Hey, anyone care to recommend CompTIA?

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I just got quoted £799 to take the A+, N+ and MCSA courses. Considering that Skillstrain quoted me £3300+ i think thats good value for money. As these training companies are new to me i'm a little unsure, especially considering the difference in price, and don't want to get taken for a ride. I do know that i'd definitely like to put some of my spare time into achieving these certifications and just need to decide on the best method. Any advice appreciated.

 

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The way these companies work is, they give you some sort of GUI (graphical user interface) which you can view demos and answer questions with tests etc. They give you a pile of books and thats all so you have to read up and learn all the stuff yourself, some may hold practice workshops. To start with A+ you could get a second hand computer and two books and do exactly the same thing without having to pay extortianate fees to some company that has no interest in you.

You shouldn't be doing the MCSA anyway untill you have at least 6 months - a year in Network Administration.

You could self study for the A+ and N+ whilst looking for work, self study is the best & cheapest way to go.

If you want to do a course then look at a proper place like your local college.

And by the way I was going to do a course with them, their name isn't actually comptia thats just the name of the site, you can find the under Microsoft and cisco. I found this place first and didn't proceed any further with them

 

I agree with GBL. Welcome to CF!

 

GBL is spot on.

I think a lot of us have been in your position Jon. A friend at my work paid out around 3k for his comptia and then microsoft exams. Green bruce lee is absolutely right my colleague has to revise exactly the same books. Do exactly the same labs the only difference is he gets a 3 day course for each exam.

I would add that he failed one of his comptia exams that I passed first time

I'd recommend shelling out for a self-study book and then take it from there the most you could lose that way is £20-£30.

I personally think self-study got me my job at the moment. I used it in the interview to promote how pro-active and self motivated I am, in going out buying the books, setting my own training schedule etc..

 

Welcome to the forum.
The advice given above is spot on.

 

Yea, good advice boys. I think i'll do the same and self study A+ and N+ and then take it from there. I had signed up with skillstrain before i started a little research, as he had quoted a 21 day cool off period so i thought why not. Hopefully there's no complications with cancelling everything (75 deposit already withdrew from my credit card ). Only thing that worries me is having to wait 10 days to receive the papers to cancel. Probably worrying about nothing...

 

I would demand the cancelation documents imediately as they could attempt stalling tactics then claim they knew nothing about you wanting to cancel, I would also inform your bank/credit card company as to expect a refund.

But get on the phone to the ASAP and make sure they know you want to cancel so there's no funny business.

 

Agreed with GBL.
I'd take the step to call the Credit Card company and tell them you've tried to get a refund from the Training place and they are stalling. If nothing else works, tell the CC company to initate a charge back. Everyone's ears will open up. Vendors hate it as much as the Card companies.

 

I spoke to them the morning after the deed. He knows i want to cancel but he says i need to wait for the cancellation pappers to be posted (should be in the next few days) I'll send them back as registered post so i don't get screwed. I'll take your advice brucelee and inform my bank to expect a refund. If i don't get those papers after 11 days then i'll definitely consider a charge back, purely because the guy said nothing would come out of my credit card for a month.

 

I would do it ASAP those ****ers will say anything.

 

Well, in end i received nothing in regard to cancelling. This Monday is the 21 day period up but i did send a letter to them on Wednesday, recorded, so it will be there either today or Monday. So i consider them informed and i will phone them on Monday to make sure they received that letter. They said i have to inform them within 21 days and i did, if they don't accept that then they are stone cold liars and a scam. Any sign of funny business from this point forward then i will initiate a charge back even though i signed a credit agreement(does this give me no leg to stand on?)

Really disappointed and IMHO Skillstrain are trying to rope me into something i want out of.

 

Get on the phone ASAP don't leave it till Monday.

 

Well, they could have received the letter this morning. I will give them a phone actually.

EDIT: Interesting, she said they had received the letter yesterday and everything had been cancelled for me. All the info i need will be in the post soon. I won't be happy though until that deposit comes off my credit card!