Booking Terms, Cancellation & Refund Policy

These terms apply when a customer books or purchases services from Gerry's Driving School ("GDS", "we", "us") through our website, RoadReady, by telephone, text, email or in person. They form part of the contract between GDS and the person making the booking. Nothing in these terms limits rights that cannot lawfully be excluded under Irish consumer law.

1. Services covered

• Single manual or automatic driving lessons.
• Essential Driver Training (EDT), reduced EDT where applicable, refresher lessons and pre-test preparation.
• Full EDT or other lesson packages.
• Pre-test preparation and use of a GDS vehicle for a driving test.
• Category BE jeep-and-trailer training and test vehicle hire.
• The Pass Your Driving Test digital tutorial or other digital learning content sold by GDS.

The service description, current price, duration and availability shown at checkout or confirmed directly by GDS will apply to the booking. Website prices may change for future bookings, but a confirmed booking will not be increased unless the customer agrees to a change in the service.

2. Making a booking

• Choose the relevant lesson, package or product and supply accurate contact, learner and pickup information.
• Review the service, price, deposit, date or scheduling arrangements and these terms before submitting the booking.
• Pay the amount requested through RoadReady and Stripe, or by another payment method agreed with GDS.

The booking becomes confirmed when GDS or RoadReady issues confirmation. An acknowledgement that a request was received is not confirmation if instructor or vehicle availability still needs to be checked.

Customers must promptly tell GDS if the confirmation contains an error. Bookings are personal to the named learner and may not be transferred without GDS's agreement.

3. Learners under 18

A learner under 18 should book with the knowledge and consent of a parent or guardian. The adult making or approving the booking is responsible for payment and for helping the learner understand these terms. GDS may communicate directly with the learner about lesson arrangements where appropriate.

4. Prices, deposits and payment

Prices shown above reflect the website when these terms were prepared. The price displayed and confirmed at the time of booking is the contractual price.

A €50 booking deposit is normally required to secure lessons.

The deposit remains as credit on the learner's account and is applied to the final lesson of the course. If the final lesson lasts two hours, the deposit covers one hour and the remaining hour is payable. If the final lesson lasts one hour, the deposit covers that lesson in full.

A deposit is part-payment, not an additional fee. It may be retained or used against a late-cancellation charge only as described in section 7 and subject to the customer's statutory rights.

Any remaining balance must be paid when requested or before the relevant lesson, test service or product is supplied.

Card payments are processed through RoadReady and Stripe. GDS does not store full card details.

5. Learner responsibilities

For each lesson or test service, the learner must:

• hold and bring a valid learner permit or driving licence appropriate to the vehicle category;
• comply with any legal accompaniment, eyesight, corrective-lens or other licence conditions;
• arrive on time at the agreed pickup point and be contactable using the details supplied;
• wear suitable footwear and follow reasonable safety instructions;
• tell GDS before the lesson about any condition, medication, injury or circumstance that may materially affect safe driving, while providing only information needed for safety; and
• not attend under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs or any substance that makes driving unsafe.

GDS may refuse or stop a lesson where the learner cannot lawfully drive, is unfit to drive, acts dangerously or abusively, or creates a material safety risk. The circumstances will be considered fairly when deciding whether the lesson is charged or rearranged.

6. Punctuality and lesson duration

The learner should be ready at the agreed start time. If the learner is late, the lesson may still finish at the scheduled time so later bookings are not disrupted, and the full fee may remain payable. If GDS is late, reasonable time will be added where practicable or an appropriate adjustment will be arranged.

Where an instructor cannot safely wait at the pickup location and cannot contact the learner, the booking may be treated as a no-show after a reasonable attempt to make contact.

7. Customer cancellations, rescheduling and no-shows

Notice should be given by calling or texting 087 275 9482, or by using an available RoadReady cancellation or rescheduling function. Notice is effective when received by GDS or recorded by the booking platform.

GDS will consider genuine emergencies, serious illness and exceptional circumstances reasonably. Evidence may be requested only where proportionate. Repeated late cancellations may require advance payment before further lessons are accepted.

For a multi-lesson package, cancelling one lesson does not automatically cancel the entire package. A request to end the whole package will be handled under sections 9 and 10.

8. Cancellations or changes by GDS

GDS may need to change an instructor, vehicle, pickup arrangement or lesson time because of illness, weather, vehicle faults, road conditions, test-centre issues or other circumstances outside reasonable control. We will give as much notice as reasonably possible.

If GDS cancels a lesson, the customer may choose a reasonable replacement time or receive a refund or account credit for the service not supplied. GDS is not responsible for indirect costs such as lost earnings, travel or test fees where the cancellation was outside our reasonable control, except where liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

9. Statutory cooling-off rights

A consumer who concludes a service contract online or by telephone will generally have 14 days from the date of the contract to cancel without giving a reason, unless a legal exception applies. This statutory right is separate from the operational 24-hour lesson-cancellation rule.

If the customer asks GDS to begin providing lessons during the 14-day period and then cancels, GDS may charge a proportionate amount for services already supplied, where legally permitted and the required information and request were provided.

