80,000 learner drivers to get money back over 'drip pricing' breach

80,000 learner drivers to get money back over 'drip pricing' breachAction has been taken against two of the biggest schools in the countryCommentsNewsNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)07:21, 15 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesThe new rules ban drip pricing for everyone - including learner driversDriving schools which didn't tell learners about mandatory fees before they signed up have been ordered to pay the money back.‌The AA Driving School and BSM Driving School – both of which are owned by the AA – have been told to refund more than 80,000 customers and pay a fine of £4.2 million. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ordered the AA to refund thousands of learner drivers over 'drip pricing'.‌The CMA found that more than 80,000 learners were not shown the total price upfront when booking lessons online – as required by law. Instead, a mandatory fee was included later in the process.‌As a result of the CMA’s investigation, the AA must refund affected customers over £760,000 and pay a fine of £4.2 million for breaking consumer law – bringing the total cost to almost £5 million. This is the first financial penalty the CMA has imposed for a breach of consumer law using its new enforcement powers.View 3 ImagesLearners had to pay more than they knewThe amount repaid to individual consumers will vary depending on how many lesson packages they purchased, with the average payout around £9. Affected customers do not need to take any action to secure their refund. The AA Driving School or BSM Driving School will write to each customer outlining that their money will be automatically refunded onto the card they used to pay for their lessons – if that is not possible, the customer will be sent a cheque.‌The AA moved quickly to address the CMA’s concerns. Having admitted to breaking the law, and agreeing to settle the case early with the CMA, the company received a 40% reduction to its financial penalty.Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the...