Hello

[kurtkwondo]

I have joined as I google searched issues with bright sparks welding. I too am having issues with this company but different to a lot of the issue i have read. My issue is there is apparently a course expiration date which i was unaware of when i started. They stated that I signed a declaration/contract where this is boldly shown so i asked them for this evidence as I had nothing and they have not got back to me (after my telephone conversation)

They also stated for me to complete the course I would need to pay £250 for a course extension through another company.

Two of the main points why I chose this course was I could study at my own pace and in my own time as had full time work and life commitments and that all travel costs and accommodation expenses would be refunded.

If I took then extension I would not be able to claim back my expenses I was told.

Also I can only claim back some of my expenses after the fourth week practical, which funnily enough I would not be able to complete by the course expiration date as there was no week 3 and 4 where I could attend.

There is a lot more to this but these are the main issues

Where do I stand? I dont want to take anyone to court I just want to finish this course and claim back my money I was entitled too.

I was mis-sold this service as I asked the sales rep if there was a time limit and he said no, my father was also a witness to this.

Any help/advice would be much appriciated

A

[Amethyst]

The three year time limit is always an issue with these courses. It usually coincides with the final payment on the loan.

Its in this agreement ( sorry not a great copy - paragraph 3 ) and it is vague in wording. There is something else in the course docs I'll dig out tomorrow for you - but did you sign one of these agreements along with the loan documentation ?

E17CEB74-8A71-47EC-ABB3-7A3D87C417DF.png

Xx

[kurtkwondo]

I did not complete a form like this, I also paid for my course outright so no loan/repayment conditions.
I did receive a pink receipt which I have revised and no such contract obligations or timescale conditions are stated.

Many thanks for your help

[Amethyst]

Ahhh I have the pink one about somewhere - I'll dig it out tmw unless you have your copy to hand you can upload ? ( redacted of personal info course )

[kurtkwondo]

Hi,

Firstly I AMETHYST I would like to reiterate my gratitude in yours/the forums help.

So after some phone calls and email back and forth bright sparks produced a document much like the one pictured above however it is titled a registration form, and I dont have a personal copy. They also said they sent me another copy by post 2 weeks after my enrolment and again, I dont have a copy. Their records show them this however mine do not.

I want to make it clear I am by no means lying about my records/information I have.

I have queried bright sparks directly about the wording being unclear in the clauses and the main fact that it doesn't say its a contract , they seem to be avoiding answering my questions accurately and they keep replying to my emails via letter's so I receive them a couple of days after. They also have not addressed the fact that I dont have the information they said they have provided.

Many of my other issues with the course have been responded to by the registration form which in all fairness does cover a lot of my woes but again. I did not have this document to refer too.

I noticed that other forum users did not receive their copy of this also.

Do I have a leg to stand on? I said already to them I was completely unaware I was signing a contract, to essentially a course I was not really interested in as it had time constraints

The form says its a student declaration/registration form , not a contract, is this effectively a naughty way of getting people to sign a contract?

I have managed to squeeze 2 weeks more practical out of them atm as my online work is complete and its only practical I have remaining. (I have 6 weeks of practical remaining)

There is over 6 weeks left in my "contract" but they are not running the practical weeks i need in that time, they again have not really responded to my dissatisfaction with this.

Am I just starting a fight I simply cannot win?

I just want a better career at the end of the day, which was another course selling point

I just want to finish my course tbh and I dont know if I really want to start legal proceedings as I just dont have the finances.

Thanks in advance

[Amethyst]

TBH you've come this far, and spent that much money on doing it...

is that the course completed once the practical is finished?
Do you know what qualification you actually end up with ?

I'd keep arguing that you would complete within the 36 months if there were places available on the practical courses, so can they extend to enable those to be completed.

There are rules on consumer contracts of course, and giving you a copy of the contract is part of that, but it will end up being your word against theirs.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2.../contents/made for reference particularly http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2...lation/12/made

[kurtkwondo]

course completed once practical is completed!

Basically ends up being an extra £1200 all in (petrol,accommodation and course extension fee) as opposed to £0 as expenses are covered by the course.

I am going to keep arguing but I don't want it to get to a point where they wont let me continue with them.

In the clauses it states that I can request an extension, so i did (for bright sparks) which meant i could still claim the expenses back, they just said I have to use another company and sent me the link. Rather then confirming yes or no. I cannot claim expenses with the external copy even though the training is still provided by bright sparks.

Thanks

[Amethyst]

Presumably the practical's are with ERR (Engineering Real Results Ltd) ?

Where is the information in reclaiming expenses for attendance of the practicals from ? Is that in the contract that you can see ?

( this is a poor copy but I can't see anything, only about having to pay £80 if you want additional sessions and you have to wear the right boots, unless it's on the front ? can't see anything in my (poor) copy tho)

brightsparks.png

[Amethyst]

This appears in a different contract. Not BrightSparks. green360.png

[kurtkwondo]

Clause 15 , it goes on to state its at their discretion and will cost an. extra £300.

ERR are the practical training provider, the customer service woman I spoke to stated that directly through them is approx £600 oer week.


I am trying to upload the copy they sent me but I am having trouble.

[Amethyst]

Email it to me if you like admin@legalbeagles.info

Yes clause 15 is about the course extension. I'm sure it was £250 last time I looked tsk.... inflation.

[Amethyst]

Is the extension through this - https://www.benchmarkmediasolutions.co.uk/ btw ?

There is no charge by the training provider, and only a one-off administration fee [£250.00 inc VAT] payable to BMS.

05 Jan 2018	Cessation of Ian John Morris as a person with significant control on 1 February 2017	View PDF Cessation of Ian John Morris as a person with significant control on 1 February 2017 - link opens in a new window - 1 page (1 page)

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[kurtkwondo]

yes bench mark are the second company i am told to use

[Amethyst]

Okay that clause about expenses not being included is in your alleged contract too.

Have you anything in writing about them repaying your expenses ?

Did you expect to have to travel, pay for overnight accommodation etc to do the course, or had you expected it to be closer to home ? (ie. was that misrepresented as well ?)

[Amethyst]

Just been talking to someone else and because the course wasn't available at the nearest training centre they offered travel expenses - is that what happened in your case ?