Taking a chance with buying a package of hours for PPL training

[Final 3 Greens]

I doubt you could draw up a legal contract for that.

Any particular reason why? Alteratively, one could set up a letter of credit.

I do agree that the flying school probably needs the cash now, but don't see why one should not set up a draw down contract.

[Pilot DAR]

but the school knows you cannot renege an go elsewhere?

How would this serve the student's interest? You've got your money locked into a training deal with a flying school. There is a very difficult to measure expectation of service on their part, which they have all kinds of outs to evade with (let alone the weather).

You start with them, their service is not to your liking, and you cannot get out of it. In my opinion, there is no discount worth the amount of difficulty that could cause you!

They should charge for the service when it is rendered, and you should pay for it promptly. Anything else is not worth the dealing and uncertainty in the flight training industry.

In Ontario, there is actually a law, recently introduced, prohibiting health clubs/gyms from seeking payments for "memberships" more than a month in advance. Just too many were taking off with client's money, and the government was getting tired of handling all the complaints. Commercial flight training is regulated here, in that service providers must register, and pay $30,000 into a fund - even if it only pay as you go! (that's a bit extreme!). That policy has forced some small but worthy schools to stop providing that service.

[Final 3 Greens]

How would this serve the student's interest?

How does paying upfront serve the student's interest?

Ask the OP, not me. I'm only suggesting one potential way he could mitigate againts financial loss.

[Whopity]

When a company has gone bust and has no assets a legal contract is not worth the paper its written on! I have seen a relatively small number of people loose a lot of money, and its always the people who can least afford to do so, and who inevitably are looking for the cheapest deal. Work out an average cost for what you want to do; because that's what its most likely going to cost you, if you can't afford it don't start it. Cheap deals always have a catch, and invariably turn out to be the most expensive in the long run.

[IO540]

F3G - I am not a lawyer, so if you pushed me I would have to back out

I think it would be unworkable because a contract which binds the customer to spend £X/month at the school, in return for having got a 10% discount, is going to fall apart as soon as the school cannot deliver due to weather, broken aircraft, instructor(s) off sick, etc.

Escrow is certainly possible but I can't see a school going for it because they would not get the cash up front.

[airpolice]

Every day is a school day, but I'm still amazed to learn that so many people who are bright enough to fly a plane, are unable to do "Primary School" level spelling.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

If you do this, you should then have the full protection of the credit laws

Providing that the credit card company regard the transaction as "buying hours and paying in advance" and not "providing banking services by lending money to a company", which one might guess would be subject to different regulations. Personally I would take advice first. (From a real live lawyer with a physical existence who could be sued if the advice was wrong, not from anonymous tossers on some randomly selected web site.)

[gasax]

Based on what exactly, without any evidence this is nothing but scaremongering

Based upon the OP's post - However, I've come across a package that works out massively cheaper than if I pay as I fly.

Why is it massively cheaper? We can all guess - but the obvious reason is cash flow difficulties - or are their fuel or maintenance costs going to decrease?

[The500man]

not from anonymous tossers on some randomly selected web site.

Priceless!

Something else to be careful of is a school offering a package that is discounted and also non-refundable. Presumably that would cover them for a lot, and who reads the small print? Right?

[Sam Rutherford]

Repeating part of an earlier post:

"Let us have the name of the school."

You will probably get a much clearer (more accurate?) idea of people's thoughts - either in open forum or by PM.

No harm in giving out that possibly key bit of info.

Fly safe, Sam.

[24Carrot]

At the very least negotiate!

I was once offered a discount for paying everything in advance, "like everybody else". 15 minutes later, I had the same discount for paying 2K at a time, and staying in credit.

I had to endure a "lady from accounts" talking to me for a while like I had six legs, but that cost me nothing.

[Pilot DAR]

I think we are now talking to ourselves....!

Isn't that who we're usually talking to anyway?