FAS safe pass card.

the keen edge

Last May I did a safe pass course with a crowd in Ennis Co. Clare.

I still haven't received my card, and my phone calls to the training provider are going unanswered. I presume the trainer is still operating as her voicemail describes her as such.

Anyway I call FAS in Dublin and was told by them that the card was issued last August. Typical of FAS, they told me that they don't have anything to do with training providers issuing card on to the third parties i.e. myself.

FAS have told me that a replacement card will cost €25, thats on top off what I have already paid.

I would really appreciate some advise on how best to resolve this issue.
Anybody find themselves in this situation before?.

Did you get a letter on the day saying you completed your safe pass? That should tie you over for the time being.
It took nearly 4 weeks for my card to arrive

dunphy3

the keen edge wrote: »

Last May I did a safe pass course with a crowd in Ennis Co. Clare.

I still haven't received my card, and my phone calls to the training provider are going unanswered. I presume the trainer is still operating as her voicemail describes her as such.

Anyway I call FAS in Dublin and was told by them that the card was issued last August. Typical of FAS, they told me that they don't have anything to do with training providers issuing card on to the third parties i.e. myself.

FAS have told me that a replacement card will cost €25, thats on top off what I have already paid.

I would really appreciate some advise on how best to resolve this issue.
Anybody find themselves in this situation before?.

did a course last march still wating for certificate [have contacted them 3 times,will have it in two weeks or so???????? is there reply]

the keen edge

When I rang FAS they sent me out a letter saying that I attended and passed the course.

But what really angered me, was that the man I spoke to in FAS told me that the card had been issued and sent out to the training provider last August, the he didn't seem to give to hoots that I hadn't received it!.

He didn't ask who I did the course with are anything, just told me that a replacement card cost €25 and then had the cheek to enclose a card replacement form with the above letter.

I finish college in a week, and I will be the bane of their life to get this sorted, I'll have the time on my hands!.

Typical FAS just brushing problems under the carpet.

kippy

the keen edge wrote: »

When I rang FAS they sent me out a letter saying that I attended and passed the course.

But what really angered me, was that the man I spoke to in FAS told me that the card had been issued and sent out to the training provider last August, the he didn't seem to give to hoots that I hadn't received it!.

He didn't ask who I did the course with are anything, just told me that a replacement card cost €25 and then had the cheek to enclose a card replacement form with the above letter.

I finish college in a week, and I will be the bane of their life to get this sorted, I'll have the time on my hands!.

Typical FAS just brushing problems under the carpet.

So the cards were sent to the training provider by FAS and the training provider was responsible for sending them to you?
What address did the training provider have for you and have you moved addresses recently?
Have you contacted the training provider?

the keen edge

kippy wrote: »

So the cards were sent to the training provider by FAS and the training provider was responsible for sending them to you?
What address did the training provider have for you and have you moved addresses recently?
Have you contacted the training provider?

Yeah according to FAS they sent the card out to the training provider last August.

I call the training provider last September, she was out of the office, but said some cards had arrived if my was there she'd send it out.
She seemed like a decent woman, so I just didn't panic and kinda just was waiting for the card to arrive in the post.
Anyway the card hadn't arrived by November so I tried ringing her a couple of time but I could get an answer: so then I rang FAS a week or so ago, and they told me that the card had been sent out last August.

So I've called her a couple since then, and I have just now sent her a text, re: send on the bloody card!.

I haven't moved address, I reckon she lost or somehow misplaced the card and doesn't want to shell out the €25 to replace it.

I'm mad with her, but FAS are a right shower-no help whatsoever, they could give a fiddlers.

kippy

the keen edge wrote: »

Yeah according to FAS they sent the card out to the training provider last August.

I call the training provider last September, she was out of the office, but said some cards had arrived if my was there she'd send it out.
She seemed like a decent woman, so I just didn't panic and kinda just was waiting for the card to arrive in the post.
Anyway the card hadn't arrived by November so I tried ringing her a couple of time but I could get an answer: so then I rang FAS a week or so ago, and they told me that the card had been sent out last August.

So I've called her a couple since then, and I have just now sent her a text, re: send on the bloody card!.

I haven't moved address, I reckon she lost or somehow misplaced the card and doesn't want to shell out the €25 to replace it.

