Covid while training @ Peter Smythe Transport Training

Do not catch Covid while training! I paid for a full C+E driving course, starter pack and CPC and I unfortunately contracted Covid after day 2, even though there is no legal requirement to isolate, I informed the school as I felt I had a duty of care for my instructor/examiner having to share such a confined space with them.

I was told by the office manager to go home, get better and call to resume when ready, when I emailed I was told I would have to pay £350 for a test, I was never informed of this and would never have gone home if I was. I offered to pay a DVSA test fee of £115 but was told I must pay the standard £350 fee.

The company will try and sell you 3 tests during the sales pitch for £350 at the start of your training so obviously they were trying to make money from me by charging me the same for one test.

It seems I care about their staff more than they do and I should have attended while positive, they are only interested in profiting on the situation.

Instructors are brilliant I give them a 5 star, it’s the greed from higher up that lets the place down.

I’m Now looking for another school in the area so my moneys not completely wasted learning the test routes so if anyone has any recommendations it would help.

No need to tell anyone if you test positive. Makes you think. Why bother testing…

I know but it was more for the sake of my instructor id feel nothing but guilt if i was to pass it on and something happen, especially as hes from the older generation who it could effect more severely.

FYI PSTT are one of the forum sponsors, so I would expect one of those guys to comment on here about your greivance fairly soon.

My current understanding is that their three-tests package is an optional extra, so you may not have been charged for that originally if they were asking you to pay for another test.

Yeah i sent a message on here which was forwarded to the MD never got any response. The reason they are trying to charge me for another test is becuase they said it was cancelled within 3 days, i never cancelled they told me to go home and with no information about having to pay for a test i would of refused and carried on.

Given the reputation of PSTT on here it may have been wiser to discuss it with the school in person rather than slagging them off on a public forum which they are a sponsor.

It is not their fault or possibly yours either you caught COVID and sending you home was the right thing to do. If they had continued with your booking then the chance of the instructor/staff catching it and being ill means downtime for the business as I very much doubt they would allow a trainer that has tested positive to train people in a confined space.

Life is unfair and sometimes things don’t go to plan.

The pass protection is something they offer but you don’t have to take it up.

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Given the reputation of PSTT on here it may have been wiser to discuss it with the school in person rather than slagging them off on a public forum which they are a sponsor.

See above i messaged the account that is active on here who advised me it has been passed onto the MD and i heard nothing, i also got no where when i was emailing direct, im not slagging anyone off im posting feedback of my experience on the forum the place where i discovered the company.

It is not their fault or possibly yours either you caught COVID and sending you home was the right thing to do. If they had continued with your booking then the chance of the instructor/staff catching it and being ill means downtime for the business as I very much doubt they would allow a trainer that has tested positive to train people in a confined space.

Sending me home was the right thing todo not telling me that id be liable for more charges after already spending over £2k was the wrong thing todo.

Pass protection covers you in the event you don’t pass your test first time… Ive never been given the opportunity to take the test i originally paid for.

Is Tracy still in the office, may be with the takeover they changed personnel

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M4rk64uk:

Given the reputation of PSTT on here it may have been wiser to discuss it with the school in person rather than slagging them off on a public forum which they are a sponsor.

See above i messaged the account that is active on here who advised me it has been passed onto the MD and i heard nothing, i also got no where when i was emailing direct, im not slagging anyone off im posting feedback of my experience on the forum the place where i discovered the company.

It is not their fault or possibly yours either you caught COVID and sending you home was the right thing to do. If they had continued with your booking then the chance of the instructor/staff catching it and being ill means downtime for the business as I very much doubt they would allow a trainer that has tested positive to train people in a confined space.

Sending me home was the right thing todo not telling me that id be liable for more charges after already spending over £2k was the wrong thing todo.

Pass protection covers you in the event you don’t pass your test first time… Ive never been given the opportunity to take the test i originally paid for.

Try calling them on the phone and having a discussion with them about it. Before coming on here trying to make out they are a bad company. They are far from it.

The situation was out of their hands and your hands, it is what it is, given the short notice of not being able to attend it is likely in the terms and conditions of booking that further fees may be payable.

It is always better to try and resolve the issue with them direct rather than an open forum. Then if you still get nowhere with a resolution then by all means post your “feedback” thread.

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The situation was out of their hands and your hands, it is what it is, given the short notice of not being able to attend it is likely in the terms and conditions of booking that further fees may be payable.

I repaid my accommodation charges and offered to pay the DVSA test fee £115 but they wanted to charge me 3x as much hardly fair. Dont think i was out for a free ride id pay just wont be extorted for more money than it costs.

M4rk64uk:
The company will try and sell you 3 tests during the sales pitch for £350 at the start of your training so obviously they were trying to make money from me by charging me the same for one test.

From a casual onlooker’s perspective:

The £350 deal offered at sign-up seems like an insurance policy offering a maximum of two extra tests, but of course some will not need any extra tests, so it can’t really be seen as the price of two tests. The first test of course you get anyway presumably, nothing to do with the £350.

Or have I got something wrong?

Hope this helps.

Noremac:

M4rk64uk:
The company will try and sell you 3 tests during the sales pitch for £350 at the start of your training so obviously they were trying to make money from me by charging me the same for one test.

From a casual onlooker’s perspective:

The £350 deal offered at sign-up seems like an insurance policy offering a maximum of two extra tests, but of course some will not need any extra tests, so it can’t really be seen as the price of two tests. The first test of course you get anyway presumably, nothing to do with the £350.

Or have I got something wrong?

Hope this helps.

No you are correct the pass protection is for people’s piece of mind knowing they can have up to 3 tests should the worst happen. The standard charge for a retest I believe is £350 for the test fee vehicle hire etc.

