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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask my driving instructor to give me a free lesson

25 replies

Curtains28 · 18/06/2017 07:45

I have a driving lesson in 3 hours.

Just checked and I have no money in my account. Some bills I wasn't expecting have come out.

I've already cancelled my last driving lesson.

I have to rearrange alomost a quarter of my lessons as I have issues with childcare. My lessons are only about two hours a months it's ridiculous.

My circumstances will change though as on 1st August I am starting my new job as a teacher. So I won't be a penniless student anyone!

Can I send a text to my driving instructor telling him I've realised I don't have the funds and I can either have the lesson and pay on Wednesday or rearrange?

I don't know if it's cheeky and it makes me feel really embarrassed.

Or should I just make up an excuse like I'm ill?

Argh!

OP posts:
Wellmeetontheledge · 18/06/2017 07:49

Just text and ask. You're not asking for it free, you're just asking to pay in a couple of days :)

RJnomore1 · 18/06/2017 07:50

I'd text and be honest he might be ok to wait til Wednesday as at least he will get the money then abdxurs far too late to get the appointment filled otherwise so he will lose the money.

billabye · 18/06/2017 07:50

I'm an instructor and to be honest I'd be less than impressed at the short notice, especially because it's Sunday.

Perhaps you should hold off on the lessons until august when you'll have a proper wage coming in and are able to afford it. It's really not on to be messing your instructor around like this.

RedHelenB · 18/06/2017 07:52

Why not write him a cheque?

Saucery · 18/06/2017 07:53

I would wait until you start your new job. You are taking up lesson time from people who can pay and that's not fair on the instructor, who also has bills and expenses. If you explain to him he will probably be happy to put you down in advance for then.
Regular lessons will be better for you too.

Supermagicsmile · 18/06/2017 07:53

Text and explain to him!

teacher54321 · 18/06/2017 07:53

really cheeky, especially as you say you've already messed him around with lots of other lessons. He will have bills to pay as well you know, and could've taught someone else in that time so you've potentially cost him money.

Original poster
Curtains28 · 18/06/2017 07:54

I know. I started the lessons out of necessity. I've realised I just don't have the spare money for them.

It's £25 a lesson.

I can afford them but I need to make sure they're only one a Wednesday which is when I get paid. And then it's only an hour every two week. So a waste really as it's not consistent enough.

But my job will be difficult without a car.

OP posts:
Original poster
Curtains28 · 18/06/2017 07:54

I don't have a cheque book

OP posts:
SqueezeMeBakingPowder · 18/06/2017 07:56

As an instructor myself, I would prefer you have the lesson and pay wednesday. But if you are struggling with funds, then it may be better to wait until you're earning. We instructors are trying to make a living too, and you not being able to pay on the day of the lesson, or cancelling all the time, is very inconsiderate on a regular basis. Especially if your instructor has a waiting list, (we all do round here).
You could find your instructor drops you if you mess them about too much.

billabye · 18/06/2017 08:00

It's pretty much a waste of your time and money having such infrequent lessons and YABU to be messing him around. If you were my pupil I'd appreciate some honesty and I'd advise you to wait until you can properly commit to the lessons.

Like a pp said your instructor will also have bills to pay and better things to do than plan for lessons that you're then canceling at very short notice. Many instructors charge for cancellations of less than 24 hours notice for this reason.

Saucery · 18/06/2017 08:03

Totally understand the pressure to pass but if you recognise it's a 'waste' yourself then is it worth putting yourself under financial pressure now and messing your instructor about?
I would put as many £25s away between now and when you start your new job as you can so you have a bit in hand and have regular lessons from August - your chances of passing are much higher with regular lessons.

harderandharder2breathe · 18/06/2017 08:06

I'm sure they'd rather do the lesson and get paid Wednesday than have you cancel as it's too short notice to replace it

But I think it's really unfair on your instructor to cancel or rearrange a quarter of your lessons

You won't benefit much from two hours a month, not enough to pass by august so you might as well suspend the lessons til you have more money

Goingtobeawesome · 18/06/2017 08:15

Give him the choice then tell him finances are tight so can you restart regular lessons in August. Start saving and consider daily lessons to get on with working towards your test.

SheSaidHeSaid · 18/06/2017 08:29

You won't benefit much from two hours a month, not enough to pass by august so you might as well suspend the lessons til you have more money

Completely agree with this.

But text your instructor first as its very short notice to let them down. When did you first realise all your money was gone?

KungFuEric · 18/06/2017 08:29

I think it's really poor how much you've messed this person around. They get the oh I'll pay on Wednesday story a lot, how many do you think actually do?

Phone them up, be hugely apologetic and say finances are a struggle at the minute and you'd like to resume learning in August when thigs are more stable and you're not messing them around.

Don't have a lesson today with the anticipation of paying on Wednesday. If you're so skint, what's to say you will have the funds available by then and won't have had another emergency that absorbs it.

Migraleve · 18/06/2017 08:34

I echo the pp who suggest just postponing lessons until you can afford them. Being messed about constantly by a client and then being asked to wait for the money would have me dropping you. If it was a one off and everything had been going well up until now I would say it's ok to be cash short but after chopping and changing so much he is going to think you are on an absolute piss take.

Call him and explain you are having trouble with both time and money and would like to resume lessons in August when you are better placed.

RainbowPastel · 18/06/2017 09:16

Extremely cheeky to expect a lesson and not have the money to pay.

DonaldStott · 18/06/2017 09:20

This is not on really. Extremely cheeky wanting a lesson and not having the means to pay for it. I would be pissed off if I was your instructor.

JediStoleMyBike · 18/06/2017 09:26

My concern with you is it's Sunday. Any unexpected bills (by direct sevjt or standing order im assuming) would have left the account on Friday as no DDs or SOs move over weekends, so realistically you hadn't yesterday to let him know too. It might be worth keeping a better eye on your finances if you are coming up short like that unexpectedly and also to let people know in good time if you have to change appointments.

If you cancel today I wouldn't be surprised if you are still charged as all the driving instructors around here make you pay for the lesson if you cancel less than 24 hours before he leason.

Fuzzywuzzy1 · 18/06/2017 09:27

No judgement from me.

I've been there myself.

There's a difference between someone who can't be bothered to pay and someone who is in financial difficulty.

JediStoleMyBike · 18/06/2017 09:27

Debits ... lesson... bloody phone.

PrincessHairyMclary · 18/06/2017 09:45

It's difficult I had to stop lessons as I had trouble arranging child care.

It cost me around £1000 to pass having 1.5hours a week during term time and extras during school holidays, I would probably have passed much quicker if I'd been able to fit in extra lessons and being able to take my test during term time instead of having to wait till school holidays but I also work in a school.

Can you stop the lessons for a while and save up or buy vouchers to be used towards lessons, you could ask for vouchers for birthday / Christmas gifts etc I know BSM offer gift cards. Then when you have accumulated enough start lessons again.

Keep up with the theory side of things, practise in someone's car if possible and then you could have some intensive lessons over Christmas and take your test feb half term.

caffeinestream · 18/06/2017 09:46

By all means ask, but if I cancelled at such short notice I'd have to pay anyway.

Why not cancel your lessons until you have a regular income in August? It's not fair on him if you're messing him about like that.

rightwhine · 18/06/2017 09:52

We pay by bank transfer for my ds. I've never been in a rush to pay it as long as it's been paid by the next lesson. Ditto my window cleaner. I've never thought about it. Perhaps they are pissed off Blush

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