Well here is the deal, I went for the interview within a few days of doing my base check. I informed them that my documentation confirming the rating was with the CAA.
I was informed 2 days later I had passed and selected for a sim check at Luton probably in the early evening 10 days later, but I'd receive confirmation later.
I was called at 3.30 the Friday before the sim check (scheduled for 9am on the following Monday) asking for confirmation of the course being completed. I then got onto my TRTO and asked them to send fax confirmation through. The TRTO sent a fax confirming I sat the LST on XYZ and did the base check on ABC and my file would be released to the CAA upon receipt of my outstanding balance.
Needless to say the final invoice for my TR was received the day after the first interview and I had intended using all of the full 28 days available before paying it back, that gave me extra breathing space, especially if I failed the sim check. If I passed it then I'd be on a FO salary and with less money worries. There were also a couple of discrepancies with the bill that I wanted the TRTO to confirm before I released payment.
I subsequently find out the TRTO doesn't release the documents until the candidate settles their bill.
The result of this fax was a phone call from TCX in which my integrity and honesty were questioned which I felt was unfair and incorrect. Also my application would be not taken any further. They felt that back at the first interview when I said the documents were at the CAA was incorrect based on the fax.
I also explained that the TRTO I went to filed and posted the updated licence with the CAA on my behalf, this was also questioned by TCX and suggested that they had never heard of a TRTO doing this. Well, the fact is my TRTO did do this and have always done so. I left all the forms, confirmation of the £108 payment on leaving the TRTO.
As you can imagine I was both gutted and on the verge of tears, first jet job interview with a major carrier and it all went tits up over essentially nothing. However in hindsight maybe not the worst thing ever to happen to me. I also lost £170 for a flight to London.
What have I learned from this, choose your words carefully. Assume nothing, with respect to instructions or people giving you the benefit of the doubt. People at the top are never wrong. Chase people up continually and read the small print.