BSM failed me. (BSM)

Member Name: Cattycat

Product:	BSM
Date:	26/06/01 (1964 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: New cars

Disadvantages: Unsupportive, Unreliable, Expensive

I have read the other opinions on BSM, and I can appreciate that some have had good experiences, others have had bad. At the end of the day your experience will depend on the individual instructor rather than the company. However, my experiences with BSM was a bad one - not just because of the instructor, but the way BSM handled the situation. Let me explain!!

When I was 17 years old, driving never appealed to me like it did to my friends. I was perfectly happy being a pedestrian, and I would have preferred a motorbike anyway. Besides I felt there was no point learning to drive before university because there was no way in hell I could afford a car as a student. So I resigned myself to learning to drive after I graduated.

After I graduated from university in 1997 I moved to Nottingham where my partner is from, and decided that it was about time I learnt to drive, although I was highly reluctant to begin on the roads of a big, busy city! I had no choice.

After a lot of research I chose a local driving school from the classified section in a free paper, mainly because it was cheap.
When my instructor arrived, my heart sank. He was scruffy, smelly and smoking a roll-up on my doorstep. The car was old, dirty and stank of smoke.... but nevertheless I am not one to judge a book by it's cover and gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Unfortunately it was a nightmare of an experience that spanned 3 months. He was often late or didn't show up at all, inpatient, snappy, rude. I didn't seem to make any progress. It was obvious he wasn't interested in the job. Then one day I received a call from the school of motoring and was informed that this man had left their company. I was relieved because it meant I could try another one.

This time I decided that money wasn't to be an object, so I chose BSM - a bit pricey, but had a good reputation, high profile, new cars, smart shops ... and that wonderful slogan "We
won't fail you!". I was bound to be on a winner there!! How wrong I was!!! My experience with BSM was worse than ever.

They sent me a male instructor, in his early thirties, who at first seemed pleasant, smart and friendly. Very keen and enthusiastic with his job, and for the first month I felt extremely relaxed and even began to enjoy the lessons. I was paying around thirty five pounds every week for a 2 hour lesson, but did not mind because I felt that the tuition was good.

Things started to turn sour 2-3 months in when he started not to show up for lessons, started to get late, began to get impatient with me and reduced me to tears. But at the same time started to act really strange - he was being a bit too friendly, even creepy. I won't go into details, but he made me feel very uncomfortable. I thought at the time I was imagining it, but I now know I was not.

I took my test - far too prematurely - and failed. Then I put in for my second - by this time I wanted to get shot of this instructor, and if I failed this time, I was going to do this. Between the first and second test - the space of a month - he failed to show up, changed cars, changed school of motoring -( he said he voluntarily left BSM )- and started to get nasty, in fact he scared me. But I just kept this all to myself, and vowed to dump him after my test.

2 days before my test I received a letter from the school of motoring he had just moved to saying that due to unforeseen circumstances my instructor had left their company and that they would endeavour to find another car and instructor to take me to my test!! I was outraged!!! So I took my 2nd test in an unfamiliar car with an unfamiliar instructor who said I was no means ready for the test and that I had not been taught properly at all. So, enraged and upset I failed my test in Sept 1998. I have never driven since .. and I don't ever want to drive again!


Once I calmed down I conta
cted the driving standards agency, BSM, and trading standards because I felt thoroughly conned and ripped-off, as well as psychologically damaged!

I was exceptionally interested to find out that my instructor was sacked from BSM as they had received a multitude of complaints about him ... not left voluntarily as he had told me. I couldn't believe that they hadn't informed me!!! They said that BSM works as a franchise and that any dispute between a pupil and instructor is between themselves, and they had no obligation to inform me that he was sacked!! I was disgusted with this!! Surely I had a right to know.

I was told that I could claim compensation via a small claims court, but I let it drop because I didn't want to rake up my experiences again. If I ever drive again, I would definitely choose a female instructor, or someone that was highly recommended.

Driving is now a big phobia for me, or driving instructors are! I hope nobody is put through what I was. Even big companys like BSM have their 'bad eggs', as well a the independent ones. Just be careful!

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