HFE Reviews 1.986

HFE allowed me complete my level 3 Mat Pilates Course! Lorna and Dani were both great with getting me through the course, and I will defo complete more courses with them

⭐ 1-Star Review – Read This Before You Spend a Penny

I paid £525.80 for an aqua fitness course that is, in practice, impossible to complete.

The assessment requires filming a live session in a commercial swimming pool - yet filming is prohibited in virtually every commercial pool in the UK. I contacted 15 pools personally and received written refusals from every single one. This is not a rare inconvenience. It is a structural flaw that makes the qualification unreachable.

I raised this with HFE repeatedly - by phone and email - with staff members Dawn, Gregg, and Louise, and directly with the awarding body YMCA Awards. Their own response acknowledged it can be "hard to find a pool." That admission alone should tell you everything. They offered no solution, accepted no responsibility, and refused to refund any of my money.

While this unresolved situation was ongoing, HFE had the audacity to request an additional £100 to continue a course I could not complete. I consider this a serious warning: this company will take your money even when they know the course cannot be finished.

Payments are processed through HFE's own app as Authorised Push Payments (APP). I confirmed with my bank that under current 2026 rules, APP payments are generally non-refundable. This means once you pay, you are extremely unlikely to recover your money — even if the course turns out to be undeliverable.
I repeatedly contacted HFE at: info at hfe dotco dotuk and 01772 450903. Their standard response was to tell me to "call if there are any problems" — while doing nothing to address the refund or the fact that their assessment criteria cannot realistically be met.

I am not alone. Other learners have reported identical issues, including courses requiring filming in gyms and pools. Before enrolling, I had already read a review that said "give that poor girl her money back" - and I still ended up in the same trap. Reading the warnings was not enough to protect me. HFE appears to post fake positive reviews on Trustpilot daily, which buries the real pattern unless you specifically seek out 1-star reports and read multiple accounts.

HFE's marketing targets a specific demographic with tailored imagery and messaging. If you fall into that group, please understand: you are being marketed to deliberately, and the course you are being sold may be one you can never finish.

My clear advice ; do not enrol. Do not trust their 5 star Trustpilot rating. Do not pay via their app. If you are considering this course, contact pools in your area first and get written confirmation they permit filming , and written confirmation from 5 people (lifeguard included) to consent to be filmed, because HFE will not tell you that you need this before taking your money.

This company has a documented pattern of misleading students, refusing refunds, and demanding further payment when things go wrong. You deserve to know that before you hand over £525.80.

Really great team! Eleana was FANTASTIC and pushed me to that finish line. Guidance was given throughout and I was supported really well whilst studying

I am delighted to have passed my Level 2 Gym Instructor course. I really enjoyed the course and found it to be well structured and easy to navigate on the HFE site. Eleana at HFE was so helpful and clear at all stages of the course. I'm tempted to continue to do my Level 3! Thank you Eleana and HFE.

I had an amazing experience with HFE Personal Training and couldn’t recommend them enough. The course was well structured, informative, and gave me the confidence and skills I needed to grow as a personal trainer.

A special mention has to go to Eleana, who was an incredible mentor throughout my journey. She was always supportive, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in helping me succeed. Her guidance, encouragement, and professionalism made a huge difference, and I’m really grateful for everything she taught me.

If you’re looking for high quality education with real support and mentorship, HFE is the place to go especially with someone like Eleana guiding you.

Great experience with HFE, the support tutors especially on the in person days really make you believe in yourself and help you become more confident. Very informative sessions which leave you feeling prepared and ready for the final class exam

This course has been really well designed , online content easy to follow and work through , tutor support available throughout . The manuals provided support the learning and go beyond making them a continuous source of information . The practical face to face work was extremely supportive and delivered by highly knowledgable and professional Pilates tutors . Can't fault it at all

I have a lovely experience at the reformer training. The instructors Clare, Lorraine and Elrado were brilliant. They were so knowledgeable and kind. The weekends were great

Thank you HFE. I am over the moon to have passed my Level 2 ETM.
The course was easy to follow and support was excellent. I had to delay my course when I became injured and HFE were very helpful and accommodating. I will certainly do more courses with HFE.

I completed the Level 3 Personal Fitness Training Specialist Diploma at HFE. The training was very detailed, and it was challenging to complete it in a language other than my own, but I'm so glad I did. My tutor, Eleana, was very helpful and supportive. Thank you so much.

Sarah was absolutely amazing, she made sure I knew exactly what I was doing throughout, and was so kind

I had a great experience, definitely will recommend to anyone
Teachers are really amazing and course well structured

I have just completed my Level 3 Mat Pilates Qualification with HFE and I am over the moon with the support I have received throughout. From start to finish the whole process was very seamless. My zoom training was led by Dawn which I found to be very informative and enlightening, preparing me perfectly to teach my own Pilates class. My tutor Eleanor was extremely positive, efficient and I felt supported throughout. I can’t recommend HFE enough!!

I would highly recommend HFE as a health and fitness course provider. I started with my level 2 Gym Instructor qualification and continued with my Level 3 PT qualification. The courses were excellent and the company has dedicated course tutors to answer any questions over the phone, I completed mine online but felt very supported throughout. Their team are knowledgable, good listeners and sympathetic. I am currently completing my GP referral before beginning my Level 4 qualifications. I am looking forward to my continued journey with HFE. I hope this review is helpful. Enjoy your training!

From start to finish this was an exceptional course, my tutors Dawn, Carolyn and Dani were so supportive and informative with an incredible knowledge in Pilates and they kept me going with positivity, encouragement and determination. All the staff on the phone were also so helpful and I can honestly say I am so glad I chose HFE.

Thank you so much HFE! I’m delighted to have passed Level 3 Hatha Yoga! Loved the course; really thorough, interesting, challenging & well structured. Every single Tutor at HFE is so knowledgeable and passionate about the subject which is really inspiring. Highly recommend HFE, had a great experience- thank you!

Absolutely fantastic experience, the amount of support I got from Danielle was pheonominal, she went above and beyond for me and was a pleasure to deal with. Thank you so much everyone at HFE

Thank you so much — I really enjoyed the course.
My plan is to move on to the Level 3 Personal Trainer course, but I’m going to take a little time off first before starting.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
Susan

I was very lucky to have Sarah C as my online course instructor; lots of time for me on.the phone. Explanations clear, always supportive.I could speak to Sarah whenever I needed, alongside regular booked phone calls. Excellent. I couldn't have asked for more.

Frazar was my in person tutor for the practical assessment over a weekend. Frazar is very knowledgeable, he was very respectful to all.of us. He put us at ease and made sure we all knew what was expected of us.
Online Coursework:
I didnt enjoy the online multiple choice, they were quite frustrating and didnt consistently link with the videos or manuals. So they were frustrating.

Practical Assessment;
Needed more time. 8 people for 1 tutor, who all had differing needs. Either add more days or 2 tutors. Felt rushed at times.

Sarah Cole was my tutor and from the initial phone call after enrolling I felt at ease.
She asked me how I would and when I like to be contacted for check ins . When I told her I need little support but want to contact her has and when she agreed. However reiterated that I am always welcome to call when needed.
I was able to ask her via email any queries and would always get a fast response .
The course material was clear and concise throughout . The book sent with the course is very handy , meaning you can learn without being stuck to a laptop.
Would I recommend this course to anyone , yes I would ! I passed earlier then the end date and was made to feel like an individual rather than just another student .