Payments and Refunds
“When you make a payment to LESSONNOW… we securely hold the funds and forward the total amount to your instructor as your lessons are completed.”
What this means:
When a pupil pays your company (either online or by phone), you hold that money temporarily. As each lesson happens, you pass the money on to the instructor. You’re not taking a cut — just managing the transaction.
“If you wish to request a refund, you should first speak directly with your instructor.”
What this means:
Because the contract is with the instructor, they’re the one who must approve or issue refunds. Your company may help, but technically, it’s their responsibility.
“If you’re uncomfortable with this… pay per lesson instead, but block booking discounts won’t apply.”
What this means:
Some customers might not like this arrangement — especially around refunds. You’re giving them a choice: if they don’t want to pay upfront, they can pay lesson by lesson. But they’ll lose the discount that comes with booking several lessons in one go (a block booking).
Financial Safety Advice
“For your financial protection… we strongly advise that all block bookings be paid directly to LESSONNOW. We cannot be held responsible for cash payments made directly to instructors.”
What this means:
You’re warning customers not to hand large sums of cash to instructors. If they do, and something goes wrong (e.g. refund disputes or cancelled lessons), your company can’t help. Paying via your official system (website or phone) keeps everything safe and traceable.
This protects you, your instructors, and your customers.

Instructor Standards and Behaviour
This section sets out the professional standards your instructors follow. It’s reassuring to pupils and helps show that LESSONNOW is a trustworthy and quality-driven school.
• Dual-controlled car – the car must have pedals for both student and instructor, and be in safe, clean condition.
• Smart appearance – instructors should be well-dressed and professional, not casual or sloppy.
• No smoking policy – neither the pupil nor the instructor is allowed to smoke during lessons or inside the vehicle.
• Equal treatment – instructors must treat everyone fairly, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc.
These are all standard industry expectations, but it’s great that you’ve written them clearly for transparency.
Driving Test Policy — Explained in Your Own Words (Not Copied)
At LESSONNOW, your driving instructor will support you throughout your learning journey, including preparing you for your driving test. However, there are some important guidelines to understand when it comes to using your instructor’s car for the practical test.
Instructor’s Right to Refuse the Test Car
Your instructor has the right to decide not to provide their car for your driving test if they believe you are not yet ready to drive safely and confidently under test conditions.
If your instructor decides to withdraw their car, they will aim to give you at least 15 working days’ notice — as long as you’ve been working with them in advance.
(Note: If you’ve booked a test with short notice — less than 15 working days — this advance notice may not be possible.)

DVSA Test Notice Period
The DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) requires a minimum of 10 working days’ notice to cancel or move your test without losing your fee. If your test is cancelled after this period, the DVSA will not refund the booking fee.
Taking the Test Without Passing a Mock
While it’s strongly recommended that you pass a mock driving test before the real one, you’re still allowed to go ahead with the test if your instructor feels you stand a reasonable chance of passing.
Instructor Illness or Emergency
Sometimes, instructors may be unable to attend your test at short notice due to illness or unforeseen circumstances. If this happens, we will try our best to arrange another instructor for your test — but due to the short timeframe, we cannot guarantee a replacement.
Vehicle Problems on Test Day
If your instructor’s vehicle becomes unfit for the test — for example, due to a mechanical fault or damage — LESSONNOW and your instructor will do everything possible to provide a similar replacement car. However, please note we cannot guarantee an identical vehicle.
If the DVSA examiner refuses to conduct your test because of an issue with the instructor’s car (such as a faulty brake light or flat tyre), and it’s not your fault, your instructor will cover the cost of a replacement test.

If you cause damage to the instructor’s car during the test and the repair cost is less than the insurance excess, you may be required to cover the cost of the repair directly.
Test Day Fees
Your instructor may charge a separate test day fee, which could vary depending on how much of their time you book (e.g., pre-test warm-up, travel to the test centre, waiting time). Please ask your instructor in advance for a breakdown of their test day pricing.

