Terms and conditions

Casey890

Hi I paid £2700 up front to an intensive driving school May 2024, estimated completion date of July, didn’t find me an instructor until August, I tried with the instructor but comments made by him made me feel uncomfortable (racist, inappropriate Also repetitive lessons going over and over the same one thing)  so did half my hours and asked for a new instructor, company said that’s fine (this was October 2024) heard nothing until November when they asked basically how I was getting on with instructor and to let them know when I was half way through, told them I’ve asked for new one a month ago to which they basically asked why? I said why has nothing been done it’s like you don’t know? Since then it’s just been a nightmare, they’re saying delay is my fault as the instructor was happy to complete lessons but I changed instructors, they’re saying I shouldn’t have booked with them if I didn’t agree to the terms and conditions and I’ve now sent them a letter requesting a refund minus the hours already done as I don’t think they have provided a service with care and skill also not done in a reasonable time frame.  I don’t believe this service is worth £1900 which is what they are wanting to keep from the £2700.  When I clicked agree to terms and conditions on the click wrap on the booking form, (finally I agree to ts and cs was the format) they weren’t hyperlinked or readily available to read, once payment was made on the bottom of the invoice they presented them (too late then)  I’ve also noticed that now when you visit the website a “book now” pops up obscuring the webpage, and from clicking book now to pay now they are never presented.  Also notice that they don’t offer a refund in first 14 days due to vehicle hire which is regulation 28 I think in consumer rights, but all they do is text a load of instructors to take you on, where are they hiring a vehicle? Especially if they haven’t found you an instructor in that time which is very common yet they will still claim the vehicle hire clause.  Are they in breach of their terms and conditions? 

Okell

Might assist you in getting help if you broke it into paragraphs so it was easier to read?

Aylesbury_Duck

Are they in breach of their terms and conditions?  I have no idea, because I don't know what they are.  It may be that they consider you to be breaching the contract and that's why the refund is disproportionately low.

What do they say about situations like yours?  Was the £2700 covering a certain number of lessons and one test?  On the face of it, if you've had half the lessons then you've consumed something approaching £1350 worth of what you paid.  Are there administrative costs associated with your choice to stop?  

Casey890

They’ve paid the instructor approximately £600 and say they will refund the other half, so for their rubbish service they are expecting £1500 for messaging some instructors and booking/cancelling/moving tests, I’ve mentioned what I think might be breaching their terms and conditions? Surely waiting 10+ months for an intensive test is not a reasonable amount of time especially when it is sold as a quicker option through their adverts etc 

born_again

Casey890 said:

They’ve paid the instructor approximately £600 and say they will refund the other half, so for their rubbish service they are expecting £1500 for messaging some instructors and booking/cancelling/moving tests, I’ve mentioned what I think might be breaching their terms and conditions? Surely waiting 10+ months for an intensive test is not a reasonable amount of time especially when it is sold as a quicker option through their adverts etc 

Massive long waits for tests as it is. Average is 21 weeks in England.
Which tests are you talking about here?
Theory or actual driving test?

Casey890

The tests aren’t the problem they find the tests then keep moving them because they can’t find an instructor, this company has 1000s of people in my situation, they sell themselves as if it’s going to be done quick, that’s why we paid 2700 for an intensive driving course, my older daughter booked an intensive course years ago was done in a week, they’re selling a service they can’t provide.  Theory is done before booked them 

pinkshoes

Casey890 said:

Hi I paid £2700 up front to an intensive driving school May 2024, estimated completion date of July, didn’t find me an instructor until August, I tried with the instructor but comments made by him made me feel uncomfortable (racist, inappropriate Also repetitive lessons going over and over the same one thing)  so did half my hours and asked for a new instructor, company said that’s fine (this was October 2024) heard nothing until November when they asked basically how I was getting on with instructor and to let them know when I was half way through, told them I’ve asked for new one a month ago to which they basically asked why? I said why has nothing been done it’s like you don’t know? Since then it’s just been a nightmare, they’re saying delay is my fault as the instructor was happy to complete lessons but I changed instructors, they’re saying I shouldn’t have booked with them if I didn’t agree to the terms and conditions and I’ve now sent them a letter requesting a refund minus the hours already done as I don’t think they have provided a service with care and skill also not done in a reasonable time frame.  I don’t believe this service is worth £1900 which is what they are wanting to keep from the £2700.  When I clicked agree to terms and conditions on the click wrap on the booking form, (finally I agree to ts and cs was the format) they weren’t hyperlinked or readily available to read, once payment was made on the bottom of the invoice they presented them (too late then)  I’ve also noticed that now when you visit the website a “book now” pops up obscuring the webpage, and from clicking book now to pay now they are never presented.  Also notice that they don’t offer a refund in first 14 days due to vehicle hire which is regulation 28 I think in consumer rights, but all they do is text a load of instructors to take you on, where are they hiring a vehicle? Especially if they haven’t found you an instructor in that time which is very common yet they will still claim the vehicle hire clause.  Are they in breach of their terms and conditions? 

If they're talking about breach of T&Cs, then if they estimated a completion by July but didn't even get you an instructor until August, surely they're also in breach?

I would push again for another instructor. I would put in writing that the instructor was racist and inappropriate, giving examples of what was said by the instructor to highlight your case. I'd then say that under the circumstances, you would like to complete your intensive driving course, but would like a different instructor, and if they are unable to provide that, you would like a refund of £XXXX (what you feel is fair) so you can continue your lessons elsewhere. Give them 14 days to respond with their decision.

Have you actually raised a formal complaint against this instructor being racist and inappropriate? If not, you need to do that. 

My first driving instructor (late 1990s) was so creepy and started adjusting my jacket collar when I was driving (I'd put my jacket on in a hurry as I had a lesson straight after school). Another time he started telling me stories about young women getting attacked when on their own with men in the middle of nowhere (whilst driving down quiet country lanes...). I broke my arm on a ski holiday halfway through learning so used this as a good excuse to swap to another instructor!

Aylesbury_Duck

Casey890 said:

They’ve paid the instructor approximately £600 and say they will refund the other half, so for their rubbish service they are expecting £1500 for messaging some instructors and booking/cancelling/moving tests, I’ve mentioned what I think might be breaching their terms and conditions? Surely waiting 10+ months for an intensive test is not a reasonable amount of time especially when it is sold as a quicker option through their adverts etc 

All that is opinion.  What you need are facts.  You need to read the terms and work out if what they are proposing to retain and refund is in accordance with them.  None of us can tell you the answer to that.

From what you've described, the behaviour of the instructor was inappropriate and perfectly reasonable grounds to pause and ask for a swap, or even to cancel the whole thing.  What matters now is whether you're getting what you're entitled to or not.

Aylesbury_Duck

Casey890 said:

The tests aren’t the problem they find the tests then keep moving them because they can’t find an instructor, this company has 1000s of people in my situation, they sell themselves as if it’s going to be done quick, that’s why we paid 2700 for an intensive driving course, my older daughter booked an intensive course years ago was done in a week, they’re selling a service they can’t provide.  Theory is done before booked them 

Which company is it?  I'd have thought that a driving school with thousands of people in your situation would have made the news by now.

Casey890

National intensive their reviews are awful, their positive reviews are all based on an initial phone call (fake?)