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Drove Me Up the Wall

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1 Aug 28th, 2002 

77 Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful

Advantages:
Want to Drive

Disadvantages:
Expensive, Unreliable

Recommendable No:

SMAGGS76

SMAGGS76

About me:

Hiya okies where to start been a member here ages, recently starting ot get back into things. ...

Member since:09.04.2002

Reviews:38

Members who trust:76

I was a pupil of the AA Driving School for almost a year and at £180 for 12 lesson it wasn't cheap.

I have to say the service was appalling. After 3 instructors and 2 failed tests I ended up changing schools and passing with a completely different firm here is my experience.

Instructor 1
************

My initial impression wasn't good for a start he was late, then when getting in the car I noticed a really bad smell, which I later worked out was his breath for nearly every lesson I had to drive with the windows down, and a packet of mints which were offered to him on a regular basis but this was not my mmain gripe with him.

He taught me for approx 6 months , not only did I not get very far with him when asked when I should put in for my theory test the only response I seemed to get was I'll let you know when, at times his impatience on me not picking things up made me a nervous wreck and made me doubt my ability to ever learn what he was teaching. I vividly remember pulling over to the side of the road on a lesson screaming at him that if he didn't fuxking stop shouting at me I no 1 wasn't going to get very far and No2 would not be held responsible for killing him. He finally left the AA to join BSM.

Instructor No2
***************

Again turned up late. But at least he didn't smell.

My new instructor he did not know that I had been learning to drive with the AA for approx 6 months until I told him, he had literally just been given my name, address and telephone number. He constantly turned up late by at least 10 minutes sometimes up to 20 saying that he would add the time onto my next lesson of course he very rarely did. As for my theory test if it had not been for me revising online I would have received hardly any help. I also failed 2 tests with this instructor. This instructor also piggybacked his students which meant that the start of your lesson was dropping someone home.

And No 3
*********

This was the straw that broke the camels back.

My third (and last instructor with the AA) instructor with whom I started in January 2001 (up until this point I was averaging approx 12 hours of lessons a month) and whom I finished with on 23 April 2001 cancelled my lessons nearly every other week meaning that after four months I had only had approx 24 hours of lessons due to cancellations.

My Complaint to the AA
**********************

I emailed a letter of complaint to the AA's customer service desk in which I informed of all of the above in more detail.

To which they replied:-

That they would investigate my complaint, I later recieved a letter not apologising for the way my lessons were cancelled and the drivers were constantly late but to just say that I was the only person who had complained.

Perhaps I was the only person who had complained, but I know that at least 8 other people just left and changed schools.

BTW I have since passed my test after just 2 months with a different school. (strange that isn't it). 

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Comments about this review »

RCFC87 09.08.2004 23:54

yay u passed, well done, i'm not takin any lessons with the AA, spesh after ur review, anyhoo keep it up, Nicole :D

mreservado 25.07.2004 21:44

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

JADELOUISESILVA 28.02.2003 11:35

I believe you had a tough time but you must have learnt something from them? perhaps your just in a bad area as i think they are great and very efficient! Jade x

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