written by IsabellaHull91 on 07/12/2023
Absolutely Appalling Treatment. My daughter had been learning to drive with the AA for over 18 months, she had her driving test on the Sunday 8th October and had booked the 2 hour slot with her instructor from Tonbridge Area. Everything set to go months in advance. Then on Tuesday 3rd of October, decided that he was going to cancel the lesson and pull the car from the Examination, meaning my daughter had to do her test in an unfamiliar car. He's taken the money for 18 months and then did her over when she needed the car. Totally unreliable and we wouldn't recommend this company as there is no monitoring of the instructors.
written by Im12345 on 03/10/2023
My whole experience with the AA driving school has been horrible. Cancelled my original lesson booked for a weekend and changed it with just over 48h notice to a weekday during the day. When I ent to cancel the AA website wouldn’t allow me. Spoke to a member of staff and they wouldn’t either. I will now loose out on £80. Save your money and try somewhere else. They have just taken my money and not provided me any compensation or reason.
written by Humphriesxy377 on 29/09/2023
Cancelled my lesson 3 hours before it was to take place, took the money and is hiding behind their 48 hour notice period to justify keeping the money... I didn't cancel! He did and then got to keep £80, then the AA supports him!? Absolutely disgusting.
Written on: 02/10/2023
Sorry to hear you’re having issues. Please reach out to our team via live chat, they’ll be happy to help you.
Written on: 12/11/2023
Your credit card company can help.
If they didn't perform the services that they agreed to, they can't keep your money. Contact your bank/credit card company and they have a policy in place for disputes.
written by NagaBabu on 26/09/2023
I have taken 8 lessons from AA driving school. The instructor Monowara Chowdhury is worst instructor. She just doing time pass and tries to make you not fit for driving so that you will come to her for many more lessons, that way she can earn more money from you. She asked me to not book through AA and offered her personal bank account details to transfer money directly to book lessons. She and AA both are waste. Don’t waste money and time with AA. For sure you will loose your driving confidence if you land here with AA.
written by Lucas353 on 11/09/2023
Absolutely avoid them at all cost. I’ve contacted the instructor to reschedule my class as I tested positive for COVID and I didn’t want to expose him and he simply said it’s too late and I will be charged anyway and if I do come to the class it’s highly unethical. Absolute joke.
Written on: 11/09/2023
Hi, sorry to hear this and we hope you're feeling better. Please click and chat with an advisor online on our website, if there's anything you'd like us to look into further.
Written on: 12/09/2023
Hi, I spoke to your advisor on a chat which offered no help whatsoever.
written by SlawekB on 03/07/2023
I had a test booked for over a month away at the time of starting lessons with them, I was doing fine and taking 3 lessons a week which was £210 a week. This is already atrocious amount to be charging for driving lessons, 2 weeks before my driving test the instructor tells me that he will not take me to my driving test and that I should take 4 more months of lessons with him over a small mistake that I made. After asking him to take me to my test regardless because I have had other instructors tell me that I am ready to take my test he refused to take me and did not offer me a refund on the lessons that I have alreayd pre purchased with him.
written by yeCunningham361 on 28/06/2023
No shows. Cancelling 40mins before lesson. This is very unprofessional. The driving instructor text me saying they were not feeing well. They would have known this the night before. My instructor is blatantly hungover and text me last minute. This is a joke of a service.
Written on: 28/06/2023
Hi there, sorry to see you've been left feeling this way. There's a range of illnesses where you can hope to be better the next day but it not be the case. We hope you've raised this with us so we can look into what's happened, if not, please do pop up with our Live chat team who can help.
written by on 14/04/2023
Instructor was so obnoxious and combative we ended up agueing at which point I just said turnaround. I never even got to drive the car. Luckily I was canvassing local instructors and had already found a couple of decent ones, I ended up with Red Driving School. The AA was so hard to deal with I ended up just querying the payment with the bank for a refund. This led me to this kind of site where I see a lot of negative reviews for AA services do I'll avoid the brand altogether now so £35 well spent in the end.
written by TiannaReid1981 on 04/04/2023
Instructor cancelled last week, and then just didn't turn up today, test in two days times. Only means of contact with AA is via Chat Bot, who could not help but offered to re book after test. Not much help and no apology. Feel very let down so sadly can't recommend to others
Written on: 05/04/2023
We're sorry to hear this. Please contact us via our social media channels so we can raise this as a complaint to be looked into.