I'm mad with her, but FAS are a right shower-no help whatsoever, they could give a fiddlers.

What are you expecting them to do? They advised that they had sent out the cards to the training provider (admittedly you have no way of knowing this was done or not) and from their perspective that's the end of the process from their PoV.
You've say yourself that you reckon the training provider is at fault, yet you still haven't managed to clarify the situation on the phone with them.
If I were you I would try harder to get in touch with the provider and find out from them exactly when and where to they posted the card. After that you'll need to work out something with them, however it is VERY EASY for them, or indeed FAS to say that the card was posted to your address, a few months ago, and you yourself may have misplaced it in the meantime.
(I assume registered post wasn't used)

Thats my take on it, however if you speak to the training provider you may get somewhere.

the keen edge

kippy wrote: »

What are you expecting them to do? They advised that they had sent out the cards to the training provider (admittedly you have no way of knowing this was done or not) and from their perspective that's the end of the process from their PoV.
You've say yourself that you reckon the training provider is at fault, yet you still haven't managed to clarify the situation on the phone with them.
If I were you I would try harder to get in touch with the provider and find out from them exactly when and where to they posted the card. After that you'll need to work out something with them, however it is VERY EASY for them, or indeed FAS to say that the card was posted to your address, a few months ago, and you yourself may have misplaced it in the meantime.
(I assume registered post wasn't used)

Thats my take on it, however if you speak to the training provider you may get somewhere.

For now I will concentrate on contacting the training provider.

Regarding FAS, they have a list of accredited trainers on their website. It was from this list that I got the details of the trainer.

I ring FAS, explain my story regarding a trainer that they have accredited, and are in effect advertising the services of.
The guy in FAS can see on his computer screen that the card I am inquiring about has being issued 3 months ago, and he makes absolutely no effort in resolving the problem, doesn't even bother to ask who provided the training.

I was basically told "tough luck, that will be €25 pal".

I expect them to offer a lot more than that.

Anyway I'll wait and see!

kippy

the keen edge wrote: »

For now I will concentrate on contacting the training provider.

Regarding FAS, they have a list of accredited trainers on their website. It was from this list that I got the details of the trainer.

I ring FAS, explain my story regarding a trainer that they have accredited, and are in effect advertising the services of.
The guy in FAS can see on his computer screen that the card I am inquiring about has being issued 3 months ago, and he makes absolutely no effort in resolving the problem, doesn't even bother to ask who provided the training.

I was basically told "tough luck, that will be €25 pal".

I expect them to offer a lot more than that.

Anyway I'll wait and see!

From his POV, the card had been issued to the training provider. Again, I am not sure what you expected him to do.
You need to talk to the training provider and resolve the issue with them directly. If that doesn't work to your satisfaction you should perhaps call FAS again going through the issue you are having with the training provider (perhaps advising the training provider that you plan on doing this).
All that being said it could just be a simple mistake but spitting bullets and apportioning blame without having spoken to all parties involved isn't a great way to get issues resolved.

ejmaztec

It seems to me that the training provider, who is no doubt paid big bucks by Fás, needs a rocket.

the keen edge

ejmaztec wrote: »

It seems to me that the training provider, who is no doubt paid big bucks by Fás, needs a rocket.

The training provider is independent of FAS AFAIK.

Regardless, FAS do have a responsibility to make sure that their accredited trainers are providing an entire service from the actual training, right through to issuing cards.

The send us in €25 for a replacement card attitude, without even asking who provided the training, is what really annoyed me.

kippy

the keen edge wrote: »

The training provider is independent of FAS AFAIK.

Regardless, FAS do have a responsibility to make sure that their accredited trainers are providing an entire service from the actual training, right through to issuing cards.

The send us in €25 for a replacement card attitude, without even asking who provided the training, is what really annoyed me.

