not sure were to put this so hear goes.
a training company called clearstone has gone bust at least thats what i was told on monday 4/6/07.
poplem is i am due to take my class1 through them and the school involved has said my course is still ok, but i paid for 2 extra test just in case. and there not sure where i stand if i dont pass first time any ideas.
so far i cant get hold of clearstone themselves.
The website is still up and running, so there may be a glimmer of hope. Often these are shut down straight away or altered.
From what I’ve read I don’t suppose they’ll be sorely missed nor would Sterling / Qualitas. It’s only bad news if they have gone with someones money and left them with nothing.
Sooooooooooooo glad I didnt go with clearstone.
Probably lots of people reading up on these forums about them and decided not to use them which sent them under.
probably could not afford to comply with the new rules for testing vehicles on July 1
There’s a vacancy advertised on the job centre website,looking for a Class 1driver in the Edinburgh area.
Is it the same mob?
Applications to be sent to: Clearstone Training and Recruiting Ltd, 23 Chesterton Court, Chester, CH2 2FA.
One thing I’m wondering about. Was it your decision to pay for two extra tests or was it their idea. seems very strange to me and if it was them thye can’t have much faith in theri ability to get you through the test first, or even second time. 
OK I lied, there is two things I’m wondering about. I don’t know because it is a long time since I did my test and can’t remember but don’t you pay the DSA or whoever for the test rather than the school?
Coffeeholic:
OK I lied, there is two things I’m wondering about. I don’t know because it is a long time since I did my test and can’t remember but don’t you pay the DSA or whoever for the test rather than the school?
The bloke I trained with included the test fee in his invoice (although it was detailed seperately from the training so you could see what you were paying for).
Paul
repton:
The bloke I trained with included the test fee in his invoice (although it was detailed seperately from the training so you could see what you were paying for).Paul
Was that because he had pre- booked a number of tests and paid for them or he was doing the booking and paying? Seems to me if they are/were getting trainees to pay for a couple of extra tests in advance just in case they are getting to hold some of your money for a period. Be interesting to know how quick they would pay it back if the extra tests were not required.
Coffeeholic:
One thing I’m wondering about. Was it your decision to pay for two extra tests or was it their idea. seems very strange to me and if it was them thye can’t have much faith in theri ability to get you through the test first, or even second time.
I share that reservation, although it might have been the school’s idea to cover the possibility of a fail, due to queue length at re-booking. It’s the only thing that struck me, but I’ve never heard of that before.
coffeeholic:
OK I lied, there is two things I’m wondering about. I don’t know because it is a long time since I did my test and can’t remember but don’t you pay the DSA or whoever for the test rather than the school?
When I was doing some LGV instructing, the school booked and paid for the tests on-line. The ones I worked for had an “account” with the DSA. The schools could cancel tests and get a credit if they cancelled in time. If the system hasn’t changed, the candidate paid the school, rather than paying the DSA directly. (Now ROG can put me right 
)
yes Dave - the schools block book tests and the trainees pay the school. the schools can get all their money back if they cancel the tests within a certain time frame.
So it seems this was a way for Clearstone to get their hands on some free money for a while then? 
ROG:
yes Dave - the schools block book tests and the trainees pay the school. the schools can get all their money back if they cancel the tests within a certain time frame.
Thanks for that ROG I gave that to the best of my memory, I just wasn’t sure whether it had changed.
Do schools still “trade” tests amongst each other?
Coffeeholic:
Was that because he had pre- booked a number of tests and paid for them or he was doing the booking and paying?
The former - had pre booked tests months in advance and then told the DSA at a later date who would be sitting them.
Paul
Coffeeholic:
So it seems this was a way for Clearstone to get their hands on some free money for a while then?
It might well be.
I thought about it, from experience, and came up with it could be that if a candidate failed, they’d have to wait weeks in a queue for a retest, and go “rusty” whilst doing so. In its own way, that would have been an income generator.
I’m not sure what the waiting time is these days, (help again please ROG) so it might have become tactical to get a couple of test fees, then give any unused back to the candidate as change. Free money for a while indeed.
Now it’s said that they’ve gone broke/finished, it seems a bit suss that they’d take two fees. The acid test is whether our friend gets the money refunded, or am I just being cynical?
thanks for all your replys i will let you know how it all pans out including my course and test starting on the 18th of this month.
We have recieved this statement regarding Clearstone:
STATEMENT: TRUCKNETUK
Clearstone secures investment for ambitious growth plans
London, 8 June, 2007 - Clearstone, the LGV training and recruitment specialist, this week announced its acquisition by RCapital, a private equity firm. The investment enables Clearstone to continue its drive to improve the training and recruitment of LGV drivers and expand its 80 strong workforce and network of training centres.
Clearstone is the only UK organisation to offer LGV recruitment and training and RCapital’s investment underlines the significance of its offering.
A chief spokesman from Clearstone comments: “We are delighted with the investment, which will enable the company to execute our ambitious expansion plans. We will be introducing an exciting new range of services, to be unveiled in the coming months.”
Clearstone will continue to operate as an entity and the brand will be retained. Anyone who made a booking through Clearstone prior to the acquisition can rest assured that their training will be honoured. Under its new ownership, Clearstone will continue as the market leader in providing exceptional training through its network of first class schools across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
RCapital agrees to take on 193 Little Chefs
03/01/2007 23:30LONDON (Reuters) - RCapital, which tries to turn around troubled businesses, said on Wednesday it had agreed a deal to take control of 193 of Little Chef roadside restaurants while another 37 will close.
London-based private equity firm RCapital said in a statement the deal followed agreements with Little Chef’s major landlords, Travelodge and Arazim. It did not say how much it would pay for the eating stops.
“There is already a quality operational team headed by Simon Heath. But up until today due to financial constraints, they have effectively been working with their hands tied behind their backs,” RCapital said.
Entrepreneurs Heath and Lawrence Wosskow bought Little Chef for 52 million pounds in October 2005 from private equity group Permira.
“This is a British icon which has, despite its chequered past, maintained a level of brand integrity. Albeit out of date, the roots of its offer remain relevant and it clearly has a future in today’s market place,” Heath said in the statement.
Being an old cynic, is there a clue in the first line?
which tries to turn around troubled businesses,
Or is it a case of training crews no longer stopping at ‘butty’ vans for the obligatory ‘brew’. 
Which reminds me. Going on holiday a couple of weeks ago we stopped at the Little Chef at Lee Mills (?). On the A38 just short of Plymouth. Normally, we just go up the slip road and continue to the ‘butty’ van, but on this occasion, we decided to dine in (relative) comfort.
The service was atrocious. We waited an absolute age to be seated, and the arrival of the meal wasn’t much quicker. The female waitress didn’t seem to be able to operate the till without constant assistance from the cook, who appeared to be the manager, and the other waiter seemed totally ‘racked off’ but remained polite.
Neither was I impressed with, when the place was less than half full, being seated at Table 1, when Table 2 was already occupied, hence I had to play ‘juggle the chairs’ with the person behind me.
Next time, it’ll be back to the ‘butty’ van. 
ok i finally got hold of clearstone. and they said all is ok.
and then went on to try and talk me into a PCV course even though i said no a number of times they still tried. got to admit the woman on the end of the phone did sound very nice.
still i wouldn’t recommend them to anyone.
magpie666:
got to admit the woman on the end of the phone did sound very nice.
Fit On The Phone…Add Two Stone!!