All for the money....Not for students

<p>We are having a terrible experience with COAPE, which offers online Animal Behaviour Courses. My husband has enrolled for a course last year and was charged an amount of R22000. Shortly after he enrolled he was diagnosed with a chronic condition. These life changing events having us no option but to relocate and leave his high demand restaurant job to help him recovering from this condition. As soon as he was diagnosed he informed COAPE of our life changing events,and he confirmed that he cant continue with the course this year, but due to the fact that we would like to keep his chronic condition confidential, we did not disclose the reason for our location. They asked that he should continue with payments and said he can leave it for this year but then enroll again next year or the year after , he has basically then just started with the course, only attending the first seminar and completed one module of the course. There was a deposit of R7500 which he has paid and he continued with monthly payments up till paying them the amount of R12000 when he was still employed, he was hoping to enroll then next year or the year after if his health is better. However his health has deterioated tremendously having him hospitalised and I as his wife took over his financial affairs to releave the stress load from him that he can just focus on getting better. I sent a letter to Wendy from COAPE, explaining the situation and told her about Rob's health and that he won't be able to continue with the course even the next or following year. She asked for a letter from his doctor requesting the nature of his condition, I explained to her that we would like to keep his condition confidential, which I feel is our right to do, but I sent proof of his chronic condition approved by the medical aid for treatment in return. She then sent me an extremely hostile letter back, with no compassion whatsover, and demanded the money or she'll hand us over to attorneys. Today we received a letter of demand from attorneys.</p> <p> </p> <p>First of all, we feel it is extremely unfair to pay for a course that he is not attending and not attending from early on, just as the course basically started they were informed that he can't continue. We are not even requesting our deposit back, but now they are demanding the full amount from an unemployed person with a chronic disease is absurd. These people are out for the money, and as comsumers there should be rights to not pay for courses that you do not wish to continue due to life altering situations. </p> <p> </p> <p>The gyms, the dance schools, even cell phone companies and contracts due, offer their clients a cancellation fee if they do not wish to continue with a contract. Normally a 20 % fee asked from the total amount due. We have paid COAPE a 60% cancellation fee, and that is not enough...Money that we are loosing - R12000 to them, for work that they have not done. And they still demanding the rest.</p> <p> </p> <p>We will find out our rights as consumers, as this is unfair and also discriminating treatment towards my husband about his chronic condition.</p>