Not a tough story but fairly typical in the current climate I feel.
The too old thing seems more in the bigger jet operator sector but a personal conversation with the chief recruiter of a large TP company elicited the training risk quote.
I've got a couple of mates who are captains in two big jet operators and they push my case on a regular basis - with no result so far, (the company that one flys for has quite a few EU nationals who came to the company with type ratings and line experience - I'd offered to self fund my own type rating to get in with that operator but they weren't interested because they had a flow of these guys "on tap" so to speak)
Self funded type ratings - well ask ten people and you'll get eleven opinions - mine is that, like gambling, don't do it if you can't afford to lose your stake money. I can't afford to so won't be doing one but good luck to those that do.
As I said in the first post I'm not whingeing but just want to make sure that people see past the flight school hype - especially if you're older than your 20's.