BSM Driving School - refusal to refund money due to coronavirus

Sprinkly

I had to cancel my lesson at short notice due to  coronavirus in the family. 
My lesson was booked for 9:30 am on a Tuesday but the driving instructor tried to change my lesson anyway to Monday at 9:30  and he'd done this before I'd even agreed to it.  I reminded him I'd booked my lesson specifically for that Tuesday. 
Then on the Sunday I had the coronavirus family emergency and texted the instructor at 14:44 on a Sunday to cancel my lesson on  that Tuesday because I didn't know what the outcome of that would be at the time.   I have asked for my money back but been read the 48 hour policy and cancelling around that and I have  now lost £64.   
BSM say that I should speak with the instructor about this.  The instructor says I should speak with BSM about this.  The instructor agreed to give me a lesson out of the 'goodness of his heart' and then proceeded to mess me about with his availability when I suggested a week later. As a result of this I then asked for a different instructor but they wouldn't give me one.  I asked for a credit note and been denied that too.  I'm pretty sure I wont be the only one in this current climate.  

AdrianC

Let me be sure I understand...

There's a 48hr cancellation policy.
You tried to cancel a 9.30 Tuesday lesson at 14.45 Sunday, after the 48hr cut-off.
Your instructor agreed to provide a replacement lesson -  but the times they could offer were not convenient for you.
You then insisted on a different instructor or your money back or a credit note.

Sorry, but I'm not seeing your chances as being high here.

When you say "coronavirus in the family", do you mean that somebody you live with tested positive and so you had to go into isolation?

Car_54

Your contract is with the instructor, not BSM. See https://www.bsm.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/

BSM are right to refer you to the instructor.

I don't see what the instructor has done wrong in the circumstances.

Scrapit

Sounds like you are being unreasonable.

Dr_Crypto

Not sure what your complaint is. 

It’s not the instructor’s fault you had an issue related to coronavirus. Were you in isolation? 

Sprinkly

Scrapit said:

Sounds like you are being unreasonable.

Yes I guess coronavirus is unreasonable..

Sprinkly

AdrianC said:

Let me be sure I understand...

There's a 48hr cancellation policy.
You tried to cancel a 9.30 Tuesday lesson at 14.45 Sunday, after the 48hr cut-off.
Your instructor agreed to provide a replacement lesson -  but the times they could offer were not convenient for you.
You then insisted on a different instructor or your money back or a credit note.

Sorry, but I'm not seeing your chances as being high here.

When you say "coronavirus in the family", do you mean that somebody you live with tested positive and so you had to go into isolation?

Yes I had to go into isolation 

Sprinkly

Car_54 said:

Your contract is with the instructor, not BSM. See https://www.bsm.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/

BSM are right to refer you to the instructor.

I don't see what the instructor has done wrong in the circumstances.

The instructor has done nothing wrong but I’m sure I won’t be the first and the last pupil to be in this position so do they have a policy to cover this...no they don’t. 

sweetsand

Sprinkly said:

Car_54 said:

Your contract is with the instructor, not BSM. See https://www.bsm.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/

BSM are right to refer you to the instructor.

I don't see what the instructor has done wrong in the circumstances.

The instructor has done nothing wrong but I’m sure I won’t be the first and the last pupil to be in this position so do they have a policy to cover this...no they don’t. 

Hi OP
Sorry to hear about your woes and I hope the family emergency ended well!
About your question and apologies if you have tried this. Have you rang and managed to get through and speak to a person as speaking to someone often results in a more fav result.
The driving instructor, the goodwill and then messing you about - is it more possible to be a bit more flexible as these people like most people are going through a lot of cancellations and empty, lockdown periods before that?
Bottom line, IMO you have a case regardless of what some have said here in their own way and IMO speaking to some, and goodwill will win the day.
Take care
x

sweetsand

Scrapit said:

Sounds like you are being unreasonable.

Judging by the OP's post, I'm not sure how you came to this conclusion as the OP has clearly stated it was a family emergency and that in anyones books takes priority and Covid knows no boundaries. With BSM being a big outfit, at the very least the co could help out or at least comprimise to an extent where OP is not being messed about.
ATB

CocoM2020

sweetsand said:

Sprinkly said:

Car_54 said:

Your contract is with the instructor, not BSM. See https://www.bsm.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/

BSM are right to refer you to the instructor.

I don't see what the instructor has done wrong in the circumstances.

The instructor has done nothing wrong but I’m sure I won’t be the first and the last pupil to be in this position so do they have a policy to cover this...no they don’t. 

Hi OP
Sorry to hear about your woes and I hope the family emergency ended well!
About your question and apologies if you have tried this. Have you rang and managed to get through and speak to a person as speaking to someone often results in a more fav result.
The driving instructor, the goodwill and then messing you about - is it more possible to be a bit more flexible as these people like most people are going through a lot of cancellations and empty, lockdown periods before that?
Bottom line, IMO you have a case regardless of what some have said here in their own way and IMO speaking to some, and goodwill will win the day.
Take care
x

Stop talking nonsense! The op has been given good advice from people who actually know 1. What they are talking about and 2. Have provided a link to the actually terms and conditions for this situation. All you are offering is your opinion which has makes no sense whatsoever and is giving the Op false hope and undermining the good work of those who do know what they are talking about.