Misleading "Teaching"
Misleading "Teaching" - Two Days of Aggressive Sales Tactics I paid £99 for what was promoted as a two-day teaching course, but it was nothing more than an extended, high-pressure sales pitch for a £15,000, 12-month program. The vast majority of the "two days" was dedicated to trying to upsell attendees. If you removed all the "put a 1 in the chat box" requests, the depressing American motivational videos, and the "student success stories" (most from five years ago claiming millions in earnings), this entire event could have been condensed into an hour. On the final day, the aggressive tactics escalated, with one Scottish speaker resorting to swearing at attendees. It seemed they mistook people's reluctance to part with £15,000 for fear, when in reality, many were expressing genuine financial hardship, stating they couldn't afford it and were struggling to put food on the table, especially after paying £99 for what turned out to be a prolonged advertisement. The constant narrative from one of the female presenters, about how she did this for her family, was in £24,000 debt but spent £20,000 on the course, and now spends all her time with her kids, felt disingenuous. Not only was she spending her weekend trying to sell this expensive course, but she also claimed to take one week of foreign holidays every month – which contradicts the idea of spending "all her time with her kids." The suggestion of putting £10,000 on a credit card when in significant debt, or relying on a brother for a £10,000 loan, isn't a realistic or responsible option for many attendees. They heavily pushed a narrative of limited spaces, claiming only "33 places" were available and implying only a few were left by Sunday afternoon. This tactic, designed to create urgency, seemed particularly manipulative given that they are clearly running more "two-day courses" throughout the month, which I can only assume will magically have more "bargain" £15,000 places become available. The potential earnings of over £450,000 from just one weekend's worth of sales (33 x £15k) highlight the true nature of this "course." In summary, do not expect genuine teaching or value for your money. This is a thinly veiled, high-pressure sales event designed to extract a significant sum from attendees. It's crucial to note that this company is based in Liechtenstein, NOT the UK. Perhaps the biggest red flag. It's my understanding under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, for most online purchases, you have a legal right to a 14-day "cooling-off" period to change your mind and receive a refund. However, these rights typically do not apply to Digital products, such as online courses, after you have been given access to them (with notification from us that you would not be able to cancel) or have started to download or stream them. A significant concern is that by immediately starting the £15k program after the initial two days, they appear to be leveraging a loophole in the Consumer Contracts Regulations regarding digital products to remove any cancellation rights. This immediate access means you are instantly stripped of your legal right to cancel, as you've been given access to the digital product. It's a calculated move to trap customers into a £15,000 commitment with no recourse. On a potentially positive note, their own terms (18.6) state that the terms are governed by English law, and both parties agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. This suggests that despite being a Liechtenstein company, they acknowledge and potentially allow for legal action in the UK ------------------------------------------------------------ Reply 25/06/2025 It seems you haven't reviewed your own sales emails. Your claim that the £99 event is "clearly advertised as an introductory experience, designed to showcase the value of our full education programme" contradicts your email's promises of "Expert Training," "Success Techniques," "Valuable Resources," "Networking," and a "CPD Certificate." The event offered minimal to no actual training, tools, or networking. It was not advertised as a "showcase" I never stated your students weren't real; rather, they seemed present solely to promote your £15k course, not as part of any training. The aggressive and manipulative tactics used on Sunday, including constant pressure to pay £15k, deleting chat comments, and an operative swearing, are unacceptable and not what I'd consider good practice. I never claimed you didn't comply with UK consumer regulations. However, by immediately starting the 12-month course, attendees lost their legal right to cancel, you offer no other explanation. You asked for my review, I have honestly given that so please use it constructively.