[theonefrombrum]

Hi, i had my first driving lesson yesterday and it was basically terrible. The second i walked into his car i looked at him and just took an instant dislike to him. He looked so moody and he never even said hello, he just asked for my provisional and then told me that we were going to a quieter area. When we got there he just told me in rapid fire mode what everything was and how it worked and then he expected me to know it all straight away. Whenever i made a small mistake, like not getting the biting point exactly right or accidentally taking my left hand off the wheel to try the indicator (when we weren't actually driving) he just said in a really nasty way how i wasn't listening and gave me a nasty look. I genuinely hated him and i just couldn't drive or even learn how to properly in that type of atmosphere. Eventually i got to driving on the road and i thought i did, applying the right pressure on the accelarator and steering well. He told me to park up and obviously i wasn't perfect because it was my FIRST ****ing time and i could just see that he got really irate and looked like he wanted to hit me and the way he grabbed the wheel showed me that. It wasn't even terrible on my behalf. Then, he told me to stop and he never even ****ing told me to keep my foot pressed down on the clutch as i slowly parked up and i'm not just going to assume that i have to and so i took it off a bit and the car kind of stalled and he just said 'lets just swap' and then drove me home, never said goodbye or anything and took 10 minutes off my lesson, which my mom paid £20 for.

I'm not the type to exaggerate just because i feel like someone's unfairly had a go at me but he really was a horrible instructor. If i'd make a tragic mistake like going too fast or showing off or whatever then fine, i'd probably deserve a bit of a reprimand and i'd say something. But i never and i only made mistakes i'm sure people who have had quite a few lessons make, let alone those taking their first lesson. It's like he assumed that because he knows how to do it, i'm automatically supposed to too after his speedy introduction to everything in a car and how it works (didn't even mention everything) It's just really pissed me off because my first lesson was supposed to be like a big thing, a big event in my life and he's just made it absolutely ****. I''ve booked some lessons with a new driving school now and hopefully they'll be better; i'm just wondering whether you think i'm entitled to a refund and also whether you've had an experience like this before?

[Advisor]

I'm so glad to hear you switched driving schools. That guy sounds like a total nightmare to be with! Instructors are meant to be encouraging and transfer knowledge. It sounds like none of that has happened.

The question of a refund is strictly down to negotiation between you and the instruction concerned, but I feel you won't get far as he's provided a service rather than a faulty tangible item and technically given you what you paid for (he turned up and gave you a lesson, albeit an abysmal one), so you're not automatically entitled by law to a refund.

Your best bet is to name and shame so that others avoid this person. In addition, please write to the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors at the Driving Standards Agency. He can be contacted at

The Axis Building
112 Upper Parliament Street
Nottingham
NG1 6LP

You can also email adireg@dsa.gsi.gov.uk

Please quote the instructor's full name, ADI number (if you know it) and his address (or the location the lesson was taken, so he can be traced).

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by Advisor)
I'm so glad to hear you switched driving schools. That guy sounds like a total nightmare to be with! Instructors are meant to be encouraging and transfer knowledge. It sounds like none of that has happened.

The question of a refund is strictly down to negotiation between you and the instruction concerned, but I feel you won't get far as he's provided a service rather than a faulty tangible item and technically given you what you paid for (he turned up and gave you a lesson, albeit an abysmal one), so you're not automatically entitled by law to a refund.

Your best bet is to name and shame so that others avoid this person. In addition, please write to the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors at the Driving Standards Agency. He can be contacted at

The Axis Building
112 Upper Parliament Street
Nottingham
NG1 6LP

You can also email adireg@dsa.gsi.gov.uk

Please quote the instructor's full name, ADI number (if you know it) and his address (or the location the lesson was taken, so he can be traced).

Thanks for the reply, this is really good advice. Thinking about it you're right, i can't actually see how i could legitimately get a refund but i'll definitely be following your advice to try and prevent others going to this guy.

[xoxAngel_Kxox]

(Original post by Advisor)
I'm so glad to hear you switched driving schools. That guy sounds like a total nightmare to be with! Instructors are meant to be encouraging and transfer knowledge. It sounds like none of that has happened.

The question of a refund is strictly down to negotiation between you and the instruction concerned, but I feel you won't get far as he's provided a service rather than a faulty tangible item and technically given you what you paid for (he turned up and gave you a lesson, albeit an abysmal one), so you're not automatically entitled by law to a refund.

