I wanted to share my experience with Touchstone Academy to help others avoid the same mistakes I made.
I was drawn in by a slick Instagram ad and signed up for a free seminar, which led to a weekend "intensive" course for £99. The energy was high, and the sales pitch was convincing. I was told that if I didn’t double my investment in a year, I could get my money back. Sounds good, right? But here's where things went south.
Once I paid £9995 upfront + £495 monthly, the reality hit. There was no 1-on-1 coaching as promised, just a faceless operations team that only communicated via email. I soon realised that the so-called "refund policy" was a total scam, designed to make sure you never actually get your money back. The terms were so complicated that it felt impossible to claim a refund.
After 12 days of confusion and stress, I had to dig deep to find a solution. I turned to my bank and filed a Section 75 claim for mis-selling, citing the evidence of their broken promises. The bank was able to recover most of my money, and I also used a chargeback to recover the rest.
The process wasn’t easy, and Touchstone tried to fight back, but Section 75 is a legal right, and I was able to get my money back. Be aware: Touchstone will continue to try to take your monthly payments, even after you cancel. I had to cancel the continuous £495 payments in writing, and they’re still trying to take money from me. I had to contact my bank again and request cancellation of the continuous payment authority . They blocked Touchstone from taking any more payments. Touchstone are STILL trying to take money though. Thank goodness for the protection of my banks (I paid on more than one card).
This experience was deeply disappointing, and I felt like I was deceived every step of the way. However, if you're in a similar situation, I want to pass on the advice I got from another reviewer: If you were mis-sold, use a Section 75 claim. It’s your legal right, and you can also pursue chargebacks if needed. Don’t let them get away with it.
I’m sharing this to help others who might be in the same desperate situation I was in. Please, don’t be swayed by the hype and slick sales techniques. Do your research, and know your rights.
UPDATE AFTER TOUCHSTONE REPLY- ADDRESSING ME AS MALCOM
My name is not Malcolm but I'm glad Malcolm claimed on a Section 75 too. Well done Malcolm! Conscious TS will change their reply now but amused me anyway.
I did attend an "onboarding" session and it was a joke. Other new starters were on this call that I expected to be a serious 1-2-1 meeting about my goals and a chance to be matched with a coach. The onboarding session was a delaying tactic to get me over the 14 day cooling off period when my rights would be reduced. However, a Section 75 is there to PROTECT you from dubious remote selling techniques like this. Section 75 was created to protect the vulnerable from companies like Touchstone.
My message is the same - fight for your money back via your bank. Get Touchstone's name out there as a con. Keep the 1 star reviews coming to inform others. Peace out.
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