FAQs and POLICIES

For every seminar, EXCEPT WASHINGTON DC and WASHINGTON DC AREA: classes run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on each day. Please arrive 30 minutes earlier on the first day to sign-in and get your course material.

For Washington DC and Washington DC area ONLY: classes run from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on each day. Please arrive 30 minutes earlier on the first day to sign-in and get your course material.

2. I called the hotel and they say they don't know anything about your meeting/seminar.

This is not unusual. To book meeting rooms, we deal with the sales, banquets or catering department at the hotel; frequently, they do not inform the hotel operator or front desk staff of upcoming meetings.

3. What is your public seminar cancellation policy?

You may make changes to your registration. Some changes incur a change fee as specified in the table below, depending on the type of change and the number of working days before the seminar. The change fee is a percentage of the total on your invoice and is due immediately upon making a change.

Change requests must be in writing, faxed to Teracom at 775-490-6227. Telephoned or emailed requests will not be accepted. The date of receipt of the fax will be the effective date of the cancellation or transfer. Please keep the fax confirmation.

	Number of working days before seminar
Type of change	11 or more	2 to 10	less than 2
Substitution (different person, same seminar)	no change fee	no change fee	no change fee
Transfer to another seminar (same course, within 6 months)	no change fee	25%	50%
Cancellation, if you did not order the optional textbook	no change fee	50%	100%
Cancellation, with textbook delivery before seminar	50%	100%	100%

Cancellation by Teracom

We do our utmost not to cancel seminars. On rare occasions, registration is insufficient to hold the seminar, and you will be notified before the seminar. In the unlikely event of illness or incapacity of the instructor or inability of the instructor to travel to the seminar due to airport closures, weather, terrorism or the like, the seminar will be re-scheduled. In both cases, you may have a full refund or transfer to another seminar. Teracom will not be responsible for any travel costs or airline or hotel charges of any kind.

4. What are the tuition fees for public seminars?

	US Seminars	Canadian Seminars
Course 101 Telecom, Datacom and Networking for Non-Engineering Professionals (3 days)	$1395	C$1395
Course 110 IP Telecommunications: VoIP and the IP-PSTN (3 days)	$1395	C$1395
Course 120 Understanding Wireless (2 days)	$995	C$995
Course 130 Understanding Voice over IP (2 days)	$995	C$995
Course 150 IP Call Center Technology (2 days)	$995	C$995

PDF price list

5. Are travel, meals and accommodations included in the public seminar tuition fees?

Travel, meals and accommodations are not included.
Your tuition fee includes the training course, your course materials and coffee breaks. Lunch is on your own.

If you need a sleeping room, we recommend that you book a sleeping room at the hotel where the seminar is being held via the hotel's website. A link to the hotel is provided on the seminar schedule page. You may also telephone the hotel at the listed number. Alternate hotels may also be listed there.

We may have a "courtesy block" of rooms reserved under the name Teracom, or identified with a group code. Please check the seminar schedule page to see if this is mentioned. The "courtesy block" are rooms that can be reserved at a preferential rate until a cutoff date, which is usually about three weeks before the seminar.

If there is no mention of a preferred rate or group code on the schedule page, the reservations clerks at the hotel will not be aware of the Teracom meeting.

In some cases, the hotel where the seminar is being held may be sold out of sleeping rooms. In this case, please check the seminar schedule listing on teracomtraining.com, where we may have already posted links for sleeping rooms nearby. Or call us: 1-877-412-2700. We're glad to help.

Car rental: We have a corporate rate with Avis. Go to www.avis.com and use Teracom's "AWD number": C136022.

6. Does the seminar qualify for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits?

Yes, Teracom's courses are Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Every state association for every profession has the ability to define their own criteria for qualification. The criteria jointly developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) are reasonable and could be applied to any state and any profession. Those criteria measure credits in "contact hours".

