Terms of Service

1. Introduction

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the InstructorGo platform ("Platform"), operated by DeskLink Ltd, a company registered in the United Kingdom ("we", "us", "our", "InstructorGo").

By creating an account or using the Platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

2. About the Platform

InstructorGo is an online marketplace that connects learner drivers ("Learners") with DVSA-approved driving instructors ("Instructors"). We facilitate bookings, secure payments, and in-app communication between Learners and Instructors.

InstructorGo does not directly provide driving instruction. Instructors are independent professionals and are not employees, agents, or representatives of DeskLink Ltd. We do not supervise, direct, or control the manner in which Instructors deliver their services.

We may also offer the Platform to driving schools ("Schools") whose owners may register, manage a team of Instructors, and handle payments on their behalf.

3. Eligibility

To use the Platform, you must:

• Be at least 16 years of age. Users aged 16 must hold or have applied for a valid UK provisional driving licence.
• Users under 18 confirm they have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to use the Platform.
• Provide accurate, complete, and current information during registration.
• Not have been previously banned from the Platform.

4. User Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account.

Each user may hold only one account. Accounts are non-transferable. You must not create an account on behalf of another person without their express consent.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account at our sole discretion, with or without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, abusive behaviour, or any conduct we deem harmful to the Platform, its users, or its reputation.

5. Learner Responsibilities

As a Learner, you agree to:

• Hold a valid UK provisional driving licence (or have applied for one if aged 16).
• Attend booked lessons on time at the agreed pickup location.
• Treat Instructors with respect and courtesy at all times.
• Comply with all road traffic laws and follow the Instructor's directions during lessons.
• Not attend lessons under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any substance that may impair your ability to learn safely.
• Provide accurate information about your driving experience level.

6. Instructor Responsibilities

As an Instructor, you agree to:

• Hold a valid DVSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) licence at all times while active on the Platform.
• Maintain valid motor insurance that covers tuition use. You must self-declare your insurance status at registration and upload proof of insurance within 14 days of account activation. InstructorGo may conduct spot checks at any time, and failure to demonstrate valid insurance will result in immediate suspension.
• Maintain a roadworthy vehicle with a valid MOT certificate (where applicable).
• Set your own hourly rates, availability, and service radius honestly and accurately.
• Attend confirmed bookings on time and deliver lessons to a professional standard.
• Treat Learners with respect and courtesy at all times.
• Not solicit Learners to make payments outside the Platform to circumvent fees.
• Comply with all applicable laws, including data protection legislation.

Instructors acknowledge that they are self-employed independent professionals and are solely responsible for their own tax affairs, National Insurance contributions, and compliance with HMRC requirements.

7. Bookings

Learners may book lessons in three ways: on-demand (immediate), scheduled (future date and time), or direct (with a specific Instructor). All bookings require a non-refundable deposit of £30.00 at the time of booking, unless cancelled in accordance with our cancellation policy below.

Once a booking is confirmed, both the Learner and Instructor are expected to honour the commitment. The remaining lesson balance is payable after the lesson is completed, either through the Platform or in cash directly to the Instructor.

Instructors set their own hourly rates within the range permitted by the Platform (currently £25.00 to £75.00 per hour). The total lesson cost is calculated based on the Instructor's hourly rate and the booked duration.

8. Cancellations

Learner Cancellations

• 24 hours or more before the lesson: Full deposit refund.
• Less than 24 hours before the lesson: The £30.00 deposit is forfeited and credited to the Instructor's wallet as compensation.
• On-demand bookings: Cancellations after an Instructor has been matched and is en route will result in forfeiture of the deposit.

Instructor Cancellations

If an Instructor cancels a confirmed booking, the Learner will receive a full refund of their deposit. The Instructor will receive a strike on their account. Instructors who accumulate three strikes may have their account suspended or terminated.

No-Shows

If a Learner fails to appear at the agreed pickup location within the designated waiting period, the booking will be marked as a no-show. The £30.00 deposit will be retained by the Instructor as compensation.

9. Payments & Fees

Learner Payments

All deposit payments are processed securely through Stripe. The remaining lesson balance may be paid through the Platform (via card) or in cash directly to the Instructor. InstructorGo does not charge Learners any platform fees.

Instructor Subscription

Instructors are required to maintain an active monthly subscription to accept bookings on the Platform. New Instructors receive a 2-month free trial. After the trial period, the subscription fee is charged monthly. Failure to maintain an active subscription will result in the Instructor's profile being taken offline.

Instructor Wallet & Withdrawals

Earnings from completed lessons are credited to the Instructor's InstructorGo wallet. Instructors may withdraw available funds to their linked bank account via Stripe Connect at any time. Standard payment processing fees applied by Stripe may apply.

