Hello to everyone.
This is my first post and I hope to chart my progress with regular updates over the coming months. Hopefully someone can learn from my trials and tribulations and the countless mistakes I am bound to make.
Day One:
I run a wood fired pizza business that effectively has a season from March to October and so I was looking for something new to do over the winter months to keep the bills paid. I had always had a secret desire to drive a big lorry and so decided to invest in getting my C then C+E entitlement. I would have fallen foul of the scammers had it not been for this excellent forum. They look so convincing.
I rang one who was very keen on the phone, they didn’t have a training centre in Northampton where I am based so that was a negative immediately (the web site stated Northampton was covered). But everything else seemed good, they could give me an 8 day course for £1999 inc vat that would get me ready for both C and C+E tests. (At this point I raised an eyebrow as this did seem to be too good to be true). Anyway after a bit more chatting I had a pack sent out in the post and thought I’d ring a company that definitely covered Northampton.
I spoke to J Coates and was immediately told that I couldn’t do an 8 day course for both tests as you were not able to drive a C+E vehicle until your C licence came back from DVLA. They recommended a starter package which included a medical, the literature and study materials for the theory exam and an assessment drive. They would then do the C course with me and after that the C+E, the price was similar but the whole thing sounded a much more realistic proposition.
Anyway, I booked the starter course, paid the money and they got me a doctors appointment for the medical for the next day, today!
I arrived at the doctors mobile surgery, he completed all the necessary paperwork and examined me and gave me the D4 and the D2 for the DVLA. That went off at lunch time and the two first hurdles are out of the way in less than 24 hours!
now as soon as the licence comes back I can book the theory and then my assessment drive.
Can’t wait. 