Based on the AICPA-NASBA Standards For Continuing Professional Education Programs, that measure credits in contact hours, successful completion of our courses result in the following CPE credits:

Instructor-led Course 101 or 110 (3 days): 21 CPE contact hours credit
Instructor-led Course 102, 120, 130 or 150 (2 days): 14 CPE contact hours credit

These CPE hours might have to be divided by 7 to translate them into CPE days if credits are measured in days by a particular state association.

A 1-semester, 1-credit university course is 15 CPE contact hours credit in the AICPA-NASBA criteria, therefore, if a particular state association measures CPE credits that way, the credits resulting from successful completion of our courses would be contact hours /15.

Instructor-led Course 101 or 110 (3 days): 1.4 1-semester-course-equivalent CPE credits
Instructor-led Course 102, 120, 130 or 150 (2 days): 1.0 1-semester-course-equivalent CPE credits

Please note that a particular state association for a particular profession may not accept Teracom's courses for CPE credit. (Though they should - our courses are CPE). If in the unlikely event that any work is required to get our courses certified with a particular state association for a particular profession, that work is the responsibility of the student; there is no component in our course fees for that work.

7. Is there a discount for registering more than one person?

Yes, when registering two or three people for the same class, same location and same date, you are eligible for a 10% discount on every registration. Use coupon #1023 during the online registration process.

A discount of 15% on all registrations is available when registering four or more people. Use coupon #1039.

8. How many people do we need to have to hold an onsite seminar?

If you have 5 or more people to train, it will most likely be less expensive to have an onsite training session when travel costs are taken into account.

To get onsite training pricing please fill the "get more info" form accessible from the main onsite training page in the website.

9. Do you sell seminar workbooks separately from the courses?

Teracom's very popular Telecom 101 textbook covers the same topics as our main core training Course 101. This is the way to get the Course 101 materials separate from the course.

We sell the workbooks for Courses 120 and 150 separately, at a cost of US$179 per book.

We do not sell the workbook for Courses 101, 102, 110 or 130 separately.

10. Can we order DVD with a PO (Purchase Order) or check?

Yes, we can accept purchase orders from government and large organizations in the US and Canada. Please print out the DVD-video course order form and fax it along a copy of your PO or check to the number indicated on the form. There is also a textbook order form for ordering textbooks with a PO or check.

11. Can I cancel an order?
What is the return policy on DVDs and textbooks?

All products: DVDs, textbooks and workbooks are guaranteed for one year. Contact us to obtain a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number and ship any defective items to us prepaid with signature proof of delivery, and we will be pleased to replace them with the same item within one year of purchase.

An order can be cancelled if it has not been shipped. Once shipped, an order can not be cancelled. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all sales are final. We do not accept returns of items that are not defective.

12. Can I order a DVD set and make monthly payments?

No, unfortunately we do not have a payment plan, but you may order a smaller set and order the rest later.

13. Are there any extra fees for International orders?

The shipping charges for international orders are of course higher. In addition, international customers are responsible for any taxes or duties on receipt of shipment, as those fees are imposed by your country and not by us.

14. When will you ship my order?

Our commitment is to ship orders within 2 working days of reception. We usually try to ship before the end of the day if the order is received before 2 pm New York time and by the end of the next working day if received later in the day.

15. What does "Next-day shipping" mean?

Next-day shipping means that your order will be shipped within 2 working days and will ship using FedEx or UPS standard "Next-Day" delivery service. If you place an order Monday through Thursday before 2 pm New York time, chances are good that you will receive it by 11 am the next day. If you place an order on Friday at 5 pm, you will likely receive it the following Tuesday.

16. What is your DVD format?

Our DVDs are DVD-R NTSC format, all regions.

17. Can you ship to APO addresses?

Yes, we ship to APO addresses, using the US Postal Service.

18. Are your training products relevant and compatible with telecoms technologies in my country?

The courses are written from a North American perspective. That said, the vast majority is geography-agnostic, so approximately 90 - 95% of the course is universal, with the remainder North America specific.

