Missed my MOD 1 test...but am i totaly to blame?

[TheManWithThe...]

Hi,

I had my MOD1 test booked for yesterday morning at 8:30, with my bike hire due to start at 7:00, giving us an hour and a half to get from Stapleford in Nottingham, to Burton on Trent test center.

Unfortunately for me, because i am a massive cock, (and i admit this part is entirely my fault) i misread the booking form for the test being at 9:30 (that was the time of my training session the day before) so i woke up at 7:00, aiming to get to the shop in plenty of time, to leave at 8:00.

At 7:32, i received a phonecall from the shop saying i was late and wasn't going to make it in time. I was convinced the booking form said i was due there at 8, so whilst the instructor was double checking the times, i finished on the bog (nice) and rushed to get ready in the hope that we might just make it on time, which took me 9 minutes to finish...you know-ing, get my clothes on, pull on my boots, grab my booking form from the moped outside, and have my jacket, helmet and gloves waiting infront of me.

I then rang him (at 7:41) to confirm i'd been a huge dick and had misread the times.
I asked if i had lost my £15 test fee, and he said i had, however failed to mention i would also lose the £60 i had payed to use their bike, and be accompanied there.

To miss my test and lose the £15 was disappointing, but to then find out later i had also lost the £60 fee was the kick in the balls for me.

My main argument over losing my £60 fee is:
A) i did not use service

B) the instructor waited a full half hour after i was due to try to find out where i was.
I know it's not his responsibility, but he did say when he rang me "I'm sorry mate, i would have called earlier but i've only just seen the time...i think we're gonna be too late"
Had he rang at 7:10, 10 minutes after i was due to be there, i could have easily been at the shop in under 15 minutes, which would have given us plenty of time to get there.

C) When i asked if i had lost my £15 test fee, there was no mention of also losing the £60 accompaniment fee. Had i known, i would have asked if i could have joined him to ride to the second persons test that day, as i have already paid to do that, and just to watch the person do the test for some riding experience and a bit more insight and preparation into how the test is conducted.

D) On the phone, the instructor told me it would take about an hour to reach the center, whereas one of the directors of the shop yesterday said it would take between 1 hour and 30 mins and 1 hour 45 mins to get there, whereas on the AA route planner, a direct route via the A38 is said to only take an estimated 39 minutes.
If there was a chance of getting to the test on time via the more direct route, i would have liked to have the chance to try, however i was simply told that we would never make it on time.

When i asked at the shop about possibly just losing half of my fee, as i didn't use the service, i was told that all £60 of it was going to be the trainer's pay.
There was going to be another student doing his test on the same day, so a total of £120 was taken by the shop for the 1 trip to B'on'T.
As i was told, if my £60 was used to pay the trainer, what did the other £60 go to?

So let's say to pay the instructor's £60 pay, £30 from each of us is taken.
That leaves 30 of my Great British pounds that was left over...unless the instructor's bike and the student's 125 drank about 44 liters of petrol between them.


For a 25mile trip (and another 25 back) i highly doubt even a BMW RT1200 (the instructor's bike) would use £60 worth of fuel, and the 125 bike the other student was riding would use so little, it is hardly worth mentioning.

I am going to email one of the directors later today asking if £30 of my money could be reimbursed or discounted from the cost of a training session planned before MOD 2.

Failing this, i plan to change to a different bike school.

Any advice on whether i have a leg to stand on throughout all this or anything that could help me in any way would be appreciated.

Cheers
____________________
MBK Nitro 50, Sold. Kawasaki ER-5, Honda ST1100
"Anyone can jump a motorcycle! The trouble begins when you try to land it..."

[felicity]

From their point of view, if you hadn't already booked that slot, the instructor could have taken someone else who would have paid £60. Would you book a lesson (which might have one instructor and two students), not turn up, and expect a refund?

[TheManWithThe...]

I can see that side of the argument, but had a had a call 10 minutes, rather than 30 minutes after I'm due to arrive, i could have very easily got there with plenty of time to spare
____________________
MBK Nitro 50, Sold. Kawasaki ER-5, Honda ST1100
"Anyone can jump a motorcycle! The trouble begins when you try to land it..."

[Imonster]

As above, if he has turned down enquiries for that day because you were already booked in then he is £60 out of pocket if he doesn't recoup his costs from you - make sense?

FWIW, I would have done the same thing.
____________________
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

[felicity]

It might have been nice if they had called earlier, but it's not their job to get you out of bed; in the end, it's entirely your responsibility to get there on time. Losing £75 is annoying, but at least you probably won't do it again.

I think it would be a mistake to change instructor because you blame them for something which is basically your fault, and I'd be very surprised if you could get a refund. You probably signed some T&Cs which say that if you don't turn up, you lose any fees paid.

[Imonster]

[pinkyfloyd]

[TheManWithThe...]

[pinkyfloyd]

[TheManWithThe...]

[pinkyfloyd]

Good man.
____________________
illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[Rogerborg]

[TheManWithThe...]

oh wow...yes good one..i am very impressed with the amount of whit and cunning that went into that post!


Just to let everyone who posted a decent response, ive taken the few days, and several chill pills and decided theres no point trying to argue who's fault it was: it was mine; if i hadn't been a complete nonce and had got the times right in the first place, id have been fine.

Sod the £75..it's only money. Lesson learned.

Mod 1 booked (Again) for the 6th of september, looking out for any earlier cancellations as well
____________________
MBK Nitro 50, Sold. Kawasaki ER-5, Honda ST1100
"Anyone can jump a motorcycle! The trouble begins when you try to land it..."

[hedgehugger]

Well done!
Don't forget to set the alarm for your alarm!