- AA Driving School and BSM Driving School have been ordered to refund over 80,000 customers and pay a £4.2 million fine by the UK competition watchdog.
- The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found the driving schools engaged in "drip-pricing" by illegally omitting a mandatory £3 booking fee from their advertised upfront prices.
- Individual refunds will average around £9 per customer, totalling over £760,000, bringing the combined refunds and penalty to nearly £5 million.
- This marks the first financial penalty issued by the CMA for a breach of consumer law since it gained new enforcement powers.
- The AA Driving School stated they have made immediate changes to their website and are refunding all relevant customers, who do not need to take any action as refunds will be automatic.
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