Help needed

Hi there fellow tossers

help needed im currently changing my old New Zealand lic over to Uk lic, i have decided to do the DAS course as this will also add as a bit of a refresher for me. I book through a company called 1st place rider training here in london. well what can i say iv never been abused so much in my life i was swarn it and made to feel a fool and that was just on the CBT course ! having completed this part of the course i was then booked in for my part 1 which was at 8:30 last saturday,so up i hop at 4 am to get two buses and two trains to get to there yard for 7:00am having arrived at 6:45 both my self and another student waited there till 7:30 for the DAS instructor to arrive, apone arrival i was told that i was taking a bike that had been droped the day before by another student and had yet been fixed , so out came a long pole and a spanner which i ended up having to try to fix my self, so with a bike that truns one way and steers another off we go........ and so does the abuse via the ear peice , so we arrive only to be told that that we are late and i have lost my spot.

leaving a little upset but still feeling that i have payed good money and the full price for the course i was keen to carrie on and so i was re-booked in for 9:30 yesterday morning ,so 4am start again to arrive at 8:00 ...so i wait ....and wait ....and wait .. only for the instructor to turn up at 8:30 and im given a bike thats leaking coolent which i point out to him, and then asks me to fix it ??? any who off we go at lightning speed as were late ...again to the sound of abuse only to arrive a second time late and i miss another test slot

So what im trying to ask guys is do you think i have grounds to ask for my money back ?? for the course under the goods and services act ? as he has failed to get me to a pre-booked time slot twice, any help would be greatly thanked

ps sorry for any spelling mistakes

I'm trying to read between the lines of your post since you've mentioned nothing positive about the school you used.

Contact the boss of the school and tell him your concerns, there's often good reason but of course that's not your problem so you should be fully entitled to a refund and reduction on module 2....if you pass mod 1.

As a last resort you can complain to the DSA.

Obviously this advice is given taking your account on face value etc.

As an ex instructor of many years it sounds like you may have been unlucky to get one of the mono-directional monkeys out there who think abuse etc is the way forward for all students.

I used a wide variety of ways to make things "stick" with people. Sometimes this was with some firm messages but only if necessary and only with students who liked this sort of banter. Some instructors think this is the only way and my boss was good at using this crap even with his instructors

Like already said, have a word with the boss, see if he is receptive to your comments and be firm but not abusive. Say that you will take things further if you don't get some middle ground and know before hand what you can do.

The bit about the bikes would piss me off and as an instructor I would have wanted this sorted beforehand. The bikes do get some abuse but they should be prepared for new courses.

help

thanks guys did i mention the instructor is the boss/ owner

Cash back I think. write a clear and concise letter, indicate that you may contact the DSA and ask clearly what you want, that is to say a complete refund.

You are paying for a professional service - this just sounds dreadful. Don't know what you've paid but it's got to be around £600.

One concern is the attitude. Some just shouldn't be allowed to teach adults*.

as it happens, I got sworn at on my CBT. I stopped the bike, took my helmet off and told the instructor that if he did that again I wouldn't be very happy. I was later told he thought I was going to kill him (I can be quite intimidating if needed). Later complained and got a proper apology.

Perhaps more serious is the bike condition. Training bikes take a bashing and it's not uncommon for them to need patching overnight, but it must never be the responsibility of the student to fix anything.

Yes, your spelling is a bit rubbish, but that's nothing to apologise for. If you need help putting a letter together I'm sure someone will give you a hand if it bothers you.

This is interesting, off their site:

a) At 1st place rider training we have a respectful fun environment any Student acting in a offensive, insulting or detrimental manor to other customers, staff or visitors shall have their training/course terminated and no refunds shall be made.

b) All Students must arrive on site by 8:45 am so training can start promptly at 9:00 am unless otherwise instructed by their confirmation or instructor. Failure to comply will result in the loss of that days training and any test booked for that day.

Click to expand...

Double standards?

* it's my living, including a bit of bike instructing.

help

Thanks Mr Badger for your help im in the first steps of putting together a refund letter il post the out come