VERIFIED STUDENTS ONLY

Terms and Conditions

  1. General Conduct

All driving instructors are bound by a professional code of conduct. Your driving instructor will be courteous, polite, tidy and punctual. They will also behave in a professional and ethical manner at all times. Your driving instructor’s car will be well maintained, clean and tidy. All cars used by driving instructors are fitted with dual-controls as part of their standard equipment. The cars are of course fully insured for driving tuition. Your driving instructor will not smoke in the car while giving tuition, nor will they use Your lesson time for any other form of business, personal or otherwise.

  1. Qualifications

As a minimum Your Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) will be regularly checked and licensed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to give driving tuition.

  1. Driving Licence and Eyesight

You must hold a current, valid driving licence (provisional or full), which must be produced on or in advance of Your first driving lesson. You must prove Your entitlement to drive by providing a licence check code and your driving licence number to Your driving instructor prior to Your first driving lesson. Your driving instructor can provide instructions on how to do this. You must also check that You can read a number plate at a distance of 20.5 metres (i.e. 67 feet – about 5 car lengths) with prescribed visual aids (i.e. contact lenses or glasses) if normally worn. Any such prescribed visual aids must also be worn on every driving lesson if needed to meet this minimum eyesight condition.

  1. Payments

Please note payments must be made at least 3 days in advance of the lesson via BACs. (No cash or cheques accepted).
To book a course, the full course fee is required in advance of the first lesson.

Please also note the deposit or any subsequent training fees paid are not refundable in the event that You decide to cancel the training once the booking has been accepted by Your driving instructor and booked into their diary. At this point a binding agreement is made between You and your driving instructor. This does not in any way affect Your statutory rights to be provided with the goods and services You have bought (please see term 11). Please also note that a full refund will be given if your driving instructor is unable to meet any written requirements noted when You initially booked the course or lessons.

  1. CANCELLATION POLICY

You must give at least 48 hours’ notice to your instructor if you wish to cancel or re-arrange a booked driving lesson. Failure to do so may result in your instructor charging you the full amount for that driving lesson. Your driving Instructor may cancel lessons at any time. However if this happens you will not be charged for the missed lesson and your instructor will make arrangements to offer a lesson at another time.

  1. NON PAYMENT

If you have not paid in advance of your lesson, your driving instructor reserves the right to suspend further lesson until payment has been made for the missed lesson. This may result in you loosing you regular time slot, and being taken to the Small Claims Court to mitigate any losses.

  1. REFUND POLICY

Any lesson packages that require a refund will be at the lower price rate.

If you purchased a 20 hour package and only had 6 hours of lessons, you would be charged the higher lesson rate on the lessons used and the difference would be refunded.

Example 1. You purchased 20 hours @ £38.00 per hours and only used 6 hours of lessons.

Your 20 hours cost £760.00

You would be billed 6 hours @ £40.00 per hour = £240.00

Your refund would be £760.00 – £240.00 = £ 520.00

 

Example 2. You purchased 20 hours @ £38.00 per hours and only used 12 hours of lessons.

Your 20 hours cost £760.00

You would be billed 12 hours @ £39.00 per hour = £468.00

Your refund would be £760.00 – £468.00 = £ 292.00

  1. Driving under the Influence

To ensure the safety of You, Your instructor and other road users Your driving instructor reserves the right to cancel any lesson if You are or if they suspect You are under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. If this occurs the full training fee for the period in question will be lost or charged.

  1. The Driving Test
  1. Driving tests can be booked by You or Your driving instructor on Your behalf. Driving test bookings always take priority over other lessons. Therefore, Your lesson may be postponed to allow for someone else’s driving test and vice-versa. Changes to lesson bookings as a result of this will be notified as quickly as possible. Test appointments must be notified to Your driving instructor as soon as they are known, otherwise Your instructor cannot guarantee to provide a vehicle for the test or any lessons just prior to it.
  2. Driving tests can be booked by You. Driving test bookings always take priority over other lessons. Therefore, Your lesson may be postponed to allow for someone else’s driving test and vice-versa. Changes to lesson bookings as a result of this will be notified as quickly as possible. Test appointments must be notified to Your driving instructor as soon as they are known, otherwise they cannot guarantee to provide a vehicle for the test or any lessons just prior to it.
  3. If your instructor does not think you are up to the standard required (see Ready To Pass) to pass the practical driving test (either physically or mentally), they may refuse to let you have use of their car.
  4. Test cancellation

