Royal Yachting Association Reviews 13

Mission impossible to find a a local training centre for an online marine radio course, the site needs an update.

Trying to get RYA VHF study and course,,,, what a joke this is... oh well off to use the VHF without .....

This organization is quite capable of taking the annual joining fee by online credit card payment, but when it comes to paying for the skippers certificate they only accept bank transfer or payment by credit card over the phone.

I am an offshore member, so bank transfer is a very costly and unattractive option.

Payment by credit card over the phone is simply an invitation to fraud.

Surely by 2025 the RYA would be able to add an e-commence element to its website for such payments, there is, after all, an online shop...

I might add, that as an offshore citizen, I get virtually no benefit of being a member of the RYA as it is.

I have been a Gold Member of the RYA for 20+ years. This year I was charged £59 for the privilege and was issued with a cardboard card instead if the usual plastic card. On a small wet sailing cruiser this is about as useful as an ashtray in the cockpit.

Today I tried to purchase an item from the RYA shop. I was informed that the website had been 'updated' last month and I would have to verify my email address. I got an email with a verification link, clicked it and was taken to a page that helpfully said 'no verification number'

I phoned the membership no. and explained the problem. I was put on hold for five minutes then told I would have to be connected to the web development team. Another two minutes silence and I was told they were not available but would get back to me. I asked when, and was told it 'might be' this week.

As we say in Scotland, couldn't run a menoge.

EDIT
Within 5 minutes a lady from the web development team phoned me back, and eventually the issue was solved. Thanks Beth, review upgraded to 2 stars because of you!

I can’t put zero on the review. Signed up for a theory course at Chichester. Some pre course reading was sent to me from the very professional team at Chichester to download from the RYA site .
Firstly you can’t use a MAC to download anything from there site , seriously?
You can use use a IPhone,IPad, so I downloaded it to my phone (no iPad) the password sent for my course work I wanted to change , followed the ‘change password’ prompts, informed email to change in 15 minutes, none appeared despite trying three times .
Had the downloads for the course on my phone for 24 hours then I was locked out unable to access the ebooks, they are part of the price you pay for the course.
Now starting the course ‘blind’ would have been nice to do some pre study.
Appalling web site !!!

Not a huge fan of the way this org do business. When sending away for a commercial endorsement they instruct you to enclose some of your original documents. Then they charge you a fee for the certification THEN they state "if you require your documentation returned please enclose a stamped addressed envelope". This beggars belief. Why is it not included in the certification charge ? probably because they simply cannot be bothered to write your address on an envelope but how exactly do they intend to send your new certificate ? could it be in AN ENVELOPE !!!!!!!!

It's taken me over an hour to simply gain access to an online training course, even with extensive guidance from the sailing school (who have been very helpful).
The training environment looks like it hasn't been touched for 20 years, the security practices are shambolic, and who's bright idea was it to give ebook access only via a mobile app, meaning they can only be read on a tiny screen?!
A disregard for the experience of users and members is symptomatic of a lack of accountability. Do better.

I am simply trying to renew my ICC, and your website is shocking, quite terrible, please test your systems. As an example my name has not changed, your process insists I upload a marriage certificate, or proof of name change. Then later on it simply stops you moving forward. If you control people renewing things such as an ICC then there is a responsibility on you to make sure you website works, which it doesn't

they allow discrimination , if you dont go along with the government they wont help you , communists

Had my application for 6 weeks but cant tell me whether they have it. This is hopeless.

Sailing in 10 days. They dont care.

If you want to send them money, they will bend over backwards to take it off your hands. However, if you expect to receive anything for that money, you better be prepared to wait a loooong time!

Nobody picks up the phone and my average wait for an email response is measured in weeks! When you have an issue (even as a paying customer!), rather than trying to resolve the issue, they simply tell you why they don't care.

They have a monopoly on yachting qualifications and VHF radio licences and they abuse it to fill their own pockets.

I have found these complaints to be valid across the board with all of their departments (except the accounts department who are lightning fast at taking your money).

Get your act together RYA or move over and let someone else take over your responsibilities.

Been trying to get hold of the RYA for weeks, can’t get a response on any phone line or email address they provide. There Custoner care number on there website is invalid also...

Trying to get an icc fast track and payed the money but says 21 days.... I need to speak to someone and not there voicemail. No one is ever there but they certainly still take your money. Really really poor service. I advise anyone to steer clear of this lot. They only want your money. I don’t know what else I can do but to let my money disappear into wind now with them. They don’t even get in touch with you

I have bought several ebooks over the last 5 years but when I needed to get access to my purchases and invoice copies on my account page for tax reasons, this was not possible. Only one purchase came up (an old one) without access to the invoice.
There was no reply from RYA on my email requests for invoice copies and access to my purchase history for 6 days. Only after I sent an email informing RYA that legal actions would be taken, RYA came back. However, they now asked for my account no. in order to help me. Again I had to inform RYA, that I had already send them a copy from my bank statement documenting my latest purchase and that there was no account no. info on my personal RYA page. Finally, after once more pointing out that my lawyer would be the next step, RYA provided the invoice copies.