OLCI in Administration ???

[Drexyn]

I just received a letter today from a company called ERR, Engineering Real Results. They state that they are the administrators of OLCI and have accepted a transfer of my contract with them and i'm now bound to their terms and conditions.

I know nothing about this company as yet so i'm concerned about the remaining parts of my training i still have to complete as they have also made a point that i will be hearing from their finance department concerning future payments for my training. I paid OLCI in full so now this is very concerning.

Anyone spoken to these people or know what the script is?

Cheers

Trev

 

[Drexyn]

Settle down, OLCI do not exist anymore so there are no contracts valid for any payments.

As for ERR, they bought out the business as a going concern and that includes all of the student contracts. They have to see out the contracts in place until they expire or are completed and i would check if there is any legal formality in place for completing any courses that ERR says they cannot do due to lack of facilities because they have maintained at least 3 facilities from OLCI that can facilitate the remaining coursework.

I'm still trying to move house at the moment and have a few more weeks to get everything done and the old place sold, at the moment i have 3 assignments to hand in and see what happens from then on in.

 

[Roscoe]

Holy ****. I have only just learnt that olci have gone into administration today after trying to book onto a course at the Manchester center. Never recieved any letter regarding administration.

I have completed my level 2 2365 and was moving through the level 3

Has anyone else paid the full amount for the course upfront? Im going to ring ERR tomorrow to see where I stand with them. I know people who are paying installments are having problems with ERR and i just wondered if it was any easier for those who have already paid for the course

cheers

 

[percysybil]

Holy ****. I have only just learnt that olci have gone into administration today after trying to book onto a course at the Manchester center. Never recieved any letter regarding administration.

I have completed my level 2 2365 and was moving through the level 3

Has anyone else paid the full amount for the course upfront? Im going to ring ERR tomorrow to see where I stand with them. I know people who are paying installments are having problems with ERR and i just wondered if it was any easier for those who have already paid for the course

cheers

Roscoe

I paid up-front, and aware of the potential pitfalls used a credit card so I was comfortable knowing that if necessary I could seek compensation.

As it turns out, ERR have (thus far) proven to be more accommodating than OLCI who literally took my payment and delivered nothing, not even any theory material !

ERR meanwhile have been both accessible & understanding. I know others have had different experiences but I can only speak as I find...

For your information, I really wanted to go via the college/night-class route but shift working prevented me from doing that so I decided to do the Domestic Installer course so that I got at least some awareness, after which I am looking to do quite a bit of "free-gratis" labouring for a local spark.

I am fortunate to be in a position to do that I know as not everyone can but I retire from my current job in 6yrs and the electrical work I want to do at that time consists solely of domestic testing and small installations.

The Electrical Trainee route isn't to everyone's taste but for me it works in the context as set out above.

Hopefully you will get sorted mate...

 

[Roscoe]

QUOTE=percysybil;985070]Roscoe

I paid up-front, and aware of the potential pitfalls used a credit card so I was comfortable knowing that if necessary I could seek compensation.

As it turns out, ERR have (thus far) proven to be more accommodating than OLCI who literally took my payment and delivered nothing, not even any theory material !

ERR meanwhile have been both accessible & understanding. I know others have had different experiences but I can only speak as I find...

For your information, I really wanted to go via the college/night-class route but shift working prevented me from doing that so I decided to do the Domestic Installer course so that I got at least some awareness, after which I am looking to do quite a bit of "free-gratis" labouring for a local spark.

I am fortunate to be in a position to do that I know as not everyone can but I retire from my current job in 6yrs and the electrical work I want to do at that time consists solely of domestic testing and small installations.

The Electrical Trainee route isn't to everyone's taste but for me it works in the context as set out above.

Hopefully you will get sorted mate...[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the reply percysybil. I got home from work at 4pm today and tried to phone ERR. I tried all three numbers on their web site and each one took me to the same answer phone message stating i need to send any completed modules/assignments to ERR to be assessed. I have most of my level 2 certificates for the modules I completed except the last couple. I think OLCI failed to send me these as my assesment dates were around the time OLCI went bump!

