Driving instructor, taken my money

bod1467

Do you have a receipt confirming payment for, and supply of, the previous 12 lessons? (This will also help to prove a business-consumer relationship was already in place, so support your claim of having paid for additional lessons).

A good life-lesson for your son though - NEVER hand over cash without getting a receipt/confirmation of payment at the time.

Fosterdog

Are you 100% sure that your son actually handed over the money? There are plenty of 17 year olds who would pocket the cash and say they handed it over.

When you paid the first £290 how did you pay and did you get a receipt? Most driving instructors deal in cash and would aways keep a receipt book in the car so it does seem strange that he told you son that he would give him a receipt next time

bod1467

I wondered the same. But I thought I'd let someone else say it - and get the flaming that is sure to come.

arcon5

Fosterdog wrote: »

Are you 100% sure that your son actually handed over the money? There are plenty of 17 year olds who would pocket the cash and say they handed it over.

When you paid the first £290 how did you pay and did you get a receipt? Most driving instructors deal in cash and would aways keep a receipt book in the car so it does seem strange that he told you son that he would give him a receipt next time

I suspect had this happened the instructor would have jumped to his own defence long before now. The instructors lack of communication and hanging up the phone speaks volumes in my opinion.

paddyrg

The whole setup sounds odd, a long-established and respected instructor doing a runner for the sake of under £300 doesn't make sense either! I just wonder what the missing part of the puzzle is?

AnnieO1234

I was thinking there was a missing part to this myself. Are you certain that the money you paid wasn't balance on the original lessons? i.e. Money owed?

Did anything happen between your son and the instructor? Might your son have spent the money himself? Something certainly doesn't seem right.

bod1467

£290 for 12 lessons is a little over £24 per lesson. Seems about right, especially when block-booked. So I doubt it was a balance payment.

Money_maker

fiendishly wrote: »

driving instructor brings round a 'gift voucher' for me to put in the birthday card

There's the evidence of the first payment so instructor denying knowing the OP can easily be disproved.

Use court as a last resort. Try mrmechanics idea or pop round first.

Polmop

Did you take the cash out of the bank to make the payment, if so you can sort of prove it

sezmitch

Trading standards are usually very helpful (also could try citizens advice) I would at least notify them of this so they can file it for future reference (might come in handy if the case needs to go further and it might be they can make a case against him if it has happened before)

In the meantime if you can I would post something on facebook or even tag him in a post mentioning the problems or on a review site but do it tactfully and say you are trying to sort it out etc.

If you have his current address then send a letter recorded and keep a copy, advise him you will report to Trading Standards/DSA or via court if necessary. Give him say 10 days to reply before you take formal action.

If you have no joy then you could report him to the DSA (driving standards agency tel 0300 200 11 22) qualified instructors are on their register.

I hope you manage to get this sorted.