Just a thought: anyone paying upfront should consider trying to pay with a credit card (not a debit card) as that may give a degree of protection if things go wrong. Another idea, if you have doubts about the school, is to ask the boss if he will give you a personal guarantee on the cash paid in. If he won't have a think why he won't. Why should you have more faith in the business than the boss?
Caveat emptor, in these horrible times.
[ 07 November 2001: Message edited by: Unwell_Raptor ]