There are only two areas where there are significant differences between North America (NA) and the Rest of the World (ROW)

Telecom Industry: this one short chapter is North America specific.

SONET vs. SDH and T1 vs. E1 : these transmission and access technologies respectively are different in NA and ROW. We go over the NA technologies and use them as examples, but do mention the ROW technologies and how they relate.

19. I ordered an eBook and I have not received it yet.

At present, the eBook orders are fulfilled manually. The download instructions, username and password for your eBook will be sent to you by e-mail within 48 business hours after your purchase.

20. Can I order the eBook and print in from my computer?

The eBook is an electronic copy and may not be printed. To obtain a printed copy, please order the Telecom 101 textbook.

21. What happens if I install the eBook and change computers next year?

All you will have to do is to call or e-mail us, we will be happy to reset your eBook account.

22. What if there is a typo, error or discrepancy on a web page or other document?

A typo, error or unintentional discrepancy on a web page, graphic, brochure or other document does not form part of any offer; E&OE in the common law legal world (errors and omissions excepted), "sauf à parfaire" under civil code. You will have the opportunity to purchase the good or service in question at the current correct price.

23. Can I get a refund? Are there administrative charges?

Refunds will be made in conformance with the policies on this page. When a refund is due following an action by Teracom, e.g. a seminar cancelled, there are no administrative charges. When a refund is requested following a customer action, e.g. canceling an order after it has been paid but before it has been shipped, or canceling a registration after it has been paid, a 10% administrative fee will be deducted from the amount refunded.

ONLINE COURSES AND CERTIFICATIONS FAQs

How are Teracom Online Courses organized?

At the finest level, Teracom Online Courses are made up of Lessons. A Lesson corresponds roughly to one slide in an instructor-led presentation, one video segment in a DVD-video course, one page in a student manual.

Each Lesson is one download from the Learning Management System, and usually lasts 10 to 20 minutes. Lessons finish with informal quiz questions to help ensure key points are understood.

Lessons are grouped into Online Course Modules by topic. For example, Online Course Module “The OSI Layers and Protocol Stacks” consists of 14 Lessons starting with an introduction, then the idea of open systems, progressing through layered architectures and a lesson for each of the layers, and ending with lessons on how a protocol stack operates from a procedural point of view and from a bits point of view and standards organizations.

Each Online Course Module ends with a Module Exam, a set of multiple-choice questions chosen from a pool and shuffled in order so no two students see the same exam.

What is the 100% Money-Back Guarantee?

If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your purchase of an Online Course Module, within 30 days of purchase you may request a full refund. full details

Can I skip the lessons and just take the Certification Exam?

Yes. Select the Certification Exam Only product in the catalog.

Can I buy Online Course Modules one at a time?

Yes. You can buy one Online Course Module and at a later date, buy another.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. The way this is accomplished is by purchasing individual Online Course Modules or individual Module Exams one at a time.

What is the "price cap" policy?

The Online Course Modules are brand new, and are being made available as they are released by our production department.

Eventually, a set of sixteen Online Course Modules will be available, sold together as a package called an Online Course. The total cost of buying the Online Course Modules one at a time will be more expensive than buying the packaged set.

Teracom’s exclusive “Price Cap” policy means that if you start buying individual Online Course Modules, as soon as you spend at least the cost of the packaged set called the Online Course, you will get access to the remaining modules in that course at no additional charge.

What if I fail an exam?

No worries. You may re-take each module exam as necessary for a small fee.
Note that exam purchases do not count towards the price cap policy.

Can I upload this to my company's system?

No, but there is no need to do so. The myTeracom Learning Management System and the Lessons and Module Exams are all hosted on Teracom’s servers in a high-quality data center in the US. As long as you can download a web page from the Internet and view Flash files, anyone in your company can take the training by registering on myTeracom and the content will be served from Teracom’s system. test your reception by loading a free sample

I want my team of 10 people to take this training. How do I register them?