So the training provider is independent of FAS yet FAS have a responsibility that their accredited trainers are providing an entire service?
As far as FAS are concerned, they fulfilled their part of the deal. If the trainer did not send you the documentation, your issue, in the first instance is with the trainer. If you speak to the trainer, then end up with issues THEN you MAY decide to advise the trainer that you are going to raise a complaint about them with FAS - this may persuade the trainer just to get the issue sorted rather than lose business over it.
Ultimately, as I said above, you need to get talking to the trainer about this and find out the facts.
FAS have a responsibility to the end recipient of the training, once they fund it, however it is not their problem if you haven't spoken to the trainer.
You are looking for a Safepass card, that as far as they are concerned, has been sent to the trainer. The only way to replace that card is via a fee that someone has to pay. If you rang to complain about the trainer (after having spoken to them) then I would expect a different result.

the keen edge

kippy wrote: »

So the training provider is independent of FAS yet FAS have a responsibility that their accredited trainers are providing an entire service?
As far as FAS are concerned, they fulfilled their part of the deal. If the trainer did not send you the documentation, your issue, in the first instance is with the trainer. If you speak to the trainer, then end up with issues THEN you MAY decide to advise the trainer that you are going to raise a complaint about them with FAS - this may persuade the trainer just to get the issue sorted rather than lose business over it.
Ultimately, as I said above, you need to get talking to the trainer about this and find out the facts.
FAS have a responsibility to the end recipient of the training, once they fund it, however it is not their problem if you haven't spoken to the trainer.
You are looking for a Safepass card, that as far as they are concerned, has been sent to the trainer. The only way to replace that card is via a fee that someone has to pay. If you rang to complain about the trainer (after having spoken to them) then I would expect a different result.

Maybe I'm not explaining my point clearly.

FAS (more accurately the guy I was speaking to) rather than proactively asking a couple of brief questions about the details of why I've been left waiting for 7 months for a safepass card for a programme they promote and are ultimately the agency running the show, decided to ignore the issue point blank and send out the auld €25 replacement card form.

What if I wasn't inclined the bother of chasing this up and just sent of the €25.
How about next week one of the other 12 guy's that attended the same course as I decides to chase up the safepass card he is still awaiting on, will he be just given the same €25 please line?.

As the guy in FAS didn't bother his arse taking any of my details relating to the training provider, FAS will not be aware that an accredited trainer on their website, that their are advertising for isn't sending out cards.

Further more how do we know that some of the other people that attened the same course as me also haven't received their cards and have sent €25 of for a replacement?.

We must assume, given my phone to FAS, that queries relating to missing/delayed safepass are just told to send in €25 for a replacement.

Logging mine, and the trainers details should be an obvious procedure. For god sake the guy in FAS knew that 5 months had passed without me receiving the card!.

kippy

the keen edge wrote: »

Maybe I'm not explaining my point clearly.

FAS (more accurately the guy I was speaking to) rather than proactively asking a couple of brief questions about the details of why I've been left waiting for 7 months for a safepass card for a programme they promote and are ultimately the agency running the show, decided to ignore the issue point blank and send out the auld €25 replacement card form.

What if I wasn't inclined the bother of chasing this up and just sent of the €25.
How about next week one of the other 12 guy's that attended the same course as I decides to chase up the safepass card he is still awaiting on, will he be just given the same €25 please line?.

As the guy in FAS didn't bother his arse taking any of my details relating to the training provider, FAS will not be aware that an accredited trainer on their website, that their are advertising for isn't sending out cards.

Further more how do we know that some of the other people that attened the same course as me also haven't received their cards and have sent €25 of for a replacement?.

We must assume, given my phone to FAS, that queries relating to missing/delayed safepass are just told to send in €25 for a replacement.

Logging mine, and the trainers details should be an obvious procedure. For god sake the guy in FAS knew that 5 months had passed without me receiving the card!.

But you havent even been speaking to the guy who is meant to be sending you the card.......yet you are making about 3 different assumptions about them.....
1. You assumed initially that they were independent from FAS.
2. You assumed that FAS has some level of authority over them.
3. You assumed that the card wasn't send out at all.

Ultimately if you havent gone back to the trainer with the issue, you're wasting your time making any level of complaint to FAS. Surely you can see that.......and if you were on their end you'd see that side of it.

Paulw

I did my course Nov 2010.
I received my safepass card Sept 2011.

Don't panic.

Thetrainer

I believe the cards are printed somewhere in Europe as a mate of mine whose has a name in Irish got his back with loads of spelling mistakes and when he rang up he was told they were printed abroad.

Paulw

Printed in Poland.