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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Driving Instructor is being a CF?

78 replies

EdinaMonsoon · 09/10/2018 12:38

DS currently having driving lessons. He took his test a couple of weeks ago and on his way back to test centre was asked to pull over. As he did so he hit the kerb (poor DS - was gutted as was doing really well up until that point but this is a major so instant fail Sad ). Instructor is now asking DS to pay towards damage of wheel. He given a figure of "approx £400". He told DS that it has happened before with another pupil and he was very annoyed that she didn't offer to pay and would therefore like DS to pay this time. My reasons for saying he is a CF are:

  1. Surely that's covered by his insurance? My opinion is that when you undertake to teach people to drive you accept the risks of damage to the car and that your insurance is in place to take care of any such damage.
  1. He seems to be taking out his annoyance with former pupil on DS. It isn't DS's fault that this has happened before and as it is an expensive repair then driving instructor should think again before having swanky wheels put on a learner car. (Disclaimer: not sure if £400 is expensive for this repair but seems excessive to me).
  1. DS has autism and instructor is aware of this. I feel that the instructor should have addressed us in this matter rather than pressuring a vulnerable young adult. DS is still at school and clearly is not going to have a spare £400 laying around so obviously the payment will come from us - and I think instructor would know this.

What say the MN Jury? I'm at work at the moment so apologies if I don't respond immediately to any questions you may have Wink.

OP posts:
thecapitalsunited · 09/10/2018 12:41

Don’t pay a penny. If you are a driving instructor you expect your car to have the odd prang. That’s a cost of doing business.

Stompythedinosaur · 09/10/2018 12:44

Surely his insurance should cover that? I don't think it is normal to pay the full cost of damage to the car. Does he have a contract you can check?

I think talking to your ds is ok though. If your ds is the student then it would be a bit odd to go to his parents to discuss it.

MinorRSole · 09/10/2018 12:44

That's madness, part and parcel of teaching people to drive. The driving instructor has a cheek!

SheSparkles · 09/10/2018 12:45

Tell the instructor to do one and find another instructor

Shoite · 09/10/2018 12:45

Surly the whole point of being a driving instructor is the fact that you teach people to drive who are more likely to have accidents?

He’s trying it on- his insurance will cover it but he won’t be wanting to pay his excess.

I’d be finding a new instructor

MarklahMarklah · 09/10/2018 12:46

I thought driving instructors had insurance to cover this sort of thing. I wonder if the instructor is trying it on with your son as he is likely to take things more literally? (I say this based on my experience of an austic friend who, if told they were liable for a cost, would expect that the person telling them so was honest).

crrrzy · 09/10/2018 12:46

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

WeShouldOpenABar · 09/10/2018 12:47

That's what his insurance is for. You can't protect your son from conversations though so you're being unreasonable there.

Redken24 · 09/10/2018 12:47

DI Insurance covers it. Don't pay.

Sparklesocks · 09/10/2018 12:47

No, insurance should cover this. Do not pay.
Pupils must hurt the curb all the time, it’s not like your DS did some extra dangerous or excessive to warrant additional costs.
Clearly he just doesn’t want his premiums to go up, or pay the excess – but that’s part of the job.
Unless he’s uninsured as a driving instructor…

mostdays · 09/10/2018 12:47

Advise the instructor to claim on their insurance.

Leave an honest review in appropriate places.

Jeezoh · 09/10/2018 12:48

Definitely don’t pay and definitely find another instructor!

M00nUnit · 09/10/2018 12:48

This is what insurance is for! Don't pay the instructor anything.

UserName31456789 · 09/10/2018 12:48

YADNBU. Of course inexperienced learner drivers will have accidents and the car will be bumped up a bit. I would get a new instructor and not pay a penny to the old one.

dinosaurkisses · 09/10/2018 12:49

What a cheek!

Absolutely no way would I pay for this- it’s why the instructor pays insurance. I wonder if he isn’t properly insured?

Either way, I’d find a new instructor and make damn sure I told all of your DS’s friends parents to avoid this one!

Queenofthebrae · 09/10/2018 12:49

Driving instructor sounds like a chancer! Surely it's expected that over the course of a driving instructors career there will be bumps etc caused by pupils. His insurance should cover it.

thecatsthecats · 09/10/2018 12:50

Good grief, don't pay, and report him to the standards agency for driving instructors!

I can't help any further than that, but it's what my BIL recommended to my fiance when his instructor was a shit (cancelled every single lesson last minute for four months, but when I pretended to be a new pupil he offered me fiance's lesson slots!). The instructor backed right off and refunded the prepaid lessons.

MorningsEleven · 09/10/2018 12:50

I pranged my driving instructor's car on the way to my test. He told me I was a silly bugger and we had a fag while I calmed down. Your son's instructor is a dickhead.

EduCated · 09/10/2018 12:51

YANBU. It would be one thing if he’d purposefully done something reckless with caused damage, but surely bumping the kerb is pretty standard for learning to drive and must surely be covered by insurance?!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/10/2018 12:52

£400???

Wheel balancing £40 - 60
Alloy refurbishing = £90 - £120

Tell him to sod off and claim on his insurance!

QuizzlyBear · 09/10/2018 12:52

His insurance would cover this, he just doesn't want to affect his premiums. Just ask him to show you where in the contract you signed does it say you're responsible to pay for any prangs. I'm guessing he can't...

Change instructors anyway, he sounds like a knob.

Racecardriver · 09/10/2018 12:52

Don't pay. Tbh I find it very suspicious. I hit the kerb with my car on a daily basis (long car, narrow twisty Road) and it is completely fine.

Hoosey · 09/10/2018 12:52

Chief CF indeed. Do not pay that, he can claim on his insurance. He should be monitoring the driving closely enough to avoid such things, anyway.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/10/2018 12:53

Actually - add the cost of a replacement tyre and maybe £400 is about right, if the tyres are really expensive ones... like on sports cars!

Original poster
EdinaMonsoon · 09/10/2018 12:53

Thanks for responses. Glad to see others are in agreement about DI's CF status Grin.

Shoite - yes I thought he was after getting DS to essentially pay the excess too but I still don't think that's okay actually.

Stompy & WeShouldOpenABar - I agree I can be a little overprotective of him and you are right to say that actually it is perfectly okay & reasonable for the DI to raise the issue with him. I think MarklahMarklah hits the nail on the head though in that DS does have a tendency to believe everything said to him. He struggles to read people & situations he can feel pressured to comply even where he suspects it isn't okay because he's worried he's got it wrong.

OP posts: