Initially I had a optimistic view of express online training. Professional looking website and all. I'd recently moved up north and looking for work I finally found employment in a local liquor store. I'm in a rural area and with all this "covid" pandemic going on I chose to do it online. I also live in a rural area also.

Upon opening the site you are blatantly showed with a nationally accredited RSA course for $126. "PAY ONCE COMPLETED" now pay close attention to that first part.

So you commence the course. It's a slide type information slideshow with quizzes and tests after every section, I'd commenced mine at around 0730HRS. Finally about 1230HRS I'd finished what I thought was the final test. Even after this "final" test is when you are prompted to pay the initial $126. Now revert to what's originally stated on the home page "pay once you've finished". So even in this time when it came up with a loading screen which I presumed was creating my temporary RSA certificate, they even ask you to fill out a survey which only continues to give you the belief that the course is finished, but alas! They only send you an invoice that you've paid but then thereafter there are 3 more sections that require completion, the company might mention this in very small text in some back section of their website, but regardless, their home page is misleading. SO, these next 3 sections require adobe flash player which I reluctantly downloaded on my girlfriends laptop and removed much of her internet security settings in order to try and attempt to have the sections work. They are a virtual and video type section like you would find in a driving test at the roads and maritime services.

I am not much of an IT guy, I hate technology but I was born in 92 so I've got a decent idea. However, after the misleading intro into this course and believing I wouldn't be able to get the next 3 sections to work, I contacted the head office.

After expressing my concerns and struggle in being able to possibly complete the next 3 sections which were not mentioned on their alluring home page and just asking if I was not able to complete it due to my girlfriends laptop not being able to have the sufficient software to run the 3 modules that were not mentioned to me, if I'd be able to seek a refund and possibly go to an in person RSA course, I was a abruptly hit with "and what would be your reason for the refund?..." I believe her name was Ivana or ilana. I'd politely stated that the site gently guided you into assuming the course would just be those quizzes since it states "pay once you've finished" and I was indeed prompted to pay by the website and via email once I'd finished the sections and the quizzes. So show me someone that wouldn't believe that was the end of the course and I'll show you a liar.

I eventually had got the flash player to work and completed the first two sections of the three. The third part being called a "live audio assessment" which you can only book after the first two sections of webcam recordings have been completed in hypothetical role play scenarios. I'd completed them.

Then when you attempt to commence the final section, you must book in a time slot. I'll backtrack here but even earlier on I believe when leaving the review, there was an option of items you could purchase and they were basically VIP treatment, however I did not feel I needed it back then as I was only doing the one course. But, as you go to book in the final section, you open the calendar on your PC to dates and time slots only to find all hour slots for weeks on end either titled with "FULL" or conveniently "PRIORITY SERVICE ONLY", after scouraging through the dates and my new employment being based on how quickly I received my RSA, I reluctantly purchased the so called "priority service" which was a further $40.

So I'd booked in the next day and did my audio assessment with a live assessor and passed with flying colours. I'd been informed via the site that once finished you should receive your interim certificate shortly after, I had a shift commencing at 2pm which involved working the POS system and serving customers so I needed my interim certificate at the minimum.

The phone assessor had stated that I should've received it within the hour(the phone assessor was awesome and the only saving attribute of this shonky company).

My general manager called me to see where I was up to with the RSA as I'd previously informed him of the bumps in the road to obtaining it and how I hadn't received the interim cert yet even though adequate time had passed. He told me if I didn't get it shortly to cancel the shift as I wouldn't be able to be trained behind the register without the interim cert.

I then called up Express Online Training and begrudgingly was received by the same woman who was on the immediate defensive again stating that it was "up to NSW liquor and gaming" to issue the interim certificate (what did I pay priority service for?) if I wouldn't possibly receive the certificate for up to 20 business days from liquor and gaming? I would've waited for the next free slot for the third live audio assessment instead of purchasing the so called "priority service" under the impression that I would receive priority service and acquire the interim certificate ASAP. It's not the price that is the issue, it was the alluring and misleading website, the defensive worker I'd spoken to when humbly asking if a refund would be possible if my computer would not be able to support the software, mind you she also said that refunds for "change of mind" weren't offered. How is a laptop that's not mine that can't support a software for a section of the course that's not outlined and only brought up AFTER YOU HAVE PAID AND LEFT A REVIEW SURVEY a change of mind?

This entire training service reeks of a free trial for a porn website only being teased with edited 10 second clips of full videos that require extensive payments in order for the full service. I am disgusted knowing that this is a nationally accredited website and I will go out of my way to warn and steer people away from using it.