Written on: 07/04/2023
Hi, we're really sorry to hear this and hope you're okay. So we can look into this, please contact us via private message on our social media channels and include your Pupil ID, postcode, email and contact number.
Written on: 11/04/2023
Thank you for your message. I’ve tried to contact, but can only get your chat bot. Please can you give me a number or specific contact?
written by Cstrawf on 23/03/2023
My daughter was taking lessons with AA but her instructor had some personal issues so couldn’t carry on. They found a new instructor who cancelled on the day of the lesson. Eventually booked a 2 hr lesson with yet another AA instructor. The instructor shouted at her 3 times within the first 10 minutes for making mistakes to the point that she got him to drop her home and came in crying! Have tried to get through to AA about this but they don’t answer the phone and say use the online chat. Online they were very unhelpful and refused a refund. So she is 18 years old, trying her best to get driving and AA have taken £60 of her money (a whole weeks money for her) and refusing to acknowledge the issue. Avoid!
written by PrincessHess on 12/03/2023
Would strongly recommend you don’t learn to drive with anyone from the AA. Had a test booked. The day before the instructor cancelled then proceeded to ring and shout at me saying he isn’t coming to my house that early in the morning for me. Wasn’t very professional at all. I’ve escalated it to complaints. He’s now decided that he’s cancelled all my driving lessons after proceeding to ring and shout at me all because he didn’t want to get up early.
written by JakeChandler on 02/02/2023
Driving instructor cancelled lessons numerous times, despite at one point- me respectfully asking if he was certain he had the capacity to fit us in, he just carried on cancelling . AA were really really poor at handling it. Chatline we’re lax in between comments and did not read what I typed in, like the person had several conversations on the go and just could not keep up, then I had to chase them up with their complaints team a few weeks after when I still hadn’t received my money back.. Both the chatline and AA complaints just ignored my request for a manager to call, ignored my request for a goodwill gesture after I had to chase them & the poor service. They just could not be bothered. You may have a great experience. But I would honestly think twice.
written by RossSullivan1 on 05/01/2023
My instructor cancelled my first lesson less than 10 minutes before it started. The next 3 went ahead but all we did was drive up and down a short back road. There was no feedback on what I was doing right or wrong. The one time we drove onto a main road the instructor directed me there with no warning, then told me, 'you're not ready for that,' when I struggled - again with no specific feedback. He also encouraged me to speed in a 20mph zone. I requested a new instructor and got no response. I then made a complaint and once again got no response. AA called while I was at work once; I answered and said I couldn't talk then but was free the following afternoon. They did not attempt to call me back. I originally requested a new instructor in September 2022 so this has now been going on for over 4 months. I have now requested the rest of my credit be returned and will be looking for lessons elsewhere. I am very dissatisfied with AA's customer service. My driving lessons have been delayed for nearly half a year due to their poor response. Do not recommend.
written by Murray422 on 17/12/2022
I have been through 3 driving instructors at AA. It has been an absolute disaster. The first instructor lacked rigor and made me take endless lessons without enough focus on actually preparing for the test. He then suddenly cancelled on me as he was moving area wasting several months of my progress The second was more rigorous but lacked patience and hurt my confidence. He then apparently got into an accident with another student so was unable to take me to the test. The third also lacked rigour and pointedly refused to take me to the test, even though there was enough time to address any issues. Overall, complete rubbish and costly for no reason. I expected better and will never recommend them to anyone. I have basically lost a whole year to prepare for the test because of these idiots.
written by RonanMcCulloch on 20/10/2022
I booked lessons through this service and got a phone call from my instructor "Petor Balloch" to confirm my lessons were going ahead and that the area that he covers isn't my test area but that wasn't a problem, until the next day when I received emails saying all my lessons were cancelled for the reason that we agreed wasn't a problem so the instructor lied straight up to me personally, do not trust them if you need the lessons.
written by DBEE2022 on 06/10/2022
1. Driver cancelled last minute twice, didn't pitch for a session. 2. Impossible to speak to a real person to resolve anything 3. Live chat unable to process refund because system wont allow it - We need to try again in a few days because they are too busy Rather find a good local instructor...
