Diving instructor Stole our money!

[AndrewMel]

Hi there,

I am new to this site and to diving. Unfortunately I have had a very bad experience with the second dive course that I signed up with through PADI. Its a long story but basically our Diving instructor insisted that we pay him up from and then cancelled the course on 24 hours notice and has since then has refused to refund us. (this all happened about 3 weeks ago).

We contacted PADI in the UK as they are responsible for the Africa region and they initially suspended the instructor but after he offered to 'settle' with us by paying us back and delivering our course books to us, PADI re-instated the instructor and closed their investigation (without even telling me and before the instructor had refunded us or delivered our course books).

Now it appears that the Diving instructor is not going to refund us and having done some investigating of my own, it appears that there are many other divers in my area that have been ripped off by the same instructor. He seems to take the client's money up front and then either cancel or never finish the course.

I have mentioned all of this to PADI (who I am still in contact with) and provided them with supporting fact but their view is quite literally that they are only concerned with the divers ability to teach safely and the fact that he has stolen our money is outside their jurisdiction. As things stand this instructor is still accredited by PADI even though they are aware that he is using this accreditation to con people out of their hard earned money.

Surely this can't be right?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can take this further. Its caused myself and my family a lot of trauma and we feel let down by PADI who we though was there to look after the interests of divers but is seems that they are only interested in looking after their own instructors (even if it turns out that they are acting criminally)

 

[wedivebc]

Very sorry for your experience. I am no longer affiliated with PADI so I can't be much help but I would say posting here is a good start
Best of luck.

 

[Scott L]

Truly unfortunate. You will receive a lot of support on this thread when most folks are back on-line in a matter of hours. Good luck!

 

[Paulmal]

I say put the guys name up for everyone to see what a scumbag he really is.

 

[AndrewMel]

Thanks Dave I appreciate the support

---------- Post Merged at 06:59 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:57 AM ----------

Thanks for your support will be interesting to see what comes out of this, wasn't expecting responses to come through so quickly

---------- Post Merged at 07:01 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 06:57 AM ----------

I would like to name and shame him but at this point I still trying to be nice and hoping that PADI comes to the party and takes some sort of action

 

[wedivebc]

I would like to name and shame him but at this point I still trying to be nice and hoping that PADI comes to the party and takes some sort of action

That is probably your best strategy right now

 

[chrisgp007]

Hey Andrew , hope that all this incident with the bad Instructor and padi uk not helping u out correctly . Hasnt made u stop divin now.

 

[spectrum]

Since you have prior contact with PADI I would make them aware of this thread. Nobody wants to be a punching bag. Unfortunately they don't have a forum here on SB for you to make this visible in.

Paying in advance for instruction is not unusual but not in advance of the class materials.

You can look at the good side and know that you did not receive substandard training from this guy.

Where it is a second course I am assuming that it was AOW, Nitrox or something else past Open Water and you can still actively dive. If local options are few realize that your OW certification is very transferable to another agency for further training.

Pete

 

[Diver0001]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can take this further. Its caused myself and my family a lot of trauma and we feel let down by PADI who we though was there to look after the interests of divers but is seems that they are only interested in looking after their own instructors (even if it turns out that they are acting criminally)

What I don't understand is why you don't go to the police. There is a word for what that instructor did, and that word is "fraud". It's an indictable crime in many countries, including, if I'm not mistaken, in your country. Go to the police and get a lawyer.

A good lawyer might even be able to implicate PADI in this crime because their refusal to suspend the instructor for this known and repeated behaviour essentially means they have become his accomplice. Ask your lawyer about that point and make sure he/she does whatever they can to put PADI under pressure to get this bad egg out of the system!

R..

---------- Post Merged at 02:15 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 02:10 PM ----------

I would like to name and shame him but at this point I still trying to be nice and hoping that PADI comes to the party and takes some sort of action

Screw that. Both the instructor and PADI have a well deserved dose of Karma coming to them because of this. Make sure they get it! Post names and make sure they both know about the thread so they have a chance to face the music if they want.

R..

 

[Insta-Gator]

Is this an independent instructor or is he affiliated with a local dive shop? I'm sure the local dive shop(s) do not want to be implicated along with this scoundrel. Perhaps the dive shop can assist. Otherwise, engage the legal system and remain public to warn others.