HI All!

My case is going to be passed to the court soon,I am seeing a lawyer next week.At Citizens Advice they already heard about Elite/Acces-dodgy-bogus college and said the court is going to push them and force them as much as possible.
Now they (Elite)removed their teachers trainig option from their website,as a sign of getting scared,haha!I have all the proofs against them and they said I have a very good chance to win.
Home Office is also investigating them.
I am looking for as many witnesses as possible, 'Welshman' where are u???
Witnesses might help my case.
Anybody who has been cheated by Elite-Access College please contact me!
Hi

Have you win in the court? I got the same problem now. Can you please give your contact details, please?
Today I am going to see a lawyer!

Thanks
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