Advantage is a failed company. The new company - Specialised Training Services Limited - is allegedly the same people with a different name. So they have taken over the assets and liabilities. If that is literally the case, there is nothing to be achieved. But if it’s a clever pre-pack (the system of debt evasion allegedly used by Glasgow Rangers FC and that the Inland Revenue is getting very upset about) it will actually avoid at least some of the liabilities.
And that is the point. If that is the case (and I emphasise IF) then the directors of the company are acting in a very dubious manner. It’s no good saying “it’s only the taxman”. The rest of us have to pay our dues - and these are increasing all the time to compensate for companies carrying out clever moves to avoid payment of tax.
I’m pleased my recent decision not to trade with Advantage has been vindicated. I question the sanity of anyone dealing with the phoenix company now that the directors have shown themselves in their true colours.
Companies run into trouble as a result of many varying factors. But to set up again under a different name is immorall even if it’s not actually illegal.
If ever I follow them (which, please God, won’t be happening) I will at least have the good grace to go and hide under a rock somewhere! Pete
Hopefully Specialneeds Training Services, and other brokers, quickly go the same way as Advantage.
If we all stick to the task of advising people who come here seeking information on training to avoid brokers, because they are a pile of fresh, steaming, turds on the path to the licence, then maybe we can speed that process along and we can enjoy more and more threads about bust brokers. Obviously LGVTrainer won’t be happy to see new threads on this subject but he’ll just have to ■■■■ it up as the majority, quite rightly, welcome them.
Coffeeholic:
Obviously LGVTrainer won’t be happy to see new threads on this subject but he’ll just have to ■■■■ it up as the majority, quite rightly, welcome them.
Think you possibly may be a bit wrong here.
LGVTrainer:
I personally have no feelings for brokers, either good or bad but this board is here to allow everyone their say.
Perhaps you love brokers (only at weekends)…who knows…doubt it though. keep the thread on track.
PS. Nothing wrong with a broker that makes money from the trainer and not the canddiate.
Coffee, unless I am mistaken the point of this board is to help people who want to get into the game. To make it work it needs new starters, experienced drivers, trainers, and of course others with their own opinions.
Do you really think one of the most experienced trainers in the UK thinks brokers are a good idea. Have you even got a HGV licence?
Coffeeholic:
Obviously LGVTrainer won’t be happy to see new threads on this subject but he’ll just have to ■■■■ it up as the majority, quite rightly, welcome them.
Think you possibly may be a bit wrong here.
LGVTrainer:
I personally have no feelings for brokers, either good or bad but this board is here to allow everyone their say.
Perhaps you love brokers (only at weekends)…who knows…doubt it though. keep the thread on track.
I despise brokers past and present.
LGVTrainer:
PS. Nothing wrong with a broker that makes money from the trainer and not the canddiate.
You’ve not lost the knack for spin eh? Who would ultimately be paying for that? The trainee would. Why an extra slice of the cake? The cost of any fee the trainer has to pay teh broker would have to be passed onto the trainee or the trainer is cutting his profits. If the trainer can afford to swallow that why not just make the training cost cheaper by the same amount? A good trainer with a good reputation would have no need for a broker and if there were none of these scumbags then it would be better for the trainers as the only option for a trainee would be to deal with a training school direct.
LGVTrainer:
Coffee, unless I am mistaken the point of this board is to help people who want to get into the game. To make it work it needs new starters, experienced drivers, trainers, and of course others with their own opinions.
And many, many threads warning newbies of the threat to their hard earned money from brokers, and threads celebrating the demise of those brokers which give another chance to point out the need to avoid them. Yet your initial response to the OP was a suggestion we don’t need that sort of post yet as far as I see it everyone else on the thread welcomed it. A lot of people on here obviously know why you would take that stance and regularly seem to show sympathy for and defend brokers, your well documented history shows people losing large sums of money in this way has obviously never been a big concern to you, but it doesn’t make it right.
LGVTrainer:
Do you really think one of the most experienced trainers in the UK thinks brokers are a good idea.
