Driving lesson vouchers

Alison1979

I found a company that offer driving lesson gift vouchers that can be used with any driving instructor, I’ve purchased them for my niece and now we are in lockdown driving lessons are banned. What can I do to get a refund? Or should I focus on getting them extended? I’m really not good with dealing with companies 

Car_54

I wouldn't believe they "can be used with any driving instructor". There are tens of thousands of independent instructors - there is no way they can all be signed up to this scheme.

MX5huggy

When do they expire? Is it really an issue?

Just ask them the extend them.

How did you buy them?

Lesson learned don’t by vouchers, use Bank of England vouchers. 

Alison1979

Thank you.
I have found a YouTube video from a driving instructor that tested them and he gave good feedback on them. 

When I contact them do I need to quote any law or rules or should I just ask politely 1st? 

Best regards, 

ontheroad1970

How much did you buy in cash value?  I don't think you have much if any legal protection.  Directly, you haven't bought driving lessons from a certain driving instructor, you've effectively bought a currency for a single use purchase, and they are effectively worthless should the issuer declare themselves out of business...

I would say the best bet is to find the best instructor that accepts them, book lessons for a few months time, paying with the vouchers in advance and see if they will allow the lessons to be rearranged if necessary.  There is still a risk element to this of course.

NottinghamKnight

As well as the above then how you paid may be helpful. If it was with a debit card then you can try and do a chargeback if you want to try dn get a refund, credit card could also be a chargeback or a section 75 claim alternatively. What is the name of the company you have been dealing with?

SoftCentaur

This sounds like a scam to me.  90% of driving instructors are self-employed sole traders and no way is there a gift voucher that will be accepted by all.  I doubt you will find ANY instructor who will accept them. I hope you did not pay cash for 'em! 

ontheroad1970

SoftCentaur said:

This sounds like a scam to me.  90% of driving instructors are self-employed sole traders and no way is there a gift voucher that will be accepted by all.  I doubt you will find ANY instructor who will accept them. I hope you did not pay cash for 'em! 

Not necessarily a scam.  I suspect an enterprising individual got in touch with driving instructors who made a deal to market them in exchange for a cut of the money - so customer pays £100 for vouchers and the enterprising individual charges a handling fee to the driving instructor, deducting it from the amount passed to the ADI.  All is fine until businesses start struggling because of external pressures.  

So the £100 is at risk in difficult times.  Either because the handling company goes bust or the instructor goes bust.  Both likely in these circumstances, and because customer has purchased vouchers, I doubt there will be any form of protection even when a credit card is used.