Terms and Conditions

DSSSM Driving Instructor

I am a self-employed independent driving instructor and am not employed by a driving school when providing tuition under these Terms and Conditions:

I am registered with the DVSA as an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), and My ADI registration is current. I shall display my current DVSA ADI registration certificate in any vehicle I use for a lesson, and I will ensure that the ADI certificate is kept up to date at all times.

My Obligations

I shall, at all times:

use my reasonable endeavours to provide driving instruction at the agreed lesson times;
use my reasonable endeavours to train you to a high standard, but shall not be responsible for any errors made by you;
be professional and courteous towards you and other road users;
act in accordance with the DVSA Code of Practice for Approved Driving Instructors, and act in accordance with the law.

DSSSM Driving Lesson Terms & Conditions

By submitting your driving lesson booking through the DSSSM Driving School website, over the phone or via email, you agree to and understand and accept the Terms and Conditions related to the provision of driving lessons with DSSSM Driving School.

Pupils must be aged 17 years or older to be able to take driving lessons in accordance with UK law.
Pupils must certify that they hold a valid driving licence to drive DSSSM Driving School’s tuition vehicles. Pupils must inform DSSSM immediately if they receive any endorsements on their driving licence during the period they are receiving tuition.
Pupils must always have their photo ID with them during lessons.
Pupils must always wear any relevant prescribed glasses or contact lenses during lessons.
Pupils must inform DSSSM of any medical conditions or prescribed medication which may affect their driving ability prior to lessons beginning.
If you have been banned from driving and are training for a retest, you must be legally entitled to take tuition and must present proof of entitlement;
Pupils must provide DSSSM with a minimum of 48 hours' notice to cancel a driving lesson. Should the Pupil fail to give adequate notice, then the Pupil is liable to pay the full driving lesson fee.
Pupils who have booked an intensive driving course must provide DSSSM with a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice to cancel the driving course and 4 weeks’ notice to rearrange it. Should the Pupil fail to give adequate notice, then the Pupil is liable to pay the full driving course fee.
If, due to exceptional circumstances including, but not limited to, illness, accidents and bereavement, you cancel a lesson without giving DSSSM at least 48 hours prior notice, DSSSM will consider the circumstances and it is their discretion to decide whether to waive any charge for late cancellation.
Pupils should make payment for each lesson of instruction prior to the driving lesson(s) taking place unless agreed otherwise.
DSSSM Driving School reserves the right to change the hourly lesson rate at any time for new driving lesson bookings. DSSSM will ensure that they provide reasonable prior notification to Pupils.
Pupils and DSSSM must pre-agree all matters relating to each lesson, including, but not limited to, date, time, location and duration. DSSSM will agree to the location for each lesson with you at the time of booking. DSSSM may choose a location which requires additional travel in the interests of road safety. In such cases, if You wish to be picked up and taken to that location by DSSSM, travel time will form part of the lesson time. If, for any reason outside DSSSM control, it is not possible to deliver the full duration of a driving lesson, any remaining time will be added to a later driving lesson.
If you know you are going to be late for a lesson, you should contact DSSSM. If you arrive (or are not ready) later than 10 minutes after the scheduled start time for your booked lesson, DSSSM will try to provide the lesson but if it is decided that it is not possible, the lesson will be treated as a cancellation without notice by you and, it is at DSSSM discretion to charge the full driving lesson fee.
The minimum length of a lesson will be 2 hours.
DSSSM will not reserve any lesson slots or guarantee regularity of lessons over any period of time or on any particular date and/or time except that DSSSM will reserve a particular lesson slot for you if and when DSSSM accept a booking for it from you. Nevertheless, DSSSM shall use reasonable endeavours to make available regular lesson slots for you.
DSSSM will use all reasonable endeavours to start a lesson at the time which you have booked but the start may be delayed by overrun of a previous lesson or by other circumstances. If a delay to the start is at least 30 minutes, or if at any time before or after you or DSSSM arrive for a lesson, DSSSM will notify you that there will be a delay of at least that time. You may cancel and will not have to pay for that lesson, and DSSSM will refund you the full advance payment that you have made to DSSSM for that lesson. If, however, in those circumstances, you do not cancel the lesson, DSSSM shall add on to the lesson the time by which the start is delayed at no charge to you or, if that does not suit you, DSSSM shall add it on to a subsequent lesson, or if you do not book a further lesson, DSSSM will refund a part of the fee for that lesson in proportion to the part of the lesson not added on.
DSSSM reserve the right to rearrange lessons at short notice in the event of mechanical breakdown or other difficulty outside their control.
If DSSSM wish to cancel a lesson, DSSSM may do so without incurring any liability to you (and you will not have to pay for that lesson) if DSSSM give you at least 24 hours prior notice. DSSSM may, without incurring any liability to you, cancel a booked lesson at any time before the start time of that lesson, where either:
due to illness, unavailability of a suitable vehicle, or other reason beyond reasonable control, DSSSM is not available or able to provide the lesson fully or properly. If DSSSM cancel a lesson in such circumstances, DSSSM will refund to you in full any advance payment that you have made to DSSSM for that lesson;
Pupils must pass the DVSA eyesight check before starting their driving lessons. DSSSM are required to cancel driving lessons should Pupils fail this assessment.
DSSSM are at liberty to refuse to proceed with a driving lesson if they have reason to believe that a Pupil is in any way under the influence of drink, drugs (whether prescribed or otherwise), illness or other medical condition. If the lesson is terminated/cancelled for such reason, DSSSM shall be entitled, at their discretion, either to charge you for that lesson or not to do so but in deciding whether to charge you DSSSM shall act reasonably.
DSSSM may, in their discretion, terminate your tuition if your conduct, progress or commitment consistently falls below the standards that they reasonably expect.
DSSSM will endeavour to teach their Pupils the correct driving skills according to the recommended syllabus issued by the DVSA.
Pupils should be aware that DSSSM primary objective is to promote road safety and in doing so, they may be required to take control of the vehicle. DSSSM will make every effort to instruct Pupils to the highest standard but can in no way be held liable for any errors that Pupils may make whilst driving unaccompanied by DSSSM, either before or after passing their driving test.
DSSSM will accept no liability for accidents, injury or damage to any Third Party caused by the Pupil’s recklessness or negligence during a lesson.