I know he doesn’t, he posts regularly on here saying as much, but my post was not aimed at that person, it was aimed at you.
LGVTrainer:
Have you even got a HGV licence?
No I have not, but I don’t see how that makes a difference.
Coffeeholic:
Obviously LGVTrainer won’t be happy to see new threads on this subject but he’ll just have to ■■■■ it up as the majority, quite rightly, welcome them.
Think you possibly may be a bit wrong here.
LGVTrainer:
I personally have no feelings for brokers, either good or bad but this board is here to allow everyone their say.
Perhaps you love brokers (only at weekends)…who knows…doubt it though. keep the thread on track.
PS. Nothing wrong with a broker that makes money from the trainer and not the canddiate.
Coffee, unless I am mistaken the point of this board is to help people who want to get into the game. To make it work it needs new starters, experienced drivers, trainers, and of course others with their own opinions.
Do you really think one of the most experienced trainers in the UK thinks brokers are a good idea. Have you even got a HGV licence?
And who pays the trainer…? Well I thought that was the trainee? Who needs another leech in the chain?
I know I’m new to all this but I’m not quite sure I “get” why these brokers even exist in the first place.
When I decided to take my HGV about this time last year I made a point of actually going to some local schools and looking at the vehicles and talking to the staff. I also talked to a few ex pupils to get an idea of how they operated and which was best for me.
I settled on a company 7 miles away from my house, paid them directly, then turned up on day 1.
Why would anyone use a middleman when you can contact a school, get a price, and book an assessment then a course?
Would people use a “broker” to do thier weekly shop at Tesco? Obviously not so why for training?
Sorry to all of the more experienced guys and girls on here but am I missing something about why brokers even exist in the first place?
AndyH71:
I know I’m new to all this but I’m not quite sure I “get” why these brokers even exist in the first place.
When I decided to take my HGV about this time last year I made a point of actually going to some local schools and looking at the vehicles and talking to the staff. I also talked to a few ex pupils to get an idea of how they operated and which was best for me.
I settled on a company 7 miles away from my house, paid them directly, then turned up on day 1.
Why would anyone use a middleman when you can contact a school, get a price, and book an assessment then a course?
Would people use a “broker” to do thier weekly shop at Tesco? Obviously not so why for training?
Sorry to all of the more experienced guys and girls on here but am I missing something about why brokers even exist in the first place?
Because their advertising does not come across as them being a broker…but rather a large training company with nationwide branches.
So they are suckered in by the idea that a ‘Big Company’ must mean their money is safe.
They also often offer a one stop solution from start to finish. As some people have realised to their detriment, this does not always happen. Often they will get the starter pack as an incentive to hand over the rest of the money… which doesn’t always make it’s way to the training company.
Because their advertising does not come across as them being a broker…but rather a large training company with nationwide branches.
So they are suckered in by the idea that a ‘Big Company’ must mean their money is safe.
They also often offer a one stop solution from start to finish. As some people have realised to their detriment, this does not always happen. Often they will get the starter pack as an incentive to hand over the rest of the money… which doesn’t always make it’s way to the training company.
Ah, I see…
They blind people with advertising gloss and offer a quick fix. Glad i didn’t fall for it.
You will probably find that they thought they could keep it quiet and keep trading as advantage but now the cat is out of the bag they need to try and convince the trainers to give them credit so the new company can trade.
And yet their website is still up and running so to Joe Public it looks like business as usual.
I would say it does, for the broker, aint it funny how many brokers with very little overheads have very little cash to hand, huge liabilities, virtually no assets, but each one trains thousands every year, but many aren’t even registered for VAT, I work out that they must ‘train’ more than 73 people in a year. These people must be really crap at business, or they are out to make a fast buck then run for cover, funny how in my research that the same names keep re-appearing with failed and failing businesses. What is even stranger is with the exception of ONE in recent times (I think he is just a plank) they are all LTD companies, no personal liability whatsoever, strange that the houses of the directors and management are worth quite a bit, but NOT one of them has re-mortgaged/liquified any assets to try and save their business. If your gonna run a business at least have the balls to shore it up with your own cash when things get tough.
