But didn't you cancel the cheque with your bank before Skillstrain tried to cash it? There should only have been a small admin fee of about £10 from the bank. I would follow this up with the bank and ask why they cashed it when you instructed them not to.

It's clever salesmanship. Look carefully, you've not put your signature on any Skillstrain documentation (or I didn't anyway). What you have signed is a loan agreement directly with a finance company. Therefore the responsibility to cancel the agreement is yours and can only be done with the finance company. The more you converse with Skillstrain the longer they keep you hanging on, until the cooling off period with the finance company runs out, after which you are legally obliged to pay the whole amount or become seriously blacklisted. So just concentrate on dealing with the finance company then tell Skillstrain what you've done. Don't ask Skillstrain for any assistance. Five working days is the cancellation deadline, so if you include last Thursday as your first day, you ll have until next Thursday for the finance company to receive your letter. Ample time. (Forgot Monday is a Bank Holiday, doh, and I'm a posty!).

Spiceskull. I'm not going to tell you whether this course is right for you or not but if you want to cancel it, follow my instructions as mentioned earlier in this thread and do it now. I'll just reiterate: Send a letter tomorrow, with a copy of the agreement, by Special Delivery to the finance company (probably Barclays Partner Finance/Clydesdale Financial Services Ltd, PO Box 3979 Glasgow G51 1YL) cancelling the finance package. Check the Royal Mail website on Monday and track your item to make sure it has been delivered. Phone the finance company on Monday (0844 811 9000) to make sure they have received your letter and ask them to confirm in writing that your agreement is cancelled. Inform your bank on Monday to cancel the deposit cheque and not to arrange any direct debit for the finance company. Send a letter to Skillstrain head office (with a copy of the finance agreement) by Special Delivery on Monday advising you have cancelled the finance package and that you are officially cancelling the course. Again track delivery on the Royal Mail website. Send all course material back to Skillstrain head office (not a freepost address) by recorded delivery. Again track delivery on the Royal Mail website. Once the finance package is officially cancelled you are no longer obliged to pay for the course.