Barcelona students are among around 200 people affected after Cepi-Base, a computer academy on Balmes Street, closed suddenly on 1 May. Many enrolled students have not received refunds, and they have not been offered alternative ways to finish their training or gain qualifications.

After complaints from students, the Mossos d’Esquadra opened an investigation into alleged fraud. Inspectors from the Agència Catalana de Consum also began an inquiry, according to El Periódico. The academy owners plan to ask the court this week to start insolvency proceedings.

The Catalan government has published guidance for people affected by the closure. It says students should gather all paperwork linked to the course, including adverts, quotes, contracts, invoices and payment receipts, before filing a claim against the company.

For students who financed their course through consumer credit linked to Cepi-Base, the agency says they should send a claim to the academy by burofax, certified post or email with proof of receipt. If there is no satisfactory reply within one month, they should contact the bank that is taking the instalments, tell it the academy has closed, and ask for direct debits to stop and for the money to be returned for the service not provided.

If the bank does not respond within one month, the agency says students should go to the Oficina Municipal d’Informació al Consumidor in Barcelona to continue the claim through consumer mediation. Students who paid by credit card should contact their bank, while those who used a personal loan should tell their lender and try to renegotiate the terms or remaining instalments.

People who paid in cash may find recovery harder, but the process is similar, the agency says. They should first ask Cepi-Base for a refund in writing. If there is no reply within one month, they can take legal action, and no lawyer or solicitor is needed for claims under 2,000 euros. If insolvency proceedings begin, public consumer bodies will no longer mediate with the company, and students will need to contact the bankruptcy administrator appointed by a judge. Full guidance is available on the Generalitat website, and the agency says it will update its site if the insolvency process starts.

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Originally published by El Periódico Barcelona. Read original article.