Epta

[Robthestudent]

Does anyone know what the legalities involved are regarding new companies using databases from tragically defunct companies to ruthlessly inundate former disenfranchised and obviously disgruntled students with mailshots as part an agressive marketing stratedgy. It strikes me as extremely callous and very insensitive to target people who suffered such serious financial losses in such a manner. I have been made aware of one such former student who is extremely angry to be receiving such material due to the shabby treatment he felt he received at the hands of the aforementioned defunct company.
Aside from the legalities of the above ie accessing a database which may not be the property of the new company, from a purely marketing perspective how much goodwill will these sort of antics engender. The more things change, and by that I mean company names, the more things stay the same, Methinks!!!!

[Gin Slinger]

From the student's standpoint, there may be a Data Protection Act issue. If this student is really wants a pound of flesh over this, it might be worth a word with Trading Standards or the CAB.

I'm sure SFT's administrators and ultimately their purchasers would be interested in how SFT's former sales manager 'happened' to have the contact details of so many ex-SFT students too!

I've seen the ETPA literature, and it is very much reminds me of SFT, in terms of the layout of the pages and the format of the offers being made.

[ImNot]

Personally I cannot believe that they had the gaul to do this. It's bad enough when the credit card and insurance companies etc (morally) abuse information databases for mail shots. To readvertise yourself to someone who has lost their hopes and dreams using previous contact information is to really rubbing salt into the wounds.
Lets hope the company is successful regardless of external circumstances and we don't see history repeat itself.
It really is time this industry had some sort of regulatory body due to the vast sums of money involved if nothing else.

[Gassbag]

I agree with ImNot. If people do decide to go to ETPA, which for some could save them financially, then the last thing they want is their FTO being dragged down by a complaint and action from the OFT, and any implications that might have, Possibly ending their training. I don't know what effect any complaint might have but i hope it doesn't affect the students there.
Bitterness Breeds Bitterness?
And I'm not bitter although I was with with SFT when they went down. Sometimes S*** happens:) You pick yourself up, dust down and get on with it and don't make things difficult for people who did'nt suffer with you.

[ImNot]

Does anyone know if they have got their approval yet?

[Gin Slinger]

EPTA operate under Cabair's approval - who coincidentally were rumoured to be the potential white knight buyers for SFT prior to it's collapse.

Funny that. Obviously get a better deal once the debts are wiped by bankruptcy - i.e. after all the student's money has gone down the drain.

[spitfire747]

Just to add...

I was contacted by EPTA saying that i was NOT on a list of SFT creditors handed to EPTA by the administrators. The letter and phone call went along the lines of: seeing as you lost out with SFT..... come to EPTA and we will discount your training, BUT only if you put a deposit into the company before July 2002, I replied saying i was not going to be training to July 2003 an NO WAY WAS I GOING TO PAY A DEPOSIT INTO THEIR BANK ACCOUNT. A letter returned saying i could keep the discount until next year ONLY if i paid a sizeable deposit into an account... hmmmmm excuse me for being DUMB but WHY would i risk MORE money !!

I also contacted the adminsitrators (Fanshawe Lofts) who confirmed to me in writing they DID not, DO NOT and WOULD NEVER send EPTA a list of SFT Creditors, for the Data protection act mentioned earlier in this post.

I am not putting the school down in anyway, i know nothing of it, but i am little annoyed over the sneaky way in which they are trying the drum up business.
Wherever you do your training, enjoy it, have fun, BUT DO NOT PAY UPFRONT to anyone.

Cheers, Spitty

[Robthestudent]

mmmmmmm....

one does wonder if the information was not provided by the administrators then where would have the new company got the mailing list from. Presumably there must be more than one copy of the database. Smells fishy to me.

[ImNot]

I agree, I can't beleive the adminstrators would be handing out old student data bases. Perhaps they just had one lying around?
Sounds like they still shouldn't have used it though. :mad: