I found this site after I had already booked and paid for my course however I went into it with a open mind. I fell for the “free artic cpc con” but I feel that I paid a fair price for the course when looking around (with 3 retest attempts).
I done my course at Staines there was me and another young guy who was 24 we where doing a 4 day course Thursday, Friday, Monday, Test on Tuesday. I was worried about the weekend break but this worked out as a nice break when they say intensive it is intensive! After the first day I went home and my head was pounding and was in bed by 9pm.
The course itself was very good our instructor Ron was very honest firm and fair heaps of experience and I cannot fault the training, The truck was a 05 reg Iveco 12 ton with 8 speed gearbox the smallest allowed to take your LGV test well maintained and very easy to handle around the streets of Guildford.
On test day I failed I got 3 serious and 4 minors the serious was because lights at a crossing where not working and a teenage school girl just walked out into the road then walked back when she saw me, I slowed down to about 10 mph continued on passed the girl who was now waiting to cross the examiner said I should have stopped and if he had duel controls he would have stopped me! This sounds worse than it was at the time. The other was lane discipline I was on a route I did not know, the examiner said right at the next roundabout when we where on a bend we come around the corner and was on the roundabout had no time to get into the correct lane safely. The last one was at a row of parked cars in a 20 zone come to a complete stop waiting for ages as cars come off a roundabout coming the other way then lovely large gap start to pull away this BMW must have been doing 50 comes off the roundabout and I have to stop because he was speeding! I caused him to slow down = serious!!■■ I was also very nervous for the first time ever!
The other guy passed with 8 minors
This school would be good if it was not for the money grabbing office/sales staff! They talk to you like crap I paid extra on my course for the retest attempts as a just in case good thing as well I phoned up to book up they want a extra £35+vat Admin fees plus the test fee!! I asked what the admin was as I knew I would have to pay the test fee they said “well we have to book the test” I said I can do that online go snotty replies they said they would check when they could fit me in and call me back that was two days ago looks like I will have to pay the £35+vat or they won’t ever be able to fit me in! In fairness they sent the invoices and took the cash from my card very quickly and on time!
In conclusion the training is very good (THANKS TO RON AT STAINES) the admin staff are rude and unhelpful and just after your £££££
Hi I’ve just booked with Qualitas, i fell for their offer of cat C plus C+E free offer it said funded CPC course, does this mean i will have to pay some sort of fee for this part of the course. i’ve also been reading around this site well alot of bad things about qualitas and other training providers i’m starting to think what have i done can anyone help.
I think by law they need to give at least 7 days cooling off period if you booked over the phone. If you are within this period then you should be able to get a full refund
Simod:
Hi I’ve just booked with Qualitas, i fell for their offer of cat C plus C+E free offer it said funded CPC course, does this mean i will have to pay some sort of fee for this part of the course. i’ve also been reading around this site well alot of bad things about qualitas and other training providers i’m starting to think what have i done can anyone help.
Welcome Simod
If you click the link in my signature it will lead you to an index where you can access a lot of info which may be of use to you
Have you realised that the CPC is not the driver cpc but the operator cpc
think by law they need to give at least 7 days cooling off period if you booked over the phone. If you are within this period then you should be able to get a full refund.
no i’m well over that period, i feel that i’ve been conned but thats my problem…
nice one ROG thanks for the welcome… no i was to eager to get on a get this sorted i overlooked the CPC i didn’t even know there was an operator and driving version… i thought like most eager learners that there was one… ah well i hope there is someon reading this taking note so that the same mistakes arn’t made… does anyone have any tips e.g well got my theory in 2 weeks but for test “i’ve never drove anything bigger than my car and it’s only a small hatch” so i’m a little nervous
Doing things this way around just means that you need to get stuck-in!!
Easier said than done, so I hope it goes OK for you.
We’re here for you if you get stuck.
they are conning gits, i got conned with the free c+e course thing and they never told me i had to sit the cpc exam to get it until i had passed my class c and went to book the c+e!! i was mad at the time but just wanted the c+e passed so i paid out to upgrade and they booked me in straight away for it then, i can fault either of the qualitas instructors i had, i passed both class c and c+e first time with them but the guys in the office at qualitas just pull the wool over ur eyes to get the bookings and take ur money.
