In April I registered with the London Bus Driving School. I paid £1,750 by debit card and was given a date in June for the first training session. I was told that I would be contacted by an instructor a week before. Three days before the lesson I had heard nothing and was told that due to problems at the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency the training would be postponed for a week.
A week later, I received a message letting me know that the company had ceased trading. I asked my bank to issue a chargeback but it told me that since the company has not gone into liquidation, it can’t help. NS, London
There’s nothing on the company’s website to suggest that there’s a problem except that the phone number no longer works. But the two prominent photos of red Transport for London double-deckers are misleading. TfL says it has never heard of the company, which is not authorised to train people to drive public buses. The only way to do that is to train with one of the contracted bus operators. The firm, which trades as LGV Drivers Training Ltd, is still listed as “active” on the Companies House register but a spokesperson for Companies House confirms that the process has begun to strike it off as it has failed to file annual accounts.
If you had paid by credit card you could have claimed a refund via your card issuer under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Debit cards don’t have such legal protection and the chargeback scheme, which covers thwarted transactions, is voluntary. However, your bank’s response is misleading. Whether or not the company has gone into liquidation, it is still in breach of contract so your claim should be considered under chargeback rules.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.
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