TEACHERS DISCUSSION FORUM
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#1 Parent esl in asia - 2004-11-16
fly-by-nights

Was this a CELTA or Trinity course? Thats why I prefer schools that teach those because they have to follow strict guidelines and it seems that many fly-by-nights are not teaching those specific certs. I hope you can get your money back.

I dont think Spain will have a good legal system to protect you but I hope the company will do the right thing.

Good luck

#2 Parent Tricia Roelofs - 2004-11-15
ITC scam!!!

Everything that you have read about ITC in regards of it being a scam are true! I was left stranded in Barcelona, Spain by ITC. 5 days before the start of my course, i was informed that it was cancelled with no further contact information given. As if this were not bad enough, I still have not been refunded my money and my emails to the office regarding my refund have all gone unanswered! Basically, ITC has stolen 1500 dollars from me! Do not sign up for a course for this school! There are plenty of good, reputable courses out there for TEFL, but ITC is definitely not one of them!

#3 Parent ESL_IN_ASIA - 2004-10-18
CELTA and Trinity are the best bet

People, this is why I would ONLY suggest the Trinity College Cert-TESOL or the Cambridge CELTA courses. Even though these programmes are offered at language schools, which may go out of business, your certificate will still be recognised worldwide. The thing about the Trinity and the CELTA is that they are audited by the universities during every course to ensure the school is delivering the course as directed. Hence, the school that delivers the course is made irrelevant, as its the certification that has the known name and program. ALL schools that offer the CELTA or Trinity MUST follow the exact guidelines or they will be dropped from a lucrative business.

So in short, why do people take TEFL courses from small unknown schools that may be out of business tomorrow? I will always have the satisfaction that my CELTA is known and is recognised by the British Council no matter if the school that I attended goes belly-up. ..Just some thoughts.

#4 Parent TEFL International in Barcelona - 2004-10-18
ITC Course Closure

> Not any of my business at all but I want to warn people from taking
> an ITC TEFL course. ITC is going out of business and is in serious
> debt not paying its teachers or closed a TEFL course in Spain 5 days
> before the start and had refused to refund students there $1900 USD.
> Please do not send them money and look on other sites like
> www.eslcafe.com under training forum for more info. This is not a
> ploy of any kind. their website is still up and everyone from ITC is
> talking the problem down.

> I recently found this.....

> *****************************

> We hereby openly challenge ITC to rebut any of the content herein
> which is correct as of todays date, October 16, 2004.

> We are INTESOL Spain owned by the holding company Orbit Training SL.
> In the past we have worked on a consultancy basis modifying the
> courses and acting as business consultants for ITC Prague. However,
> we now feel that our sympathy must be with the students rather than
> with our former client. It is for this reason that we have written
> the following post. Remember many posts are false or spurious. Make
> sure you can definitively establish the identity of the person who
> posts.

> The following are matters of fact. We have evidence to support these
> statements. You must draw your own conclusions. If these statements
> are untrue then ITC can sue for defamation.

> ITC have recently sold courses on their November course. Currently
> THIS DOES NOT EXIST. The October course at ITC Spain was cancelled.
> The reason given was that ITC was having a problem finding trainers.
> This is not surprising as many teacher trainers are owed back pay and
> have for a considerable time been the victims of empty promises.
> There are also copies of e-mails from ITC to students stating that
> the October course is full. This is a blatant lie. We currently have
> 12 of the students who, because there was no October ITC course, have
> joined a special course at Intesol Spain.

> During the September course the teacher trainers went on strike and
> the owner of ITC came to Spain to address the students. They were
> promised a refund of 250 but only one was paid. As of today no other
> students from this course have received any money.

> ITC Spain exists as a legal entity. However, all money paid by
> students was paid into a Czech bank account and funds were fed to
> Spain at the ITC owners discretion. The debts of ITC Spain are
> substantial. Various creditors are owed well in excess of U.S.
> $120,000.

