Terms and Conditions (Customer Care Charter) 
 
Introduction 
The following terms and conditions represent the basis upon which driving lessons and courses are offered to you by your local No Gears Automatic Driving School (NGADS) instructor. Please note the contract for service is between yourself and the local NGADS instructor. Each NGADS instructor operates his or her own business under franchise from No Gears Limited and has agreed to be bound by the following terms and conditions. The NGADS Central Booking Office is a separate entity which has been authorised to act as a booking agent for the members of the NGADS instructor franchise network. Please note that all major driving schools in the UK (e.g. BSM and the AA) operate in this way with self-employed franchised instructors. 
 
1. General Conduct 
All NGADS instructors are bound by a professional code of conduct. Your NGADS instructor will be courteous, polite, tidy and punctual. He or she will also behave in a professional and ethical manner at all times. Your NGADS instructor’s car will be well maintained, clean and tidy. All cars used by NGADS instructors are fitted with dual-controls as part of their standard equipment. The cars are of course fully insured for driving tuition. NGADS instructors will not smoke in the car while giving tuition, nor will they use your lesson time for any other form of business, personal or otherwise. Full details available at https://www.nogearsdrivingschool.co.uk/lessons/code-of-conduct. 
 
2. Qualifications 
As a minimum your NGADS instructor will be licensed by the Driving & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to give driving tuition. He or she will also be proficient in the use of the NGADS approved driver training program. 
 
3. Driving Licence and Eyesight 
The learner must hold a current, valid driving licence (provisional or full), which must be produced on or in advance of their first lesson. The learner must also check that they can read a number plate at a distance of 20.5 metres (i.e. 67 feet - about 5 car lengths) with glasses if normally worn. 
 
4. Payments & Refunds 
Payments can be made directly to your NGADS instructor by cash and should be paid prior to the commencement of any lessons. Alternatively payments by debit or credit card can be paid via our website. Monies paid to NGADS will be paid into the appropriate NGADS Instructor’s client account on your behalf. To book an Intensive Driving Course, a 50% deposit or the full course fee (if the course start date is within 4 weeks of the booking date) is required. 
 
Please note the deposit or any subsequent training fees paid are not refundable in the event that you decide to cancel the training once the booking has been accepted by your local NGADS instructor. At this point a binding agreement is made between yourself and the local NGADS instructor. This does not in any way affect your statutory rights to be provided with the goods and services you have bought (please see term 10). 
 
5. Lesson Postponement 
Provided that you give your NGADS instructor 48 hrs notice of cancellation, or the NGADS instructor can easily obtain additional work for any lessons postponed, no penalty will be incurred. If this is not possible the full training fee for the period in question may, at the total discretion of the NGADS instructor, be lost or charged. Your NGADS instructor reserves the right to postpone lessons if he or she feels that the weather or road conditions are unsuitable or dangerous. The NGADS instructor cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred as a result of him or her having to postpone any lessons, for whatever reason. 
 
6. The Driving Test 
a) Bookings - Driving tests can be booked by you or your NGADS instructor on your behalf. Driving test bookings always take priority over other lessons. Therefore, your lesson may be postponed to allow for someone else’s driving test and vice-versa. Changes to lesson bookings as a result of this will be notified immediately. Test appointments must be notified to your NGADS instructor as soon as they are known, otherwise he or she cannot guarantee to provide a vehicle for the test. 
b) Use of the vehicle - In the interests of customer and public safety your NGADS instructor reserves the right to withhold the use of a car for the test if, in their opinion, your driving is actually or potentially dangerous. 
c) Test cancellation - Three clear working days notice of cancellation or postponement is required by the DVSA. Failure to provide the required notice will result in the loss of your test fee. Your NGADS instructor cannot be held responsible for any postponement or cancellation of tests by the DVSA. However, he or she will do all that is possible to arrange another test as quickly as possible and to help you to reclaim expenses from the DVSA. 
 
7. Punctuality 
In their own interests learners are advised to be punctual for their lesson appointments. The NGADS instructor would normally wait for a maximum of 15 minutes before the lesson would be abandoned and the lesson fee forfeited or become due for payment. A reciprocal waiting time may become necessary if the NGADS instructor is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Any lesson time lost as a result of this would be made up by the NGADS instructor either at the end of the normal lesson time if possible, or at a later date. 
 
8. Learner Comfort and Safety 
In the interests of comfort and safety learners are advised to wear suitable footwear and clothing which does not restrict movement. Learners must also take note of any medication they are taking that may affect their ability to drive safely and advise their instructor accordingly before taking any lesson booked. 
 
9. Complaints 
In the event of a complaint all efforts must be made to resolve the problem directly with the NGADS instructor. However, please do not let a problem linger. If you booked your course or lessons through the NGADS Central Booking Office you may contact the person who arranged your training in the first place for advice and help by ringing 0800 0277451. If you booked directly with the NGADS instructor you will need to email your complaint in writing to the National Franchise Director, christian@nogears.co.uk 
 
10. Your Statutory Rights 
Nothing in these terms and conditions will reduce your statutory rights relating to faulty or misdescribed goods or services provided. NGADS instructors have a statutory obligation to provide you with goods and services fit for the purpose for which they were bought and as described. Similarly, any goods supplied by the NGADS Central Booking Office must also be fit for the purpose for which they were bought and as described. If you have any doubts about your statutory rights please contact your local Trading Standards Department or Citizen's Advice Bureau. 
 
11. Your personal data - GDPR 
Designed and created by it'seeze