Yep, they do. I told them the same thing that I am getting conflicting answers. Then he talked to his manager and told me what I shared. Otherwise I would have been eligible for CEC at the beginning of this month; but I am not coz I got my PGWP in April.
See the quotations from CIC website:
"Self-employment and work experience gained while you were a full-time student (for example, on a co-op work term) does not count under this program."
This one clearly states you have to be on a worker status to make the experience count:
"To apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class, your skilled work experience must:
1. be in a job classified as skill type 0, or skill level A or B according to the 2011 National Occupational Classification,
2. amount to at least one year of full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) in the previous three years,
3. have been with an employer in Canada (self-employment does not count),
4. be gained with the proper legal authorization (for example, as a documented worker with a valid work permit), and
5. not be gained while you were studying on a student permit."