AA Driver's Seat / AA Te Kaiurungi: Terms and conditions

The following terms and conditions apply to the range of driving lessons offered by the AA Driver's Seat driver training programme.

AA Driver's Seat: Starter Session for new drivers

Available to all those on a learner licence only.
You must bring your physical licence (not a digital or photocopied version), corrective eye wear (if required as a condition on your licence) and appropriate closed shoes to every lesson. Failure to meet any of these requirements will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
Each Starter Session is an hour in duration; consisting of a Background Briefing, In Vehicle Skills Assessment and a Planning Debrief to set up the next steps.
The Starter Session is limited to one per student. All further lessons are booked as Driving Lessons.
The support person attending the lesson may contribute to the Briefing and Debrief, but for safety reasons may not provide input into the In Vehicle Skills Assessment.
You may not have any other passengers (e.g. children or infants) in the car as they may distract you from driving.
A Starter Session must be prepaid and booked online. Bookings are subject to availability.
To be eligible for the discounted offer, the learner must hold a current AA Youth, Associate or Full Membership.
A valid AA Membership number is required at the time of booking the discounted Starter Session.
All Member and Non-Member offers are subject to change and notice thereof will be provided online.
Session is non-transferable.
The AA Member discounted Starter Session does not form part of the maximum 10 discounted lesson offer and is booked separately.
Your Starter Session will start and finish at an AA Centre or AA designated location.
If you arrive within 10 minutes after your agreed booking time, the In Vehicle Skills Assessment will be shortened by an equivalent amount of time, at the Driving Instructor’s discretion.
If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to your agreed booking time, it will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
Any cancellations or changes to your booking must be made online or in writing via contacting your driving instructor at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of your session.
If you cancel online more than 24 hours prior to the commencement of your session, you can rebook online without incurring a cancellation fee.
Cancellation or changes due to any reason including sickness (to chosen instructor, time or date) within 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson will incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
If you fail to arrive for your booking it will result in a session cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the session fee.
The Starter Session will be conducted in the instructor’s dual control vehicle for safety reasons.
All of our vehicles are fully insured and dual controlled for your safety.
To be eligible for the AA Membership discounts, your valid AA Membership needs to be linked to your online profile prior to completing any purchase or making any bookings. Presentation of a proof of AA Membership after a paid purchase or booking will not be accepted to claim for retrospective AA Membership discounts.
AA may share basic information like name, lesson schedule, booking status and post-lesson notes with the organisation paying on behalf of the student for driving lessons. This is for the sole purpose of keeping them updated. AA handles information in line with the latest regulations and policies, ensuring confidentiality and security.
All of our vehicles are fully insured, dual controlled and have an in-car camera for your safety.
All BEV (Battery electric vehicles) and PHEV (Plug-in petrol hybrid vehicle) owners if you wish you take the lesson in your own car then you must ensure that your vehicle has a current RUC licence and present proof of this before any driving lesson. Instructors are required to verify the RUC licence and will cancel the lesson if the vehicle does not have a current RUC licence displayed and the current odometer reading is less than the ‘maximum distance recorder’ shown on the RUC label (including the distance needed for the lesson) and you will be charged the full lesson fee.
All lessons are in the Instructor's dual controlled vehicles unless other arrangements are made prior with your Instructor.
Vouchers are valid for one year from the date of purchase and lapse if not redeemed during the period of validity.
AA Driving School - Driving Lessons shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service.
AA Driving School - Driving Lessons reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice.
Prices of all Services are subject to change with or without notice.
Credit card security is implemented using secure SSL encryption on all transactions and processed using a secure, trusted, PCI compliant payment gateway and used by AA Driving School - Driving Lessons for payment processing.
All fees and transactions are in New Zealand dollars.
We reserve the right to terminate the session if:

You engage in any behaviour that your instructor determines is reckless; or
You fail to comply with the instructions or directions of the instructor before/during a session; or
Your instructor has assessed your driving skills/competence and deemed you to be unfit/unsafe to drive; or
You show any signs of impairment that will impact your ability to drive safely.

If your session is terminated for any of the above reasons, you will incur a cancellation fee equal to the session fee.

