Young Driver Recensioni 

I booked a 30-minute lesson for my niece using a voucher that included an in-car recording of the session. From the start, I had issues with the online booking system as I couldn’t reset my password, so I contacted them for help and then booked over the phone.

During that call I explained the situation and was assured everything had been noted and that the booking would include the recording as part of the package.

My niece attended the lesson and really enjoyed it. However, at the end of the session we were told the lesson had not been recorded at all. We were also told at the time that no memory stick had been provided for the recording, which suggests it was never set up or attempted in the first place. This is very different from what was later described to us as a “technical issue”.

This inconsistency, along with the failure to deliver something that was clearly included in what we paid for, was extremely disappointing. The recording was a key part of the experience and the reason the package was chosen.

What made this worse was the handling afterwards. We were told the issue would be passed to head office and that someone would contact us. Nobody did. I also submitted feedback and again received no response unless I chased it myself.

After eventually receiving replies, I was offered either a refund for the recording only or a 20% discount on a future booking. I explained that this was not acceptable, as I had purchased a package and not separate items. The recording was not delivered, and the experience paid for was therefore incomplete.

Despite multiple emails and escalation, they refused to offer a replacement lesson or full refund, insisting the lesson itself had been delivered so the issue was minor. Their own website heavily promotes the recording as a way to “preserve, re-watch and share the experience,” which makes their position feel inconsistent with how the product is advertised.

In the end, I was told this was a “final decision” and no further resolution would be offered beyond a refund of the recording cost or a discount on a future booking. I do not consider this fair given that the service purchased was not delivered as sold, and I would not feel confident booking again after this experience.

Overall, while the lesson itself was enjoyable, the customer service, communication, and handling of the issue afterwards were very poor and left a very negative impression.

UPDATE:

The company has confirmed that no recording was captured due to an “operational issue,” but maintains that under their interpretation of clause 25.2, the recording element is still considered delivered even when it was never actually set up or completed.

This interpretation was not made clear at the time of booking and appears to have been applied only after the issue arose. On the day, we were told the recording had not been set up and that no memory card had been provided, which does not match the later explanation.

Most importantly, the recording was a key reason for choosing this package, and I would not have proceeded had I been told there was any risk it might not be provided.

The company has also confirmed they are not part of any independent dispute resolution scheme, meaning there is no external adjudication when disagreements arise and customers are left entirely dependent on the company’s internal decision-making.

While the lesson itself went ahead, the package purchased was not delivered in full, and the outcome offered does not reflect the loss of the recording or the impact this had on the overall experience.

In practice, the lesson was delivered, but the experience I paid for was not — and the way this has been handled has left no meaningful resolution or independent route to challenge that decision.

My grandson absolutely loved the whole experience. So much so❄️ ive booked another one.

Very reassuring instructor

The instructor was really calm and friendly with my ND son. He enjoyed it so much we have booked another 3 sessions.

My son recently attended his first 60-minute lesson with Young Driver, and it exceeded our expectations.

The registration process was very straightforward, and the session started right on time. We expected it to be a simple introduction to driving, but within minutes he was actually behind the wheel and learning real driving skills. The lesson included much more than just driving forwards – he practised a variety of tasks, including navigating roundabouts and reverse parking, which was a pleasant surprise. It felt like a genuine driving lesson rather than just a driving experience.

The biggest compliment came from my son himself. On the journey home, he couldn't stop talking about how much fun he had. He was especially grateful to his instructor, who he described as kind, encouraging and full of energy. The instructor continuously supported and motivated him throughout the lesson, helping him build confidence while learning new skills.

Thank you to the instructor and the Young Driver team for making his first driving lesson such a positive and memorable experience. We would highly recommend Young Driver to other parents looking to give their children a safe and enjoyable introduction to driving.

A great experience for my 5 year old grandson.

Peter was an excellent tutor. Venue was perfect.

Lessons are easy to book. Every member of staff is warm, friendly and approachable. My grandsons have a 1 hour lesson each at Newark and every time they walk back to us they are beaming with what they achieved.
Fabulous service!

The instructor was very condescending to my daughter and the actual course did not allow her to come out of 1st gear.

Not a happy customer!she has been to Birmingham before which was great but the Bristol one is complet Different and for a different type of driving according to the instructed. Not what we were sold 😔

My boys had their first driving lesson on the 30th May and absolutely loved it! The instructors were amazing and friendly. My boys walked away feeling happy and confident!

Instructors just great

I have emailed the company directly, twice, but it seems like they only bother responding on here where it is seen publicly. I’ll attach my email here for not only others to bear in mind when booking but also because I believe there’s more chance of receiving feedback from the company.

I would have rated 2-3 starts but given that they can’t be bothered to respond to concerning behaviour/lessons from their instructors I think that brings them down a couple of stars.

Dear Young Driver,

I wanted to provide some feedback regarding my son’s lesson today.

My son is 12 years old and attended his second lesson with Young Driver today. His first lesson was with Brian, who was fantastic, calm, patient, encouraging, and he gave really helpful feedback afterwards. My son came away from that session feeling confident, proud of himself, and excited to continue learning.

Unfortunately, today’s lesson with Hanif was a completely different experience. After the session, our son told us that the instructor seemed very impatient throughout, frequently huffing and sighing and appearing visibly frustrated with him while he was driving. As a young child who is still completely new to driving, this made him feel as though he was constantly doing something wrong rather than being supported and guided through the lesson. It also does not look like Hanif bothered to fill out his drive diary.

There was also very little feedback given to us afterwards, just a brief comment that he “needed to stop doing something” before the instructor walked away.

Our son was extremely upset after the lesson and burst into tears afterwards. Today was supposed to be a really nice day for him and something he had been looking forward to, but instead this experience upset him for the rest of the day and completely knocked his confidence.

Young Driver is promoted as an experience that helps children build confidence and enjoy driving from an early age, which is exactly why we booked these lessons, so it was very disappointing to see the complete opposite effect from today’s session.

At this point, we are unfortunately unlikely to continue using Young Driver because of this experience, which is such a shame after how positive his first lesson had been.

I wanted to raise this feedback because the difference between the two experiences was so significant.

I did speak to a staff member after the lesson today but I feel it’s important this is raised and taken seriously so that other young children do not have the same experience.

Many thanks to Stuart. We were very impressed with lesson today and wish we had started with Young Driver sooner. Would highly recommend.

Great experience for kids. Instructors very good. 2 lessons down.

The recording I paid for didn't work, got home to find the card has no recording on it.

Fantastic experience. This is fantastic as a one off or getting them ready for driving lessons without the stress of being out on the main road. My son had an hour lesson and got to do many different manouvers. So easy to book online. Friendly instructors. Big thankyou to shafik. Will definitely book again.

they made my grandson feel at ease and gave him the confidence to enjoy his experience

The driving instructors in the in person lessons do not create an environment in which the driver feels comfortable, often very negative, or rude, and do not encourage safe, comfortable driving. The lessons are expensive, and you’re better to go with a more affordable option.

My son was taught by Bill at Bluewater who gave my son a fantastic first driving lesson for his 11th birthday. Bill was patient and understanding of my sons needs (autism) and taught him to steer around the track, do left and right turns and steer around closely set cones, he taught him road signs and even how to reverse bay park. My son thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to go back again!

I am extremely disappointed with the service received. Due to an injury, I needed to cancel a pre-booked appointment, yet there was no flexibility to reschedule or provide a refund despite the circumstances. I feel the level of customer service shown was poor and lacking in understanding. I would have expected a more reasonable approach when dealing with genuine situations such as injury. Unfortunately, based on this experience, I would not use your service again or recommend it to others.