Kapoor Show

May 11 2008 Additional Reporting By Jane Barrie

Ronnie Pays It Guru £7000 For Training ..but After Three Years He Is Still Waiting

RONNIE SMART thought he was on a winner when he signed up for an IT training course costing £7000.

He hoped to climb the career ladder and ditch his job as a telecoms engineer for a more specialist position.

But after parting with the cash, he has never had a single day's tuition or a refund from ASG Training, run by whizz kid Rahul Kapoor.

Ronnie, 41, said: "I feel I've been robbed. I took out a loan to cover it and I am still paying it back every month.

"They've taken my money and done nothing for it. Their phone line is dead and they are not answering letters. It's a disgrace."

Ronnie, of Bargeddie, near Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, signed up with ASG for 15 days training after seeing them on the internet.

The cost was £7990 plus VAT but he got a £1995 discount as he had subscribed to two separate courses - one lasting five days and the other 10 days. He said: "The £7044 training was very specific and industry accredited. It was exactly what I was looking for.

"I was given a start date for the first course which was based in Woking, Surrey, and included exams."

But days before it, his son Cameron was rushed to hospital with an e.coli infection.

Ronnie, married to Rosalyn, 41, a hairdresser, said: "It was a terrible time. There was no way I could have gone."

He contacted ASG, of Weybridge, who could not give him an alternative date immediately.

Ronnie, dad to Cameron, four, and Abby, 17, said: "I spent months trying to get something sorted out.

"I was emailing and phoning but no one was getting back to me.

It was ridiculous."

He demanded a refund, then, out of the blue, ASG claimed to have scheduled another course.

Ronnie said: "It was short notice and by this point I hadmy suspicions and wantedmy money back as they had messed me about so much."

When no refund arrived, he approached a lawyer who sent a series of letters. Ronnie said: "ASG did get in touch with the solicitor once to say they were giving the matter their immediate attention.

"But that was more than a year ago and I am still waiting."

I learned ASG director Rahul Kapoor is involved in four firms - ASG Training, ASG Solutions, Systems Support Resources International and Security Systems Resource International ASG Training's accounts are overdue and Systems Support Resources International are about to be struck off by Companies House.

I tried all week to contact Kapoor, 21, at his family's £1million home in Weybridge, Surrey.

He has gone to ground - but I'm still on his tail.

You've been warned.