Damelin - "correspondence college" or just sful ***?

Item: Damelin Correspondence College
Rating: 1
Author: Elizabeth L

I have had the worst possible experience with Damelin. My application for registration for a Higher Certificate in Bookkeeping was forwarded to registration, on 18 March 2016 - as stated by Caren Mudaly. I received a flash drive via courier delivery, with some leaflets about Damelin and the envelopes to post completed assignments in. The flash did not contain any student information, nor did it have all the study guides and course information for the modules that I was doing for this certificate. There was no letter of registration, no student number. Basically no proof that I have been registered. I went on to the following link: https://www.dcc.edu.za/student-portal - as listed in my "congratulations, your application has been forwarded for Registration" email I received from Damelin, where they state that I can log in to download my study guides. Of course you need to register and because I did not have my student number, I clicked on the "search for student number" tab where I had to enter my ID number. According to this page, "The student number was not found, please try again" - which is still the message that I get at 15:08 on 10/10/2016 - which proves that I was never registered. I contacted Menzi Masengeni, who said that he was a "professional academic adviser in their newly established Academic Advising Centre", on the 8th of April and I asked him where I was supposed to get my student number from, as I did not receive that or all of my learning material. He 'advised' me to go to my nearest Damelin Branch who would be able to give me a student number. I went to the Damelin Branch in East London, Eastern Cape and was met with uninterested and uninformed staff. They could not tell me when the examinations were, by which date assignments were to be submitted, how to register for examinations and last but not least, THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE ME WITH MY STUDENT NUMBER. I was told to call: 0 ********** 4141 or to email: ********** I called the number and a very apologetic consultant advised me that they would email AND post my student number and learning materials to me, within a week of our conversation. A week changed to two, then three... Nothing received - not even in my SPAM folder in email. I sent requests on Damelin's website as well as their Facebook page where I was told that my issue will be escalated. Nothing came from that. I tried sending an email to ********** - which came back with the following message: " Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups: ********** The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now. Please try resending this message later, or contact the recipient directly." I emailed Caren Mudaly - the online sales administrator who handled my online application, requesting my student number as the registration for exams were open and I was unable to register. On 11/05/16 Caren Mudaly responded saying she forwarded my request to the student services department, on 21/10/16 Erika Mitchell - student services supervisor responded by apologising for the delay and promised to follow up with me in the next week - which never happened. I emailed both Caren Mudaly and Erika Mitchell on the 17th of June that I am wishing to cancel my registration. I did not make it in time for the exam registration cut off. I received an automated response from both of the abovementioned ladies, Caren was on leave and Erika's message stated the following: "Kindly note that I am no longer in the employ of Damelin Correspondence College, For future queries, please redirect them to the Complaints Handling Division of the Student Services Department or Tyrone Booysen at ********** and ********** respectively.". I emailed the following people on the 17/06/16: ********** ********** ********** informing them of my cancellation request. I was contacted by Mapule Monkhe -Complaints Resolution Officer, with who I confirmed telephonically, that I don't want to reconsider and that my decision is final - I will be cancelling me registration. I was informed that there is some paperwork to fill out, and that my registration will be cancelled. I was given the number 429006 for the cancellation in a follow up email on 29/09/16 from Yolanda Monaisa -Client Liaison Officer with the following ridiculous message: " Good day Please be advised that we have received your request to cancel the course, the cancellation Committee advised the below options. Ø Transfer course to someone else Damelin would like to encourage you to continue with your studies and gain the benefit of further education. Should you wish to continue with the cancellation of your course, please be advised that you might be charged a cancellation fee which can go up to 80% of the course fee . Submission of a cancellation request does NOT mean the cancellation has been accepted by the college. With the hope of the above being in order, I do await your favourable response." I have already confirmed telephonically AND IN WRITING that I will be cancelling my registration.!!! They now wanted me to transfer it to someone else or pay up to 80% of the course fee, which I couldn't even study because of the lack of service provision in giving me a student number or my materials as requested. I have since sent them more emails stating that nowhere in my contract with them is stipulated that I am liable for any fees aside from a R1000 admin fee for any cancellation of registration. I only received a response on 1/08/2016 that my cancellation would take 4-5 weeks. Please note that my cancellation forms were sent on 17/06/2016! I have since then sent numerous emails, the most recent being 07/09/2016 and 10/10/2016 requesting my cancellation to be finalised, which was supposed to have been cancelled on 22/07/2016. It is close to R 9000 later, multiple futile attempts and efforts wasted in trying to make this work. I explained to the consultants involved that I am studying full time from 2017 and that I HAVE to finish this certificate in 2016 which is why it was so important to get my student number on time to be able to register for exams in July. To this day, I have not once been provided any proof that I have been registered. If I had been, providing me with a student number or registration letter wouldn't have been a problem. I would have been able to search my student number just by entering my ID number. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY ADVISE AGAINST ANYONE THINKING OF STUDYING WITH DAMELIN. A lot of money down the drain, debit orders than can't be stopped unless I want to destroy my credit rating, Damelin insisting that they are entitled to 80% of the entire course fee - A COURSE THAT I COULDN'T EVEN STUDY, people and consultants that can't assist me.... I hope that no one else will have their money distorted like this for something that they couldn't even study. TOTAL FAILURE OF SERVICE PROVISION

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Damelin - "correspondence college" or just s****ful *******?

Damelin - "correspondence college" or just sful ***?