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[krabi915]

BLC MADRID CELTA DELTA COURSES - I feel obliged to have to report this incident even though it happened a year ago now.

Be very careful when it comes to paying for your course with the British Language Center in Madrid (BLC). Last year (2006) I applied for the DELTA course that began in April. I paid the full course fees, in good faith, in January 2006 as I had no doubt what so ever that I was going to do the course. Unfortunately, I met with rather a nasty climbing accident in mid March and broke my leg. So I was unable to fly never mind attend.

After informing the BLC of this accident and expecting a refund of the course fees except for the initial deposit of 600 euros of course, I was informed that there would be no refund at all!

So for the pleasure of a few e-mails I was charged 2,300 Euros. No refund and they said 'it is our policy'.

In March 2006, this was their policy on the application form:

�Payment agreement:
Please note that acceptance on the course does not mean that a place has been reserved for you. A place is only reserved after a deposit has been received. Fees are not transferable or refundable.
By ticking the box, you agree to the above terms:
(To send the page, the box needs to be ticked)�


I have asked many native English speakers their opinion on the statement above. All have agreed that it is ambiguous. The paragraph refers only to the deposit. It doesn't at any time refer to 'all' fees. The BLC Madrid disagree. It is interesting however that they have since updated their website and its payment agreement to the following:

'Acceptance on the course does not mean that a place has been reserved for you. A place is only reserved after a deposit has been paid. The remainder of the fees should be paid before the start of the course. Fees are not
transferable or refundable. The BLC reserves the right to cancel a course if there is not sufficient demand.'

This new clause does spell it out a bit more decisively doesn't it?

As a professional in the English teaching business myself, I was under the impression that an Educational center such as the BLC would have these clauses wrapped up. However, maybe the change in their payment agreement is an admittance of liability. I personally was always under the impression that the deposit was at risk. Why else would I risk that amount of money two months before the course.

To this day (March 2007), I haven't received a refund of any of the course fees apart from the exam fee which took four months to get back and many e-mails. It was only refunded after I wrote to the University Of Cambridge and it's ESOL examination board and pleaded my case with them. They then contacted the director of BLC, 'Enrique Perez' and instructed him to refund at least the exam fee (they wouldn't comment on whether the clause was ambiguous or not), but said they would also appeal to him to make a refund of the course fees in this case (the 'I have a broken leg and I am unable to physically be there' case). Unfortunately, that appeal failed, apart from the exam fee. I'm still surprised however, that the ESOL examination board has no outright persuasive power in cases like these. It is the ESOL qualification that I was seeking after all.

However, isn't it amazing how greedy a big institute like the BLC can be? Even with its 2000 plus students and all the teachers they train each year. Isn't 600 euros enough to be taking? Is there really a need to be legally (in their eyes) stealing that amount of money? Two months salary? Alot of us teach in foreign countries out of the goodness of our hearts and a passion for culture and travel, not for the meager salaries we command. Shame on you BLC, Shame on you!

So, for all you people waiting to attend CELTA or DELTA courses with the BLC, be sure not to pay the balance of your fees until the last minute before going. I contacted a lawyer about this case and although the lawyer felt that I was correct and the original statement was ambiguous, they felt that pursuing the case would be counter productive as it would cost me a lot more to pursue it than the money I had already lost. What can you do? Nothing! Sit here steam about it and simply let other people know.

2006 was a very bad year for myself and what you have read was just the beginning of a long line of tragic events. The other events are irrelevant now, but they are why I haven't written about this case with the BLC in Madrid until now.

So BLC, as promised, here is my report to the rest of the ESL world on your conduct as a business and as human beings. Your business ethics are simply another example of outright greed!