Complaint about BSM driving school

ladysun

Hi everyone,

Need of some advice re driving lessons with BSM.

I have emailed them on the 13th of August, still no reply. How can i proceed. Any advice please?

I paid for my daughter to have professional driving lessons with BSM, and she has now completed more than 20 hours of tuition.

My daughter was advised to book her practical driving test in Tunbridge Wells, despite Eastbourne being our nearest test centre. After she had booked the test, the instructor told her that he would not be available to take her to the test because he had another test booked on the same day. He then suggested that I should take her to the test in my own car.

I was not prepared to do this. My daughter is not used to driving my car, and if I wanted to teach her to drive in my own vehicle, I would not have paid for professional driving lessons in the first place. The whole reason I paid BSM was so that she could receive professional instruction and be properly prepared for her test.

 What concerns me even more is that, after more than 20 hours of lessons, I discovered that my daughter had mainly been driving on quiet roads and had not been given sufficient experience of driving in busy traffic conditions. She had therefore been given the impression that she was a confident driver, when in reality she was not adequately prepared for the conditions, she would encounter during a practical driving test.

 I subsequently sought advice from several independent driving instructors. Every person I spoke to was surprised that my daughter had been advised to book a test in Tunbridge Wells and questioned why she had been considered ready to book a test when she had so little experience of normal traffic conditions.

 I therefore changed the test date and managed to obtain a test in Eastbourne on 31 August.

I also decided that it was necessary to change driving instructors. After only a couple of lessons, the new instructor advised me that my daughter is not ready for her test on 31 August. He has identified that she is nervous when driving in traffic and needs considerably more experience and preparation before she can safely and confidently take her test.

I am particularly concerned that the instructor encouraged her to book a test when, in my view, she had not received sufficient preparation and then informed her after the booking that he would not be available to take her. Suggesting that I should simply take her myself in my own car is not an acceptable solution and completely defeats the purpose of paying for professional driving tuition.

 I have discussed this situation with a number of other independent driving instructors, and every person I have spoken to shares the same concerns about the level of training my daughter received and the decision to advise her to book the test under these circumstances.

Any help how to go forward would be very much appreciated!

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6682345/complaint-about-bsm-driving-school

what type of outcome are you seeking?

ladysun

Hi Marcia,

A full refund of the lessons paid and compensation as I discussed with them before hand that she wants to do this before she goes to uni in september and it was agreed, provided she was ready for her test-which the instructor confirmed as he said she was ready and can book her test. Now she is off to uni, without her driving licence and we have wasted so much time and money . If i knew beforehand, I was going to book any other driver. I thought BSM is reputable that's why i went with them but they are not professional at all and doesn't care about their students!

jaybeetoo

With both of my sons, they drove my car in between lessons. That gave them a lot more experience than just having lessons. I could also see how they were progressing and take them onto many different types of roads. When I learnt to drive I did the same.

The DVSA says 45-60 hours of professional lessons are required if they do not practice outside of lessons. Did you ask your daughter how she was getting on and what she was doing after each lesson? If you didn’t find out until after 20 lessons then it sounds like you weren’t taking much interest in what your daughter was doing.

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82127627#Comment_82127627

you won't get a full refund because she took the lessons and has learned how to drive although not to a standard to pass a test.
You might get a bunch of flowers or £20 for her inconvenience though cant see it being much more.

ladysun

Jaybeetoo- the whole idea was for me not to give her driving lessons myself otherwise i would not have paid thousands of pounds for someone to teach her. Also whenever i asked her, she said that the instructor was happy with her progress. Also,if the instructor didn't think she was ready for her test, why would he ask her to book her test??? Dont you think that's bizzare?? I was happy to continue paying more until she was fully ready for her test and i told the driving instructor that before she started and he agreed. he never even took her on any test routes, nothing. So, how is that professional in your opinion?

ladysun

Marcia- i paid for services that she did not received so i think, i should get full refund at least.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82127833#Comment_82127833

Are you saying she didnt have the lessons at all? Or are you unhappy with the quality of the lessons that she did receive?

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82127833#Comment_82127833

she did receive them, she sat in the car and drove with her instructor. Now if you had paid up front and then pulled out due to the poor lessons you would have had a claim on the lessons not taken but as it is she received the service you paid for hence no refund is due.

rollingmoon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82127833#Comment_82127833

She had the lessons, so the services you paid for were received. That she needs more lessons is neither here nor there.

I can't see any valid argument for a refund here, and definitely not any compo.

retiredbanker1

OP Have you considered that it is not BSM's fault at all but your daughter?

Not everybody is a confident competent driver - some people just can't drive.

You stand (IMO) no chance of getting anything back from BSM.

The choice here is whether you give her more lessons with a local independent - on a one lesson at a time basis to begin with - or give up the idea (for now).

My daughter was 30 before she passed her test having started in her teens but just gave up because she was not interested in driving.