Newly credited funds may be subject to a holding period of up to 3 business days before becoming available for withdrawal. Instructors with 6 or more months of tenure and no active strikes may be eligible for immediate availability.

School Subscription

Driving schools pay a monthly base subscription fee which includes one instructor seat, plus an additional monthly fee for each extra instructor seat. Schools receive a 2-month free trial. The school owner manages billing and payouts on behalf of all Instructors within the school.

10. Chargebacks & Disputes

If a Learner initiates a chargeback (payment dispute) with their bank or card issuer, InstructorGo will investigate the claim. If the chargeback is upheld, the corresponding amount plus a £15.00 administrative fee will be debited from the relevant Instructor's wallet.

We encourage all users to contact InstructorGo support before initiating a chargeback so we can attempt to resolve the issue directly.

11. Reviews & Ratings

After a completed lesson, Learners may leave a review and rating for their Instructor. Reviews must be honest, factual, and respectful. Reviews that contain abusive language, discrimination, defamation, or content unrelated to the driving lesson may be removed at our discretion.

Instructors may respond to reviews with a public reply. Instructors may also dispute a review they believe to be unfair or inaccurate. InstructorGo will review disputed reviews and make a binding decision on whether to uphold or remove them.

12. Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises between a Learner and an Instructor regarding a booking, lesson quality, payment, or any other matter, either party may raise a dispute through the Platform. InstructorGo will review submissions from both parties, investigate the matter, and issue a binding decision.

We aim to resolve all disputes within 14 business days. Our decision on disputes raised through the Platform is final.

13. Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose.
• Provide false, misleading, or fraudulent information.
• Harass, threaten, abuse, or discriminate against any user.
• Attempt to circumvent the Platform's payment system to avoid fees.
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity or qualifications.
• Interfere with the operation of the Platform or attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems.
• Use automated tools, bots, or scripts to access or interact with the Platform.
• Solicit personal contact information from other users for purposes outside the Platform.
• Post or transmit any content that is defamatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable.

14. Account Suspension & Termination

InstructorGo reserves the right to suspend or permanently terminate any user account at our sole discretion, with or without notice, for any reason. Grounds for termination include, but are not limited to:

• Fraud or attempted fraud.
• Abusive, threatening, or discriminatory behaviour towards any user.
• Illegal activity conducted through or in connection with the Platform.
• Misrepresentation of identity, qualifications, or insurance status.
• Repeated violations of these Terms (including accumulation of 3 strikes for Instructors).
• Any conduct we deem harmful to the Platform, its users, or its reputation.

Upon termination, any outstanding wallet balance owed to an Instructor will be paid out within 30 days, subject to completion of any ongoing investigations or disputes. If an account is terminated for fraud, we reserve the right to withhold any outstanding balance.

15. Intellectual Property

All intellectual property rights in the Platform, including its design, code, branding, and content created by InstructorGo, are owned by DeskLink Ltd. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of the Platform without our prior written consent.

By submitting content to the Platform (including reviews, photos, and profile information), you retain ownership of your content but grant DeskLink Ltd a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual licence to use, display, reproduce, modify, and distribute such content in connection with the operation of the Platform and related marketing.

16. Limitation of Liability

InstructorGo is a marketplace platform only. We do not provide driving instruction and accept no liability for the actions, omissions, or conduct of any Instructor, Learner, or third party.

Without limiting the foregoing, InstructorGo is not liable for:

• Any accident, injury, death, or property damage occurring during or in connection with a driving lesson.
• The quality, safety, or legality of any driving instruction provided.
• The accuracy of any Instructor's qualifications, insurance status, or ADI licence.
• Any loss arising from the cancellation or non-completion of a lesson.
• Any loss of data, revenue, or profits arising from use of the Platform.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the total aggregate liability of DeskLink Ltd arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the total amount you have paid to InstructorGo in the 12 months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless DeskLink Ltd, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

18. Data Protection & Privacy

We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for full details on how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data.

When you delete your account, your personal data will be deleted immediately. However, financial transaction records will be retained for a minimum of 6 years as required by UK tax and accounting legislation (including HMRC requirements).

Anonymised and aggregated data that does not identify you may be retained indefinitely for analytical and platform improvement purposes.

19. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you at least 14 days in advance via email and/or in-app notification before the updated Terms take effect.

Your continued use of the Platform after the updated Terms take effect constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree with the updated Terms, you must stop using the Platform and close your account.

20. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the United Kingdom.

21. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

22. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and DeskLink Ltd regarding your use of the Platform and supersede any prior agreements or understandings.

23. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

Company: DeskLink Ltd
Platform: InstructorGo
Email: support@instructorgo.co.uk
Website: https://instructorgo.co.uk