Bogus Dog Grooming Schools….don't get conned
29/06/2011
More people conned by parting with thousands of pounds to so-called Grooming Schools
Twice this week I have received tearful telephone calls from people who have paid around £3000-00 each to people who advertise themselves as 'dog grooming trainers '
These so-called grooming trainers have absolutely no dog grooming or teaching qualifications, offer no nationally-recognised certificates, and because there is no law to stop them, they are continually ripping people off for huge sums of money.
One lady told me she had spent her redundancy money on her ' training course' only to spend a week sweeping the floor, cleaning out a cupboard and watching the' tutor' groom dogs. The place was filthy, no staff facilities and no health & safety provision, she told me.
After a week she walked out and asked for a refund which was flatly refused. Because there was no contract for the training the lady couldn't do anything about it. Even Trading Standards couldn't help her.
This goes on all the time because there is no law requiring grooming schools to be licensed or regulated. This needs to change before more people find they have lost their hard earned money to these places. Not to mention the deep concern for the welfare of the animals being ' groomed ' in these establishments.
Abbfabb Academy is an Accredited Premier Training Centre and we are directly answerable to City & Guilds. We are regularly inspected to make sure we comply with the law and that our teaching is of the highest standards. Plus of course we offer nationally-recognised qualifications.
I will be contacting my local MP to see if there would be any interest at government level to step in and try to get grooming schools regulated. In the meantime though, it is unfortunately ' buyer beware ' .
r