If the model does work, then I may set up my own brokerage but for car learners, now that is a huge market. I reckon I get one going for around £100!!!
I still cannot work out how they have managed to keep their suppliers and customers, so who has lost money out of Advantage Training Services Ltd going bust?
Advantage HGV / LGV Training Ltd shows strong growth
March 3, 2010
Filed under: Industry News – ‘The HGV Newsbot’ @ 4:16 pm
Training and Recruitment Company ‘Advantage Training Services Ltd’, released strong figures today from their last financial year.
The company, which specialises in HGV / LGV training and employment provision, showed a continued upward trend in revenues and profits, beating earlier forecasts. The company put the new figures down to an emergence from recession and a renewal of a number of large, long term, sole-supplier contracts.
Managing Director Gary Benardout, stated:
’2009-2010 has been another great year for Advantage. We have renewed contracts with the RHA, DWP and JCP — moving to become sole suppliers of training and out-placements services for these organisations. With the Government pumping £billions into vocational training, Advantage are proud to be a sole-supplier for all JCP and DWP contracts. To date we have re-trained and placed 100′s of job-seekers into new careers within the logistics industry. Our corporate division has also continued to grow, and we have secured dozens of contracts with high-profile businesses. Meanwhile our consumer arm is thriving, with over 1,500 trainees trained and placed in the last financial year.’ Headline figures for 2009/10 show GP of £1.2m against a turnover of £3.18m and the MD has high expectations for the future.
‘Q2 of 2010 will see the launch of our latest venture, combining state of the art technology with traditional methods of training. The project, codenamed ‘HGV 2.0′, will represent a huge technological investment in our sector and we expect it to be taken up across the board.’
Advantage Training Services Ltd is also rolling out a program for more regional representation. Financial Director J.Clifford confirmed:
‘Advantage’s partners have continued to grow across the UK. We now have over 45 qualified ‘AdvantageWay’ partners — and this figure is set to rise throughout the year. We are constantly inundated with request from potential partners, but not until full screening and due diligence is done, do we accept them into AdvantageWay. As a result, partnerships will grow slowly and steadily in 2010, whilst we seek out the very best of the best to work with.’
Other figures point strongly to growth in 2010 — advertising budgets are set to rise, with large coverage across the internet, daily and trade press. A move into television placement is expected in Q3, with filming for a series of commercials starting in the next month.
Gary Benardout continued to comment:
‘Advantage is well placed to accommodate the many changes expected in the sector this year. New legislation has been passed, and whilst other companies still struggle with implementation, our team has ensured that all new trainees, placements and partners are fully accredited with all new rules and regulations. Our industry-leading initiatives regarding new legislation, have given us the edge over our competitors when pitching for business. No other company understands the industry like we do, and our clients, new and existing, appreciate this no end.’
I wonder what went wrong, I wonder if the government used a broker to tender it’s contracts and they went bust.
MADBAZ:
So John does the broker marketing model work?
If you are asking me the question then I guess not. But I will say we all use brokers for other things. Holidays, insurance, house sales etc etc.
MADBAZ:
If your gonna run a business at least have the balls to shore it up with your own cash when things get tough.
I disagree. Would you work for nothing or more to the point would you leave a job for another with more cash on offer? Life is all about how much money can you make. Dont try becoming a saint and pretend it is any different.
When you work for a company you are in effect selling your time and services, with 1 big difference. That is, if a genuine business fails you walk away feeling sorry for yourself but the company has untold grief trying to pick up the pieces.
Risk V Reward that is is essence of business. When a business fails who do you think loses more? The customer or the owners. It is usually the owners that have tried to compete but perhaps did not have enough Richard Branson in them to succeed.
I have never had dealings with brokers and possible never will. Some definately are set up to scam but not all.
Why not try setting up your own business with your own balls and your own money and see how easy it is. It is far easier to come on here and slag off those that do.
