Speeding Awareness Course

Shaunzy

Hi guys, 

I was recently caught by a speeding camera doing 44mph in a 40mph zone, I got offered a course, which I paid £130. I was meant to take the course online, and phoned them to cancel it due to me having to run a family member over to hospital to see another family member. The women on the phone said it was fine and to call back to rebook. 

Upon calling back, they told me they need proof of my family member being in hospital, even though I told them I was just driving a family member over there. I unfortunately can't get proof, as such family member doesn't want their records being passed over especially since their discharge letter says private and confidential. 

I sent them an email and this is what they said "

Good Morning,

In line with our rebooking procedures we would need some Documentary Evidence in order for another course to be offered

On the phone call received at this office on 13/03/2024 this was agreed to be provided.

Please note we don’t require anything that breeches data protection just to cover your non attendence. 

I also note that you did not register for the course either.

Failure to provide evidence within 10 days of this email would result in withdrawal from the course and a Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty being issued to you."

Just to clarify I have a receipt and the email for the course date, so I'm not sure what they're talking about when they say I never registered for the course, nor does their phone system make you aware phone calls are being recorded. 

Just wonder where I stand here, as I don't mind taking 3 points, but im not paying another £100 fine, when they've taken £130 off of me, without providing a course.

Bigphil1474

Can you get a copy of the discharge letter and blank out the personal details? As they don't require anything that breeches data protection, they don't need to know who the person on the letter is.

The_Unready

Did they really write that email with all the spelling and grammar errors, or have you just transcribed it?

TooManyPoints

Where you stand is that you almost certainly agreed to the course provider's Terms & Conditions and they probably say that in the event of cancellation the fee will still be payable. You need to check out their T&Cs.

If this is moved to the offer of a Fixed Penalty the matter of payment will not be up for discussion. If you fail to pay you will be prosecuted in court and the cost of that will be a fine of a third of a week's net income, a "Victim Surcharge" of 40% of that fine and prosecution costs in the region of £90. So if your income is £600pw it will cost you £375 (which is considerably more than the cost of the course and fixed penalty taken together).

As an aside:

"I was recently caught by a speeding camera doing 44mph in a 40mph zone,..."

Were you really? According to the National Police Chiefs' Council's guidance on speeding enforcement, action should not be taken below 46mph in a 40 limit. All forces in England & Wales are said to subscribe to that guidance and Police Scotland has also says it does the same. If you could provide some evidence that you have seen enforcement below that threshold and tell us which force is involved, it would help us advise others.

Okell

As per @TooManyPoints' post above ^^^^

I did an online speed awareness course last October.  The conditions are very strict and once you're booked onto a course you may not be able to re-book and you may not be able to reclaim the fee if you don't attend.

The provision of a course is extra-statutory and the conditions can be pretty much what they like.  You have to have successfully completed a course within 4 months of the offence date.  If you are getting close to that cut-off, or if they think you are messing them about, they will just withdraw the course offer.

As @Bigphil1474 suggests, why don't you just send them a redacted copy of the discharge letter your relative has? They might accept it or they might not.  But you won't find out if you don't try...

Mildly_Miffed

It's not unreasonable to ask you to provide evidence for the reason you've given for changing the booked course.

"Upon calling back, they told me they need proof of my family member being in hospital, even though I told them I was just driving a family member over there."

You said A was in hospital, and you were driving B to visit. They are asking for proof of A's hospitalisation, not B's.

Given that a course is less than three hours during which you would not have been available for such a favour, it seems very flexible of them to even consider accommodating that as a sufficiently unavoidable reason to reschedule. Remember - it is an entirely optional alternative to prosecution. If you wish to take advantage of that alternative, they ask only for a modicum of commitment on your part to taking it seriously.

prettyandfluffy

Just wonder where I stand here, as I don't mind taking 3 points, but im not paying another £100 fine, when they've taken £130 off of me, without providing a course.

But it isn't just the fine and points, as previously explained you will be liable for a much bigger fine and in addition to that you will need to declare it to your insurer and the insurer of any other vehicle you're insured to drive for probably the next 5 years, and also if you want to hire a car etc etc.  It may or may not affect your insurance premium.

chrisw

Discharge letters always say private and confidential. I would be more annoyed at the relative being an **se about it, having done them a favour.

giraffe69

When I did a course recently I first said I would prefer the course to the points and then when I was sent detail of the course date(having had the oopportunity to rule outsome dates if I wished) I had to register. If you didn't do that your case may be weakened.