Covid while training @ Peter Smythe Transport Training

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
21

M4rk64uk:

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.

Shessh I give up with you, but good luck cause you are going to need it to become a truck driver.

I’m oot!!

Sent from my CPH2173 using Tapatalk

22

Yeah i can see where this situation is comparable to driving funny that ive been driving professionally for the last 12 years guess i should throw in the towel now on your advice thanks for that :unamused:.

23

I’ve got to say that I get the op’s point and sympathise.
To be fair, I’d have kept my mouth shut about having covid if I didn’t feel ill.
Too late now though.
Good luck with it.

24

Yeah its a case of doing the right thing in this situation was not actually the right thing to do, lesson learnt don’t be an honest person.

25

Hi all as a complete outsider never had anything to do with HGV tests, driving schools ,fees,etc reading what M4 RK 64 UK has written ,and he has the right to write about it ,
he was asked for a extra fee when he returned to take the HGV test he lost out on seems to me a bit excessive .

OR would that be after going back to finish his training then take the test that he should have original taken,
for a re test that he might not have needed and the fee was a insurance against a second test a lorry hire.

In my view after the non completion of the training course some of the £2.286 ought to have been reviewed with good will.
he was up front and told the staff that he was positive for COVID[well done that man] COVID has not gone away ,he did the right thing protecting the staff and others and he lost out.
so much for looking after your fellow man .

26

Seems there are some Trojan horses in this forum! The op, has been had over! Plain and simple!

The company lost nothing but went out of their way to charge him their vehicle rental/fuel fees twice! He did the right thing and got punished for it! He could have carried on and incapacitated one of their trainers potentially permanently but didn’t!
The company took his money and paid his dvla fee! In reality he paid it in his training/test fees! They then attempted to extort his fees again for vehicle and fuel fees that were no doubt used training another individual!

In reality, many people fail their fisrt time and even his original test was probably sold on! Sorry mate but flogging a dead horse in here! It’s practically the PSTT forum!

27

At the present time the facts are:

  1. There is no legal requirement to isolate.
  2. No PCR tests are available on the NHS.

Since the testing stopped I have contracted Covid-19 (identified by lateral flow rather than PCR) and my employer advised that it was my choice whether to come in, but if I didn’t it would be standard sickness procedures. My employer also point blank refused to check the holiday calendar for availability. I acted accordingly and went in wearing a mask. Relevant background is that a few weeks earlier, those with a positive PCR test could have up to ten days off paid.

So, the moral of the story is, turn up wearing a mask and if either the school or the DVSA want to cancel, send you home etc, then let them cancel, send you home.

28

M4rk64uk:
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.

Hi Mark

I‘m sorry you are unhappy with the service you received from Peter Smythe Transport Training Ltd, and hope you have recovered from covid.

We ordinarily wouldn’t go in to detail about any of our candidates. However, as you have posted on Google, our Facebook page and Trucknet, we therefore feel it only fair to everyone that we post a public reply.

We agree that you informed us on day 2 of your training course that you had Covid. However, you did tell us that you were so ill that you were unable to leave your room. Naturally we wished you a speedy recovery and told you to give us a call when you were well enough.

Our terms and conditions state that any course cancellation made by the customer within 10 working days of the due course start date will result in full course fees, including VAT and test fees being forfeited. In this instance we allowed you to continue with your training at no extra charge.

We are a private test centre and are only allocated a limited number of tests by the DVSA each week. We have to give the DVSA 10 days’ notice to cancel tests without any repercussions. We have already had the cost of the trainer for your period of sickness, which at short notice we weren’t able to fill his time with another candidate. We feel that we are being more than fair and reasonable in just asking for our standard retest fee whilst standing all other above costs.

If you would like to discuss this further, we respectfully request that you email us at info@petersmythe.co.uk for the attention of Paul.

Please note, we will make no further posts or comments on this or any public forum regarding this matter.

29

Two sides to every story…
Doesn’t play the same in my head now, don’t know about everyone else.

30

TBH, with PSTT’s solid rep, and OPs inappropriate way of dealing with it, I didn’t expect there not to be a very good ‘other side of the coin’. Also I have ties to a driving school (different to PSTT) and I’ve seen other candidates making similar unfounded complaints.