The pass protection is offered purely for that basis for anyone who is worried about passing first time and gives them multiple attempts to pass at a heavily discounted rate, an insurance policy type of thing. It has been said many times by Peter the founder of the school that it costs more than that for 3 tests but the deal is there for anyone who wishes to partake. Of course like any insurance you may not need it but it can take the pressure off you knowing it’s there.

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M4rk64uk:
Yeah i sent a message on here which was forwarded to the MD never got any response.

Why use this forum to send a message? Their website has their phone number and email address clearly listed.

Zac_A:

M4rk64uk:
Yeah i sent a message on here which was forwarded to the MD never got any response.

Why use this forum to send a message? Their website has their phone number and email address clearly listed.

Why not? The whole reason i signed upto use them was their advert and participation on this forum my message was acknowledged and forwarded up the chain.

M4rk64uk:

Zac_A:

M4rk64uk:
Yeah i sent a message on here which was forwarded to the MD never got any response.

Why use this forum to send a message? Their website has their phone number and email address clearly listed.

Why not? The whole reason i signed upto use them was their advert and participation on this forum my message was acknowledged and forwarded up the chain.

Quite right.

M4rk64uk:
Why not?

Basically because there are appropriate ways and inappropriate ways to tackle any given situation.

When you have a complaint about a company’s practices (and your complaint is of a sufficiently serious nature) it should be presented with the level of seriousness with which you would hope it will be dealt with.

Messaging through an intermediary such as TN or some other type of social media, has no gravitas, the internet is full of people sounding off all the time, consequently it’s hard for people to take it seriously. Also, PSTTs reputation on these boards is very solid, so the average reader here is not likely to be massively supportive.

An email addressed to the MD, or preferably a named person you have met at the organization’s premises, is clearly going to be taken more seriously.

Additionally, presenting a complaint publicly, like this thread, can potentially jeopardize any legal avenues of redress that might otherwise be available to you.

.

Basically because there are appropriate ways and inappropriate ways to tackle any given situation.

What’s inappropriate in what I have written I seen an advert on here for a driving school I paid said school and I’ve posted my truthful experience on the place I seen the advertisement.

Messaging through an intermediary such as TN or some other type of social media, has no gravitas, the internet is full of people sounding off all the time, consequently it’s hard for people to take it seriously. Also, PSTTs reputation on these boards is very solid, so the average reader here is not likely to be massively supportive.

Not here for any support just posting my experience everyone seems to be upset that I dare open my mouth, yet no one has read the full post and offered any suggestions (See Below), just tried to criticise me.

I’m Now looking for another school in the area so my moneys not completely wasted learning the test routes so if anyone has any recommendations it would help.

Additionally, presenting a complaint publicly, like this thread, can potentially jeopardize any legal avenues of redress that might otherwise be available to you.

Not looking to go legal ill go to another school and just pay for a lesson and a test, its not the money its using the situation as a money maker like I’ve said I repaid my accommodation charges for my 2nd half of training and offered a DVSA test fee it just wasn’t enough.

M4rk64uk:

Basically because there are appropriate ways and inappropriate ways to tackle any given situation.

What’s inappropriate in what I have written I seen an advert on here for a driving school I paid said school and I’ve posted my truthful experience on the place I seen the advertisement.

Messaging through an intermediary such as TN or some other type of social media, has no gravitas, the internet is full of people sounding off all the time, consequently it’s hard for people to take it seriously. Also, PSTTs reputation on these boards is very solid, so the average reader here is not likely to be massively supportive.

Not here for any support just posting my experience everyone seems to be upset that I dare open my mouth, yet no one has read the full post and offered any suggestions (See Below), just tried to criticise me.

I’m Now looking for another school in the area so my moneys not completely wasted learning the test routes so if anyone has any recommendations it would help.

Additionally, presenting a complaint publicly, like this thread, can potentially jeopardize any legal avenues of redress that might otherwise be available to you.

Not looking to go legal ill go to another school and just pay for a lesson and a test, its not the money its using the situation as a money maker like I’ve said I repaid my accommodation charges for my 2nd half of training and offered a DVSA test fee it just wasn’t enough.

This thread may get more traction if it was in the new drivers forum where the company in question are sponsores rather than the PDF.

Its currently posted in New and Wannabe Drivers which is a sub forum of PDF ?

Chances are another school will not be prepared to just put you in for a lesson and test. Try actually speaking to them and see if you can resolve this issue with them direct.

Look the bottom line is you were unable to complete the training at short notice, unless there was anything in the terms and conditions about contracting COVID while training then you don’t really have a leg to stand on anyway. That is why you didn’t get the test you had paid for.

An extra test without the pass protection being taken up is charged standard at £350 for the test fee vehicle use, fuel etc etc. It is just as likely if another school would take you for one lesson and test it would cost the same if not more.

Seriously just speak then direct on the bloody phone sometimes things go wrong, there could have been some misunderstanding possibly. No one is perfect and there could be a multitude of reasons why your message was not forwarded or replied etc.

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Look the bottom line is you were unable to complete the training at short notice, unless there was anything in the terms and conditions about contracting COVID while training then you don’t really have a leg to stand on anyway. That is why you didn’t get the test you had paid for.

Have you read the post? Where does it say I wanted the test I paid for? I repaid for accommodation and offered to pay £115 the cost of a test with the DVSA

An extra test without the pass protection being taken up is charged standard at £350 for the test fee vehicle use, fuel etc etc. It is just as likely if another school would take you for one lesson and test it would cost the same if not more.

I never used the vehicle or fuel I paid for in the first place so I asked to carry this over and pay the DVSA test fee. Its the principle of it all if I have to go to another school and pay more so be it just along as I’m not being used to profit from on top of the £2286 I’ve already spent there.