Now I've been a lurker on these forums for a while and know that CGN has had a problem with some random guy creating accounts and bashing this company senseless. I can tell you that I'm NOT him. I just got my RPAL in the mail today, and I just happened to do the course with him. I'm here to share my honest opinion regarding this guys course and the outcome. If you doubt my credibility I'll even post a picture of my new license.
So in October of 2011, I decided I wanted to finally start the process and get my RPAL. I'm no expert by any means but I have lots of experience in shooting from doing it on the other side of the border half a dozen times a year for the past few years. I understand firearms, ammunition and safety procedures. Despite this I still decided to go through with doing a firearms course because the tests in Canada as I found out, test you on specific acronyms and procedures. You can't just say/do the generic stuff you see on American gun videos about safety. Even though they are just as correct. No, you have to PROVE it safe, and follow the Vital Four ACTS. For this, I proceeded with taking the course, so as to make sure I passed the first time.
Here is where my experience with Terranovafirm begun. So in the confines of my dormitory room, I was looking for a place to do the course. Most places were backlogged 1-2 months, then I came across a company called Terranovafirm. They said they could do the course and test in one 10 hour sitting, a week from now. Wanting to get my RPAL the fastest I could, I jumped on this. I tried to book an appointment but I needed to create an account. This is when things got sketchy.
I kid you not, as soon as I filled out my registration information and registered, about 30 seconds latter I received a call on my mobile phone (the phone number I registered with) and a guy in an middle eastern voice was on the line asking if I needed help and wanted to book. Pretty much trying to sell me his company's service. Seemed really fishy, like he was just waiting for the next person to register, but I booked and appointment with my credit card anyway. Got an email with the directions to his place and attended on November 27, 2011.
I've heard of people doing the course/test in their basement, just trying to earn extra cash so I wasn't alarmed when I showed up to a residential house in Vaughn, Ontario (Next to Canada's Wonderland).
Got their, he sat us down in his living room, their were old books about gun safety. He had certificates on his wall, which I assumed (make an ass out of you) were his credentials. He proceeded to teach us for the next 6 hours. He was a Russian guy, talking in a heavy accent and he had a really BAD stuttering problem. I could help but turn away sometimes to laugh, I just couldn't hold it in.
Then we finally go to "handle guns", these turn out to be deactivate firearms and the certificates on the wall and certificates of deactivation or something of that nature. I don't think anyone else noticed this but he then tried to add a form of legitimacy to this exercise and said that "by law you are required to disclose the fact if you brought live ammunition to this", which seemed odd considering these were DEACTIVATED firearms. Anyway he showed us how to handle firearms to pass the practical portion and then we went back to learning about how to pass the theoretical portion of the exam.
Although for me it was nothing new for the most part with the information regarding, calibers, grain, etc. I did learn the PROVE it SAFE, 4 ACTS and storage regulations required for Canadian tests. He was correct for the most part however some stuff he said about guns was wrong, like Glocks being DAO, or DA automatics being identifiable by a de-cocking leaver.
Anyway, he takes pictures of us and prints them (I actually used this picture for my license and it worked). Now comes EXAM time. It's already dark by now, 8 hours in. He opens up this metal box with plenty of 20's in it. Starts giving us all $80 back, saying that the examiner who was supposed to come was in a tractor accident in Sudbury. The way he said it though wasn't really clear and nobody knew exactly what was going on. Then he gave us a sheet of paper with numbers taken off the Firearms Safety Education Services of Ontario website and said to contact one of those people in your area for examination. None of us really knew what was going on and thought this is what was supposed to happen. I was shocked as I thought I was going to get it all done that day but I bought his excuse of the examiner being in an accident. I was still iffy about the fact that he had all of this planned out, money in a box, $80 back to each of us and a sheet of paper telling us where to go next. The sheet of paper also stated in big BOLD letters that if you do contact one of the examiners, SAY YOU WERE SELF TAUGHT AND DO NOT MENTION MY NAME, WE ARE BOTH IN THE LICENSING AND TRAINING BUSINESS AND THIS IS TO AVOID POSSIBLE PREJUDICE OR CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
So I went home, seemed really fishy so I looked up reviews on Terranovafirm and that's when I realized I got scammed. Bad reviews all over the web, with people saying they were fed the same line about the examiner being in a tractor accident.
