DrewMatic Automatic Driving School Terms and Conditions

1. Interpretation

In these Conditions:

“We/Us/Our” means DrewMatic Automatic Driving School (trading as DrewMatic).
“You/Your” means the customer/learner driver.

These Conditions form the entire agreement for providing driving tuition and must be read in full. Failure to comply may result in lesson charges, subject to fairness and transparency as required by the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

2. About Your Instructor

Your Instructor is a self-employed franchisee operating under a franchise agreement with DrewMatic. The lesson contract is between You and Your Instructor. DrewMatic oversees Instructor quality, sets policy, handles administration, and ensures compliance with these Conditions. All Instructors are licensed by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) under the Road Traffic Act 1988.

3. Driving Tuition

Tuition is available only to persons who:

Are aged 17+ (or 16+ if DVSA disability provisions apply);
Hold a valid UK provisional driving licence; and
Are legally entitled to drive in the UK.

Before Your first lesson, You must:

Present Your driving licence; and
Provide either Your National Insurance number or a DVSA “check code” (https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence).

Failure to provide these may result in lesson cancellation, with the lesson fee chargeable. You must declare to DrewMatic or Your Instructor any DVLA-notifiable medical condition or health issue that could affect Your ability to drive. We are not liable for issues arising from withheld information.

Lesson Frequency & Duration

Weekly lessons are standard. Fortnightly or less frequent lessons may be agreed in writing by Your Instructor and a DrewMatic manager, considered reasonably based on Your circumstances.
Standard lesson length: 1.5 hours. Minimum duration: 1 hour, unless otherwise agreed.
Only You and Your Instructor may be in the tuition vehicle, except during DVSA Standards Checks, Instructor CPD, or trainee Instructor observations.

4. Your Instructor’s Commitments

Provide tuition at the agreed rate, communicated in advance;
Recommend suitable study aids and training methods;
Plan a tailored lesson programme;
Provide a modern, well-maintained, dual-controlled DrewMatic vehicle;
Record progress and provide regular feedback in an accessible format (e.g., written or digital);
Monitor test readiness and advise on booking or rescheduling tests;
Deliver one-to-one training (except as noted in section 3);
Act professionally (courteous, no smoking, minimal phone use);
Reserve the right to refuse or end lessons for safety reasons;
Aim to be punctual and honour booked time, subject to unforeseen circumstances;
Provide at least 48 hours’ notice of rescheduling (excluding Bank Holidays) where possible;
Refer unresolved concerns to a DrewMatic manager.

If Your Instructor cannot meet these commitments, We will attempt to reallocate lessons to another DrewMatic Instructor. If no alternative is available, lessons will be rescheduled at a mutually convenient time.

5. Special Offers

Offers (e.g., free theory/practical tests) are limited to one per pupil and non-transferable. If Your Instructor leaves DrewMatic, We will be unable to fulfill this.

6. Intensive Driving Courses (when offered)

A £99 deposit is non-refundable. The balance must be paid within 14 days. Full payment secures an Instructor and test booking; deposit-only secures the test. For distance bookings (online/phone), You have a 14-day cooling-off period from the day after booking, during which You may cancel with a full refund, less proportional fees for services provided if You requested an early start.

Courses must be completed within 6 months, extendable for Instructor/DVSA delays. Once booked, lessons may be rescheduled with 48 hours’ notice (except during cooling-off); otherwise, they are chargeable. You may not switch Instructors during the course. Unsafe or abusive behaviour may result in course termination after a verbal warning (unless severe), with written reasons provided. Instructors may refuse vehicle use for tests if You are not ready. Only DrewMatic may cancel or change tests, booked at Our teaching region centres. An assessment drive is recommended to determine course length. We are not liable for unsuitable courses booked without an assessment.

7. Unlimited Lessons Packages (when offered)

Full payment is required. The package is valid for 6 months from the first lesson, extendable for Instructor/DVSA delays. It includes one theory test attempt and unlimited lessons/practical tests within this period. The first practical test should be booked within 6 weeks, subject to readiness. Cancelled lessons are charged at the standard rate. Unsafe or abusive behaviour may result in termination after a verbal warning (unless severe), with written reasons provided; no refund is available for terminated courses. Instructors may refuse vehicle use for tests if You are not ready. Only DrewMatic may cancel or change tests, booked at Our teaching region centres. Refunds for unused portions may be offered pro-rata if termination is due to Our fault.

8. Night Driving

Lessons between 9pm–6am may incur a higher rate, communicated in advance. Converting standard to night lessons (or vice versa) requires Instructor consent.

9. Cancellations & Lateness

You must give at least 48 hours’ notice (excluding Bank Holidays) to cancel or reschedule, or the full lesson fee may be charged. Notice must be confirmed by DrewMatic or Your Instructor via phone (07752 043 000 / 07870 809 373) or email/text to drewmaticsom@gmail.com with confirmation within 4 hours. Unconfirmed notices should be followed up by phone. Failure to attend or respond to Instructor contact attempts after 15 minutes of lateness may result in cancellation and full charge. Intensive courses follow section 6 rules.

