M
Mr N
A disappointing experience
I booked my Category C training with EasyAs HGV in February 2020 just before the initial lockdown so I knew it wasn t going to be straight forward however I had no idea I would have to do so much chasing I must say the online training material was excellent and gave me all I needed to pass the theory tests the thing which would have improved it for me would have been some regular check-ins to see how things were going Did I understand the material Did I have any questions or things which needed clarifying I learn better during interactive training sessions and found the just get on and do it yourself online approach was difficult for me I was in touch with EasyAs regularly and when lockdown restrictions were lifted and the DVSA started releasing test dates I found I had to make the contact with the team to get dates for tests booked and chase to see if any earlier dates were released There was no pro-activity on the behalf of EasyAs to try and get my training moving quickly in my experience After eventually getting the theory tests booked I felt things were starting to move Until I failed the hazard perception test When I rang to advise of the fail I was informed it was 30 to rebook which I did Out of curiosity I checked the Government website to see how much the test fee was and I was astounded to see the fee was only 11 I rang back and asked why I was being charged 30 and was told the rest was the admin charge for booking on my behalf I told the agent I was dealing with the charge should have been explained up-front This admin charge although some will say It s only 19 is almost 173 of the test fee I told the agent not to book the retest to refund the fee and I would book myself Banks have been made to refund billions to customers for not explaining fees fully and giving customers all the information needed to make an informed decision Once all the theory tests were done I was finally able to start the practical training and managed to pass on 15th Oct Upon passing I happened to ask the LGV training centre I had used in Felling Gateshead who were excellent for some details about their Class C E training as I was considering doing that as a follow-up The team in Gateshead said that due to the contract they had with EasyAs they weren t allowed to give me any details They couldn t do anything directly with me for 2 years if I wanted to do further training with them I had to book via EasyAs I found this absolutely astonishing I had booked and paid for the Cat C training with EasyAs and as far as I was concerned my contract with them was fulflled I find it ludicrous that they attempt to block any further development unless I or others go through them Whilst I was considering doing further training the fact they had prevented me from even being given information from the training centre in Gateshead meant there was no way I would employ the services of EasyAs for any additional training I have booked my Category C E with another training company Another aspect of the EasyAs package which interested me was the way they claimed to be able to help find employment once the tests were passed as they had links with several haulage companies After passing my practical test I rang and asked about this help to find employment I was told the recruitment contact would call me to discuss options I didn t get a call I got an email with a link for another agency to fill my details in and then they would help me find work I got a call on Friday 30th Oct from the agency saying they had received my details and someone from the local office would contact me later that day or Monday 2nd Nov Today is Monday 9th November and still no contact from the local office In the meantime I have registered with 2 other agencies as I feel this is more likely to generate some employment All in all a very disappointing experience with EasyAs and I could not in all consciousness recommend their services to others thinking about training for an HGV license My advice would be to speak to an LGV centre local to you and book with them directly