I presume you have talked to someone at ERR directly? is there a different telephone number I can use? Im goi.g ro try to phone again tomorrow and again on monday if that fails.

I basicly got my employer to put the training through their books so I could save a small fortune on VAT. Im not sure if they paid by credit card, more likely they paid by cheque.

I also wanted to initially to do my training with a proper local collage but my employer needs me to work when they are busy. This made OLCI seem like a good choice as I could carry on working and getting paid and just book onto the training courses when work falls quiet. Ive been working with my current employer (telecoms industry) for almost 2 years now starting off as a labourer before becoming a sparkies mate so im starting to get a relatively good grasp of it now.

Just want to get the rest of my training done so I can start demanding a bit of a better wage and eventually start doing foreigners on the side

 

[trev]

Right, I've had enough. I've just emailed them to ask if they'll come and do a (kind of) Q&A session as I've suggested elsewhere. As soon as I get some info I'll get back to you.

 

[jjcale]

Hello mate

I have been through the same thing. I received a letter saying college's have transferred and another letter stating they will no longer tutor me which is valid as i finished my course in 2012 BUT i have been working on my NVQ 3 2356/2357 since then...handed it in in Nov 2013...then again in Feb and then for the third and last time in May. In this time the bloody college goes into administration, literally as i was supposed to get my certificate!

I tried ringing and ringing. 4 different numbers and it all went to automated voice msg. So i took a day off work and went straight to the Training centre in Watford. I finally got an email address off the manager there of the lady who is dealing with all this and i have been in contact with her since..but its an uphill battle. Anyway now they said they can send my portfolio in but i now need my practical assessment certificate to go along with it which i assume they mean the AM2 which i might have to do now which will cost me about 700 quid. This is on top of the couple of grand i paid OLCI for the full course...Im waiting on a final response from this woman to see what i have to do..i have addresses and email.. and if anyone has a number for a direct line pls swing it my way!

 

[Stretch44]

Hi All. So confusing all this isn't it. My position is I sent in my portfolio for 2357 six weeks ago. Course paid off (£6K). Can't get through too ERR. Can't get return email. Did get through on phone once and guy said he wouldn't be able to tell me anything about my result other than just wait, wait, wait, wait. Should be two weeks he said. Six weeks later, nothing. Been rewiring three houses and doing a ton of little domestic jobs. Can't sign anything off. Have to give that duty to other spark I get work from. ERR seems very mysterious. OLCI was without doubt the worst college I have encountered (and I've taught in quite a few). So, do we feel optimistic that ERR are going to do right by the students they've inherited or are we all going to be shafted and left with nothing?

 

[Drexyn]

Ok so i just received a training pack through the door today from ERR and it's for .....wait for it ....... a domestic Installers course. I am absolutely gutted at this right now but as i mentioned previously i get what i deserved having paid in full.

This brings me to my next course of options. Do we all get organised as a group of students who have been jilted by the training providers and take this to 1. the press or 2. a legal solicitor and we all collate all of our information and take the case directly to these cowboys who have basically fleeced us all and are laughing all the way to the bank with our hard earned cash?

We deserve to receive the quality training that we paid for and of course the right certificates that we all have a signed contract of agreement for as well. As for the directors of these companies, well they are laughing all the way to the bank on our money.

I have a few things to finish off this week and by this weekend i should be in a better position to start the ball rolling and look into all of the options on the table. I sent an email to ERR on 07/08/14 to the admin address i highlighted previously and so far no response.

I will start getting names and details of people and start building as much info as i can before seeking legal help so that if we have the option of a case, then i can work out the financial aspects and start the ball rolling.

 

[trev]

This brings me to my next course of options. Do we all get organised as a group of students who have been jilted by the training providers and take this to 1. the press or 2. a legal solicitor and we all collate all of our information and take the case directly to these cowboys who have basically fleeced us all and are laughing all the way to the bank with our hard earned cash?

