Terms and conditions (Please read carefully)
We will assume you have read, understood and accepted these terms and conditions once you begin lessons or make a purchase.
Your driving instructor is a self-employed agent representing Shields Driving School.
Lessons
The contract for driving tuition is solely between you and your instructor. You and your instructor are responsible for agreeing all matters relating to the timing, location and duration of lessons.
You must notify your instructor of any matters which may affect your ability or entitlement to undertake your lessons. For example but not limited to, the lack or loss of your provisional licence.
Before the commencement of driving lessons a valid provisional photo card must be presented to your instructor and a basic sight test passed. It is your responsibility to inform your instructor of any reason(s) which may effect your ability to undertake lessons, this includes any medical conditions you may have.
It is your responsibility to inform your instructor of any changes to your entitlement to drive.
Your instructor may carry out a DVSA check to confirm your entitlement.
Standard lessons are defined as one hour duration, lessons are paid by the hour at the current rate.
Your instructor reserves the right to stop your lesson before or part way through, if for example but not limited to, you appear intoxicated or not responding to instruction.
All lessons must be paid for before the lesson goes ahead or as per the arrangement with your instructor. Please be sure that you have the means to pay or your lesson may not go ahead. Please be aware that we do not offer credit facilities if you are having difficulty paying please speak to your instructor in the first instance.
Payment for lessons are either by cash or cheque. Cheques should be made out to the instructor.
It may be necessary at certain times to transfer you to another driving instructor for example if your driving instructor retires/leaves etc. If this happens we will endeavor to give you as much notice as possible and will try and accommodate you at a similar day/time with the new instructor.
Cancellations
If you need to cancel; change the time or duration of your lesson a minimum of 48 hours prior notice must be given. Cancellations must be made directly to your instructor.
If you do not give at least 48 hours notice your instructor may charge for the lesson and insist on the next lesson being paid in advance.
In some circumstances your instructor may use their own discretion when dealing with these matters.
Pupils who cancel lessons on a regular basis may have the lessons stopped and removed from the instructors list.
Pupils with tests booked must keep lessons consecutive in line with there current lesson pattern failure to attend lessons may result in the withdrawal of our services.
Should you need to temporarily stop lessons it may not be possible to have the same time and day as before and you may need to wait until a space becomes available when you wish to return. Temporary stops of more than 2 weeks or likely to be will require full payment of any due monies, please discus this with your instructor.
If you have pre-paid and booked an intensive type course and need to cancel or reschedule it you should contact your instructor as soon as possible. In most circumstances the instructor will not be offer a refund of the fee paid either before or part way through the course. This is due to the fact that the instructor will have had to book out a large number of hours to cover the course in advance. If a course is cancelled at short notice it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the instructor to fill the vacant space. Any refund of the pre-payment is at the discretion of the individual instructor.
If you have pre-paid a block of lessons and need to cancel it you should inform your instructor immediately. Any refund of the balance is entirely at the instructors discretion. However, you should be aware that in most cases your instructor will be unable to refund you the remaining value of your block of lessons.
Readiness For The Driving Test.
There are currently no minimum of lessons you need to take in order to sit your driving test however you must reach the basic standard. As a professional driving school all our instructors are fully qualified and experienced and will be able to access your readiness for the driving test. We reserve the right to withdraw our services at any time if the basic standards are not met.
Transferring lessons, gift vouchers etc.
You may not sell or transfer lessons/gift vouchers that have been purchased in your name to any other person without the approval of Shields Driving School.
Liability
Your instructor or Shields Driving School are not liable in the unlikely event of mechanical breakdown, bad weather or any other event resulting in the cancellation of your lesson or test at short notice. Your instructor will endeavour to re-book your next lesson as soon as possible.
Similarly the instructor or Shields Driving School will not be liable for your test being cancelled, postponed or terminated due to circumstances out with their control.
Mock Testing
Part of your driving tuition may include mock testing. In this instance achieving a ‘PASS’ does not guarantee or ensure a similar result on your DVSA Practical Test.
Gift vouchers/Free Lesson vouchers
Gift vouchers are normally valid for 6 months from date of purchase unless specifically agreed between the purchaser and Shields Driving School.
Gift vouchers are non returnable or refundable and are valid only for the recipient.
Please ensure that the recipient is or will be in possession of a valid provisional licence at the time of redemption. There is no provision for lost or defaced vouchers.
Should the recipient move address before claiming the voucher the driving school must be made aware as cover may not be guaranteed for the new address, We will will make every effort to try and accommodate.
Occasionally instructors may issue "Free Lesson" vouchers. These vouchers are valid for a period of 6 months from the date of issue (unless otherwise stated). They are only valid with the instructor who issues them and cannot be transferred to another instructor. Shields Driving School are not liable to redeem these vouchers as they are between the pupil and the instructor. These vouchers are promotional and may be withdrawn at any time without prior notice.
Competitions
Competitions organised by Shields Driving School or by another organisation on behalf of Shields Driving School follow the conditions set out in the gift voucher terms and conditions with the exception that the competition may be entered and won on behalf of another recipient.
Members of Shields Driving School and their families are excluded from entering unless special permission is given.
There may be further terms and conditions applied to individual competitions as Shields Driving School or the other authorised organisers deem necessary.
Special offers
Only open to new pupils who are in possession of a valid provisional licence.
The offer cannot be used for lead up to and including the driving test lessons.
Opening offers can be used only once per new pupil.
Standard lessons are defined as one hour.
The offer cannot be transferred to another pupil unless approved prior to by Shields Driving School.
Once the opening offer has been chosen and paid for it is valid for 6 months from the date of the purchase, special arrangements can made in certain circumstances to extend this period. No refunds will be given.
Once lessons have begun with Shields Driving School you are now not deemed a new pupil and are not entitled to further special offers unless specified by the offer.
The special offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, competition or voucher unless specified by Shields Driving School.
The offers may be withdrawn or amended at anytime without notice.
Shields Driving School reserve the right to refuse anyone the offers without reason and at anytime.
Christmas gift vouchers special terms and conditions (in addition to the normal T&Cs)
Gift vouchers are valid from 27th December 2019 and are valid for 6 months from this date unless specifically agreed between the purchaser and Shields Driving School.
Only one gift voucher may be purchased/or given as a gift per pupil.
This gift voucher promotion is for new pupils only.
Gift vouchers purchased are non returnable or refundable and can't be redeemed for cash.
Gift vouchers can't be used in conjunction with any other offer.
Payment for the gift voucher should be made at delivery by cash or cheque.
To redeem the gift voucher please contact Shields Driving School to book.
It is the responsibility of the purchaser/redeemer to book the driving lessons, special arrangements may be made for vouchers being redeemed late, lost or stolen. Please call Shields Driving School to advise of such problems.
Shields Driving School reserve the right to refuse, cancel or amend the offer at any time without any prior notice.
We will assume you have read, understood and accepted these terms and conditions once you begin lessons or make a purchase.