I thought I was out of luck. I went back to Sudbury which is where I study for school. Looked at the sheet he gave us, there was an examiner listed under the Sudbury locations with a 705 number. I called it and booked an examination with him. Once again this was at someones house, I asked to see credentials this time. He had them. I was the only one, I did the written test, did the practical with him, both Non-Restricted and Restricted. Passed. Payed him the $80 I got back from Terranovafirm, he mailed my stuff, and then a few weeks latter got my results back from the CFC. Now the real process started. This examination happened in January 2012.
So basically I ended up waiting two months, and didn't really fast track anything. I paid $240, got $80 back then paid that to the real examiner. $240 is pretty much the cost for Course + Examination for both classes by other associations. So I really didn't get scammed. Although it was one hell of a headache.
I still consider Terranovafirm a scam though. He is not certified/licensed, he entices people to go with his services because of the nonexistent wait times. People think they can do their course/test in one day the next weekend. Turns out he lies, and says the same excuse about the examiner being in an accident and sends you somewhere else. Hes really misrepresenting himself and hes making mad cash doing it. There was about 10 of us that day and he does this every Saturday & Sunday. 10 x 2 = 20. 20 x $140 = $2800 a weekend. Hes making more then your gross salary in CASH, a year and not paying any taxes. I hope Revenue Canada goes after this guy.
Basically, although it wasn't that detrimental to me all that much I believe this guy does damage us all. It's hard enough getting a firearms license as is, when you get scammed. It might cause someone who is on the fence about the idea to give up all together. I know it was hard, it took me 5 months from the day I did the REAL examination until today which I received the card in hand. I think that for the better of all of us, and future PAL/RPAL holders, CGN should put out an advisory about this guy and this unscrupulous company, Terranovafirm.
So in October of 2011, I decided I wanted to finally start the process and get my RPAL. I'm no expert by any means but I have lots of experience in shooting from doing it on the other side of the border half a dozen times a year for the past few years. I understand firearms, ammunition and safety procedures. Despite this I still decided to go through with doing a firearms course because the tests in Canada as I found out, test you on specific acronyms and procedures. You can't just say/do the generic stuff you see on American gun videos about safety. Even though they are just as correct. No, you have to PROVE it safe, and follow the Vital Four ACTS. For this, I proceeded with taking the course, so as to make sure I passed the first time.
Here is where my experience with Terranovafirm begun. So in the confines of my dormitory room, I was looking for a place to do the course. Most places were backlogged 1-2 months, then I came across a company called Terranovafirm. They said they could do the course and test in one 10 hour sitting, a week from now. Wanting to get my RPAL the fastest I could, I jumped on this. I tried to book an appointment but I needed to create an account. This is when things got sketchy.
I kid you not, as soon as I filled out my registration information and registered, about 30 seconds latter I received a call on my mobile phone (the phone number I registered with) and a guy in an middle eastern voice was on the line asking if I needed help and wanted to book. Pretty much trying to sell me his company's service. Seemed really fishy, like he was just waiting for the next person to register, but I booked and appointment with my credit card anyway. Got an email with the directions to his place and attended on November 27, 2011.
I've heard of people doing the course/test in their basement, just trying to earn extra cash so I wasn't alarmed when I showed up to a residential house in Vaughn, Ontario (Next to Canada's Wonderland).
Got their, he sat us down in his living room, their were old books about gun safety. He had certificates on his wall, which I assumed (make an ass out of you) were his credentials. He proceeded to teach us for the next 6 hours. He was a Russian guy, talking in a heavy accent and he had a really BAD stuttering problem. I could help but turn away sometimes to laugh, I just couldn't hold it in.
