Introduction

The following terms and conditions represent the basis upon which Stuarts’s Driving Tuition offers driving lessons and courses to you. The provision of training is subject to the acceptance of these terms and conditions by paying for and agreeing to take driving lessons with Stuart’s Driving Tuition you are agreeing to the terms and conditions in this agreement.  Please note the contract for service is between yourself and Stuart’s Driving Tuition.

A Driving Instructor who gives lessons in a motor car in return for payment must be on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors. To gain entry to the register, prospective instructors need to pass a series of examinations administered by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency. Once fully qualified and on the register, ADI’s are regularly tested by the DVSA to check their continued ability to give instruction and an acceptable standard. The DVSA and the driving instruction industry place great emphasis on professional standards and business ethics. The code of Practice set out below has been agreed between the DVSA and the main bodies representing ADI’s, it is a framework within which all instructors MUST operate.

1. General Conduct

Your instructor will be courteous, polite, tidy, and punctual. He will also behave in a professional and ethical manner at all times. The instructor will try to avoid physical contact with the pupil except in an emergency or in the normal course of greeting.  Whilst reserving the right to decide against giving tuition, the instructor will not act in any way which contravenes legislation on discrimination. Your instructor’s car will be well maintained, clean, and tidy. All cars used by your instructor will be fitted with dual-controls as part of their standard equipment. The cars are of course fully insured for driving tuition. Your instructor will not smoke in the car while giving tuition, nor will they use your lesson time for any other form of business, personal or otherwise.

2. Zero Tolerance Policy.

We will not tolerate acts of aggression, verbal abuse or any form of dangerous driving. Should any pupil become verbally abusive, aggressive or drives dangerously we will cease the lesson and terminate our contract with the pupil.

3. Driving Licence and Eyesight

• You must hold a current, valid UK driving license, provisional, full or international, and produce it on (or in advance of) your first training session.
• You must declare any penalty points or disqualifications and agree to share your driving licence information with Stuart’s Driving Tuition via one of the approved licence information sharing methods.
• You will immediately notify Stuart’s Driving Tuition if there are any changes in your entitlement to drive or if you are issued with penalty points.
• You must be fit to drive with regard to legal and medical requirements. You must also check that you can read a number plate at a distance of 20.5 metres (i.e. 67 feet – about 5 car lengths) with glasses if normally worn.

4. Privacy and data protection

Any information supplied by you is held to be confidential and will not be shared with any third party without your express consent.

5. Payments

• Payments must be made in advance of the training.
• Payment can be made by cash, debit/credit card, cheque or BAC’s
• In the event of a cheque or electronic payment being refused by the bank an administration fee of £15 will be charged.

To book a course a 50% deposit or the full course fee (if the course start date is within 4 weeks of the booking date) is required.

The deposit or any subsequent training fees paid are not refundable in the event that you decide to cancel the training once your instructor has accepted the booking at this point a binding agreement is made between yourself and Stuart’s Driving Tuition.

This does not in any way affect your statutory rights to be provided with the goods and services you have bought. Please note that a full refund will be given if Stuart’s Driving Tuition is unable to meet any special requirements noted on the day of booking.

6. Cancelling or Amending Lessons

The latest time to cancel or amend a booking is at least 48 hours before the scheduled start time. Cancellations with less than 48 hour’s notice, the full lesson fee will be chargeable. Should Stuart’s Driving Tuition be able to obtain additional work for any lessons amended, no penalty will be incurred. If this is not possible the full training fee for the period in question will be charged.

Stuart’s Driving Tuition reserves the right to postpone, amend or cancel lessons we feel that the weather or road conditions are unsuitable or dangerous. Stuart’s Driving Tuition 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 his/her driving to be dangerous or illegal. In such circumstances the lesson fee will be payable. Stuart’s Driving Tuition cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred as a result of us postponing, amending or cancelling any lessons, for whatever reason.

7. The Driving Test Booking

You or your instructor can book driving tests. Test appointments booked by the pupil must be notified to Stuart’s Driving Tuition as soon as they are known otherwise I cannot guarantee to provide a vehicle for the test. Driving test booked on your behalf by Stuart’s Driving Tuition must be paid for as soon as possible and no later than Two weeks before the test date or Stuart’s Driving Tuition has the right to cancel the test for non-payment you also give consent for Stuart’s Driving Tuition to book your test using our email address and to receive the test summary report DL25. Driving test bookings always take priority over other lessons therefore, your lesson may be postponed allowing for another pupils driving test and vice-versa. Changes to lesson bookings as a result of this will be notified immediately.

