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freitasm

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#196521 3-Jun-2016 09:10
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Received today:

 


Commission files charges against educational software provider

The Commerce Commission has filed 37 charges against the Auckland Academy of Learning Limited (AAL). The charges allege that misrepresentations were made by staff who sold AAL’s educational software package, CAMI. They also allege that AAL breached consumer credit and direct selling laws.

The Commission alleges AAL was invited into the homes of consumers so that their school aged children could receive a “complimentary evaluation and tutoring session,” when in fact the purpose of the visit was for AAL to sell them CAMI.  

When in the consumers’ homes, AAL made representations about the need for the CAMI software after AAL carried out a maths based “educational assessment” of school children in the household. AAL sales scripts said the assessment would demonstrate what the child was learning and understanding at school and if there were any “missing concepts.”

The Commission alleges, however, that the “educational assessment” did not correspond with the New Zealand curriculum and did not demonstrate the child’s learning or understanding because the assessment was inadequately set for the level of learning that AAL said they were assessing.

Two of the Commission’s charges relate to AAL’s alleged failure to tell consumers, before the agreements were entered into, that they had a right to cancel the uninvited direct sales agreement.

Other allegations by the Commission include that AAL failed to disclose key information about the credit provided for the CAMI software programme. The amounts paid for the software ranged from $6,000 to $11,000. The price of the programme was also misrepresented in some instances.

The Commission has received over 180 complaints about AAL. The majority of these complaints were received after a series of stories about AAL on current affairs show Campbell Live between October 2014 and March 2015.

As this case is before the courts the Commission is unable to comment further.

 





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trig42
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  #1564761 3-Jun-2016 09:17
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Gosh,. Sounds like the Kirby Vacuum hard-sell.

 

I can only imagine they go there, then proceed to tell parents that they are failing their kids, and the only way to be good parents again is to sign up for some $50 software for thousands.

 

I'd bet they are hard to get out of your house too (see Stuff article)




Fred99
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  #1564779 3-Jun-2016 09:30
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It's amazing the extremes to which some people will go in order to try to give their kids a "step up".

 

Unsurprising that scams like that have a large pool of victims ready and waiting.  Nothing remarkably new there though - same tactics were used by encyclopaedia salesmen for most of last century (not arguing against the value of those books, just that you could buy as good or better from a local bookstore for a fraction of the cost, and it wasn't unusual to see homes with an expensive leather-bound set - yet not one other book in the house).  

 

I sure hope NZ doesn't end up like S Korea.


dickytim
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  #1564942 3-Jun-2016 11:46
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Scum, just scum.

 

I can understand the parent desire to give their child a head start in life, to make their life easier than their parents but to prey on these people is just wrong.




frankv
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  #1565150 3-Jun-2016 16:08
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When in the consumers’ homes, ... AAL carried out a maths based “educational assessment” of school children in the household. AAL ... said the assessment would demonstrate what the child was learning and understanding at school and if there were any “missing concepts.”

 

 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist: 

 

If this assessment was at all accurate, AAL would patent/copyright/trademark the assessment process and sell the IP to schools. Millions of dollars and man-hours are spent by experienced and university-trained professionals to attempt to assess "what the child is learning and understanding at school and if there are any “missing concepts.”". 

 

 


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