AA fined and ordered to refund learner drivers for hidden fees
The owner of the driving schools has been fined for failing to disclose fees upfront online.
www.bbc.comHere’s what’s reported recently about the AA Driving School and BSM Driving School (owned by the AA) and the CMA fine.
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered refunds to more than 80,000 learner drivers and imposed a £4.2 million fine on the AA Driving School and BSM Driving School for drip pricing—not including a mandatory booking fee in upfront prices shown online. This action is part of CMA’s crackdown on deceptive online pricing practices. [CMA press release and multiple reports from April 2026]
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The refunds total more than £760,000 and are distributed to affected customers based on the number of lesson packages purchased; the average payout is around £9 per learner, though amounts vary by individual purchase history. The CMA noted this was the first time it used its new enforcement powers to secure money back for consumers. [CMA press release summaries and coverage from BBC, The Independent, and WiredGov]
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The case marked the CMA’s first financial penalty under its new consumer-protection powers for drip pricing, with the AA having admitted to breaches and agreeing to an early settlement, which yielded a 40% reduction in the penalty. [CMA press release and coverage]
If you’d like, I can pull up the latest official CMA page and a couple of reputable news sources with direct quotes and the exact refund calculation details, and summarize them for you. I can also outline what this means for learner drivers planning future driving-school bookings in the UK.