I payed for a course from this website, The website was very easy to use and understand plus there is a helpline number/email you can ring which i found her very helpfull.
The course cost me £208 but i saved about £50 discount buying online, If you don't want to pay up front you can pay a deposit and monthly installments, You also need to buy a book to help you learn with the course but you can get it from internet for next to nothing. =)
I recieved my course materials a week or so later, In my package there was my course, a student hand book and a welcome pack.
The welcome pack and student hand book has alot of information about the course and what you need to do to study and apply for exams. etc.
I have never contacted her but you get your own tutor to send your assignments to but to my knowledge your only allowed to contact her twice per assignment so doing this course you don't benefit from having a tutor like you would at college but they do have an online forum where you can contact other students studying your course and maybe get your self a study buddy that you can email, the forum is very straight forward and people on there are mainly looking for help anyways so there's plent of people to chat too.
You only have a course tutor for up to 2 years but you can take your exam which ever year you feel like, Benefits of the course is that you can do it as you want and when you want instead of having certain days but it is probley best to stick to a routine otherwise it is very hard to get into once you get out of it. I did find that researching and buying my own books helped with the course and you can get them next to nothing on the internet.
You have to ring your exam board to give you a list of places where you can take your exam and depening on where you live this could be really hard and you have to arrange everything yourself, I am not sure how much the exam fee's are.
The qualifications you get are all reconized as the ones you'd get at a local college, NEC have alot of courses on offers, GCSE'S, A levels. etc...
If you have the stamina and you are willing to stick to a course and do it on your own i would deffinatly recomend the course but if you don't think you'd find time to do it and be able to stick to a routine the course is not for you.