AA Driver's Seat: Driving Lessons

Available to all those on a learner, restricted or full licence (Class 1).
You must bring your physical licence (not a digital or photocopied version), corrective eye wear (if required as a condition on your licence) and appropriate closed shoes to every lesson. Failure to meet any of these requirements will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
Each Driving Lesson is an hour in duration and tailored to your needs.
The support person (Parent/Caregiver) has the option to attend the lesson but for safety reasons must not provide input into the practical driving lesson.
You may not have any other passengers (e.g. children or infants) in the car as they may distract you from driving.
All Driving Lessons must be prepaid and booked online. Bookings are subject to availability.
To be eligible for the discounted offer, the learner must hold a current AA Youth, Associate or Full Membership.
All Member and Non-Member offers are subject to change and notice thereof will be provided online.
When joining as a new AA Member, you need to allow a minimum of 24 business hours before booking any Member discount lessons.
Lessons are non-transferable.
Driving Lessons can be conducted in the instructor’s dual control vehicle or your personal vehicle, if agreed upon with the instructor.
All of our vehicles are fully insured and dual controlled for your safety.
When using your personal vehicle, you must ensure that your vehicle has a valid registration, WOF, and be of a WOF standard at time of lesson, for example the brake light and indicators must operate. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
When using your own vehicle for the lesson, the insurance is your own responsibility. Please check with your own insurer to ensure you have the correct cover.
Your Driving Lesson will start and finish at your selected location, chosen when booking.
The offer of 10 discounted lessons for AA Members can include any of these combinations: Driving Lessons, 5 Lesson Package, Practice Restricted Test & Practice Full Test. If taking more than 10 lessons they can be booked online, at the full fee.
The discounted Starter Lesson does not form part of the maximum 10 discounted lesson offer and is booked separately.
If you arrive within 10 minutes of your scheduled booking time, the Driving Lesson will be shortened by that amount of time, at the Driving Instructor's discretion. E.g. If you arrive to your booking 5 minutes late, your booking will be shortened to 55 minutes long.
If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to your agreed booking time, it will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
Any cancellations or changes to your booking or instructor must be made online or in writing via your driving instructor at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson.
If you cancel online more than 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson, you can re-book online without incurring a cancellation fee.
Cancellation or changes due to any reason including sickness (to chosen instructor, time or date) within 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson will incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
If you fail to arrive for your booking it will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
AA may share basic information like name, lesson schedule, booking status and post-lesson notes with the organisation paying on behalf of the student for driving lessons. This is for the sole purpose of keeping them updated. AA handles information in line with the latest regulations and policies, ensuring confidentiality and security.
To be eligible for the AA Membership discounts, your valid AA Membership needs to be linked to your online profile prior to completing any purchase or making any bookings. Presentation of a proof of AA Membership after a paid purchase or booking will not be accepted to claim for retrospective AA Membership discounts.
Our instructors are committed to following Waka Kotahi NZTA guidelines while conducting driving lessons and preparing students for their driving test. Instructors are not permitted to conduct lessons along the test routes to avoid students becoming proficient only on the specific route and then potentially being at risk when driving on different routes and when handling different driving conditions. It is a Waka Kotahi NZTA guideline that we do not teach the test route, AA Driving School teach safe driving skills with the goal of helping students to pass their practical driving tests and prepare them to drive safely in different driving conditions when tested.
All of our vehicles are fully insured, dual controlled and have an in-car camera for your safety.
All BEV (Battery electric vehicles) and PHEV (Plug-in petrol hybrid vehicle) owners if you wish you take the lesson in your own car then you must ensure that your vehicle has a current RUC licence and present proof of this before any driving lesson. Instructors are required to verify the RUC licence and will cancel the lesson if the vehicle does not have a current RUC licence displayed and the current odometer reading is less than the ‘maximum distance recorder’ shown on the RUC label (including the distance needed for the lesson) and you will be charged the full lesson fee.
All lessons are in the Instructor's dual controlled vehicles unless other arrangements are made prior with your Instructor.
Vouchers are valid for one year from the date of purchase and lapse if not redeemed during the period of validity
AA Driving School - Driving Lessons shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service.
AA Driving School - Driving Lessons reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice.
Prices of all Services are subject to change with or without notice.
Credit card security is implemented using secure SSL encryption on all transactions and processed using a secure, trusted, PCI compliant payment gateway and used by AA Driving School - Driving Lessons for payment processing.
All fees and transactions are in New Zealand dollars.
Lesson credit - The lesson package credits will expire 24 months from the date of purchase. After expiry, the lesson credit will be automatically converted in to account balance that can be used towards any product(lesson/session) within the AA Driving School online booking system. Book Driving Lessons | AA Driving School - Driving Lessons

Utilizing account balance - While the lesson credit may be expired, the account balance can still be used to book a driving lesson. The cost of a new driving lesson booking will be based on the current pricing at the time of booking, not at the original price at the time of credit issuance. This would mean that you may have to pay the difference to book a lesson after the original credit expiry. If you have purchased with the membership discount, you would still need an active AA membership to take advantage of any member discount at the time of booking.
Refund - You can request a refund at any time by clicking on Email Us | AA New Zealand and it will processed to the card used for the purchase.