First, you join or sign in to myTeracom. Then, you click on the links or icons you will see for “Online Learning and Certification” then “Team Training” after signing in. The system will guide you through entering your peoples’ names and selecting the training. Once the process is complete, myTeracom accounts and individual orders are created for each team member, and instructions for accessing their accounts are automatically emailed to them. more

How can I buy 20 seats if I don't know the names of all the students yet?

The myTeracom registration system is designed to handle exactly this situation! You follow the procedure above for those team members you have information for, then there is an option to add more seats. These additional seats are associated with temporary user IDs. Subsequently, you may contact us anytime to “activate” these additional seats one at a time or all together. more

Do you have group discounts?

Yes. Please see the Team Training / Groups page for details.

Can I monitor the progress of my team?

Yes, if you register them. Every Online Learning order has two users associated with it: the Learner user and the Registered-by user. A user can view the status of any order where they are either the Learner or the Registered-by user. This means that if you use the Team Training / Group Registration function, you will be the Registered-by user on any registrations you enter and so can see their status. more

Is there management reporting?

Yes. With five clicks of a mouse you can export an Excel spreadsheet or PDF file showing the status and results of all users you registered. more

Do you have student discounts?

Yes. Please see the student / educational discounts page.

Does this training qualify for CPE credits?

Yes. Please see the CPE page.

Do I have to pay a yearly fee to maintain my certification?

No. Unlike other certifications, the TCO and Teracom do not require you to pay a yearly fee. Your certification is valid for life. On the other hand, should you want to refresh your certification, for example before applying for a new job, you may write the certification exam again at a substantial discount and have a second certificate issued with a current date on it. This is completely optional.

How do I get my certificate?

Once you have successfully completed all of the Module Exams in the Certification Exam product, a “Get Certificate” button appears on your Online Learning dashboard. This will allow you to download a high-resolution PDF of your certificate that you can include with emailed resumés or print and frame.

How do I access the Online Learning?

Sign in to or join myTeracom. A link to your Online Learning Management System dashboard is displayed after you log in. The dashboard shows the Online Course Modules and/or Certification Exams that you are registered for, your progress or status for each, plus links to the lessons or exam you are currently working on.

How do I register for a Certification?

Sign in to or join myTeracom. A link to the Online Learning Catalog is displayed after you log in. The catalog shows all of the Certification Exams that are available. Click on the “add to cart” link beside the training you want to register for and the system will guide you through the checkout process. Then access your Certification Exam via the dashboard.

Please note that the Online Courses are brand-new, and while the Certification Exam is available, not all of the Online Course Modules (the Lessons) corresponding to a Certification are available yet. So at present, you can register for and take the Certification Exam to get your TCO Certification if you have already had the relevant courses, either instructor-led Course 101 from Teracom, DVD-Video Package V530 from Teracom, or other training.

Once all of the Online Course Modules for an Online Course (which corresponds to a Certification) are available, completing the Online Course Modules and their Module Exams will be another way to get your TCO Certification. Right now, you can get started on your Certification with individual Online Course Modules one at a time as they are released. Please see the discussion under price cap policy for more explanation.

Is this available Internationally?

Yes. The myTeracom Online Learning System was specifically designed to work anywhere in the world. This is an advantage over DVD-video courses or instructor-led courses if you are not located in North America, since there are no shipping costs, customs duties or immigration letters to worry about.

What are the system requirements?

To be able to display a web page 1015 pixels wide x 744 pixels high (1024 x 768 monitor), and to be able to display Flash (.swf and .flv) files. The Learning Management System and the Lessons and Exams were all developed and tested in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and 8 on systems running Windows XP and Windows 7. It is probable that they will display in Firefox, Chrome, Safari and other browsers and on platforms like Macs, but this is not guaranteed.
test your system by downloading a free sample

How can I pay?

Visa or MasterCard is the simplest method. We accept payment by PO and check from large companies and government in the US and Canada. International Postal Money Orders by mail work from anywhere in the world. more

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