Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

The Driving Instructors (thedrivinginstructors.com) is a UK-based platform that connects learner drivers with DVSA-approved driving instructors. Our registered contact address is Birmingham, United Kingdom. You can reach us at info@thedrivinginstructors.com or by calling 07999 995818.

2. What data we collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

• Students: name, email address, phone number, postcode, lesson preferences, and payment information (processed securely by Stripe — we do not store card details).
• Instructors: name, email address, phone number, driving licence details, ADI certificate number, areas covered, bank account details (for payment purposes), and a profile photograph.
• Website visitors: anonymised analytics data (page views, session duration) via our analytics provider.

3. How we use your data

We use your personal data to:

• Match learner drivers with suitable instructors and facilitate bookings.
• Process payments and release funds to instructors after lessons are delivered.
• Send booking confirmations, lesson reminders, and service updates by email or SMS.
• Maintain instructor accounts and portal access.
• Improve our platform and services.
• Comply with our legal obligations.

4. Legal basis for processing

We process your data on the following legal bases under UK GDPR:

• Contract performance — to fulfil a booking or instructor agreement.
• Legitimate interests — to operate and improve our platform.
• Legal obligation — where required by law.
• Consent — for marketing communications (you may withdraw consent at any time).

5. Data sharing

We share your data only where necessary:

• Stripe — payment processing. Stripe's privacy policy applies to card data.
• Instructors — we share your name, phone number, and lesson details with the instructor assigned to your booking.
• Students — instructors' names, areas, and profile information are displayed publicly on our directory.
• We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

6. Data retention

We retain booking records for 6 years to comply with financial and legal obligations. Instructor account data is retained for the duration of the instructor's active relationship with us, plus 2 years. You may request deletion of your data at any time (subject to legal retention requirements).

7. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate data.
• Request erasure of your data (the "right to be forgotten").
• Object to or restrict processing.
• Data portability.
• Withdraw consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@thedrivinginstructors.com. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you logged in and to maintain your session. We may also use analytics cookies to understand how visitors use our site. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

9. Security

We use industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and access controls to protect your data. Payment data is handled exclusively by Stripe and never stored on our servers.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes by email. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.

11. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.