Vehicles and Insurance

DSSSM shall ensure that all vehicles provided are fitted with dual controls, are fully roadworthy, taxed, have a valid MOT (where relevant), and are fully insured for the purposes of driving instruction; and
You may request to use your own vehicle. Whether you use your own vehicle is for DSSSM to decide at their sole discretion. You must provide proof to DSSSM of your vehicle’s roadworthiness, tax, valid MOT (where relevant) and suitable insurance for the purposes of driving instruction.

Driving Tests

Driving tests may only be arranged with the prior agreement of both DSSSM and the Pupil.
If you book a test, you must check with DSSSM before booking to ensure that DSSSM consider that you are ready for a test.

2.(a)You must inform DSSSM of all details of your test including, but not limited to, its date and location at least 14 working days before your test date;

DSSSM reserve the full right to withhold the use of their tuition vehicle for a driving test.
DSSSM generally permit Pupils to use the vehicle for their test, but whether DSSSM permit you to do so for your test will be in their discretion;
If DSSSM have given you permission to use the vehicle for your test but it breaks down or is otherwise unavailable or unusable on the date of the test, DSSSM shall use all reasonable endeavours to arrange an alternative vehicle. If this is not possible, DSSSM shall not pay for the replacement test;
9.8 If your test is cancelled by the DVSA giving you insufficient time to provide DSSSM with the required cancellation notice of a booking, you must still pay the fees for DSSSM time and/or the use of DSSSM vehicle. In that case, DSSSM shall advise you on claiming compensation from the DVSA for the cost of those fees; and
If you have a test booked and, in DSSSM opinion, you do not make the expected progress in your lessons between the date of booking and the test date, DSSSM may decide not to permit you to use the vehicle for your test and DSSSM will not be responsible for any fees that you pay for the test which are lost.
It is the Pupil's and DSSSM responsibility for booking theory and practical tests. It shall be the Pupil’s responsibility to check the details of the test on your DVSA confirmation letter;
When you attend a test, you must take all required documentation with you. If you do not, your test may be cancelled, and you would then lose your test fees;
If the Pupil consents, DSSSM may take photographs/videos of the Pupil after their Driving Test and request a Customer Review. The Pupil will receive the review request via SMS or email sent by DSSSM.

Changes to Terms and Conditions

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions will affect any statutory rights you may have as a consumer.
DSSSM Driving School reserves the right to change and amend these Terms and Conditions at any time without prior notice. In the event that any changes are made, the revised Terms and Conditions will be issued on to you.