Total and utter waste of time, money and effort. OLCI is insolvent, this means it has no money so any judgment that you get will not be worth anything. ERR could and probably would get any claim you make against them thrown out very easily simply by asking you to provide proof of an existing contract between you and them.
Companies go under all the time, it's a fact of life. Usually it's the suppliers who are left out of pocket, sometimes it's the consumers who have paid in advance as some of you guys have. Sadly, if you cannot get ERR to honour your agreements with OLCI (which realistically there is no reason why they should) then this has to be chalked down to experience.
Put your unsecured claims in with who ever is handling the insolvency, hope that there will be a payout at the end of it (unlikely) and move on.
Sorry but that's the best advice I can give.

 

[trev]

So, I just got a reply (of sorts) from a guy [email protected] Here it is word for word-

Dear Trevor
Thank you for your email which has been passed to us for reply.
We cannot, with the greatest of respect, respond directly to your email.
Again, with the utmost respect, a gmail account is not something we would expect from an executive of a forum.
Any/all our contact(s) would be with Mr Freakley.
Kind regards
Eric

Now why they are reluctant to answer is beyond me, they have an opportunity to set the record straight and let you guys know exactly where you stand with regard to what has/hasn't been done and what the way forward is, if any.
I never claimed to be an executive of this forum. I clearly stated that I am a member who is trying to help a bunch of trainees out but obviously Eric is a condescending little ----- who thinks he can talk down to people. This is usually a good indicator of how a company looks at it's customers, it's like the old saying- you can tell a lot about a man from his friends.
Who this Mr Freakley is, I have no idea.

So there you go boys and girls, make of that lot what you will but I think it's pretty obvious that they have been dodging you and are going to continue to do so. So I think your next port of call is your local branch of Ofsted but I think you're going to have to get yourselves organised and speak with one voice. This is where a facebook group will be invaluable, you'll need to appoint a spokesperson and give him or her written authorisation to act on your behalf otherwise Ofsted are going to invoke the Data Protection Act (rightly so) and refuse to talk about individual cases.
If I can help any further, you know where I am.

 

[trev]

More from Eric, "Mr Freakley is the owner of the electrician's and plumber's forum and yes, we are in contact with him on the matter"
Had he referred to him properly in the first place I'd have known who he was talking about.

 

[Gaz2750]

Right I have just read all the posts on hear. This really doesn't look good for us. I, like all the others have phoned/emailed with NO result. I paid for my gas course upfront (4k) on my credit card. Have any of you guys tried to claim through your card provider? I have phoned MasterCard tonight & have to phone again tomorrow but it didn't sound hopefull. Has anyone tried 0844 264 2970? That's a new number passed to me tonight but haven't tried it yet? If I get no joy from my credit card I really don't know what to do next. Can anyone help? I really can't afford to loose 4k (I found this forum by typing in google "problems with olci")

 

[Gaz2750]

Hi there have you had any luck with contacting err? I am 4k out of pocket and only done 10 days training for my gas! I'm totally let down. I paid on credit card and tomorrow I will find out if I can make a claim-but they didn't sound hopeful on the phone tonight. Do you know any1 who has tried to claim?

 

[Drexyn]

I received a letter today from the training team requesting that i send in a copy of my receipt from OLCI or a financial record of payment made to OLCI to confirm my course was fully paid. They are stating they have not received the said documents from OLCI when requested, how convenient of them.

I have been instructed to send proof of payment by post and NOT by email.

It looks very much like this is going to continue in a long drawn out process only for me to be told to cough up or move on. This is verging on the ridiculous and i have to be honest i did anticipate this to happen so am i really surprised...... absolutely not.

I will look at getting a Facebook page set up shortly and start offering out invites in due course, it's time to start acting in a more organised fashion. I have friends in the media who will be very interested in this as well and a couple of calls can make a lot of difference and a very uncomfortable time for our new providers.

There is nothing worse than a few reporters digging into company records and financial affairs to find out a few hidden gems. Could be interesting viewing ... watch this space.

 

[trev]

Well one not so hidden gem is that OLCI and ERR appear to have directors in common although I doubt that there's much mileage in this if I'm honest mate. Companies go under on Friday and a new one sets up on a Monday all the time, it's one of the failings of limited liability. The new company starts with a clean slate because in law it's nothing to do with the old one.
I understand your frustration but I really can't see you getting very far