If the service has been fully performed during the cancellation period after the customer's express request and acknowledgement, the statutory cancellation right may end.

Where the statutory right applies, the customer may cancel by a clear statement sent to Gerard.gartlan@hotmail.com or by text to 087 275 9482. The model form in section 18 may be used but is not compulsory.

Any statutory refund due will normally be made within 14 days using the original payment method unless another method is agreed.

10. Package cancellations and refunds

If a customer ends a prepaid lesson package, GDS will calculate any refund fairly by deducting:

• the price of lessons or services already supplied;
• any properly applied late-cancellation or no-show charge; and
• any non-recoverable third-party charge that was clearly disclosed and lawfully chargeable.

Where the package included a discount based on completing a block of lessons, lessons already used may be recalculated at the applicable single-lesson price only if this was clearly disclosed before purchase and the resulting term is fair. No term in this policy requires payment for a service that was not supplied where such a requirement would be unlawful.

Approved refunds will normally be issued to the original payment method. Bank or payment-provider processing time may affect when the funds appear.

11. Pre-test preparation and vehicle hire

• The learner is responsible for booking the correct RSA test, date, time, centre and licence category, and for holding all documents required by the RSA.
• The learner must tell GDS promptly of any test-date change or cancellation. The 24-hour rule applies to late changes unless statutory rights or exceptional circumstances require a different result.
• Use of a GDS vehicle is subject to instructor and vehicle availability, insurance requirements and the learner being legally entitled and reasonably safe to drive it.
• GDS may refuse vehicle use where the instructor reasonably believes the learner is unsafe, unfit, unlicensed, inadequately prepared or not covered by applicable insurance. Any charge or refund will be assessed fairly in light of the circumstances.
• GDS cannot guarantee that the RSA will conduct the test or that a learner will pass. Test results remain the RSA examiner's decision.

12. Lessons in the learner's own vehicle

If GDS agrees to provide instruction in the learner's vehicle, the customer is responsible for ensuring that the vehicle is roadworthy, taxed, insured for driving tuition and the intended driver, has a valid NCT where required, displays the correct plates and has any controls or equipment reasonably required by the instructor. The instructor may refuse to use a vehicle that appears unsafe or unlawful.

13. EDT and training records

EDT lessons are recorded in accordance with applicable RSA requirements. A lesson can only be recorded as completed where the learner attends and the relevant learning outcomes and administrative requirements are satisfied. Payment does not guarantee that an incomplete or unattended EDT lesson will be signed off.

14. Digital tutorial purchases

The Pass Your Driving Test tutorial is digital content supplied through RoadReady. The product page or checkout should state the price, access period, compatibility and any important technical requirements before purchase.

Access is personal, non-transferable and for private learning use only. Customers must not copy, record, share, resell, publish or bypass access controls except where the law permits.

Where immediate access is supplied during the statutory 14-day cancellation period, GDS will obtain the customer's express consent to immediate supply and acknowledgement that the right to cancel is lost once supply begins, where Irish law permits.

If the content is not supplied, does not work as agreed or is not in conformity with the contract, the customer retains statutory rights to have the problem corrected and, where applicable, to receive a price reduction or terminate the contract and obtain a refund.

The tutorial supports learning but does not guarantee a test pass and does not replace required practical instruction or RSA requirements.

15. Complaints and problems with a service

Please contact GDS promptly and explain the problem, the booking date and the outcome requested. We will aim to acknowledge the complaint within five working days and resolve it within a reasonable time.

Where a service or digital product does not comply with the contract, the customer may have statutory rights to correction or repeat performance, a price reduction, cancellation or refund. Nothing in these terms removes those rights.

16. Liability and safety

GDS will provide services with reasonable care and skill and in accordance with applicable law. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, wilful misconduct, breach of statutory consumer rights, or any liability that cannot legally be excluded.

Subject to those protections, GDS is not responsible for a learner's independent driving outside a lesson, an RSA test decision, or loss caused by inaccurate information supplied by the customer. Each party should take reasonable steps to reduce avoidable loss.

17. Privacy, communications and changes

Personal data is handled under the GDS Privacy & Data Protection Notice. Booking messages, reminders and service updates may be sent by telephone, text, email or RoadReady. Marketing messages will be handled separately and can be opted out of.

We may update these terms for future bookings. The version accepted when a booking is confirmed will normally govern that booking. If a necessary change materially affects a confirmed service, GDS will explain the change and any available options.

18. Model cancellation form

You only need to use this wording if you wish — a clear email or text saying you are cancelling is just as valid where a cancellation right applies. Copy the template below into an email or text, or use the button to open a pre-filled email, filling in your own details. If posting a paper copy, add your signature and the date.

Email a cancellation request →

19. Contact

Gerry's Driving School — Gerard Gartlan, RSA-approved ADI 34225
Email: Gerard.gartlan@hotmail.com
Telephone: 087 275 9482
Website: www.gerrysdrivingschool.net

See also our Privacy & Data Protection Notice and Cookie Policy.