TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This information sheet has been designed so you know what you can expect from me and vice versa. It can help in clarifying matters and avoiding misunderstandings. This document should be signed by you and whoever is financing the lessons (if applicable), then returned to me to indicate that you have read it and agree.

Contact details: Iain Wilkie (www.wilkiedriving.com)

Mobile: 07810 756168

Email: iain@wilkiedriving.com

DSA Instructor Reference Number: 369013

Theory Tests can be booked online at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/index.htm. The Practical Test can also be booked through this site but discuss with me first to ensure that the vehicle is available, if required.

1) My working week

I offer lessons Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm. Lessons at other times are by special arrangement. I offer 1.5 and 2-hour lessons only, as this benefits students and Instructors in tuition time and length of working day respectively. I leave on average 30 minutes between each lesson to ensure I arrive on time, but on occasions I may be 5 to 10 minutes late due to traffic, any more than this and I will call or text you, providing I am able to legally of course.

2) Lesson start/finish

Anywhere within the areas agreed at time of booking. Should lessons start/finish outside of this area, the lesson time may have to be reduced slightly (5/10 mins) to allow for extra travelling time for me to get to my next appointment on time.

3) Payment for Lessons

£24 per hour for block booking prepayment, otherwise £25 per hour pay as you go. Prices are subject to change unless prepaid. You will always know what your credit balance is if you prepay, as I keep accurate records. Do not let it fall below one lesson in credit. Any unused lessons not taken at the end of your course will be refunded back to you or the person financing the lessons as applicable. Pay as you go lessons must be paid in cash, at the beginning of each lesson (with the correct change as I do not keep a float in the car). For intensive courses, a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total cost is required 7 days before commencement of the lessons, with the balance payable on the commencement date. Cheques should be made payable to Iain Wilkie please. Any refund will be subject to an administrative charge deduction of £25 to cover my time in processing the refund and will be made by cheque. Under the 4 for £49 offer, payment must be made in advance on the first lesson for the four hours tuition. The four hours will be used for the first 1.5 hour lesson, with the remaining credit of 2.5 hours held on account and used towards the day of your test. Your practical test must not already be booked. You must have a minimum of a further 15 hours of lessons to qualify for this offer, and you agree that if you cancel a lesson at short notice, and a cancellation charge is payable, that it may be deducted from the amount held on account. In this situation the day of your test would therefore be payable at the normal hourly rate.

4) IMPORTANT: Lesson Cancellations / Charges

Please keep cancellations to a minimum as they are very expensive and time consuming to Instructors and they will affect your progress. Except for intensive lessons, you must give a minimum of 48 hours verbal notice to cancel any lesson (including the first lesson) so that I can try and place the lesson with another student. Should you give less than 48 hours notice then I reserve the right to charge you for the cancelled lesson(s). Reasons which can still lead to a cancellation charge include illness (yours or your family), being unable to read a registration plate from 20.5m away, being unfit to drive (alcohol / lack of sleep) and your work commitments, other reasons are chargeable at a rate of 50% at my sole discretion. In addition, lessons will not start immediately should you have been woken up by my arrival. Any missed lessons will also need to be rebooked to avoid your progress being affected. Should I have to cancel/rearrange, I shall endeavour to give you the same 48 hours notice, but please note that Instructors are not financially liable for any loss. Lessons can still go ahead but if reduced in duration (e.g. you want 1.5 hours instead of 2), they are subject to the same 48 hour cancellation rule. For intensive courses, a refund of up to one half of the total cost of the lessons may be made where I am able to reallocate the hours to other pupils and thus mitigate my loss.

5) Keeping Up Regular Lessons / Postponing Lessons

Please ensure that you always have pre-paid lessons booked ahead to avoid your desired slot being taken up by another student. Taking regular lessons will ensure that you go to test as soon as possible. Should you wish to put lessons on hold for an indefinite time, please inform me so I can open up my diary for other pupils. Should you be unhappy with any part of my teaching, please discuss it with me, as I would not want to lose you.

6) How Much and How Long? Theory and Test Information

It can take a novice driver around 35 to 40 hours to cover the whole syllabus, revisit parts of it for practice, and then the test. For an intermediate skill level, the number is typically 25 hours. At an average of 2x2 hour lessons a week, a new driver could complete this in 10 weeks. At an average of 2 hours per week, please allow 4 to 5 months for the whole process. Best results in terms of pass rates and overall cost occur when a student has 4 to 6 hours a week in a semi-intensive fashion. Test Fees for the DSA are £31 and £62 (£75 Saturdays) per attempt for theory and practical respectively. Practical extended tests are £124 (£150 Saturdays). It takes on average 2 to 3 weeks to book and take a theory, and around 5 to 6 weeks to book and take a practical test (further to passing the theory). I keep detailed student records so that we can see your progress and minimise the number of lessons needed. An assessment of test readiness is always made 2 weeks before test, if a student is deemed not ready, then it is best for the test to be postponed, as the test date can be rearranged by the DSA at that stage at no cost to the pupil.

7) On the Big Day

You will need the car for 3 hours in total, and is therefore payable as a 3hr lesson, (1.5hr pre-test practice in the test centre area, 1hr for test and debrief, and 30 minutes return travel). You will need to bring with you your theory test certificate, and both your paper and photo parts of your driving licence otherwise the test will not go ahead.

Signed...................................................................Date (Pupil)