3 On Your Side: Searching For A Driving School
Jim Donovan reports...
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Getting a drivers license is a rite of passage for many teens. But the excitement new drivers experience may be equal to the fear their parents are feeling when their children hit the road. And while many parents pay for lessons to help their young driver learn the rules of the road, 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan says you need to do your homework first.
When Mariah Gillis' parents paid for her to take driving classes, she says she ended up getting minimal teaching and an earful from her instructor. According to Mariah, "While I was driving, he was pretty much talking to me about everything that was going wrong with the business."
Mariah's mother Tiffany wasn't happy to hear that. She says, "I was disturbed, distraught, I thought, 'How unprofessional.'"
The Better Business Bureau says that, in recent years, there has been a big spike in complaints against driver education programs. Paula Fleming of the BBB says, "The nature of these complaints surround high pressure sales tactics, lack of show - so they tell you they're going to show up and practice driving with you and they do not show up - issues surrounding sales practices."
So how do you make sure you don't go down the wrong road with a bad school?
Fleming says, "Parents should ask several questions when they're interviewing driving schools. First of all, they want to be sure they have legitimate licenses if necessary in their state."
If a driving school does have complaints inquire with the company about how they are handled and resolved.
"Who are the people who are taking care of your children? How do they do background checks? Very important, and people don't often think of that," Fleming elaborates.
Many people choose a driving school based on word of mouth. That's fine, but don't just ask for names of schools, ask other new drivers if they had any problems. Mariah's mother found out about the problems only after complaining about the school she hired for her daughter.
Reported by Jim Donovan, CBS 3
