Driving lessons & breastfeeding

[PeppersTheCat]

Are driving lessons all 2 hours long these days?? I'm breastfeeding my 2 month old and was very excited to pay for and book my first driving lessons. However when I phoned to arrange my first lesson, the company "Pass & Go" said that lessons were 2 hours long and this was non-negotiable. They didn't care that I was breastfeeding. I told them I couldn't be away from baby for 2 hours and expected lessons would be 1 hour. They didn't care. In the end I had to ask for a refund (they charged me £10 to refund). AIBU to be upset? :( I can't express very well. Does this mean I can't learn to drive until baby is weaned?

no it dosnt state how long but going by the price did u really think you were getting lesson for 11 pounds an hour? i mean thats how it works out but prob only coz it comes in blocks

If it wasn't clear before you paid that lessons were only available as 2 hours then they should have refunded you in full without any Admin fee.

Most of the instructors we spoke to for DD suggested the first two or three lessons were two hour ones.

Why not postpone until your baby is a little bigger, the two hour feeds must be knackering you anyway so maybe it would be better all round.

It looks like they offer lessons in hour bundles, so 40 hours for £ 700, and as most driving schools offer hourly lessons I can see why the OP might have assumed this would be the case here too.

It's in the t and c that the lessons are a minimum of 2 hours. And it explains why

Duration of tuition: All ofyour driving tuitionsessions are aminimum of 2 hours long. This is to ensure fewer briefings and debriefings overall, more practical trainingand due to our commitment to passing our students as quickly and safelyas possible

Not many places here offer one hour lessons - it’s a 30 minute drive each way to the test centre, so one hour is nowhere near enough at a time - you’d drive to the centre and have to turn around and drive back - there’d be no time to practise manoeuvres or get any idea of the test routes.

My instructor offered two hour lessons or one hour if you could meet him at the test centre and start your lesson there, but he told me all of that before I booked, and didn’t take money off me until I’d had my first lesson.

It’s your fault for not asking before you paid

winefortea
It looks like they offer lessons in hour bundles

Where does it say that on their site?

Nothing helpful to input really but just wanted to say it's appalling you're labelling this at sexual discrimination. Totally detracts from ACTUAL cases.

I learned with the Army over two weeks and got paid for it, sod paying the going rate for lessons!

The way I've seen a local ass'n'go instructor driving around the village, you've made a lucky escape, anyhow.

YWNBU.
However, you’ve now got your money back and can book with another company (I’d personally choose local over national) and book one hour lessons. As you get nearer to test and if your baby has spaced feeds out, you’ll perhaps want to ask for 1.5 hr lessons. But most schools do hour lessons.

Yes YABU. Give me strength.

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/pdfs/ukpgaen_20100015_en.pdf

You can try reading through this and see if you can get your £10 back. Keep trying.

I wouldn't sign up to anything that you would have to pay upfront for without knowing all the details, unless there was a Full Refund if you changed your mind in any way. I am sure that is not legal for other reasons.

We used a local instructor round the corner for DD. There are a lot of people around who have trained to teach driving and they are likely to be more accommodating. Round here you need 2 hours to get somewhere where you can practice what you need, but it is likely that a few 1 hour lessons would help to get started. Then you should be able to go through the 2 hours more easily.

Flowerpot -on their pricing page:
www.passngo.net/our-prices/
(assuming this is the company OP was looking at, it might not be!)

Description Gearbox Price
4 Hour Beginners Package - Save £52 off regular price Manual £44.00
10 Hour Beginners Package - Save £82 off regular price Manual £158.00
7 Hour Beginners Package - Save £67 off regular price Manual £101.00
15 Hour Beginners Package - Save £107 off regular price Manual £253.00
20 Hour Beginners Package - Save £132 off regular price Manual £348.00
25 Hour Beginners Package - Save £157 off regular price Manual £443.00
30 Hour Beginners Package - Save £182 off regular price Manual £538.00
35 Hour Beginners Package - Save £207 off regular price Manual £633.00
40 Hour Beginners Package - Save £232 off regular price Manual £728.00

But all those can be broken down in anyway which doesn't involve 1 hour lessons.

The website says that 2 hours is the minimum so 25 lessons for instance could be made up of 11 x 2 hour lessons and a three lesson

Several people have said the poster is not special just because she's breast feeding, but I think the problem arises because bf mums are made to feel they ARE special and the world revolves around them.

I can see why they do 2 hour lessons. My driving instructor offered both but always recommend 2hours per lesson as it’s a better length when you are practicing and need to go out of your area to do so.

They should state it on the website though

It is stated though.

In the terms and conditions.

My husband and I run a driving school and offer tuition lasting either 1 hour, 1.5 or 2 hours. We’ve had many Clients move to us following issues with their previous driving instructor and often they’ve been given no choice but to have 2 hour lessons.

Do some research and find an independent instructor who will be more Client centred with their approach, which will put you at ease and ensure smoother learning process.

Breast feeding mums are made to feel special?! Really how?? I bf all 4 of mine and never been made to feel special?

No @cathf, some breastfeeding mothers think they should be special. Don’t try and tar everyone with the same brush.

winefortea - no, I mean I know they do these packages, but where does it say each lesson is one hour long?

Sexual discrimination . You are insane

Flowerpot, I said hour bundles, by which I meant bundles of hours e.g 4 or 7 or 25. As some of them are uneven numbers I can see why someone might not think to specifically check that hour long lessons were available. Yes, perhaps she should have read the small print before booking, but I don't think she's outrageous for thinking that she could book in 1 hour slots. Maybe for claiming serial discrimination though!