BTSC Marketing (Getting you to stump up the cash)

So, how did they persuade me to part with my precious millions of Pounds? Okay, well maybe not that many but a whopping 5,000 of them!

First, I called BTSC to enquire about the program, when it starts, costs, content, etc. I talked to a person who will remain nameless for the purposes of this review. I was given minimal information at this point and told that I need to schedule an “interview”, which involved quite a long trek!

Okay, talk about sales pitch! These people can really lay it on and if you don’t know exactly what you are getting into, DON’T sign anything! I fear for those who I have heard of taking out loans or spending hard earned cash and not realizing what exactly is happening until they get into the college and find out that some things may have been misrepresented. The BTSC sales set up is the same for any common door to door sales pitch, except you have to schedule an interview and go in yourself. Having seen many schemes myself, I was privy to their game and thoroughly questioned them and took their information with a ‘grain of salt’. A ‘grain of salt’ is how you should view any information coming out of the mouth of even BTSC salesmen. I’ll explain more on this point further down this post.

First thing you will notice is that they have their recruiting set up much like an interview if you were applying for a regular job. Your interviewer is not actually an employer but a salesman. During the interview process you are asked questions just like in a job interview and will feel the need to try to ‘prove’ that you deserve one of the ‘few slots’ they have open for new recruits. You are then given the grand tour around the Centre and brought back to the office.

After you are totally impressed with the facilities they ask you if you are still interested in the opportunity to become a qualified plumber. You say yes (naturally because you feel like you are actually interviewing for special acceptance into limited open slots) and they hand you your brochures outlining Level 1&2 NVQ and Level 3. Now comes the discussion about cost. You are given 2 prices. One price covers Level 1&2, roughly 5,000. Level 1&2 has 8 one week modules. I will explain what that entails in another post. Level 3 has 5 modules and is roughly prices out at another 5,000. If you are still interested at this point you are given 2 options of payment, if you are accepted. Note that at this point you are still not accepted into the college. You can pay either in one large installment. If you choose this plan you are given a 1,000 pound discount. The second payment option is to pay in two installments with no discount. Payments are to be made after having been accepted into the college. Note: The payment is a non-refundable payment! If you get into the course and decide you’re not plumber material or you get yourself kicked out for some reason you will not get back any of your money.

You are then sent to a test room to take an aptitude test in which you must score a 80%. Don’t let that scare you, it is an easy test.

You are told to go home and think about it while they consider you and they will inform you via post if you have been accepted into the college. What happened in my case, I received a call a few days later from the salesman… *cough*… interviewer. He told me that hundreds of people come through the centre per day and he had narrowed it down to just a few of us. He said that he had “x” amount of slots open and one too many people to consider. He interviewed me again and told me to explain to him why I deserve the slot over another bloke. I told him. After the phone interview he told me I could be expecting an acceptance letter, which I promptly received a few days later.

The letter of acceptance was simple and requested me to come in to another appointment for the contract signing and to bring my passport, national insurance number and check for the correct amount. I met with him again and was shown the contract and explained the terms and conditions.

According to their contract, you have 12 months to complete Level 1&2, that’s 8 1-week modules. If you fail a module or run over your 12 months you are charges another 350 pounds per module to progress in the course. The procedure for scheduling your courses and exams is explained to you.

This brings us to the things they fail to mention or misrepresent in their sales pitch or wait until after you sign your contract to mention.

You cannot book modules in advance.

You cannot start (or book) your course modules (module 1) until you attend an orientation and take a Health and Safety Exam. At orientation they tell you that pass marks for all exams (BTSC and City and Guilds) are 80% and above. 79% is a fail and you would be given a chance to retake your exam. It took 3 weeks to book into the Healt and Safety exam before starting any of the modules. Contract time begins from its signing, not at Module 1!

Although in the terms and conditions it says that the time over the Easter and Christmas holidays is not included in your 12 month time limit, they do not tell you that it will take up to 6 weeks to book a module! You cannot be credited this time!

When booking your courses, the college is allowed to delay up to 4 weeks (in level 1&2) without crediting your account (except Easter and Christmas holidays which they can delay up to 6 weeks). If you have to wait more than 4 weeks during normal days (and more than 6 weeks over Easter and Christmas), you must write a letter by post requesting to be credited the time. In Level 3 the college is allowed to delay up to 6 weeks before they have to credit you time. (For example: If you call and book your next module, and you are given a date with a delay from the day you call to the module schedule date of 5 weeks. If it is not over a Easter or Christmas holiday, they will credit you back 1 week extending you contract termination date by that time.)

I was told that I could finish the course in 8 months. The salesman (interviewer) said I would book a Module (which is 1 week college training). After that week, I could take a week to study and book my exams. On the third week, I could take my exams. Assuming I pass, I would receive notification by post that week and book my next module for the following week (the 4th week from my previous module). This is impossible because the college is overbooked with students trying to get a date for their next module. Everyone must wait at least 4-6 weeks per module.

They tell you that if you want to go on holiday or need to take the time for some event you have the time. I was told I could do the course in 8 months (one module per month) if I really dedicated myself to complete the course. However, you have to wait 3 weeks for the Health and Safety exam before you even start and you cannot book your modules in advance, so you cannot plan a holiday or anything else for that matter. The delays are such that if you are lucky you will finish the course in 12 months let alone take time out for a holiday.

They boast having Centres, not only in Chessington, but many other locations. This is not true. Many others who have researched have found that Chessington (possibly Manchester also) is the only Centre open and operational. The other locations are just a wish list at present.

The salesman (interviewer) said, and our orientation group was told, that the college offers Part P training in Level 3. Later on in the course we were told that they do not offer Part P training, but are considering it.

Part of proving you performed the assessments they take photos of you. They have the right to use these photos however they see fit. So, if your camera shy or have a very good reason to not have your picture on the front of a brochure someday, you are now made aware before you sign your contract!

Lastly, on the signing of the contract they sell you 6 books (the college sells books). I can see only the necessity for two of the books and even the college tells you (after they sold you the books and start the module classes) of books they don’t sell that are better to study from. After you start your courses you will feel the need to pick up these books in order to study and revise. Some of the other costs like exams and safety equpment are mentioned at contract signing. This creates a feeling that the college has ‘hidden’ or ‘unexpected’ costs.

If I think of anything else I will update this post. Any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.