Three clear working days (Sundays and public holidays don’t count as working days) notice of test cancellation or postponement is required by the DVSA. Therefore to cancel a test booked for a Friday You need to do this online no later than the preceding Monday thus giving three clear working days (i.e. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). Failure to provide the required notice will result in the loss of Your test fee. Your driving instructor cannot be held responsible for any postponement or cancellation of tests by You or the DVSA. However, your driving instructor will do all that is possible to arrange another test as quickly as possible and to help You to reclaim expenses from the DVSA if appropriate.

  1. Punctuality

In Your own interest You are advised to be punctual for Your lesson appointments. All such appointments should be recorded in Your Driving Skills Workbook (Appointment Record section) and checked where possible by Your driving instructor to ensure that mistakes are avoided. Your driving instructor would normally wait for a maximum of 15 minutes before the lesson would be abandoned and the lesson fee forfeit or become due for payment. A reciprocal waiting time may become necessary if your driving instructor is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Any lesson time lost as a result of your driving instructor being late would be made up by your driving instructor either at the end of the normal lesson time if possible or at a later date. Any such shortfall should be recorded in the driving skills workbook lesson appointment section and initialled by your driving instructor. An appointment record card may be used as an alternative to utilising the appointment section in the Driving Skills Workbook.

  1. Learner safety, comfort and well being

Safety is a shared responsibility between the driving instructor and You as identified below:

  1. In the interests of comfort and safety You are advised to wear suitable footwear and clothing which does not restrict movement or which is inappropriate, distracting or could lead to embarrassing situations.
  2. It is important that You act responsibly at all times and give Your undivided attention to the driving task at hand. Should anything be distracting You during the lesson it is important that You make the driving instructor aware of this fact even if it is something the driving instructor is doing. Similarly if You are feeling uncomfortable or uneasy about any driving task it is important that You make the driving instructor aware of this as soon as it is safe to do so. The driving instructor will be grateful for the feedback and they will think no less of You for doing so.
  3. In an emergency situation it is important that You follow the instructions of the driving instructor and allow them to take control of the steering wheel if necessary to avoid an incident. The driving instructor may also need to make use of the dual controls (i.e. brake and or clutch pedals) and thus override Your use of them. As soon as it is safe to do so the driving instructor will advise You of why his or her actions were necessary and help You to calm down if required. Any subsequent discussion will focus on what can be learnt from the situation rather than who was to blame.
  4. The driving instructor will do their best to deliver any instructions or take any actions (even in an emergency) in a calm and measured manner so as not to alarm You or make You feel uncomfortable or disheartened in any way. The driving instructor will definitely not shout at You or make any sarcastic or derogatory remarks.
  5. The driving instructor will not use improper language or suggestive behaviour and/or physical contact.
  6. You must take note of any medication You are taking which may affect Your ability to drive safely and advise the driving instructor accordingly before taking any lesson booked. Similarly, You should inform your driving instructor of anything You feel might impact on Your ability to undertake the proposed lesson safely.
  7. In the event it becomes apparent that You are unable to concentrate due to illness, tiredness, or Your emotional state of mind the driving instructor reserves the right to terminate the lesson early or require agreement from You to choose an alternative less demanding learning activity which can still be undertaken safely.
  8. Complaints

In the event of a complaint all efforts must be made to resolve the problem directly with your driving instructor.

  1. Your Statutory Rights

Nothing in these terms and conditions will reduce Your statutory rights relating to faulty goods or services provided. Driving instructors have a statutory obligation to provide You with goods and services fit for the purpose for which they were bought and as described. If You have any doubts about Your statutory rights, please contact Your local Trading Standards Department or Citizen’s Advice Bureau.