35. We reserve the right to terminate the assessment if:

You engage in any behaviour that your instructor determines is reckless; or
You fail to comply with the instructions or directions of the instructor before/during the assessment; or
Your instructor has assessed your driving skills/competence and deemed you to be unfit/unsafe to drive; or
You show any signs of impairment that will impact your ability to drive safely.

If your lesson is terminated for any of the above reasons, you will incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee

AA Driver's Seat: Practice Restricted Licence Test

Available to all those on a Learner Licence (Class 1).
You must bring your physical licence (not a digital or photocopied version), corrective eye wear (if required as a condition on your licence) and appropriate closed shoes to every lesson. Failure to meet any of these requirements will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
Each Practice Restricted Test is an hour in duration and is based on the Restricted Licence Test requirements.
Practice Restricted Tests must be prepaid and booked online. Bookings are subject to availability.
To be eligible for the discounted offer, the learner must hold a current AA Youth, Associate or Full Membership.
All Member and Non-Member offers are subject to change and notice thereof will be provided online.
The Practice Restricted Test booking is non-transferrable.
The Practice Restricted Test can be conducted in your personal vehicle or the instructor’s dual control vehicle, if agreed upon with the instructor.
All of our vehicles are fully insured and dual controlled for your safety.
When using your personal vehicle, you must ensure that your vehicle has a valid registration, WOF, and be of a WOF standard at time of lesson, for example the brake light and indicators must operate. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
When using your personal vehicle for the lesson, the insurance is your own responsibility. Please check with your own insurer to ensure you have the correct cover.
Your Practice Restricted Test will start and finish at an AA Centre or AA designated location.
If you arrive within 10 minutes after your agreed booking time, the Practice Restricted Test will be shortened by an equivalent amount of time, at the Driving Instructor’s discretion. E.g. If you arrive to your booking 5 minutes late, your booking will be shortened to 55 minutes long.
If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to your agreed booking time, it will result in a booking cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
Any cancellations or changes to your booking must be made online or in writing via your driving instructor at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson.
If you cancel online more than 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson, you can re-book online without incurring a cancellation fee.
Cancellation or changes due to any reason including sickness (to chosen instructor, time or date) within 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson will incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
If you fail to arrive for your booking it will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
To be eligible for the AA Membership discounts, your valid AA Membership needs to be linked to your online profile prior to completing any purchase or making any bookings. Presentation of a proof of AA Membership after a paid purchase or booking will not be accepted to claim for retrospective AA Membership discounts.
Our instructors are committed to following Waka Kotahi NZTA guidelines while conducting driving lessons and preparing students for their driving test. Instructors are not permitted to conduct lessons along the test routes to avoid students becoming proficient only on the specific route and then potentially being at risk when driving on different routes and when handling different driving conditions. It is a Waka Kotahi NZTA guideline that we do not teach the test route, AA Driving School teach safe driving skills with the goal of helping students to pass their practical driving tests and prepare them to drive safely in different driving conditions when tested.
AA may share basic information like name, lesson schedule, booking status and post-lesson notes with the organisation paying on behalf of the student for driving lessons. This is for the sole purpose of keeping them updated. AA handles information in line with the latest regulations and policies, ensuring confidentiality and security.
All of our vehicles are fully insured, dual controlled and have an in-car camera for your safety.
All BEV (Battery electric vehicles) and PHEV (Plug-in petrol hybrid vehicle) owners if you wish you take the lesson in your own car then you must ensure that your vehicle has a current RUC licence and present proof of this before any driving lesson. Instructors are required to verify the RUC licence and will cancel the lesson if the vehicle does not have a current RUC licence displayed and the current odometer reading is less than the ‘maximum distance recorder’ shown on the RUC label (including the distance needed for the lesson) and you will be charged the full lesson fee.
All lessons are in the Instructor's dual controlled vehicles unless other arrangements are made prior with your Instructor
Vouchers are valid for one year from the date of purchase and lapse if not redeemed during the period of validity.
AA Driving School - Driving Lessons reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice.
AA Driving School - Driving Lessons shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service.
Prices of all Services are subject to change with or without notice.
Credit card security is implemented using secure SSL encryption on all transactions and processed using a secure, trusted, PCI compliant payment gateway and used by AA Driving School - Driving Lessons for payment processing.
All fees and transactions are in New Zealand dollars.
Lesson credit - The lesson package credits will expire 24 months from the date of purchase. After expiry, the lesson credit will be automatically converted in to account balance that can be used towards any product(lesson/session) within the AA Driving School online booking system. Book Driving Lessons | AA Driving School - Driving Lessons

Utilizing account balance - While the lesson credit may be expired, the account balance can still be used to book a driving lesson. The cost of a new driving lesson booking will be based on the current pricing at the time of booking, not at the original price at the time of credit issuance. This would mean that you may have to pay the difference to book a lesson after the original credit expiry. If you have purchased with the membership discount, you would still need an active AA membership to take advantage of any member discount at the time of booking.
Refund - You can request a refund at any time by clicking on Email Us | AA New Zealand and it will be processed to the card used for the purchase.