Your best bet is to name and shame so that others avoid this person. In addition, please write to the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors at the Driving Standards Agency. He can be contacted at

The Axis Building
112 Upper Parliament Street
Nottingham
NG1 6LP

You can also email adireg@dsa.gsi.gov.uk

Please quote the instructor's full name, ADI number (if you know it) and his address (or the location the lesson was taken, so he can be traced).

Agree with this, other than PLEASE talk to the guy before "naming and shaming". Yes he may be a rubbish instructor, but he could equally have been having a really bad day, or you might have been nervous and are therefore thinking it was much worse than it actually was.

I'm not saying he was okay, obviously I wasn't there, but at least give him a chance to explain/apologise for his actions before you take any drastic actions yourself. My Dad is a driving instructor and it would upset him if people went to extremes such as reporting him before telling him they were thinking of doing so. This is his career that could be on the line if you take things too far. You don't have to see him, explain in a text message or an email first if you don't want to talk.

[plimsolls]

Sounds like he was having some kind of personal melt down. No excuse for it though.

[Juno]

I had an evil bike instructor who kept shouting at me and wouldn't explain anything in basic terms. I had very little bike knowledge and it was my first time on a geared bike, but he didn't seem to appreciate that. I can understand you wanting to try the indicators to see how to do it - I wanted to look at where to put my foot to change gear, but my instructor shouted at me for looking down.

But eventually I realised that I was probably bad at it, but no worse than other learners. And it will be the same for you! So really, don't let this put you off.

[FXX]

It's easy to see why he charges £20 a lesson then. People don't want to do business with him if he acts like that and can't fill the full hour. I would report him without talking to him first. Everyone has a bad day but there is no excuse to shave 10 minutes off the lesson and still take all the money.

I'm sure you'll have a much better experience with the new school.

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox)
Agree with this, other than PLEASE talk to the guy before "naming and shaming". Yes he may be a rubbish instructor, but he could equally have been having a really bad day, or you might have been nervous and are therefore thinking it was much worse than it actually was.

I'm not saying he was okay, obviously I wasn't there, but at least give him a chance to explain/apologise for his actions before you take any drastic actions yourself. My Dad is a driving instructor and it would upset him if people went to extremes such as reporting him before telling him they were thinking of doing so. This is his career that could be on the line if you take things too far. You don't have to see him, explain in a text message or an email first if you don't want to talk.

I'm not being nasty or anything but it's not my problem if he had a bad day. To use a similar but obviously more expensive example (the money's not the point), if you were to pay a few hundred pounds for some advice from a solicitor and because he was having a bad day he gave you terribe advice and made you feel horrible, would you not feel upset and annoyed? He has a job, he has a responsibility to fulfil his role or he should just not turn up. His job is to teach me how to drive and he barely taught me how to change gears, not even mentioning the fact that he kept shooting me nasty looks and was just generally terrible. If someone at McDonalds just forgot to take the orders (the essence of the job, like his was to teach me the basics of how to drive), there would be no excuses.

I promise you that i wasn't that nervous and my opinion isn't being clouded by that. Sure, when i got in the car at first i was slightly nervous but i was more excited than nervous but after about 5 minutes my excitement had turned to dismay as i realised that i'd be driving in this horrible atmosphere that he'd instantly created.

[Runninground]

Was he a trainee? (I think it's a green badge on the windscreen if they are a graded driving instructor, and a red one if they are still training)

But, PLEASE TALK TO HIM FIRST. I know you will be very annoyed about this, and I would be too. The fact is he has already lost your business. Just text or phone him, and say something like this:

Hello, it's [Your Name] here, I had my first driving lesson with you on [Date].
I wasn't too happy with the driving lesson, because I don't think you went over the basics properly with me, and you seemed very agitated and annoyed when I made a mistake. I have spoken to some friends, and in their first lesson they learnt how to [Some basic driving stuff]. I only learnt a few things from that list, so I don't think the time was well spent. Your attitude towards me was very negative, as you didn't show much enthusiasm in the lesson and you were talking to me with an unacceptable tone of voice. I understand you may have been having a bad day, but I have decided not to take my driving lessons with you from this point forward. I also feel inclined to write to the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors as I feel the lesson was appalling. Do you have any reasonable explanation for this?

It may be that he is truly sorry for the behaviour, and he may offer you a few free lessons to make up for it, and it might turn out that he is a nice person, just having a bad day. Even if he does this, stay with your new instructor. (Other wise it will be pretty awkward between you and the old instructor )

If he is sorry, and genuinely seems sorry, ask for a refund and don't report him to the Registrar. If he doesn't reply to the text or shows no sympathy, then report him.