Is my instructor taking advantage?

bja68

Just looking for some opinions on the situation I have with my instructor. I started lessons in September and originally booked and paid for 2 through a renowned company. My hope was to do 2/3 lessons a week up to the necessary 12 and beyond if needs be. After I did the initial 2 with the same instructor, he told me I could pay him for the following 10 and he'd give me a discount, which I did. I had a further 2 lessons after which he went on holidays. When he returned, he pushed my next scheduled lesson back a day, then changed the time several times before arriving and telling me he'd have to cut the lesson time in half because he needed to attend to family business. At the end of that lesson, rather than arrange the next lesson he told me I should go out driving myself with my parent (whose car I am a named driver on) to build up confidence and contact him when I've done so. His reasoning was that it will make it easier to move onto other things in lessons. While I am insured to drive my parent's car, I only began driving about a month ago and I've never been out on the open road without the instructor and I don't really feel comfortable with doing so yet. Personally, I'd prefer to be doing 2/3 lessons with him per week and getting the service I paid for rather than having lessons moved around and not being specifically scheduled. He also has my log book because he said it's easier if he holds onto it. He has entered records of the few lessons I've done online but I'm just wondering if all of the above is normal? I kind of feel like he might be messing me around to suit himself and I'm not happy about it. I'm certainly not making the progress with lessons in terms of quantity taken that I was hoping for. Any thoughts or opinions anyone has to offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

caldew

I think you already know the answer to your question.


Change instructor, demand any monies owed. If no joy report to RSA

ProudDUB

Yep. He is messing you around. Demand your money back & find someone better. Threaten to report him to the RSA if you don't, as well as the driving school that he is a part of.

I understand why you don't want to start driving your parents car, until you feel more confident over all. But his basic point of you doing practice driving in between lessons, is a valid one. You are right not to start doing it until you feel more comfortable behind the wheel. But in general, the more practice driving you can do in between lessons, the better you will progress.

work2013

bja68 wrote: »

Just looking for some opinions on the situation I have with my instructor. I started lessons in September and originally booked and paid for 2 through a renowned company. My hope was to do 2/3 lessons a week up to the necessary 12 and beyond if needs be. After I did the initial 2 with the same instructor, he told me I could pay him for the following 10 and he'd give me a discount, which I did. I had a further 2 lessons after which he went on holidays. When he returned, he pushed my next scheduled lesson back a day, then changed the time several times before arriving and telling me he'd have to cut the lesson time in half because he needed to attend to family business. At the end of that lesson, rather than arrange the next lesson he told me I should go out driving myself with my parent (whose car I am a named driver on) to build up confidence and contact him when I've done so. His reasoning was that it will make it easier to move onto other things in lessons. While I am insured to drive my parent's car, I only began driving about a month ago and I've never been out on the open road without the instructor and I don't really feel comfortable with doing so yet. Personally, I'd prefer to be doing 2/3 lessons with him per week and getting the service I paid for rather than having lessons moved around and not being specifically scheduled. He also has my log book because he said it's easier if he holds onto it. He has entered records of the few lessons I've done online but I'm just wondering if all of the above is normal? I kind of feel like he might be messing me around to suit himself and I'm not happy about it. I'm certainly not making the progress with lessons in terms of quantity taken that I was hoping for. Any thoughts or opinions anyone has to offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I'd recommend doing about 1 lesson a week as opposed to 2/3. Try to get in more driving time with your sponsor in between. Also, you should drive in car parks/quite areas with your sponsor until you gain enough confidence.

Your instructor should respect the fact that you paid for all 10 lessons. He should work for you on your timetable, not the other way around.

I can't tell you why

Driving instructors are allowed to take holidays and problems can happen in their personal lives.
They should NOT keep your log book.
You should be practising for three hours between lessons.
Book the lessons when you want. Accept that it might not be the best way. Get your logbook.

ProudDUB

Getting the log book is not all that important, unless the OP wants to keep track of what he covers in each lesson and have a record of feedback from the instructor. You no longer need to produce your log book on test day. What really matters, is to make sure that each EDT lesson has been logged on the RSA website as being complete. You can't sit your test until all 12 have been logged.

I can't tell you why

ProudDUB wrote: »

Getting the log book is not all that important, unless the OP wants to keep track of what he covers in each lesson and have a record of feedback from the instructor.

I'd consider that important.

You no longer need to produce your log book on test day. What really matters, is to make sure that each EDT lesson has been logged on the RSA website as being complete. You can't sit your test until all 12 have been logged.

The OP did say, "He has entered records of the few lessons I've done..."

The logbook can act as proof if the driving instructor were to not bother ever uploading the lessons.

ShaneCliff

ProudDUB wrote: »

You no longer need to produce your log book on test day

You absolutely need to bring your logbook with you on the test day, it's an automatic fail otherwise.

Liam90

ShaneCliff wrote: »

You absolutely need to bring your logbook with you on the test day, it's an automatic fail otherwise.

Did test in September and again today, both times logbook was not asked for only my learner permit.

ProudDUB

ShaneCliff wrote: »

You absolutely need to bring your logbook with you on the test day, it's an automatic fail otherwise.

No you don't. Since February 1st 2013, (I think) you no longer need to bring your log book with you on the day of the test. It's all computerized now. To be assigned a date for your test, you must have your 12 EDT lessons logged as being complete on the RSA website. You can't be assigned a test date until they are. Once they have all been logged, you can be assigned a test day. As the 12 lessons are now being logged online, the instructor doesn't need to see the log book anymore, as you wouldn't have been given a test date in the first place, if they weren't all done.

The log book could be a handy thing to have, if there were ever a dispute between the instructor and the student as to how many lessons have been done, but the book itself is no longer needed on test day.

Craftylee

As above - the only thing you need on the test day (apart from a car) is your learner permit. All of the lessons etc are recorded online, you can login to it here and check your lessons: https://ccwdriver.rsa.ie/driver/driverlogin.aspx