Explanation: Payments to Your Instructor (Original Wording, Not Copied)
When you choose to pay your LESSONNOW instructor directly — either in cash or by bank transfer — that payment is considered a private transaction between you and the instructor. In these cases, LESSONNOW is not legally responsible for managing or protecting that money.
If any problems arise after you’ve paid directly (such as lesson cancellations, refund issues, or general concerns), we are happy to try and help you resolve the matter, but we cannot guarantee a resolution because the contract is directly with the instructor.
Requesting a Receipt for Cash Payments
If you pay your instructor in cash, you have every right to ask for a receipt — just like any in-person purchase. We strongly recommend that you:
• Request a receipt immediately when handing over cash.
• If you don’t receive one and want to follow up, please email us within 48 hours of your first lesson so we can contact your instructor on your behalf and ensure they provide one.
Safer Ways to Pay
The most secure way to pay is directly to LESSONNOW through:
• Debit or credit card
• Bank transfer
• PayPal
When you pay us directly, our admin team uses our internal Instructor App to distribute your payments to your instructor after each lesson. This process is manual and takes time, but it ensures your money is tracked and protected.

If you’ve paid your instructor directly and are having trouble getting a refund, we’ll do our best to assist. If we can’t recover the funds for you, we may advise you to take further action by contacting services such as:
• Citizens Advice
• Money Claim Online
• The DVSA
• The Financial Ombudsman
In more serious situations, especially if the issue involves unprofessional behaviour or serious misconduct, we may recommend you file a formal complaint with the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency). With your permission, we can communicate with the DVSA to help support your case.
Key Legal Point
If you paid your instructor directly (cash or bank transfer), then any complaint or refund claim is between you and your instructor — not LESSONNOW.
However, if you paid LESSONNOW directly, we take responsibility for your funds and will issue a full or partial refund, depending on how many lesson hours remain and the details of your complaint.
Reporting Serious Complaints
If we suggest reporting a serious issue to the DVSA, you can do so via email and copy us in at:
support@lessonnow.co.uk
While this isn’t required, it helps us and the DVSA investigate the issue properly and take appropriate action against instructors who don’t meet professional standards — protecting future pupils from similar issues.

First-time pupil offers from LESSONNOW are only available once per customer and cannot be combined with any other promotions. These are designed to welcome new pupils and are not intended for repeat use.
Final Notes
This rewritten version:
• Keeps the tone professional and clear
• Explains the responsibilities between you (the pupil), the instructor, and LESSONNOW
• Protects your business legally while still offering help and guidance to the pupil
• Is completely original and not copied from any other source
Management & Protection Fee — Explained (Original Wording)
When you make a booking online or over the phone through LESSONNOW, a 4.5% management and protection fee will be added to your payment. This small fee helps us cover administrative costs and, more importantly, ensures that your money is secure and fully trackable.
What Does This Fee Cover?
• Payment protection – your funds are held safely in our system
• Admin support – our team manages payments and coordinates with your instructor
• Customer service – we can assist with issues, refunds, or changes to your booking

If you’d prefer not to pay the 4.5% fee, you’re welcome to pay your instructor directly on the day of your first lesson — either in cash or by bank transfer.
However, please be aware: if you pay your instructor directly, your payment is considered a private agreement between you and them. LESSONNOW cannot protect or guarantee those funds in case of missed lessons, disputes, or instructor unavailability.
Why Paying the Company Is Safer
If you choose to pay LESSONNOW directly:
• Your funds are held in a secure holding account
• We release payments to your instructor only after each completed lesson
• If you cancel or stop lessons, you can request a refund for any unused hours
We can issue refunds for unused lessons within 3 months of the original purchase date. After 3 months, lessons expire and are non-refundable.
What Happens in Exceptional Situations?
If your instructor becomes seriously ill, unreachable, or sadly passes away, LESSONNOW will refund any unused lesson time — but only if you paid us directly.
If you’ve paid the instructor directly, we cannot guarantee a refund in such situations, as the payment was made outside of our system.
Please also refer to our “Payments to Your Allocated Instructor” section for more details on direct payment risks and responsibilities.