9a. Conduct

Threatening, abusive, discriminatory, sexist, harassing, or inappropriate behaviour towards Instructors is not tolerated. This may result in:

Immediate lesson termination;
Cancellation of future lessons;
Refund of unused lessons (minus hours taken at the standard rate);
Refusal of future bookings.

Serious incidents may be reported to the police. We may share minimal data (e.g., name, incident type) with other driving schools for safeguarding, anonymised where possible, in compliance with UK GDPR.

9b. First Lesson Cancellations

Cancelling a first lesson within 48 hours incurs the lesson fee. Repeated cancellations (e.g., three or more within 3 months), even with notice, may result in refusal of future bookings, with reasons provided and refunds for unused prepaid lessons.

9c. Personal Hygiene and Cleanliness

To maintain a clean, comfortable, and respectful learning environment, all pupils are expected to observe reasonable standards of personal hygiene and cleanliness. You must ensure that:

You and your clothing are clean and free from strong odours (including body odour, smoke, food, or fragrance).
You do not attend lessons while wearing heavily soiled or contaminated clothing (e.g. from work or sport).
You do not bring excessive pet hair, mud, or dirt into the vehicle (for example from clothing, footwear, or pet transport).
The vehicle interior remains clean and comfortable for both You and the Instructor.

If poor hygiene, strong odours, or excessive dirt or pet hair make the vehicle unsuitable for tuition, the Instructor may:

End the lesson early, or
Refuse future lessons until the issue is resolved.

In such cases, the full lesson fee may be charged. This rule protects all pupils and Instructors who share DrewMatic vehicles.

10. Insurance

Your Instructor maintains motor insurance covering You as a learner driver, as required by the Road Traffic Act 1988.

11. Prices

We may change lesson prices with at least 14 days’ notice. Block bookings and prepaid packages are fixed for 6 months from purchase.

12. Payments & Payment Protection

Lessons must be paid 48 hours in advance (7 days for first lessons) via:

Credit/debit card by phone (07752 043 000 / 07870 809 373) or online at www.drewmatic.com;
BACS, by contacting Our office;
Cash/card to Your Instructor (at Your risk; receipts required).

We recommend using protected methods (card/BACS) for security. Payments to DrewMatic are protected; direct Instructor payments are not. Non-payment for first lessons triggers automatic cancellation.

13. Refund Policy

Completed lessons are non-refundable. For block bookings, unused hours may be refunded, less hours taken at the standard rate, processed within 10 working days. An admin fee (up to £15, reflecting reasonable costs) may apply, waived if DrewMatic is at fault. Block bookings expire after 6 months, extendable for Instructor/DVSA delays. We may request identity verification per Money Laundering Regulations 2007.

14. Lost Property

You are responsible for Your belongings. Found items will be held with reasonable care and returned at a mutually convenient location free of charge. If You live over 10 miles from Your Instructor’s address and request urgent delivery, a £27 fee may apply (covering time/fuel).

15. Driving Tests & Test Fees

DVSA sets test fees. We may book tests for a non-refundable admin fee.
DVSA requires 10 working days’ notice to cancel/reschedule; We require 10 working days to align with DVSA and ensure efficient processing. Failure to comply may result in test fee liability.
If We err in booking, We will rebook at no cost, without compensation for prior lessons.
You must bring required documents (licence, theory pass, ID). We are not liable for test refusal due to forgotten documents.
Instructors may refuse vehicle use for tests if You are not ready, based on professional judgement.
Practical test slots (minimum 2 hours) must be paid 24 hours in advance, or Your Instructor will not attend.

16. Liability

We are not liable for indirect/business losses (e.g., earnings, profits). Nothing limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or affects Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

17. Force Majeure

We are not liable for service failures due to events beyond Our reasonable control (e.g., DVSA actions, severe weather, illness, breakdowns, strikes).

18. Changes to Conditions

We may update these Conditions with at least 14 days’ notice. If changes materially disadvantage You, You may cancel future lessons without penalty and receive a refund for unused prepaid lessons, processed within 10 days.

19. Severability

If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder remains in force.

20. Marketing Communications

With Your consent, We may contact You about services/promotions. Essential communications (e.g., bookings) are unaffected by opting out. You may withdraw consent at drewmaticsom@gmail.com , effective within 48 hours.

21. Data Protection

DrewMatic complies with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. We process Your data for lesson administration, safety, and compliance. Data sharing with other schools is limited to safeguarding purposes, using minimal anonymised data. You may access, rectify, or erase Your data by contacting drewmaticsom@gmail.com. See Our Privacy Policy at www.drewmatic.com/privacy.

22. Photography & Media

We request explicit consent (e.g., tick-box at booking) to use Your photograph (e.g., test pass) for promotion. You may refuse or withdraw consent at drewmaticsom@gmail.com or 07752 043 000.

23. Complaints

Phone: 07752 043 000 / 07870 809 373
Email: drewmaticsom@gmail.com

We aim to respond within 5 working days, or 28 days for complex cases. Calls may be recorded for training/evidence.

24. Governing Law

These Conditions are governed by the law of England and Wales, with disputes subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of its courts.