Bright sparks welding course

[AFelst]

Hi there wondering if anyone can help me?

I was contacted by bright sparks welding after looking at various different welding courses in the summer of 2015. They then contacted me around the beginning of December say there was a course advisor in my area and he would like to come and interview me for a possible placement of the course. He visited me one Monday evening going through the course outlines, saying how this is the best welding course out there, that I would be earning 40k after I finish the course. Then he mentioned he had several other possible candidates to interview before he could choose the appropriate candidate for the course. The course advisor who came round pretty much treated my house as his own, using his vape inside my house without asking, mentioning to he how slow and rubbish my laptop was. Just wasn't very professional.

Then I had a call on the Friday for the course advisor congratulating me that I have been chosen to be enrolled on the course. He then came round that evening to go through the course in more detail and organise the loan through Career Finance 4 Trade Skills. He mentioned that the course would cost equivalent to a few drinks a week. He then went through my income and expenditure and then submitted it to Career Finance 4 Trade Skills. They then came up with a monthly sum off £165 plus £50 advance payment. I was then told if I wasn't happy I could cancel within 14 or 16 days of the signed agreement. Which really does not give you any time to see how well you can coupe with the monthly payments. Which I was and still am on a low income.

Since I started the course I have received 2 work books, I tried to download the programme for the online training and could not download it. I was told I would be contacted by my own tutor and haven't. There is 11 weeks of practical that I have not even done 1 day of.

I still currently paying off the course but struggling with the payments each month which is then knocking on with my other monthly bill. Im getting phone call most weeks form Career Finance 4 Trade Skills.

I really feel I was miss lead and mis sold this course. I Am dyslexic and do struggle with studying that is why I have chose this course. but I have tried to go onto my student portal and now cannot access it. there is no telephone number I can find to contact the course.

I am sorry there is so much more I have probably missed.

Thanks Adam

[Amethyst]

It certainly sounds like you haven't received the service you signed up for. Do you have any copies of the paperwork at all ?

Are you still making the monthly payments ? Normally the course only lasts for 3 years, and the payments the same, so they should have finished now if you started Dec 2015. That will likely be why you can't access the Student Portal any more and they will try to get you to pay to extend the course to continue.

You haven't actually been able to take the course at all by the sounds of it ? Have you done any of the assignments ? - have you tried to get in contact with BrightSparks at all to get help downloading the course or setting up the practical sessions ? or was it all based around a 'tutor' getting in contact with you?

Any idea what qualifications you were actually signed up to take ?

Any idea who the credit agreement / finance was with ? ( ahhh " Im getting phone call most weeks form Career Finance 4 Trade Skills. " - so CF4TS - what are they saying when they ring ? )


Send a CCA request (CCA Request letter) to them

3/1 The Skypark 14 Elliot Place Glasgow Lanarkshire G3 8EP

and send a SAR to BrightSparks -Subject Access Request Letter - asking for everything they hold on you

Bright Sparks Welding
Kinsbourne Court
96-100 Luton Road, Harpenden
AL5 3BL

That should give you the basis on which to make your complaint requesting a refund of the monies paid.

[AFelst]

Hi Amethyst,

Yes I do have all the paperwork form the course.

Yes I am still currently making the monthly payments of £165. It was 43 monthly payments of £165 plus £50 joining. So that £7145 for 2 work books and no other training. In all the contract paperwork there is nothing that I can see that states the course last for 3 years.

I Have finished on work book they sent me and then was sent another to do, but needed to use the online training to complete the 2nd workbook. But as I said I couldn't down load the online training programme. With contacting them I have struggled as I cannot find a phone number to the college or even have a number to contact my tutor. (which he should of contacted me at the beginning of my course)

the Qualifications are City & Guild

CF4TS have been contacting me due to missed monthly payments due to the fact im struggling to keep on top off all my out goings. They was usung another company to collect my money called Ardent. Im currently trying to sort out a missed payment from August 2018, Which I have paid, I have the my bank statement showing the money went out. I spoken to CF4TS a few time about this and they was going to look into it. But are still saying I haven't paid. and need to contact Ardent to see if they had the payment. I did contact them and they cannot find a single detail about me and said to contact CF4TS. I fell like im being pushed to pillow to post, not getting anywhere and completely stressed out.

[Amethyst]

Check Paragraph 15 of the contract ( https://legalbeagles.info/forums/fil...tch?id=1166938 )
2019-01-11 15_11_50-Start.png

[Amethyst]

Ardent being these > https://www.ardentcredit.co.uk/ ? Have you had anything in writing from them at all?


ON CF4TS - see the bold underlined parts ....

1. With effect from 8th August 2016, CF4TS shall not carry on any regulated activities, save that CF4TS has Part 4A permission for exercising/having the right to exercise the lender's rights and duties under a regulated credit agreement limited to where the agreement was entered into by the firm on or before 15 July 2016.

2. CF4TS shall provide to the Authority in writing to Firm.queries@fca.org.uk every six calendar months, commencing 8th August 2016, or within such period as the FCA may reasonably require, the following information:
a. the number of loan agreements collected on and closed in the previous six months;
b. the total amount collected on all loans within the previous six months;
c. the total number of customers with open/active loans, as at the date of reporting;
d. the amount still to be collected on all open/active loan agreements; and
e. the number and percentage of loan agreements in arrears and default, as at the date of reporting.