Then we finally go to "handle guns", these turn out to be deactivate firearms and the certificates on the wall and certificates of deactivation or something of that nature. I don't think anyone else noticed this but he then tried to add a form of legitimacy to this exercise and said that "by law you are required to disclose the fact if you brought live ammunition to this", which seemed odd considering these were DEACTIVATED firearms. Anyway he showed us how to handle firearms to pass the practical portion and then we went back to learning about how to pass the theoretical portion of the exam.
Although for me it was nothing new for the most part with the information regarding, calibers, grain, etc. I did learn the PROVE it SAFE, 4 ACTS and storage regulations required for Canadian tests. He was correct for the most part however some stuff he said about guns was wrong, like Glocks being DAO, or DA automatics being identifiable by a de-cocking leaver.
Anyway, he takes pictures of us and prints them (I actually used this picture for my license and it worked). Now comes EXAM time. It's already dark by now, 8 hours in. He opens up this metal box with plenty of 20's in it. Starts giving us all $80 back, saying that the examiner who was supposed to come was in a tractor accident in Sudbury. The way he said it though wasn't really clear and nobody knew exactly what was going on. Then he gave us a sheet of paper with numbers taken off the Firearms Safety Education Services of Ontario website and said to contact one of those people in your area for examination. None of us really knew what was going on and thought this is what was supposed to happen. I was shocked as I thought I was going to get it all done that day but I bought his excuse of the examiner being in an accident. I was still iffy about the fact that he had all of this planned out, money in a box, $80 back to each of us and a sheet of paper telling us where to go next. The sheet of paper also stated in big BOLD letters that if you do contact one of the examiners, SAY YOU WERE SELF TAUGHT AND DO NOT MENTION MY NAME, WE ARE BOTH IN THE LICENSING AND TRAINING BUSINESS AND THIS IS TO AVOID POSSIBLE PREJUDICE OR CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
So I went home, seemed really fishy so I looked up reviews on Terranovafirm and that's when I realized I got scammed. Bad reviews all over the web, with people saying they were fed the same line about the examiner being in a tractor accident.
I thought I was out of luck. I went back to Sudbury which is where I study for school. Looked at the sheet he gave us, there was an examiner listed under the Sudbury locations with a 705 number. I called it and booked an examination with him. Once again this was at someones house, I asked to see credentials this time. He had them. I was the only one, I did the written test, did the practical with him, both Non-Restricted and Restricted. Passed. Payed him the $80 I got back from Terranovafirm, he mailed my stuff, and then a few weeks latter got my results back from the CFC. Now the real process started. This examination happened in January 2012.
So basically I ended up waiting two months, and didn't really fast track anything. I paid $240, got $80 back then paid that to the real examiner. $240 is pretty much the cost for Course + Examination for both classes by other associations. So I really didn't get scammed. Although it was one hell of a headache.
I still consider Terranovafirm a scam though. He is not certified/licensed, he entices people to go with his services because of the nonexistent wait times. People think they can do their course/test in one day the next weekend. Turns out he lies, and says the same excuse about the examiner being in an accident and sends you somewhere else. Hes really misrepresenting himself and hes making mad cash doing it. There was about 10 of us that day and he does this every Saturday & Sunday. 10 x 2 = 20. 20 x $140 = $2800 a weekend. Hes making more then your gross salary in CASH, a year and not paying any taxes. I hope Revenue Canada goes after this guy.
Basically, although it wasn't that detrimental to me all that much I believe this guy does damage us all. It's hard enough getting a firearms license as is, when you get scammed. It might cause someone who is on the fence about the idea to give up all together. I know it was hard, it took me 5 months from the day I did the REAL examination until today which I received the card in hand. I think that for the better of all of us, and future PAL/RPAL holders, CGN should put out an advisory about this guy and this unscrupulous company, Terranovafirm.
