lycaeum.co.uk Reviews 22

NO NOT USE THESE PEOPLE.
I INVESTED £260!!
I GOT DIAGNOSED WITH ILLNESS TOOK MYSELF AWAY. TOLD MY TEACHER I HAD 3 LESSON THAT WAS £60.

I GOT SICK WHILE I WAS AWAY.
CAME HOME AND WWNT TO BOOK LESSON.
NO ONE ESPECIALLY THE MANAGER PEDRO!!!!
WAS GETTING BACK TO ME
I COULD SEE MY MONEY IN MY ACCOUNT WITH THEM
KEPT ON EMAILING PEDRO (MAMAGER!!!!)
SPOKE TO HIS SECRETARY MANY TIMES SHE WAS SHOCKED THAT NO ONE WAS STILL NOT GETTING BACK TO ME.
THEN GOT TOLD THEY'VE TAKEN MY £200!!!
ABSOLUTELY CRIMINAL
DO NOT USE THEM THEY TAKE YOUR MONEY THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE SICK THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING.
FUNNY THAT THEY WAS IN CONTACT WITH ME WHEN I WAS PUTTING MONEY IN THEIR ACCOUNT THEY GET BACK TO ME STRAIGHT AWAY.

HORRIBLE COMPANY.
YOU'RE A DISGRACE PEDRO
I LEFT A BAD REVIEW AND ALSO OTHER PEOPLE HAD ON HOS FACEBOOK PAGE AND NOW HE HAS TAKEN FACEBOOK OFF.
WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK.
IT'S CRIMINAL!!

I have unfortunately had a very poor experience with this company, which started on 29th January 2023 and is still ongoing as I write this on 26th April 2023.

On 29th January I asked for a refund of the money I had paid for 4 piano lessons for my grand-daughter. I had been told, clearly and categorically, that it would be cheaper to pay upfront for 4 lessons rather than one, and that if I was not satisfied with the first lesson, the remaining money would be refunded in full. I was also told that unless I paid for at least one lesson, I would not be able to speak to my chosen teacher before the lessons started, in order to discuss my grand-daughter's previous experience, interests and needs.

Well, we didn't even get to the first lesson. Having first enquired on 28th December 2022, I was contacted on 7th January but only after I had phoned in two or three times. After discussion I was sent the CVs of three tutors, who I was told were all excellent, and ready and waiting to start the teaching. I chose one. It turned out she had moved away from the district. Over the course of the next few weeks, I was repeatedly sent CVs of teachers and asked to choose one, who, I was again told, was ready and waiting to start work; then, when I chose one, I was told they were in fact not available. This happened at least 4 times and may have been 5. I was also told on numerous occasions that I would receive a phone call, but it didn’t happen, so I eventually phoned in myself each time, only to be given more promises and assurances that were then broken.

Eventually I gave up waiting for a teacher. As mentioned, I had already paid the £148 for four lessons, because I was told I could not speak to my chosen teacher (who had still not materialised) until after I had paid. So on 3rd February 2023 I asked for the promised full refund. To cut a long story short, I have still not received it.

I have an email train of most of the correspondence, including looking for a teacher and requesting my refund. It involves at least 25 emails, although I did not save them all; I don’t have a record of what was actually said in the phone calls, but I have phone records of at least 30 calls being made between myself and a member of Lycaeum, altogether, and I know there were also others where I didn’t save the number. I was promised the refund again, and again, and again.

Another issue that I am concerned about is that the company states in their advertising that their teachers are trained at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music; in fact of all the teachers I was offered, not one of them had been trained at those top-grade colleges.

I don't understand how it is that an Arts Council funded project of this kind can be so appalling. I am really dismayed. I have now given up expecting my refund.