Home Learning College

JnClaude E Clifford

Just a word of advices to any one looking to start the AAT.

Whatever you do NOT USE HOME LEARNING COLLEGE. They are day light robbers, dishonest and conniving.

I was sold Module one Basic accounting the old qualification at the cost of £895.00. I was told by the guy who came to my home I was signing on to the Full level certificate in accounting at that price. However in the middle of module one I called to ask for the next module because I felt I could study for two modules being out of work. I was told that the cost £895 only covered module one.

I had paid £400.00 via installment, when I refuse to pay the remaining £495.00 My details were sold to A credit collecting agency called Gothia's. After more than 5yr Gothia'e then sold it to MMF: National Doorstep & Legai Collection Specialists.

I wrote to AAT 5yr or more ago, they did nothing besides all the complains for students. I also wrote to HOME LEARNING COLLEGE they could not care. All they were concern with was destroying my credit history and after more than 5 yr still doing so.

PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE. ITS IS COSTLY, DEPRESSING AND SOUL DESTROYING..

Have a look at these forums:
http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?153476-Home-learning-college
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1647777

JnClaude E Clifford

More links with unhappy students:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4140055&highlight=aat

HomeLearningCollege

Hi Jean-Claude

We do take all complaints very seriously and conducted an investigation in January 2009, when we wrote to you detailing our findings. We confirmed that all information on the course level was provided early on and within the course materials themselves.

We did not hear back from you on any of these points and as such your studies remain open and available on our system.

Is there anything we can further look into for you?

Kind regards

Clare Thirgood, Home Learning Comms Team

Spamkebab

Hi Clare

How come this module was/is so expensive compared to other providers? Kaplan offer BA1 distance learning @ £125.00
That is a massive difference.

Neil.

benge

HI

I really wish I did my research before joining up with HLC. I signed up for AAT level 3 in 2009. I was visited at home by someone and was told I couldnt do level 3 but, could start on level 2. It turned out after reading some information on the AAT website that I could do level 3 and contact HLC and they agreed the course advise was wrong and changed me to the correct course.

I received the course material and started as I was so keen to get going But, my problems started to occur. I contact my tutor for help heard nothing for days. I contacted customer services and they chased her to get a email from my tutor over a week later where she sent me all the answers to the assignment. I complained about this and then got moved to another tutor. Then after a while this tutor became uncontactable didnt hear anything for 2 weeks then complained again and the tutor got back to me on a saturday asking what I wanted. I didnt get the help in the end but, in my finial complaint to HLC they used this contact as a plus in there response saying my tutor contacted me outside there normal hours.

Exams:- Could never get hold of them chasing for dates. I attended a exam after weeks of chasing to get it to not be able to sit the exam because they software HLC was using was a demo version and had been used to many times I travels miles from where I lived to this exam to then have it wasted.

I spent my time complaining and not completing the course was due to there mistakes. Each time I complainted They did try and resolve it but, any contact I had with them would not be postive and I would have to complain it became depressing and upset.

The finial straw with this college was when I decided to take some time out of the course because it was causing me stress. I rang them to ask if they would extend the course for me to find out the AAT had made changes to the structure and I should of been encourage to complete the course sooner which I havent had any contact with a tutor for over a year. They did extend the course for me by 6 months free of charge. Well yes bet you are thinking thats great what are to complaining about but, they took it away by restricting my online accounts so I couldnt gain access to the new AAT course material because they say that out of 24 payments totaling £2500 I didnt pay one. I asked for a statement of account and never got one but, during a complaint I made about attending a exam and couldnt it it due to there fault they gave me a credit of one month so think this was the missing payment.

I made a formal complaint as advised as it would be looked at a third party to receive a half hearted response from the same lady I had spent complaining to all the time. Not what I call a good complaints procedure.

I am so upset that I paid all this money and didnt even pass one unit and I am £2500 out of pocket. I have given HLC every chance to sort this. I am now going to the courts to get my money back. I wish the AAT would really think about letting this college sell there qualifications. If an employee is bad mouthing the college in reviews then that says something.

Anita

ChrisatHomeLearning

Hello Anita.

I am the new Marketing Director at Home Learning College, brought in late last year by the new owners of the business who bought it mid-2011.

I have asked our student services to look into this case - perhaps you'd be willing to contact us directly to discuss? It’s never too late to apologise and explain how we’ve taken on board this kind of feedback. We've aimed to build a very different business to the one described in your post, and I personally have visibility to student complaints, of which there are few. We have hundreds of students sitting AAT exams every month and have recently overhauled our exam booking systems to improve the service there. We also have strict standards for tutor response times to ensure students are supported. I won't go on but in the past 12-18month since being under new ownership, we’ve completely transformed most aspects of the business, which is why we’ve kept our place as the largest distance learning provider of AAT courses. We might not get it right 100% of the time, but you can read recent independent reviews at places like trustpilot.co.uk. Our AAT exam pass rates also support this and we've been very transparent with the AAT, working with them to ensure we're focusing in the right areas.

If you, or anyone else reading this post, have concerns and would like to speak to me personally, please email me at director@ homelearningcollege. com (without the spaces) or call me direct on 0I2I 722 5389. I will try and get back to you in person and certainly you’ll hear from us within 1 business day.

Yours sincerely
Chris Simpson.