To cancel or reschedule a driving lesson, you must give your instructor at least 24 hours’ notice. If you cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice, your instructor has the right to charge you for the full cost of the lesson, or deduct the equivalent time from a block booking (even if it was booked at a discounted rate).
Provisional Licence Requirement
Before starting your first lesson, you must show your instructor a valid UK provisional driving licence. If you cannot present this, your instructor has the right to cancel your lesson, even at short notice, and you may still be charged for that time.
Emergencies & Vehicle Issues
While we aim to provide reliable service at all times, LESSONNOW cannot be held responsible for any cancellations due to unexpected issues — such as:
• Instructor illness or emergencies
• Family bereavement
• Mechanical failure of the tuition vehicle
In these cases, we’ll do our best to arrange a replacement instructor or vehicle, but we cannot guarantee availability on short notice.

Lesson Refunds
You are eligible for a full refund on pre-paid driving lessons only if:
• No lesson time has been used, and
• You paid LESSONNOW directly using a debit card, credit card, PayPal, or bank transfer.
To request a refund, you must email us within 10 days of your original payment date.
Physical Products
If you’ve bought a physical product from us (like a book or training aid), you can return it within 10 days by recorded delivery. Once we receive the item back in good condition, we’ll process a full refund.
Digital Products & Online Services
Please note:
• Digital products (such as PDFs or downloadable content) are non-refundable once purchased.
• Online subscriptions (like access to our Training Zone) are also non-refundable, as files and resources can be downloaded immediately after purchase.
However, if we’re unable to provide the driving lessons that were bundled with your digital product (e.g., due to instructor availability), we will refund the lesson portion, but not the digital item itself.
If you’re unsure whether your area or schedule will align with lesson availability, we suggest waiting to purchase digital products until after your driving lessons begin.

If you’re not happy with a recent driving lesson, please explain the issue by filling in our complaints form [insert link]. Our customer support manager will review your concerns and respond as soon as possible.
Gift Vouchers
All LESSONNOW gift vouchers are valid for six months from the date of purchase.
Once the first lesson is completed within that timeframe, the remaining hours must be used within another three months.
Block Bookings
Pre-paid block bookings must be used within three months of purchase.
If you’re unable to start lessons within that period, contact us by email (support@lessonnow.co.uk) so we can review your situation. We may be able to help.
If you don’t notify us within six months, you risk losing any unused lessons. Lessons that go unused beyond this period are non-refundable.
If you are struggling to schedule lessons with your instructor, you must let us know in writing before the expiry date so we can support you.
Credit Notes
If you are unable to finish a block of lessons, we may be able to issue a credit note for any remaining hours. This credit can be used with a different LESSONNOW instructor and will remain valid for 3 months from the issue date.
Please note: block bookings are non-refundable once lesson time has been used — only unused hours can be credited.


If you cancel an intensive driving course before starting, you will lose 50% of the payment — unless you give us at least two weeks’ notice.
This is because instructors reserve large blocks of time for these courses and rely on this commitment to plan their schedules. The 50% you lose covers this secured booking.
If you cancel partway through an intensive course, you will not receive a refund for any remaining hours.
Instructor Preferences
We believe that personal preferences (such as your instructor’s car type, gender, or teaching approach) should be discussed before your first lesson, not afterwards.
How to Make a Complaint
If you have a concern or complaint:
Speak to your instructor directly first.
If unresolved, fill out our official complaint form [insert link].
• Include your full name, reason for complaint, and best contact number.
If your complaint involves a refund for unused lessons and you paid LESSONNOW, we will investigate and issue a refund where appropriate.
If you paid your instructor directly in cash, you will need to speak with them directly, and we recommend always requesting a receipt at the time of payment. LESSONNOW cannot refund or manage funds that weren’t processed through our system.

If you’re concerned about your test preparation, please contact us before your test, not after. This gives us the chance to help you resolve any issues in time.
Also, keep in mind that each instructor may have their own teaching style. If another driving school disagrees with our instructor’s method, it doesn’t necessarily mean one approach is right or wrong.
If you’re unsure about something, always speak with your instructor — or contact us using the complaint form linked above.

Situation - Refund Available? - Conditions

No lessons used, paid LESSONNOW - Full refund - Request within 10 days

Digital products - No refund - Non-refundable

Block booking started - No refund - Credit note possible for unused hours

Intensive course cancelled late - No refund - 50% kept unless 2+ weeks' notice

Gift vouchers - Valid for 1 months - Must use lessons within 3 months of first booking

Paid instructor in cash - No refund from - LESSONNOW Speak to your instructor directly