BSM - A Total Waste of Time & Money!!! (BSM)

Member Name: LearnerDriver2009

Product:	BSM
Date:	19/10/09 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Long out lessons unnecessarily/ incompetent instructors/dont teach you to pass

BSM - A Total Waste of Time & Money!!!

If you are thinking of starting driving lessons with BSM please read this post. Please consider your choice very carefully!!!!

My sister learnt with BSM 9 years ago before they were franchised in the days when you could have 20 hours and that would be enough to pass your test. In 2009 they long out the process to over 45-50 hours for most people. Beware they will rip you off!!!!

I had already passed my theory test with 50/50 and 67/75 and booked up a package deal with BSM thinking that I would receive premium first class training. How wrong could I be!!!

My first instructor smoked in the car (which is illegal) and continually got out of the car during my lessons to smoke. He also answered his phone whilst he was supposed to be supervising my driving. I confronted him about this, and he was just rued. He was unprofessional, and not interested in teaching me anything. I complained to BSM in Bristol and they reluctantly refunded me for these hours.

The second instructor started off well enough, but then became complacent. They are a company that likes to long out and draw out absolutely everything to make you pay for lessons which you really dont need. I made it clear at the start of each of my lessons what it was that I wanted to learn seen as I was paying the premium of £28 per hour.

* My instructor was on the phone and texting in the car when she was supposed to be supervising me.
* She continually got lost and would give me late instructions as to where I would be going, which interferred with my ability to use the MSM routine.
* She didnt correct my errors she just talked. And refused to listen to me when I asked her to be quite so I could concentrate on driving.
* She interfered with my driving unnecessarily - one time causing a serious risk of a crash. She spilt coke all over the floor on her side of the car. She didnt think i was steering enough to the right at a crossroads. She hit the brakes but her foot slipped and the instructor stalled the car in the middle of a crossroads causing a very dangerous obstruction as the lights turned red we were blocking oncoming traffic.
* The instructor had the audacity to text me at 11 o'clock at night to book a lesson the next day.
* Then she booked in lessons without even telling me when they were.


BSM's Policy
* They insist that you book 2 hours but my experience is that they dont fully utilise that time. They ask you to drive around on their errands - rather than around test routes.
* They switched cars three times, first I was driving an Astra, then a Corsa then a Fiat 500 which disrupted my learning process. I ended up paying for more lessons just because I wasnt used to the car that they gave me. I expressly said from the beginning that I wanted to drive a Corsa and they simply ignored my wishes, and turned up outside my house in another car.
* My instructor didnt know the test routes and so I have come to the stage where I know loads about my surounding areas but not enough about the test centre areas.
* You can only do a practical test after your instructor signs a "declaration of test readiness", so if your lucky you might pass by the year 2012 when they put you forward for the test (as they work for themselves your a regular cash cow!)
* BSM are not interested in reprimanding bad instructors as they are getting money from the instructors around £250-350 fee per week.
* They give you a driving record book which is supposed to record progress but my instructor didnt bother to fill it out. When she did she used to deliberately downgrade me.
* I completed a mock with BSM and the instructor who I had never met before said I would need a maximum of 10 hours, my instructor had been telling me that I needed at least 20-30 hours!!!!!

My advice, well I have had 24 hours with them, and I have moved to Red Driving School because I am fed up with BSM's instructors. I am a very fast learner, so I found myself very frustrated by the slowness of everything with BSM. If your instructor is slowing you down/not being clear dont hold off changing them or the school that your with.

And my words of advice are dont book up with BSM - the Harrow branch is really incompetent!!!!

Summary: Dont go with them!!!