Bit the bullet after getting the runaround and have got to pay the £35+vat “admin charge” and 4.5% debit card charge! so to retake my test is costing £135.98 even though i have already paid for a the extra attempts I waited for 4 days for them to give me dates when a lorry is free so i could book the test myself and save the “admin charge” and the 4.5% I said this is every wednesday at staines the instructer has already told me. There was a pause so waiting for date now hope i have better luck this time not sure if i can afford it again!
On test day I failed I got 3 serious and 4 minors the serious was because lights at a crossing where not working and a teenage school girl just walked out into the road then walked back when she saw me, I slowed down to about 10 mph continued on passed the girl who was now waiting to cross the examiner said I should have stopped and if he had duel controls he would have stopped me! This sounds worse than it was at the time. The other was lane discipline I was on a route I did not know, the examiner said right at the next roundabout when we where on a bend we come around the corner and was on the roundabout had no time to get into the correct lane safely. The last one was at a row of parked cars in a 20 zone come to a complete stop waiting for ages as cars come off a roundabout coming the other way then lovely large gap start to pull away this BMW must have been doing 50 comes off the roundabout and I have to stop because he was speeding! I caused him to slow down = serious!!■■ I was also very nervous for the first time ever!
The other guy passed with 8 minors
BACK TO TRY AGAIN IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS!!
Thanks
Andy
Andy don’t take this as an insult, but you say you didn’t know the route, well welcome to the real world, this lorry driving lark is all about going to different places every day, you collected a black mark due to lack of observation, it’s called reading the road, it can have a lot more serious consequences in a loaded 44tonner on a dark winters night.
Try going out in your car with a mate & doing a ‘voice over’ where you describe what you’re doing & why, it may help your hazard awareness.
As for speeding BMWs, don’t they all do that The basic rule of driving is IF IN ANY DOUBT, DON’T.
That’s sterling all over mate, I’ve just done my c through them. I feel such a fool for giving them any money because, with such a “bigged up”, glossy sales pitch, at least half an hour’s read terms and conditions and offers that (I feel) are too good to be true - literally!
I must’ve been having a blonde moment!
My tip of the day: companies like sterling are, in fact, a “middleman” go straight to a driving school who’ve got a good reputation (ask on here) and actually care if you pass or not and you’ll find life’s much easier
Personally I think that Qualitas and the like would probably be best avoided but I can report some good news.
A fella I know from another local plant firm has just been put through his Class 2 with Qualitas in Essex, he’s come from Transits rather than 7.5t and he just got a 1st time pass with only 4 minors.
newmercman:
Andy don’t take this as an insult, but you say you didn’t know the route, well welcome to the real world, this lorry driving lark is all about going to different places every day, you collected a black mark due to lack of observation, it’s called reading the road, it can have a lot more serious consequences in a loaded 44tonner on a dark winters night.
Try going out in your car with a mate & doing a ‘voice over’ where you describe what you’re doing & why, it may help your hazard awareness.
As for speeding BMWs, don’t they all do that The basic rule of driving is IF IN ANY DOUBT, DON’T.
Anyway good luck with the next one
No insult taken it was nothing to do with knowing the route realy it was just the roundabout was strange and split from 2 lanes into 4 around a short corner and i could only get into the 2nd right lane instead of the far right lane in safety I drive a van around london all day and still drive how i was instructed the only thing is gears are diffrent the the serious was for lane discipline on positioning I blame myself for for failing not the examiner. the other 2 serious was Judgement (meeting) and planning / awareness next time i will be less stressed and should pass fine fingers crossed.
That’s the spirit Andy, can’t say I’d like to take a test nowadays, of course I’d pass with flying colours but with all the traffic etc it must be a nightmare.
One thing to remember though, all your doing is learning how to pass a test, once you do that & get out on the road thats when you start to learn how to be a lorry driver, I started in 85 & I’m still learning now
