Terms & Conditions

1. What this service is

Affordable Instructors is a booking service for independent driving instructors. We list instructors, take your booking, and collect a deposit that reserves the appointment. We are not a driving school. We do not employ instructors, we do not provide behind-the-wheel training, we do not deliver driver education courses, and we do not issue completion certificates of any kind.

2. Relationship between you and the instructor

The lesson itself is a contract between you and the instructor. They set their own rate, their own deposit and their own availability, and they teach in their own vehicle under their own licence and insurance. We act only as the booking agent: we arrange the appointment and hold the deposit. We are not a party to the lesson.

3. The deposit

Booking an appointment requires a deposit, paid to us by card. The amount is set by the instructor and is shown to you before you confirm. The deposit guarantees the appointment: it is our fee if the lesson goes ahead, it is paid to the instructor if you do not attend or cancel too late for them to refill the slot, and it is refunded if you give sufficient notice or if the instructor cancels. The full table of outcomes, and the current notice window, are set out in our Payments & Refunds policy, which forms part of these terms.

The balance of the lesson price is not paid to us. You pay it directly to your instructor on the day, in cash, cheque or money order. We do not collect it, invoice for it, guarantee it, or refund it.

4. Card handling

Your card details are encrypted in your own browser before they are sent to us and can only be opened by an authorised administrator holding a passphrase that is never stored on our servers. Card data is destroyed once the deposit has been processed, and in any event automatically after a short retention period. We keep only the card brand, the last four digits and the billing ZIP so a charge can be matched to your account later.

5. Licence verification and its limits

Before an instructor appears in the directory, an administrator checks the instructor licence number they provide. A "Licence verified" badge means we checked it on the date shown. It is not a guarantee of the instructor's current licence status, insurance, vehicle condition, competence or conduct. Licences can lapse or be revoked between checks. You should confirm an instructor's credentials yourself before your first lesson.

6. No endorsement or warranty

Listings, ratings and reviews are provided for information only. We do not endorse any instructor and make no warranty about the quality or safety of instruction. The service is provided "as is" to the fullest extent permitted by law.

7. Accounts

You must give accurate information and keep your password confidential. You are responsible for activity under your account. We may suspend or remove any account or listing at our discretion, including a listing whose licence we can no longer verify.

8. Reviews

You may post one review per instructor and you may edit it. Reviews must be honest and based on your own experience. We may remove reviews that are abusive, fraudulent, defamatory, or that disclose someone's personal information.

9. Instructor obligations

If you list yourself here, you confirm you hold a current instructor licence issued by the appropriate state authority, that you carry the insurance your state requires, and that you will keep your licence details on this site accurate. Tell us immediately if your licence lapses, expires, or is suspended or revoked.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any loss, injury, damage or dispute arising out of instruction arranged through this directory. Have counsel draft the operative language here — this clause is the one most likely to be tested.

11. Changes

We may update these terms. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised terms.

12. Contact

YOUR-CONTACT-EMAIL / YOUR-BUSINESS-ADDRESS