> The Terms and Conditions inserted into student contracts state that
> all actions against ITC are subject only to Czech law. The students
> from the cancelled October course and several from the September
> course are currently in contact with one of the biggest law firms in
> Prague regarding a class action against ITC to be brought in
> Prague.

> For the creditors in Spain it is more difficult as their debtor is
> ITC Spain, which now appears effectively defunct. It appears that the
> creditors only chance of recovery is to demonstrate intent in
> which case an action can be brought in personan. Should the Spanish
> tax and social security decide to act then money is never a criterion
> and the other Spanish creditors could then sue on the back on their
> action.

> There has never been anything wrong with the ITC course itself. It is
> well written and the teacher trainers are all good. But this is
> irrelevant to the current problems.

> There is always the possibility of a company closing and subsequently
> trading under another name. Beware.

> Should you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to
> contact us directly. Our e-mail address is info@orbit-training.com
> .

> Orbit Training SL

*******************************
TEFL International in Barcelona
*******************************

Thank you very much for the above information regarding ITC which I have read with great interest. As the Manager of a teacher training organisation I am extremely concerned about the negative impact that the ITC situation will have on the reputation of established reputable TEFL teacher training organisations.

Please visit the classifieds section of this site and Dave's eslcafe for our response.

TEFL International in Barcelona
www.teflinbcn.com
***************************************

Paul - 2004-10-16
ITC TEFL COURSE BEWARE

Not any of my business at all but I want to warn people from taking an ITC TEFL course. ITC is going out of business and is in serious debt not paying its teachers or closed a TEFL course in Spain 5 days before the start and had refused to refund students there $1900 USD. Please do not send them money and look on other sites like www.eslcafe.com under training forum for more info. This is not a ploy of any kind. their website is still up and everyone from ITC is talking the problem down.

I recently found this.....

*****************************

We hereby openly challenge ITC to rebut any of the content herein which is correct as of todays date, October 16, 2004.

We are INTESOL Spain owned by the holding company Orbit Training SL. In the past we have worked on a consultancy basis modifying the courses and acting as business consultants for ITC Prague. However, we now feel that our sympathy must be with the students rather than with our former client. It is for this reason that we have written the following post. Remember many posts are false or spurious. Make sure you can definitively establish the identity of the person who posts.

The following are matters of fact. We have evidence to support these statements. You must draw your own conclusions. If these statements are untrue then ITC can sue for defamation.

ITC have recently sold courses on their November course. Currently THIS DOES NOT EXIST. The October course at ITC Spain was cancelled. The reason given was that ITC was having a problem finding trainers. This is not surprising as many teacher trainers are owed back pay and have for a considerable time been the victims of empty promises. There are also copies of e-mails from ITC to students stating that the October course is full. This is a blatant lie. We currently have 12 of the students who, because there was no October ITC course, have joined a special course at Intesol Spain.

During the September course the teacher trainers went on strike and the owner of ITC came to Spain to address the students. They were promised a refund of 250 but only one was paid. As of today no other students from this course have received any money.

ITC Spain exists as a legal entity. However, all money paid by students was paid into a Czech bank account and funds were fed to Spain at the ITC owners discretion. The debts of ITC Spain are substantial. Various creditors are owed well in excess of U.S. $120,000.

The Terms and Conditions inserted into student contracts state that all actions against ITC are subject only to Czech law. The students from the cancelled October course and several from the September course are currently in contact with one of the biggest law firms in Prague regarding a class action against ITC to be brought in Prague.

For the creditors in Spain it is more difficult as their debtor is ITC Spain, which now appears effectively defunct. It appears that the creditors only chance of recovery is to demonstrate intent in which case an action can be brought in personan. Should the Spanish tax and social security decide to act then money is never a criterion and the other Spanish creditors could then sue on the back on their action.

There has never been anything wrong with the ITC course itself. It is well written and the teacher trainers are all good. But this is irrelevant to the current problems.

There is always the possibility of a company closing and subsequently trading under another name. Beware.

Should you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact us directly. Our e-mail address is info@orbit-training.com .

Orbit Training SL

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