3. CF4TS shall by 3rd October 2016 provide all of its existing customers in writing the following information in relation to the Continuous Payment Authority:
a. information about the basis on which further attempts to obtain payment under Continuous Payment Authority ("CPA") will be made and the frequency of these attempts; and
b. information about whether part payment may be sought under the CPA and, if so, the basis on which and frequency with which payment would be sought and whether part payments would be subject to a minimum amount of percentage; and

4. CF4TS shall inform the Authority in writing to Firm.queries@fca.org.uk, no later than seven days after it has ceased collecting out on loan agreements (i.e. once it has emptied its current book). Upon such notification, CF4TS's permission for exercising/having the right to exercise the lender's rights and duties under a regulated credit agreement will, with immediate effect, be automatically varied to remove all regulated activities and the firm's FCA authorisation status cancelled.

5. In the event that CF4TS has not notified the Authority by 5pm on 31 August 2020 in accordance with paragraph 4 above, CF4TS's permission for exercising/having the right to exercise the lender's rights and duties under a regulated credit agreement limited to where the agreement was entered into by the firm on or before 15 July 2016 and the firm's FCA authorisation status will be cancelled with immediate effect. CF4TS must write off any outstanding loans in existence on 31 August 2020 and notify in writing the customers whose loans have been written off of this action by 28 September 2020.

[Setmefree3]

Have you checked on companies house for this company?

[Amethyst]

It's Marlborough Information Services setmefree - Bright Sparks is just one of their many trading names.

Looks like Bright Sparks is going kerputt though - they're sending people over to "Careers In Trades" website for enquiries now - who oddly give their DPA reg number as ZA369342 which is Search Response Agency Limited - which seems to have taken overall responsibility for all the various companies privacy policies and data controller functions - not sure that's particularly correct - might check that with the ICO . ( sorry slight sidetrack there )

brightsparkclosed.png

[Setmefree3]

Amethyst Sorry, I was looking at the bigger picture and the staggering amount owed to the above company.

[AFelst]

All the paperwork I have got with my fixed sum loan agreement hasn't even got a paragraph 15.

With regard to this:

Send a CCA request (CCA Request letter) to them

3/1 The Skypark 14 Elliot Place Glasgow Lanarkshire G3 8EP


and send a SAR to BrightSparks -Subject Access Request Letter - asking for everything they hold on you

Bright Sparks Welding
Kinsbourne Court
96-100 Luton Road, Harpenden
AL5 3BL


That should give you the basis on which to make your complaint requesting a refund of the monies paid.

Should I send them both off and see where I stand?

I hope you can understand I am struggling with all this legal info. And how would I be able to make a claim back for the money I have paid for the course?

Thanks

[Setmefree3]

It's Marlborough Information Services setmefree - Bright Sparks is just one of their many trading names.

Looks like Bright Sparks is going kerputt though - they're sending people over to "Careers In Trades" website for enquiries now - who oddly give their DPA reg number as ZA369342 which is Search Response Agency Limited - which seems to have taken overall responsibility for all the various companies privacy policies and data controller functions - not sure that's particularly correct - might check that with the ICO . ( sorry slight sidetrack there )

brightsparkclosed.png

Yep, look like they ain’t in the best position.

[Amethyst]

All the paperwork I have got with my fixed sum loan agreement hasn't even got a paragraph 15.

With regard to this:

Send a CCA request (CCA Request letter) to them

3/1 The Skypark 14 Elliot Place Glasgow Lanarkshire G3 8EP


and send a SAR to BrightSparks -Subject Access Request Letter - asking for everything they hold on you

Bright Sparks Welding
Kinsbourne Court
96-100 Luton Road, Harpenden
AL5 3BL


That should give you the basis on which to make your complaint requesting a refund of the monies paid.

Should I send them both off and see where I stand?

I hope you can understand I am struggling with all this legal info. And how would I be able to make a claim back for the money I have paid for the course?

Thanks

Yes get those letters off and then see where we stand.

Any idea how much you have actually paid since Dec '15 ? Everything until Aug 18 ?

Re reclaiming - yes possibly - under the consumer credit act (s75) the lender is liable if the company breaches the contract ( ie in not providing the service you paid for ) so it's worth looking into if you get nowhere with complaints.

First step is to gather the information.

[Setmefree3]

Dormant company? Overview

Your company or association may be ‘dormant’ if it’s not doing business (‘trading’) and doesn’t have any other income, for example investments.

[AFelst]

Ok great. I have got the letter written out and will send tomorrow.

I have paid everything up until November 2018. Obviously need to pay Dec and Jan.

So should I obviously wait for a replay from both of the letter and let you know whats what?

[monahan94]

hi,
I am wondering if anyone can help me I signed up with bright sparks welding in 2015 when the sales rep came to my house he told me I had as long as I needed to take to complete this course witch I have a witness of him saying that then when I tried to log on it was telling me to contact customer service when I contacted them i was told the course had expired i have only £450 left to pay out of the £6650 i have payed i have not received any training in the time doing this i have completed up to the point of training on but i can not tell you the date as i am unable to get onto my student login also i was not made aware of how to arrange this training i have not received a letter of any kind of these or to tell me this course had expired or was getting close to expiring is there any way i can get my money back

thank you
kind regards

[Setmefree3]

Amethyst Hi. You seem to have already paid a vast amount of money for this training on a course that has now expired. I have tagged in Amethyst who hopefully can advise you further. Was there a timeframe in the contract in which you had to complete the course?, and do you have a copy of the contract that you could upload (redacted).