Useless **** - Approach at your own preil

SAIBA / CIBA does the accounting service a great disservice. This organisation does not treat members in a professional and ethical manner. It creates a strong lure of professional advancement with ongoing benefits and walking a road to upskill members through their own academy. In doing so, it creates a membership base of paying "Associates" that they will not permit to really earn a designation and advance. In doing so, it generates free income, with membership being automatically renewed.

Opting out is like trying to terminate a municipal account - impossible. All members are automatically renewed. In the latest stint, they opted me in on CPD and doubled the fee. They refuse to terminate membership if the account is not settled, even though the account was incorrect. When they eventually reversed the overcharge, I learnt that it takes 4-6 weeks to get a refund, which is a sign of gross incompetence.

The process to earn a designation is generally opaque and intended to frustrate. Certain rules are not declared upfront (such as maximum number of subjects that can be completed through them). The support is absolutely non-existent. Initial attempts to secure an appointment to discuss my designation and pathway was not responded to. After close to two months and weekly emails, I called in to secure an appointment, only to be told that COBA does not see members at its offices.

In the meantime, CIBA is continuing to fool people with clever sales pitches.