31

I read that the op was “sent home”…

Not the case according to Pete.

32

We agree that you informed us on day 2 of your training course that you had Covid. However, you did tell us that you were so ill that you were unable to leave your room. Naturally we wished you a speedy recovery and told you to give us a call when you were well enough.

Don’t think I ever said I was too ill to leave the room seeing as I walked into the town centre over to Superdrug to buy some Covid tests just 30 mins before my phone call to the office. I did tell them I wasn’t feeling well I mean this is how I knew to take a test, you didn’t address the fact that I wasn’t told I was going to be charged again when I had that phone call because if I would of been told I was going to be charged I would of been there as legally I was allowed to under current Covid guidance.

Our terms and conditions state that any course cancellation made by the customer within 10 working days of the due course start date will result in full course fees, including VAT and test fees being forfeited. In this instance we allowed you to continue with your training at no extra charge.

Them conditions are for cancelling before your start date how do they apply here ? I never mentioned cancelling my course anyway I phoned reception and said I had Covid what should I do? I was told to go home and under no circumstances was advised id have to pay again.

We are a private test centre and are only allocated a limited number of tests by the DVSA each week. We have to give the DVSA 10 days’ notice to cancel tests without any repercussions. We have already had the cost of the trainer for your period of sickness, which at short notice we weren’t able to fill his time with another candidate. We feel that we are being more than fair and reasonable in just asking for our standard retest fee whilst standing all other above costs.

Is it 10 Days or 3 because the office staff seem to think its 3 from the email below, what happens when the bookings are low do you lay off the instructors ? I mean they are salaried employees so you were paying them if I was or wasn’t there anyway.

“Good morning Mark,
Your initial test is included in the course price. However, due to the test not being able to go ahead and cancelled less than 3 clear working days of the test date, we still have to pay for that test. Therefore, the retest fee is required of £350.00 as this is the standard rate we charge for a retest as these covers both Vehicle Hire for the test and Test fee.”

Zac_A:
TBH, with PSTT’s solid rep, and OPs inappropriate way of dealing with it, I didn’t expect there not to be a very good ‘other side of the coin’. Also I have ties to a driving school (different to PSTT) and I’ve seen other candidates making similar unfounded complaints.

They have confirmed everything I said is true, from me calling in after day 2 ( They have tried to make out I was bed ridden but I have answered that) and them wanting to charge me the standard test fee.

What they have not addressed is why my message on here went unanswered when forwarded up the chain and why I was never told about a retest fee on my initial call.

I sent that message on the 15th way before my second training, the back office were aware of the situation when I returned I know it had been discussed internally but no one said anything to me, but I make a public post about the experience and now they want to reach out.

33

Paul@PSTT:
Hi Mark

I‘m sorry you are unhappy with the service you received from Peter Smythe Transport Training Ltd, and hope you have recovered from covid.

We ordinarily wouldn’t go in to detail about any of our candidates. However, as you have posted on Google, our Facebook page and Trucknet, we therefore feel it only fair to everyone that we post a public reply.

If you would like to discuss this further, we respectfully request that you email us at info@petersmythe.co.uk for the attention of Paul.

Please note, we will make no further posts or comments on this or any public forum regarding this matter.

^^^^^^^^^^ yet to you still wish to flog them publically instead of opening up a dialogue in private.

Sent from my CPH2173 using Tapatalk

34

Like I said previously ill go to another school and pay them this isn’t about the money its the principle (You probably didn’t read that one either like your other reply’s seem to show)

I understand why your getting at me like you are, you did your training at PSTT so think that they cant do anything wrong, I’m posting here as this is my experience with the company and its the outlet which convinced me to sign up. If people don’t believe me then that’s up to them if you want I can contact an admin and ask them to lock the post that way its only read only and people can make there own mind on what’s been posted by myself and PSTT.

This will be my last reply to you addressing your concern’s I’m oot !!

35

M4rk64uk:
Like I said previously ill go to another school and pay them this isn’t about the money its the principle (You probably didn’t read that one either like your other reply’s seem to show)

I understand why your getting at me like you are, you did your training at PSTT so think that they cant do anything wrong, I’m posting here as this is my experience with the company and its the outlet which convinced me to sign up. If people don’t believe me then that’s up to them if you want I can contact an admin and ask them to lock the post that way its only read only and people can make there own mind on what’s been posted by myself and PSTT.

