After being a pillion on my bike a few months after I got it, my girlfriend decided she’d like to see if she’d like to ride a bike. So she went down to the same place that I passed at and was told that she should book an icebreaker to see if she’d like it or not, she was also told she’d have to book a cbt with it but if she found she didnt like riding then she’d get refunded for the cbt.she did the icebreaker and did enjoy it but never got around to doing the cbt as she’d need a few more lessons as she doesnt drive or anything. Circumstances changed and now she doesnt want to learn to ride a bike. After ringing the motorbike training centre they have told her since she enjoyed the icebreaker he wouldnt give her money back.
To me this doesnt seem fair? she never started her cbt so why should he be pocketing £100 of her money?
The only options he gave her were: you do the cbt or I can give you a gift card.
Since it looks like we wont be able to get the money back unless somebody has a suggestion then we will have to get the gift card which we dont really know what to do with.If anybody is interested in it please let me know it’ll cost the value thats on it, overall this driving school are really good and im sure many people that live in my area have used it so I am a bit disappointed
There may well be a breach of contract on the part of the training body.
The taster course was booked with the proviso that if she did not like riding or did not do the CBT her money would be refunded. On this basis a verbal contract was entered into (which is binding) but the training school now refuses to refund the fee.
Some training schools offer taster courses as a way of suplementing their income, even though it is not a legal requirement of CBT, after all CBT is designed to take an absolute novice from nothing to a fair degree of competence on the road. The skills she would have been taught in the taster would have formed part of her CBT.
The school has also removed the option for her to go somewhere else to do her course had she decided to continue.
It doesn’t matter why she chose not to do her CBT, the fact is that she was told that booking CBT was a requirement of taking a taster course and she would get her money back, the instructor has breached this agreement. There may also be something under the sale of goods act (services can be held as goods).
My knowledge of contract law is very limited, but I feel that this may be something worth speaking to Citizens Advice about, they are usually pretty clued up on this type of thing.
Not stealing, simple breach of contract… the fact that it was a verbal contract does weaken your position but there’s no my you shouldn’t approach trading standards or failing that you could consider using the small claims court.
Normally the threat is enough. I overpaid a utility £50 and kept getting passed around so I said if they didn’t refund my money within 14 days I’d take them to court as they were so quick to threaten to do to me. Money came back without delay.