While Stuart’s Driving Tuition will make every effort to ensure that the vehicle supplied for test will be fully road worthy and comply with all legal requirements at the start of the test Stuart’s Driving Tuition cannot be held responsible for vehicle failure that occurs during the test and is not liable for consequential loss. Agreeing to have your photo taken after you pass your test you are agreeing to allow SDT to use the photo online as a promotional material.

8. Test Cancellation

Three clear days’ notice of cancellation or postponement is required by the DVSA. Failure to provide the required notice will result in the loss of your test fee. Stuart’s Driving Tuition cannot be held responsible for test appointments cancelled by the DVSA due to bad weather, sickness, staff shortages or other reasons. Such cancellations are beyond the control of Stuart’s Driving Tuition and therefore the lesson fee and use of car fee will be charged. Stuart’s Driving Tuition can advise about claiming compensation from the DVSA and provide you with the necessary claim form.

In the interests of customer and public safety, Stuart’s Driving Tuition reserves the right to withhold the use of a car for the test if in our opinion, your driving is actually or potentially dangerous.

9. Special Offers

• Special Offers cannot be used by anyone who is currently taking lessons with Stuart’s Driving Tuition.

• Only one Special offer per pupil.

• Full payment must be made at time of booking or at the start of first lesson.

• Lessons must be redeemed within 3 Months of booking/payment unless special arrangements have been agreed in advance.

• Any special offer cannot be transferred to anyone else without obtaining our prior consent.

• No refunds will be made in the case of non-use.

• Refunds will only be made if our service is no longer available or we cannot meet your specific requirements or start date that was agreed at the time of booking.

10. Block Booking

• Where you have pre-paid for lessons but fail to attend or provide the minimum notice (48 Hours) to cancel or rearrange the lesson, it will be counted as a lesson taken for the purposes of the lesson cancellation policy and you will be liable for the lesson fee.

• Any pre-paid lessons cannot be transferred to anyone else without obtaining our prior consent.

• Lessons must be redeemed within 6 Months of booking/payment unless special arrangements have been agreed in advance.

• If you cancel your block booking the hours taken will be charged at the full current lesson rate with the balance of the block booking fee being refunded minus a £10 administration fee. Refunds are paid by cheque or BAC’s and can take up to 10 working days to process.

• Any further lessons booked will be at our standard rates.

11. Punctuality

In their own interest, learners are advised to be punctual for their lesson appointments. All such appointments should be recorded in the pupil’s appointment record card to ensure that mistakes are avoided please bring your appointment record card with you on each lesson.

Your instructor would normally wait for a maximum of 15 minutes before the lesson would be abandoned and the lesson fee forfeited or become due for payment. A reciprocal waiting time may become necessary if your instructor is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Any lesson time lost as a result of this would be made up by your instructor either at the end of the normal lesson time if possible or at a later date. Your instructor should record any such shortfall in the pupil’s appointment record card.

12. Driving under the influence

To ensure the safety of you, your instructor and other road users Stuart’s Driving Tuition has the right to cancel any lesson if you are or if we suspect you are under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. If this occurs the full training fee for the period in question will be lost or charged.

13. Motoring Offences

As the Pupil is the driver, you are solely responsible for any motoring offences committed whilst you are in the driver’s seat and therefore you are in control of the vehicle. Stuarts Driving Tuition ‘s liability will only extend as far as doing anything reasonably possible to prevent any offence being committed by you.

14. Complaints

In the event of a complaint, all efforts must be made to resolve the problem directly with Stuart’s Driving Tuition. Failing agreement of settlement of a dispute, reference may be made to the DVSA’s Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors who will consider the matter and advise accordingly. Should the Registrar not be able to settle the dispute he or she may set up a panel, with representatives from the A.D.I industry, to consider the matter further or advise that the matter should be referred to the courts or other statutory body to be determined.

15. Training DVD’s

All DVD’s provided by Stuart’s Driving Tuition are on Loan and Must Be Returned after test/end of lessons or you will be charged the full retail price of £14.99

16. Your Statutory Rights

Nothing in these terms and conditions will reduce your statutory rights relating to faulty or incorrectly described goods or services provided. Stuart’s Driving Tuition has a statutory obligation to provide you with goods and services fit for the purpose for which they were bought, and as described. If you have any doubts about your statutory rights, please contact your local Trading Standards Department or Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Stuart’s Driving Tuition reserves the right to change or alter any of the terms and conditions without notice but will endeavour to inform pupils of any changes as soon as possible. Stuart’s Driving Tuition reserves the right to change or withdraw any offer at any time without notice.