Beware of fly-by-nite colleges

CONSUMERS have been warned by Consumer Fair to be careful when they want to further their education as there are many "fly-by-night” colleges operating in South Africa.
They would issues certificates which, when produced when you are looking for a job, are found to be worthless and not recognised by prospective employers.
They say there are now many such colleges.
The most important questions that you need to ask are:
Does the college offer legitimate courses?
Does the college find jobs for students who have completed their courses?
Is the certificate or qualification that you are offered after completion recognised by the Department of Education that will qualify you for a job?
Is the college legally registered as required by the education department?
Some of these colleges offer a variety of training courses like computer courses, management courses and business courses.
They will frequently rush students into signing binding contracts and require non-refundable deposits.
The students' monies are lost if they want to change courses or discontinue studying. The colleges are at an advantage because they have a binding contract signed by the student and are able to take legal steps against the student for breach of contract.
Before signing a contract, make sure of the following
Find out first whether that particular college is offering courses that are recognised by the department of education;
Do not rush into signing a contract because once it has been signed, it is a legal document that is binding.
A student can approach any circuit offices and verify if the college is registered.
Use CPA
The new Consumer Protection Act gives you the right to receive information in a way that is understandable.
However, you still need to read the agreements and that includes the terms and conditions before signing.
If you are unsure about something, you need to ask questions so that nothing is unclear. It is usually too late to say I did not understand what I signed after the agreement has been signed.
Make as many notes as possible – from simple details such as the name of the person that you spoke to, to more important details such as discussions and resulting arrangements.
The Consumer Protection Act recognises how important it is to have documentary proof and states that service providers must provide you with a complete sales record of the transaction.