Pervert driving instructor?

report them to the driving standards agency

The £99 for 10 lessons sounds like an introductory deal. You didn't think you'd pick up driving in 10 lessons, did you??? Even when presented with the news that you'd probably need at least 4 lessons to get you ready for the exam - leaving only 6 lessons to learn the rules of the road, and how to physically drive a car.

Your lessons started well, but you found that the instructor was soon paying minimal attention to your driving ability on the road. Why didn't you complain at that time?

When your introductory lessons expired, you paid a reduced rate of £170 for another 10 lessons. After paying this sum, you found the instructor paid even less attention to your driving, and you still didn't raise any issues with his employers?

I do understand that complaining can be difficult, but you're paying a lot of money to be taught to drive. If your instructor is on the phone - he's not doing his job.

You say you did finally raise a complaint, and the driving centre found you a new (female) instructor, gave you 2 free lessons - you accepted this at that time. Now, in hindsight, you feel you should have got more. The centre can say that they acted upon your complaint - and you were happy to accept the compensation package they devised.

Legally, when a business provides some form of goods or service, by not complaining within a reasonable time-scale, you are seen as accepting the goods or service. If the business are informed that they have failed to provide a recognised quality of service to their client, and act to offer additional compentation - you have the choice to accept or reject their offer, and negotiated an acceptable counter-claim.

At the end of this experience, you're bitter about the loss of your money. Being unemployed, this money will have required some effort to save. Dragging the good name of this driving school through the mud, may be counterproductive.

The best thing you can do at this point is to save for more lessons at an other driving school. Learn the lesson that cheapest is not best when learning a life skill.

Can you make use of the job-centre to help you to pay for driving lessons?

This is not good at all. Money is very difficult in your situation, and you have tried to do everything right and been very patient.

I have heard of pervert instructors before- however I really doubt you can get anything done. The advice to go a solicitor may have its merits, but seems to forget this would cost you at least £500 and with uncertain chance of any action or presumably refunds or compensation.

A complaint to the Police would be treated as an allegation of assault or harassment, and it would be you who was not believed- the Police are useless and sexist anyway.

So, like many decent people, you lose out and are left with a feeling of much injustice and indignation.

I am sorry. There isn't much you can do without spending a lot more money.

H Sarah,

This situation is really bad but you can file a case against the instructor who have cheated you. Talk to the solicitor and claim for money back.

As you don't want to waste the money, can ask the associates to teach driving but this time take the lessons whom you can trust as you said you mom can teach you very well.

If you are keen towards your learning then yes you can learn the driving lessons with the time and can pass the test at first attempt. Try to come out from the situation and concentrate more on driving lessons. Normally you must take 48 hours of driving lessons as per the driving standard agency and 24 hours of private practices. Try to complete each basic task of driving lessons along with the driving maneuvers.

when you complained they gave you a new instructor and gave you a bit of a refund witch you accepted

now you want more, sorry you can not do that

the thing about driving is its up to you to progress an instructor can tell you and show you how but you have to, in your self learn to do it, like learning to read the road and anticipate any problems

if you know that at traffic lights your setting off to fast, then why do you need him to tell you to slow down and take your time, you should work that out for your self

if your driving down the road and it starts to rain, you should put on your window wipers, not wait for him to tell you to.

this is why you get people need to have 5-6 attempts at the driving test because they just don't switch on there brains

you really should of told the instructor from day one you was not happy with his work

Demand that our money be returned to you....except possibly for the lessons by the woman instructor.

The company is in a bad awkward position as evidenced by the fact the fired the "pervert". You have the upper hand. Ask, nay... DEMAND that (at least) the 240 quid be returned to you ASAP

As a Law student, and a human being, your first driving instructor was very strange but he did not commit a crime. As for your lost money, you do have a case for a civil claim.

If you want to, you can attempt to claim some if not all of the money you lost back. You would have to pick up a claim form from you local county courts and fill it in. The company you claim against would then get a copy, and have the option to either to admit to the offence or file a defense. Although you could get your money back this way, it would cost a couple of hundred pounds to just get to a court, and when you get there you are not assured to win, and if you did you would only get the £400 back. Contrary to popular belief, you would not be entitled to loads of money. Loads of people think that compensation is about being rewarded, but in fact is not a punitive system. The basically means that you would only get compensation of £400 to restore you to the financial state you were in before your driving lessons.

There are other options. Negotiation appears to not have worked, but other alternative dispute resolutions (ADR's) are available, and may find a cheap way here of finding a way to get your money back. I would recommend Arbitration because the decision can then be backed up by a court, but again its up to you.

Good luck!

1

Problem is you've done the hours and had the lessons, they won't give you a refund on that because your teacher was inappropriate. I'm sorry I don't think there's much you can do.

Sarah: Go talk to a solicitor about your complaint. He will get something done.