terms and conditions
Driving Licences
You must hold a current valid provisional, full or international driving license, and produce it on (or in advance of) your first training session. You must carry your driving license with you while attending lessons.
Fitness to Drive
You must be fit to drive with regards to legal and medical requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fit to drive on each of your lessons and test.
Sickness, COVID (or any other serious illness), tiredness, alcohol and prescribed medication can affect your driving; any of these could place you and other road users in serious danger.
Some ‘over the counter’ medications can affect levels of concentration; please read the instructions on the packet. If you are taking any medication please check with your doctor or pharmacist to ensure they will not affect your driving.
In the interests of public safety, the instructor reserves the right to cancel your driving lesson or refuse the use of the training car for the driving test if there is any suspicion of impairment because of illness, drugs or alcohol.
You may be prosecuted by the Police or the Crown Prosecution Service if you ignore the law regarding your fitness to drive.
Fees, Payments and Cancellations
Tuition fees must be paid in advance (bulk payment) or in cash on the day of the lesson, before the lesson commences. Payment can be made:
• In cash, directly to the driving instructor before the lesson commences.
• Bank transfer (ask the driving instructor for details) at least one day before the lesson.
• In-car debit/ credit card payment (This will incur a processing fee) before the lesson commences.
If you need to cancel or re-arrange a lesson, then at least 24 hour’s notice will be required. Failure to give the required notice will result in a cancellation fee which will be the full value of the lesson duration.
The instructor will do everything possible to ensure that your lessons start and finish on time, but reserves the right to cancel, postpone or change lesson lengths and start/finish times under certain circumstances (e.g. dangerous weather conditions, traffic). In the event of postponement, fees paid in advance will be carried forward.
The instructor reserves the right to cancel a lesson at short notice if it is suspected that the pupil may be unfit due to the effects of alcohol, drugs (prescribed or otherwise) or any other condition that would cause driving to be dangerous or illegal. In such circumstances the lesson fee will still be payable.
All test fees must be paid in full before the test.
Bookings and Lesson Duration
Your instructor will endeavour to maintain regular lesson slots at the same time each week to ensure continuity of learning. However, this cannot be guaranteed.
Lesson periods are:-
- 1 hour (60 minutes)
- 1.5 hours (90 minutes)
- 2 hours (120 minutes)
If, for any reason, it is deemed that the instructor will be late for the lesson, the learner will be informed of the estimated time of arrival, and where possible, the lesson will be extended. If this is not possible the extra time will be carried forward to the next suitable lesson.
Confirmation of Lessons
You will be sent a time slot for your lesson via text or Whatsapp message. You need to confirm or decline the lesson slot within 24 hours. After this time you will lose that time slot.
Lesson No Shows
Learners who do not show up for their first lesson without previously informing the instructor, will be charged for the period of the lesson and will be placed at the end of the waiting list.
Learners who do not show up for two consecutive lessons, will be charged for the period of those lessons and will be placed at the end of the waiting list.
Waiting Time
When your instructor arrives, you will be sent a text or WhatsApp message to let you know that they are have arrived. There is a maximum waiting time of 15 minutes. If you do not show up within this timeframe the lesson will be cancelled and you will be charged the full price of the lesson.
Extreme Weather Conditions
In the occurrences of extreme weather conditions, such as snow, fog, hurricane etc, lessons will be cancelled for safety. Any pre-paid lessons will be carried forward.
Training Vehicles
The training vehicle provided for training is taxed, insured for the purposes of driving tuition, fully roadworthy and fitted with dual controls.
Learners who require tuition in their own vehicle must provide insurer’s evidence that the car is covered for lessons when being supervised by a professional instructor in return for payment; the car must also be taxed and hold a current MOT certificate where appropriate. The Driving Instructor reserves the right to refuse to teach you in a car that isn’t fitted with dual controls.
Driving Tests and Bookings
The instructor reserves the right to refuse use of the training car for test if it is considered that provision of the vehicle could cause a risk to public safety.
The instructor reserves the right to withhold the use of the training car for practical test if, in the instructors opinion, the chances of passing the test are unrealistic.
Where the training car is used for test, the booking period will be based upon the instructor’s normal diary schedule.
In the event of the training car being unavailable on the day of the practical test for reasons of illness on my part, or for reasons of mechanical failure, the instructor will refund test fees incurred in full.
The instructor cannot be held responsible for test appointments cancelled by the DVSA due to bad weather, sickness, industrial action, staff shortages or any other reasons. Such cancellations are beyond the control of the instructor and therefore the lesson fee and ‘use of car’ fee for the booked period will be charged. The instructor will advise about claiming compensation from the DVSA.
Any fines or penalties incurred while on your driving test will be sole responsibility of the learner. Every effort will be made to recover any fees imposed on the training car.
Code of Conduct
The instructor agrees to abide by the conditions of the Professional Code of Conduct (a copy of which follows). In the unlikely event of complaint or dispute the guidelines of the Code of Conduct will be adhered to.
Your Rights
These conditions do not affect any protection that you have under consumer legislation.
The instructor reserves the right to change or alter any of the terms and conditions without notice, but will endeavour to inform learners of any changes as soon as possible.