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I'm at my wit's end!

  • 11-02-2017 03:28PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,318 ✭✭✭


    I'll try to keep this short!

    I did my 12 EDT in a manual and due to various factors decided to ditch it for an automatic. The instructor I had was from one of the big companies and he was a gent, so professional and his attention to detail was brilliant, something which I only recognise now after using different instructors.

    I have had experience with 3 further schools now as follows:

    School 1: Guy turned up and the car was in a shocking state. Rubbish all over the back seat, constipation meds beside the gear stick (!). He had a cartoon picture on the dashboard of a lady with a rather large bum, in a bikink, bent over the bonnet of the car. It transpired that he was from Kildare and really wasn't keen on covering my area (South Dublin) which is fair enough but not my problem when he was chosen for me by the school. He made it very clear from the start that he hadn't an iota of interest in me. He texted during the lesson and also asked could he put the radio on!! That was the end of him and that school

    School 2: Turns out they are one of the most expensive in the country so I was expecting amazing things!!! First instructor was a nice man but again I was hearing how he doesn't usually cover my area and he wasn't sure why the office had booked him for me. It's not nice to hear this and knocks my confidence when I think that someone really doesn't want to be doing a lesson with me. He took calls from the office on speaker phone during lesson and was arranging and marking appointments into his diary during the lesson. However, I thought I would stick with him. The next lesson was booked and no one turned up. I rang the office and was told that they had tried to call me to tell me there had been a problem with my payment and that they couldn't get through. I had no missed calls and got a really bad attitude from the guy in the office when I complained! They rescheduled appointment for me and another instructor arrives and again I get the whole thing about it being a hassle to cover my area as they live elsewhere. Again he was ok but with them being €20 dearer than other schools, the poor service from the office staff and the general lack of interest from the instructors I decided to try another school. Instructor 1 had told me to book my test which gave me some confidence but when I mentioned this to Instructor 2 he said they tell that to everyone regardless of their ability so they have something to work towards!

    School 3: Booked a two hour lesson with them for yesterday morning. Got the confirmation text and payment confirmation. No one showed up!!!! Rang the office and apparently there was a mix up. Told them if they couldn't fit me in today I would seek a refund, as I'm getting panicky now and need to find an instructor I can stick with until I get the test. They managed to slot me in for an hour today and as the automatic lessons book up quite quickly I paid for and reserved six more hours at various times mid week for the next few weeks. Guy shows up an hour ago and he is in a manual car!! He says they never told him I wanted automatic but he is looking at a text they sent him which confirms that they did tell him. He then tells me that he sees I am booked in with him for some weeknight and day lessons but that he doesn't usually cover this area and that he is pulling back from anything other than Saturday lessons because he ended up in hospital last year for 18 days due to the stress of trying to get back and forth to different lessons!!!

    I am absolutely at my wits end now. I was hoping to do a minimum of 2 hours a week and I haven't had a lesson in over 3 weeks now. I have no car to practice in and really need to be doing regular lessons, especially now that the test is booked.

    Does ANYONE know of an automatic instructor who is professional and reliable and who will cover the Dublin 14 area. Please pm if you do. At this stage I don't think I have anymore options with the schools as some of them don't have automatics and honestly, I'm not sure I want to go to any more of them as I'm shocked by how awful they have been. I'm just worried that it will be hard to find an independent who has an automatic car. I will be getting my own car in April and am aware that I can get lessons in that but I really need to get some in between

    Sorry for the essay!:):D:P


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,476 ✭✭✭neonsofa


    I had a very similar experience with instructors- including the very expensive well known driving school who insisted on only 2 hour lessons instead of one hour. I was basically driving while my instructor texted and made phone calls. Multiple no shows. 2hours late. It was ridiculous.

    In the end I found an instructor locally through a friend but I don't know if he does automatic lessons. If you could use someone else's automatic car (get insurance cover obviously) and just ask a regular instructor to teach you in that it might be best. Obviously that is a big ask but would be handy.


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