GoatDrive ("we", "us", "our") is a marketplace platform operated as a sole trader business based in the United Kingdom. We connect learner drivers ("students") with independent, DVSA-approved driving instructors ("instructors").
GoatDrive is a marketplace, not a driving school. The driving lessons themselves are provided by independent instructors, not by GoatDrive. By using our platform, you agree to these Terms of Service.
Our platform is currently available to users in Edinburgh and the EH postcode area. We plan to expand to further UK cities.
To book lessons or list as an instructor on GoatDrive, you must:
You are responsible for all activity that takes place under your account. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at [email protected].
We reserve the right to suspend or permanently ban accounts that violate these terms, without notice and without refund where the violation warrants it.
When you request a lesson, payment is taken immediately via Stripe. The lesson is not confirmed until the instructor accepts your request. Bookings in a "pending" state are awaiting instructor confirmation and should not be treated as confirmed lessons.
If an instructor does not respond to a booking request within 24 hours, the request will automatically expire and your payment will be refunded in full. You will receive an email notification if this happens.
GoatDrive displays instructor coverage areas and pickup radii as provided by the instructor. We do not independently verify that an instructor can reach a specific address within a stated area. Students who book lessons with a pickup postcode outside an instructor's stated coverage area do so at their own risk. If an instructor declines a booking solely on the basis that the pickup location is outside their coverage area, this does not automatically entitle the student to a refund under our standard policy. We recommend checking an instructor's listed postcodes carefully before booking.
All instructors must hold a current, valid ADI (Approved Driving Instructor) badge issued by the DVSA. Applications are manually reviewed by GoatDrive before your listing goes live. We may request proof of your ADI badge and DBS check at any time.
Your profile will be listed as inactive until we have approved it. We may decline or remove any instructor application at our discretion.
Instructors are independent contractors, not employees of GoatDrive. GoatDrive provides a booking platform only. You are responsible for your own tax obligations, insurance, and compliance with DVSA requirements.
These standards apply to all instructors on GoatDrive. Repeated or serious violations will result in removal from the platform.
All payments are processed securely by Stripe. You pay the instructor's published hourly rate multiplied by the lesson duration. GoatDrive does not charge students any platform fee — you pay exactly what the instructor charges.
GoatDrive charges instructors a 5% commission on lessons booked and paid through the platform only. Direct payment lessons carry no commission. The 5% is deducted automatically from the Stripe payout before it is transferred to the instructor. There are no monthly fees, subscription costs, or sign-up charges.
Stripe payment processing fees (approximately 1.5% + 20p per transaction) are absorbed by GoatDrive from its 5% commission share and are not passed on to instructors or students.
Founding instructors who join during the launch period have their commission waived for their first 3 months on the platform.
Instructor earnings from completed lessons are transferred to their connected Stripe account 24 hours after the lesson end time, provided no no-show has been reported during the reporting window. Stripe then pays out to the instructor's nominated bank account on their standard payout schedule.
If a no-show is reported, the funds are held pending resolution. See Section 7 for the full dispute process.
Refunds are issued in the following circumstances:
Refunds are processed to your original payment method and typically appear within 5–10 business days, depending on your card issuer.
Cancellations made within 24 hours of the lesson start time are not eligible for a refund unless the instructor also cancels.
This section covers your rights and obligations when cancelling a lesson or reporting a no-show. Please read it carefully before booking.
You may cancel a confirmed lesson free of charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time. To cancel, visit My Bookings in your GoatDrive account. Your payment will be refunded in full.
Cancellations within 24 hours of the lesson start time are not eligible for a refund. This policy exists to protect instructors from lost income caused by last-minute cancellations.
Cancellations within 2 hours of the lesson start time are not permitted through the platform. If you are unable to attend, please contact your instructor directly.
If an instructor cancels a confirmed lesson for any reason, the student will receive a full refund. Instructors who repeatedly cancel confirmed lessons may be suspended or removed from the platform.
If an instructor fails to arrive for a confirmed lesson, students may report a no-show using the button in My Bookings. The reporting window opens 10 minutes after the scheduled lesson start time and closes 10 minutes before the scheduled lesson end time.
For example: for a 1-hour lesson booked at 10:00am, the no-show button is available between 10:10am and 10:50am.
Reporting a no-show puts your payment on hold pending review. Do not use this feature unless your instructor has genuinely failed to appear.
Once a no-show is reported, the following process applies:
Instructors who accumulate two or more confirmed no-shows will be flagged for manual review by GoatDrive. Depending on the circumstances, this may result in:
A confirmed no-show is one where the student's report was not successfully contested by the instructor within the 48-hour window, or where GoatDrive resolved the dispute in the student's favour.
If a student does not appear at the agreed pickup location within 15 minutes of the lesson start time without prior notice, the instructor may treat the lesson as a student no-show. No refund will be issued in this case.
Instructors should contact GoatDrive if they believe a student is abusing the booking or cancellation system.
The following are prohibited on GoatDrive:
Violations may result in immediate account suspension, permanent ban, and reporting to relevant authorities where applicable.
GoatDrive is a marketplace that facilitates connections between students and instructors. We are not responsible for the quality, safety, or outcome of lessons conducted by instructors on our platform.
We do not verify that instructors hold adequate vehicle insurance, though we require them to confirm this. Students should satisfy themselves that their instructor holds appropriate insurance before taking a lesson.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, GoatDrive's liability to you in connection with our services is limited to the total amount paid by you for the specific booking that gave rise to the claim.
Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
Our platform is provided "as is". We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability of the GoatDrive platform and are not liable for any loss caused by downtime or technical failure.
You may close your account at any time by contacting us at [email protected]. Closing your account does not entitle you to a refund of any confirmed bookings.
We may suspend or permanently terminate your account at any time if we believe you have breached these terms, without prior notice. In the case of termination due to a breach, we are not obligated to provide a refund.
Upon termination, your right to use the GoatDrive platform ceases immediately. We may retain your data as required by law or for legitimate business purposes — see our Privacy Policy for details.
We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. We'll notify registered users by email when we make significant changes. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
The "last updated" date at the top of this page always reflects when these terms were last revised.
If you have questions about these terms, please contact us:
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.