This will be my last reply to you addressing your concern’s I’m oot !!

I am aware you said it’s on principle. But you seem to only see it from your perspective. And principles only get you so far in life.

I offered points from a different perspective. Yes I did my training with them but am in no other way associated with them. I also said I feel you have gone about this the wrong way. But I would still have said the same even if I had not trained with them. That is purely irrelevant, but if you train with them and then post on a subject you must be blowing smoke up their arse. Opinions are like ■■■■■■■■■ everyone has one.

Yet you’re happy to pay even more money than the initial £350 required based on principles which to me seems ridiculous but it is your choice.

As I said take it up with the school in person rather than tarnishing their reputation online, which is ultimately your goal it seems to me and quite probably others. But it seems that
is the only recourse you want to me at least.

Oh and I am absolutely clear that some companies do indeed deserve the reputation they get, but in this case I don’t believe it is so. I think they get a lot more flack for being a sponsor of this site which they pay to do.

Sent from my CPH2173 using Tapatalk

36

I did not do my training with PSTT, nor do I have any current connection with them at all, but I still think you have handled this complaint in an entirely wrong manner.

You could have contacted them directly to see what could be worked out; that would have been the mature, reasonable approach. Instead you chose to publicise your dissatisfaction, not only on this channel, but seemingly across the wider social media. From what I can see you’re just wanting some kind of digital ‘pound of flesh’.

Their T’s and C’s allowed them to cancel all your training and give you nothing in return, but it seems they were gracious enough not to do that

“In this instance we allowed you to continue with your training at no extra charge.”

How much more do you expect of a company?

And they are absolutely correct that they would have lost that test slot, because DVSA are very strict on this - this is why test slots are like gold dust, ask any HGV driving school.

37

You could have contacted them directly to see what could be worked out; that would have been the mature, reasonable approach. Instead you chose to publicise your dissatisfaction, not only on this channel, but seemingly across the wider social media. From what I can see you’re just wanting some kind of digital ‘pound of flesh’.

I questioned it via email and was told its standard test fee I’m not going to beg anyone to take my money, apologies for sharing my experience but as you can see above it was confirmed by them i called in reported Covid and they wanted to charge me standard test fees that’s all my post is about ?

Their T’s and C’s allowed them to cancel all your training and give you nothing in return, but it seems they were gracious enough not to do that

“In this instance we allowed you to continue with your training at no extra charge.”

How much more do you expect of a company?

The T’s and C’s they quoted are cancelling your course within 10 days before you start, if you want to go into T’s and C’s here’s the ones for becoming ill while training

21. Should a candidate become ill whilst on their course, any tuition not received will be given at a later date subject to us being able to find a replacement candidate to take up the lost time. Any test fee lost must be reclaimed from the DVSA and is subject to their terms and conditions. A doctor’s certificate covering the day’s lost, including the test day must be provided. No refund of training fees can be made.

So they have given me my tuition at a later date I’ve never said I had an issue with that, I’m in the process of claiming my DVSA test fee back from the DVSA , but there’s no mention of repaying any sort of fees what so ever like I said I offered to pay the DVSA fee again. I’ve never asked for a refund of any sorts so it seems I’ve followed the terms and conditions. My expectations were to repay for my accommodation which I did and repay my DVSA test fee nothing more nothing less.

And they are absolutely correct that they would have lost that test slot, because DVSA are very strict on this - this is why test slots are like gold dust, ask any HGV driving school

Yeah they 100% would of done so I offered to pay again.

38

Seems reasonable to me. PSTT lose the test fee if you don’t show up, regardless of the reason. Part of the cost to you is the use of the vehicle and fuel for the test. You didn’t do the test, and PSTT lost use of the vehicle for anyone else, while still offering to train you later when you’re better. You used two time slots; but they only get one set of fees.

I trained with them and found them to be excellent. If you go anywhere else I’ll bet it will cost more than £350! It ■■■■■, yes, but you’ve already started, so might as well finish there, too.