Written on: 07/10/2022
Sorry to hear you have been disappointed. We hope you've managed to speak with the live chat agents again, to get this resolved.
Written on: 10/10/2022
Had a similar experience. Instructor cancelled first lesson due to covid. Better by the next day but turned up over 20 mins late and finished 15 mins early. Day three he turned up 15 minutes late for first lesson of the day. I asked if he was going to finish the lesson 15 minutes late. My son got in the car with him and they returned very shortly as instructed said he was unable to continue under the circumstances. He incorrectly said I was rude to him and that my son was too upset to carry on with the lesson. I would like a ful refund for the missing 2 hour lesson. AA have said no. I can only spread the word and tell others to avoid.
written by on 25/08/2022
Purchased 6 hours with the instructor Noella Gibbs. She cancelled my first lessons shortly after booking, then cancelled another one a day before and the last time I booked a lesson, she cancelled 10 minutes after the lesson was supposed to start. I had to speak to the AA support, and I think the only reason she cancelled last time was because they woke her up. While I was looking for her in the heavy rain like a dork. Requested a refund and will never use AA again.
written by SherlynFlanagan487 on 20/08/2022
Cancelled lessons last minute time after time only managed 1 lesson out of 5 booked absolute waste of time no apologies no telephone number to call as web chat only Instructors don't have to answer to anyone so take the p The only lesson I had was a waste of time 2hr lesson and the instructor drove for 1 hr 20 minutes he took me on rds that had clear Rd closure signs very disappointed with the lack of professionalism and lack of respect for other people's time and money now I have the struggle of getting a refund through no fault of my own I really did try I desperately wanted lessons and made every effort to rebook just to have them cancelled within hour of lesson or even after the lesson was due to start
written by Darienk473 on 17/08/2022
Honestly, I wish I could put 0 stars. Been with the AA from March to August, I've booked lessons every week but only actually got to drive 3 times. Yes, that's 3 lessons in 6 months. I've had multiple instructors, all cancelling lessons 30min ahead of time. I've had to take time off work or arrange work to go around these driving lessons and they kept cancelling without notice, as I get ready to get out of my home, pretty much. I've not received any compensation or refund for this. Waste your money at will with the AA. In addition to this, one of my instructors lost their license as I was about to get into a driving lesson with them. Go with the AA at your own risk. Finally, out of the 3 lessons, one of them, my instructor was 1h late and hadn't even checked where to pick me up. I need to pass my license soon as I will be moving out of the country and they've just wasted my time and put me in great difficulty. In addition, to not answering my complaints/sending me a refund.
written by 496Murdock on 01/08/2022
On Fri 8th July I changed driving instructors (purely temporarily as my instructor was away on holiday for an extended period of time - other than that he was brilliant). I tried to book lessons with a new instructor but the system said I had no credit left (I should have had 6 hours).I was then told that I had been refunded for the remaining 6hrs lessons I had left (I have not received this money). I tried to top up with 4 hours in the mean time but my account is saying I have -2 hours in credit. In short I have now paid for 14 hours of driving lessons in total and have only used 4, but it is saying I have -2. I have asked numerous times where the refund is and I still haven't received it. I can't book any lessons as my account is stuck on -2 hours meaning I haven't been able to have a lesson for over a month. I have logged a complaint and heard nothing back. The last person on chat told me I needed to go to my bank to resolve the issue (which I have now done) and left the chat before answering my question. I am now owed a serious amount of money and have lost all trust in this driving school which is a shame as my instructor was really good.
Written on: 08/08/2022
Hi there, we'd like to help with this refund. Please contact us via our Live chat team which can be found on our website or through our other social media channels.
Written on: 23/09/2022
I am going through a similar turmoil. First, they increased the price I pay per hour from £30 to £40 without letting me know (I had to keep booking lessons though as I had a test coming up). Then, after I passed my test, I had 8 hours left in credit. I have not been refunded despite numerous emails and messages I sent. And now the credit owed to me has disappeared from the system while I still haven't received a refund from them.
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As rated by our community of reviewers
The Aa's Comment
Written on: 11/12/2023
Hi, we're sorry to hear this please drop us an email with this review and your daughters pupil details to us.