Terms and Conditions

To avoid any misunderstandings here are our pupils’ terms and conditions, we have tried to make them as easy to read as possible for you:

About Cowan Driving School

Cowan Driving School is the trading name for Cowan Driving School Ltd and shall be referred to throughout these terms as Cowan Driving School or the company. Cowan Driving School Ltd company number is: 09991206.

Our Instructors

At Cowan Driving School, our driving instructors are all self-employed franchisees; therefore, we act as their agent, taking bookings and transferring payments across to them. The contract for driving lessons is between pupils and their instructors.

Once you have made a payment to us, we will forward the total amount to the driving instructor, as you complete your lessons. In the event you would like a refund, please approach your instructor first. If you are unhappy with this, we recommend that you pay your instructor for each lesson individually, though you will not be able to take advantage of a block booking discount if you choose to pay per lesson.

  • For your financial peace of mind and protection, we strongly advise any block payments should be made to Cowan Driving School over the phone or online. We cannot be held responsible for any large sum cash payments you decide to pay to your instructor during your lessons.
  • Cowan Driving School instructors will provide the pupil with a dual controlled car, in a clean and roadworthy condition.
  • All of Cowan Driving School’s instructors will professionally represent themselves and be smart in appearance.
  • Cowan Driving School has a strict, no smoking policy.
  • Cowan Driving School driving instructors will abide by an equal opportunity policy and will not discriminate against race, colour, creed, gender or sexual orientation etc.

Driving Test

Your Cowan Driving School instructor is entitled to withdraw their car for the usage of your test, should they feel you are not ready. Your Cowan Driving School instructor will always give you a minimum of 5 working days notice, providing you haven’t come to the instructor at short notice (less than five working days).

You are allowed to take your driving test if you do not pass a mock driving test, as long as your Cowan Driving School instructor is confident you still have a reasonable chance of passing.

Very occasionally, instructors can become ill at short notice. In the event that this happens, we will endeavour to find you another instructor, but cannot guarantee anything at such short notice.

In the event the instructor’s car is not road worthy for your driving test, Your instructor and Cowan Driving School will do their utmost to find you a like for like vehicle. However, we cannot guarantee an identical vehicle.

If the DVSA examiner has declined to go out on test in your instructor’s car because it’s not roadworthy for any reason such as a nail in tyre or brake light not working, your driving instructor will pay for your a replacement test.

In the event that you (the pupil) damages the car during the driving test, where the total repair cost is less than the instructor’s insurance excess, you will be required to pay for the damages to the car.

Please note, your instructor may charge additional fees on your driving test day.

Payments to your allocated instructor

Any block bookings paid to the instructor direct by cash or bank transfer is solely between the pupil and the franchised instructor. In the unlikely event you are unhappy or need help resolving an issue, you can contact the office, and we will try to help resolve the situation.

Like any type of cash purchase; be it from a shop or to your driving instructor, you are entitled to ask for a receipt. Please ensure you ask for a receipt on the day of paying cash to the instructor. You must inform us immediately in writing to avoid any confusion within 48 hours of your first lesson if you haven’t obtained a receipt and would like one. We will contact your allocated driving instructor on your behalf and make sure a receipt is issued to you from your instructor.

We cannot be held accountable for any cash/bank transfer payments made to your Cowan Driving School instructor. The safest and most secure way to protect your money is by paying Cowan Driving School by debit/credit card, bank transfer or through PayPal. When you pay Cowan Driving School directly, our admin team will pay your instructor after each lesson is completed from our instructor app. 

If you are experiencing difficulty with a cash/bank transfer refund from your instructor, Cowan Driving School will try to assist on your behalf. In the event we can’t recover your money, we may refer you to the following so you can report and make a claim against your allocated instructor:

In some instances, where we believe your complaint is of a serious nature, we may ask you to report your complaint to the DVSA – the organisation which decides whether a driving instructor is fit and proper to remain on the register. We may concur with the DVSA (with your permission) for their opinion on the matter.

If you have paid your driving instructor by cash or bank transfer, then your complaint should be against your self-employed instructor, not the driving school.

If you have paid Cowan Driving School, then your money is protected, and you will receive a refund/part refund depending on the complaint and how many hours are still outstanding. If we ask you to put your complaint in writing to the DVSA, you should do this and CC us into the email: info@cowandrivingschool.co.uk. It is not a compulsory requirement to do this, though by doing this you help us and the DVSA take the necessary action against the self-employed instructor, which prevents this from happening to potential customers again.

First-time offers are available to new pupils joining Cowan Driving School, you may only take 1 of these offers, and they cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.

Cancellation Policy

You are required to give a minimum of 48 hours notice to your instructor should you wish to cancel a lesson. Anything less than 48 hours and your instructor is entitled to charge you the normal lesson rate or the prorated amount if it’s a block booking, which includes the discount.

It is your responsibility to present your valid UK provisional driving license before the start of your first lesson. Failure to do so entitles the instructor to cancel any lessons you have booked within 48 hours, and you may be charged.

Cowan Driving School cannot be responsible for any lesson/test cancellations due to mechanical breakdown or other emergencies such as illness/bereavement. We will endeavour to find a replacement vehicle/instructor as soon as possible, but this is not guaranteed.

