Please help to comment on the driving school issues

Kivenlahti · Post by **Kivenlahti** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:21 pm

Hi, I met one bad experience here in Finland, can somebody help to tell me what I should do? Any comments will be highly appreciated!

The story is, I took an English driving course in Leppavaara from 18 April 2012, and by the end of July I finished almost all the driving lessons except the slippery drving lessons, I also passed the theory exam in July 2012.Also I payed for the whole course already. I was supposed to take slippery driving lesson in August, and just before the slippery driving lesson I got one email from driving school, I was told that the teacher was sick, driving school will send me email to tell me when I can take the slippery driving school. But they never sent me email or call me after that, I called the responsible guy after 1 month and he promised to answer my email to tell me the plan when I can have slippery driving lessons and then take driving exam. One week passed again, no any email and calls, I then went to the driving school to have face to face talk with driving school, I was then told that they don't have English speaking driving teacher after the former English speaking teacher left! And also I was told that they don't have any idea when I can have rest driving lessons and then take driving exam! I need the drawing license ASAP and then buy my own car, I don't want to waste time waiting endless! They even refused to tell me any plan of my future driving lesson arrangement!

So can somebody knows if there are any related agency from Finnish government to take care of this kind of issues. I payed all the money for the course, and now I can't get the full serivce and finish my driving course! They just let me to wait, and no more explanations, no plan on my driving at all.

I am sorry for so long history and thanks for your time in advance. Please help to comment what I should do.

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raamv · Post by **raamv** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:42 pm

Negotiating with them might be your good option.
Otherwise, your other choices are
http://www.kuluttajavirasto.fi/en-GB/
Lawyers are going to be very expensive and might not be worth your expenses.
Try to negotiate with them whether they can arrange the other lessons from another school and take your exam!!
Hope it works out with you..

Kivenlahti · Post by **Kivenlahti** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 5:05 pm

Hi, Raamv,

Thanks a lot for the comments, I will follow your comment and try to negoatiate with my driving school. But I have some kind of gut feeling that it will be difficult, I pushed them many time already, they should have that option for me already if they are willing to. Anyway I will try to negotiate with them and update it. Thanks again and have a nice weekend.

wolf80 · Post by **wolf80** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 5:51 pm

I'm not sure, does an English speaking instructor need to be licensed in any way? Otherwise try to ask them if they have a teacher with not that good but at least sufficient English skills for just that one lesson.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 6:58 pm

Ask if you can take a friend to translate. The friend can sit in the back seat and interpret if you don't understand the instructor.

It sounds a bit fishy to me, I can't believe they can't find an instructor with good enough English to teach you. Don't let them push you around. if you have paid for the whole package then they have to provide the service. Go to the ombudsman (there is probably one in Sello) and ask them for advice if the school refuses to be helpful.

Kivenlahti · Post by **Kivenlahti** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:13 pm

Hi, Wof80,

Thanks. As I know driving teacher needs to be qualified in advance and then get the license to give driving lessons. Now the problem is that the driving school didn't give me any solutions except letting me waiting endless. It is really awful. I will keep taling with the school. Thank you for the nice comment.

Kivenlahti · Post by **Kivenlahti** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:27 pm

Hello, Rosamunda,

Your advice is also quite nice and workable,but it's not that easy for my friends or my colleagues to find time to go together with me for the driving lessons, also I haven't talk this with the driving school, I am not sure if they accept this. I can propose this to the driving school if they eventually can't find the teacher. I will talk with driving school again, and if they can't still give me any plan and schedule, I will try to seek for help from ombudsman. Can you please give me the weblink where I can't find the necessary info of the Finnish ombudsman? I never met this kind of things, and I also don't know how to deal with this kind things.

Thank you all for the very valuable, helpful comments and help. I will update this till the issue is solved.

Have a nice evening.

Hämeen Hitain · Post by **Hämeen Hitain** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:48 pm

Try to get your money back from all that you did not get, and documents of what you already have done. Then start looking for another school.

I did that in 1970's.

Kivenlahti · Post by **Kivenlahti** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:01 pm

Hello, Hämeen Hitain,

Actually I also had that thought, but I am not sure if the driving school is willing to give me money and the documents back to me. If finally they can't give me any solutions, I will try that solution, but I don't really want to do like that, since it will then take more time to find new driving school.

I am now thinking of buying lottery, since I met very rarely happened thing here.

I got quite many good adivces from so many nice friends, and I was really touched. I sincerely thank you all so much again and wish you a nice evening.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:10 pm

Kivenlahti wrote:Can you please give me the weblink where I can't find the necessary info of the Finnish ombudsman?

raamv gave the link to the ombudsman at the top of this thread

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