Intensive driving course - advice sought on lack of service

Cannonball

Hello.

I signed up in July to National Intensive (driving course) on behalf of my wife, booking a 17.5 hour course for an automatic-only driving test. I erroneously thought it would be an actual intensive driving course, but turns out they just are a middleperson broker who send out messages to instructors to see if they will take on folks who want to learn quick.

I paid the extra for them to find a cancelled test slot and waited. Since then, National Intensive have been almost invisible in between me chasing them. I was informed that it is very difficult to find an automatic transmission driving instructor. I was also asked if I would consider extending the area that my wife could take her test to other areas and agreed to that as no dates were appearing.

Eventually we received some dates, but no instructor was available. We had to wait while NI waited but nothing. We were then advised that it would be helpful to open up to manual transmission, to see if my wife would get on with that. We reluctantly agreed, gave it a go, but no it did not work out well. We then went back to the automatic only route.

I was then told when I asked to cancel the service that I had lost the chance to get back the (enormous) deposit as we had actually used an instructor. We were not told this at the time (my fault for not reading T&Cs).

I am now waiting again. We have no date for a test and no instructor therefore lined up.

The T&Cs are very much in favour of NI as you would expect. I approached customer complaints to explain that the whole reason I had approached them was because my wife had an urgent need to pass her test quickly, as we had a school in mind for our son that she would need to drive to. We're now six months down the line and our son couldn't go to that school (again, that's our problem but it's a shame). We can't pull out and lose the money as it was around 900 quid. There's an extra 500 to pay to the instructor should they ever find one. Customer complaints was very much computer says no. They had no response to me asking them the simple question "Am I right in thinking that this situation could go on for years, where you cannot find an instructor in our local area?".

So I'm wondering what to do - do you think I should seek legal advice, or simply swallow my stupidity at signing up with them in the first place and wait it out? It seems I should have a leg to stand on, seeing as it appears they cannot provide the service they promised. Any help to ease the ire of my wife much appreciated.

Thank you.

Liam

 

Stateofart

Did you pay by credit card?  If so, do a chargeback.  If not, please pay for anything substantial with a credit card, especially for good and services.

born_again

Stateofart said:

Did you pay by credit card?  If so, do a chargeback.  If not, please pay for anything substantial with a credit card, especially for good and services.

From Op
then advised that it would be helpful to open up to manual transmission, to see if my wife would get on with that. We reluctantly agreed, gave it a go, but no it did not work out well.

So they will just argue that a service was provided.

While not solving OP issue. They could try asking in local facebook groups for any local instructors have space, or even a google for local auto instructors.

Goudy

Oh dear, you aren't the first to fall for these.

You are correct, they are an intermediary, they hook customers up with instructors.
If instructors are booked up with their own business, you have to wait but the trouble is you only have 14 days for a refund. 

I know someone else that fell for it, turned out their instructors keep dying, repeatedly!
Well that was the excuse they gave them.

The company is registered to a mailbox shop in Altrincham, which pretty much tells you what you need to know really

As already mentioned, if you paid on a credit card, get on to them.

Cannonball

Thanks all.

Nope I paid via my current account. Live and learn eh.

I still think I must have some consumer rights left here though, if they cannot provide the service.

Car_54

There seems to be a lot of negative reviews.

What they are offering is actually hard to achieve. Probably the vast majority of instructors dislike intensive courses: the main reason is the disruption to your normal business - you have to clear your diary of all your regular customers for the week.

So National Intensive is left with trying to find instructors who specialise (good, but few in number), and those with few or no customer (not so good!).. They are essentially fishing in a small pond.

jimjames

Cannonball said:

Thanks all.

Nope I paid via my current account. Live and learn eh.

I still think I must have some consumer rights left here though, if they cannot provide the service.

You could take them to small claims I guess if they don't deliver the promised service in timescale but if they decide to close the business then you won't get anything back if limited company

Debs6829

My daughter has just been caught out by the same company. Arranged an intensive driving course. Lessons schedule to start on Monday. Instructor contacted her and suggested just two hours for the first lesson, as didn't want to overtax her. Then was an hour late and only did one hour. His contact via text has been atrocious. He suggested shorter lessons going forward but extended over a longer time period. My daughter agreed, as long as done by next Friday 18th September as she is moving 150 miles away. She asked what time he would turn up Tuesday and he said he would text her. She chased his again and all she got was a 'thumbs up' emoji. No times or anything. He didn't turn up despite chasing and then messaged her in the evening saying something came up and would be there Wednesday. Again no times. No sign of him on Wednesday but said he would be there 2pm on Thursday. This he did turn up for and did 2 hours. She has so far had 3 hours of lessons. He couldn't make today (Friday) but will be here tomorrow at 2pm.

My daughter contacted the company on Wednesday who said they would chase the instructor.. hence the Thursday lesson, I think. The service is so poor, she emailed to complain and requested an alternative instructor or a refund of unused lessons. There are no alternative instructors available and they won't refund in case she uses all the lessons before her test.

Her test is at the end of October. The plan being to keep practicing with a family member whilst away, and come back at the end of October a couple of days before the test for an extra 2 lessons and then the test.

The situation is very stressful. So we've found a local instructor who can take her out next week and can block out some lessons before her test and take her to the test. But I have a feeling getting any refund from National Intensive is going to be nigh on impossible. Let alone the money she paid to the instructor directly. She only has his bank details, his name and his mobile number.

I'm after any advice and suggestions if possible. Thank you.