Refund and Complaints Policy

A full refund for a pre-booked lesson will only be issued if zero hours have been used and you have paid Cowan Driving School direct by debit/credit card/bank transfer or PayPal. To receive a refund, you should contact us in writing within 30 days of the purchase date.

In the unlikely event that you are not fully satisfied with a recent driving lesson with us, please inform us of the reasons why by emailing info@cowandrivingschool.co.uk. Our office manager will look at your email and contact you as quickly as possible.

When purchasing gift vouchers, please be aware they are valid for six months from the date of purchase. Once the first lesson has commenced, the learner has a further six months to complete the lessons from the gift voucher.

All pre-paid block booking offers are valid for six months from the date of purchase. If you have any issues commencing your first lesson within the 6-month time frame, then please notify us by email, we may be able to help you: info@cowandrivingschool.co.uk (so we have proof of your problems/circumstances). Unfortunately, if you contact us after the six months have expired, then you risk losing any remaining lessons.

Once you commence your first driving lesson from a pre-paid booking/gift voucher (which you have six months to book in), you then have a further six months to complete the remaining lessons with your allocated instructor.

If you experience difficulty booking in with your instructor for whatever reason, then you must put this in writing to us before your lessons expire to avoid disappointment: Email info@cowandrivingschool.co.uk

If you book a block of lessons and are unable to continue with them, we can issue a credit note for your remaining lessons; which can be used with another Cowan Driving School driving instructor (expires six months from issue). Block bookings are non-refundable unless zero hours have been used.

If you book an intensive course with Cowan Driving School and you then choose to cancel before commencing any lessons – you will lose 50% of the course payment unless a minimum of 2 weeks notice is given. Your instructor has booked your lessons out in their diary and has committed to you. An intensive course requires a lot of planning. Driving instructors are self-employed franchisees, so the 50% deposit secures your lesson times in the instructor’s diary. If you have commenced an intensive course and you choose to cancel, then you will forfeit any remaining hours you have paid for.

We believe that any complaints about the instructor’s training vehicle, ethnic origin, sex or training resources is a form of preference and should be stated when booking the first lesson, not after your first lesson.

If you have any problems or wish to raise a complaint, please consult your allocated Cowan Driving School instructor first. If you are still unhappy, then put this in writing by emailing info@cowandrivingschool.co.uk. Please include your best contact number and our office manager will contact you as soon as possible. If you have lessons outstanding and you would like a refund for the remaining lessons, please raise your concerns within the email and state why you wish to receive a refund for any remaining lessons. If you have paid your instructor directly by cash, then you should ask for a receipt for payment from the instructor. Please be aware Cowan Driving School is not responsible for any monies exchanged between the instructor/s and pupils.

If your complaint is regarding your test preparation, please tell us in advance, not after your test so that we can help you. This gives you and us the best possible chance of passing the first time.

Please understand that every instructor has their own way of teaching. If you have decided to seek a second opinion from another driving school and they disagree with our instructor’s teaching methods, it doesn’t always mean your new school is right. If you have any issues regarding your lessons, then please speak to your instructor or alternatively contact us by emailing info@cowandrivingschool.co.uk

Offers and price changes

Cowan Driving School are entitled to change driving tuition offers and prices at any time. Lesson prices are subject to change depending on location and whether you learn in an automatic or manual vehicle.

Any pre-payments are honoured at the selling price for four weeks after purchase date. The first lesson must be taken within four weeks of the purchase date to obtain the sale price. In the event, the sale has ended the customer will be required to pay the additional extra to the office or the instructor by cash, should they decide to start after four weeks.

All lesson purchases to the company are valid for six months.

Use of Personal Information

All personal information and details given to Cowan Driving School are used to deliver the service intended, and records are kept strictly confidential. Occasionally, your information may need to be shared with third parties in order for us to provide you with the requested service. 
Cowan Driving School uphold and are in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998) and GDPR.

Limitation of Liability

Cowan Driving School and our franchised driving instructors are not liable to you (the pupil) for any loss or damage caused relating to any business interests such as lost profits, lost earnings, loss of opportunity/business or business interruption, including in no event liable for negligence or breach of statutory duty.

All of the content provided on this website such as information, logos and images relating to Cowan Driving School as a company and the products/services provided, are displayed without any representation of a warranty being made. Whether it be implied warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, compatibility, non-infringement, accuracy and security. For what has been permitted by law exclusion of all terms and warranties are applied, whether directly or indirectly.

Cowan Driving School does not represent the information provided being error-free and is not liable for any viruses or malware that the server may transmit between devices/users.

Driving Resources:

If you would like access to free theory training please contact us: info@cowandrivingschool.co.uk with your full name and your allocated Cowan Driving School instructor’s name. We will confirm your username and password.

Mechanical car fault or physical damage to car within lesson

In the event that the teaching vehicle has a mechanical fault during the lesson, which could not be prevented, our Cowan Driving School instructor will pass the remaining time left onto your next lesson. If this is not possible, they will offer a refund for the remaining minutes owed.

In the event that the car is damaged due to driver error from the pupil, any time spent resolving the issue will count as the pupil’s lesson time.

ADI Training Terms & Conditions

If you’re doing driving instructor training with us, you can visit this link to view the general terms and conditions.

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