30. We reserve the right to terminate the assessment if:

You engage in any behaviour that your instructor determines is reckless; or
You fail to comply with the instructions or directions of the instructor before/during the assessment; or
Your instructor has assessed your driving skills/competence and deemed you to be unfit/unsafe to drive; or
You show any signs of impairment that will impact your ability to drive safely.

If your lesson is terminated for any of the above reasons, you will incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee

AA Driver's Seat: Practice Full Licence Test

Available to all those on a Restricted Licence (Class 1).
You must bring your physical licence (not a digital or photocopied version), corrective eye wear (if required as a condition on your licence) and appropriate closed shoes to every lesson. Failure to meet any of these requirements will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
Each Practice Full Test is an hour in duration and is based on the Full Licence Test requirements.
Practice Full Tests must be prepaid and booked online. Bookings are subject to availability.
The Practice Full Test is eligible for an AA Member discount. The learner must hold a current AA Youth, Associate or Full Membership
All Member and Non-Member offers are subject to change and notice thereof will be provided online.
The Practice Full Test booking is non-transferrable.
The Practice Full Test is conducted in your personal vehicle.
You must ensure that your vehicle has a valid registration, WOF, and be of a WOF standard at time of lesson, for example the brake light and indicators must operate. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
While using your personal vehicle for the lesson, insurance is your own responsibility.
Your Practice Full Test will start and finish at an AA Centre or AA designated location.
If you arrive within 10 minutes after your agreed booking time, the Practice Full Test will be shortened by an equivalent amount of time, at the Driving Instructor’s discretion. E.g. If you arrive to your booking 5 minutes late, your booking will be shortened to 55 minutes long.
If you arrive more than 10 minutes late to your agreed booking time, it will result in a booking cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
Any cancellations or changes to your booking or instructor must be made online or in writing via your driving instructor at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson.
If you cancel online more than 24 hours prior to the commencement of your booking, you can re-book online without incurring a cancellation fee.
Cancellation or changes due to any reason including sickness (to chosen instructor, time or date) within 24 hours prior to the commencement of your lesson will incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
If you fail to arrive for your booking it will result in a lesson cancellation and incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee.
To be eligible for the AA Membership discounts, your valid AA Membership needs to be linked to your online profile prior to completing any purchase or making any bookings. Presentation of a proof of AA Membership after a paid purchase or booking will not be accepted to claim for retrospective AA Membership discounts.
Our instructors are committed to following Waka Kotahi NZTA guidelines while conducting driving lessons and preparing students for their driving test. Instructors are not permitted to conduct lessons along the test routes to avoid students becoming proficient only on the specific route and then potentially being at risk when driving on different routes and when handling different driving conditions. It is a Waka Kotahi NZTA guideline that we do not teach the test route, AA Driving School teach safe driving skills with the goal of helping students to pass their practical driving tests and prepare them to drive safely in different driving conditions when tested.
AA may share basic information like name, lesson schedule, booking status and post-lesson notes with the organisation paying on behalf of the student for driving lessons. This is for the sole purpose of keeping them updated. AA handles information in line with the latest regulations and policies, ensuring confidentiality and security.
All of our vehicles are fully insured, dual controlled and have an in-car camera for your safety.
All BEV (Battery electric vehicles) and PHEV (Plug-in petrol hybrid vehicle) owners if you wish you take the lesson in your own car then you must ensure that your vehicle has a current RUC licence and present proof of this before any driving lesson. Instructors are required to verify the RUC licence and will cancel the lesson if the vehicle does not have a current RUC licence displayed and the current odometer reading is less than the ‘maximum distance recorder’ shown on the RUC label (including the distance needed for the lesson) and you will be charged the full lesson fee.
All lessons are in the Instructor's dual controllled vehicles unless other arrangements are made prior with your Instructor.
Vouchers are valid for one year from the date of purchase and lapse if not redeemed during the period of validity.
AA Driving School - Driving Lessons shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service.
AA Driving School - Driving Lessons reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice.
Prices of all Services are subject to change with or without notice.
Credit card security is implemented using secure SSL encryption on all transactions and processed using a secure, trusted, PCI compliant payment gateway and used by AA Driving School - Driving Lessons for payment processing.
All fees and transactions are in New Zealand dollars.
Lesson credit - The lesson package credits will expire 24 months from the date of purchase. After expiry, the lesson credit will be automatically converted in to account balance that can be used towards any product(lesson/session) within the AA Driving School online booking system. Book Driving Lessons | AA Driving School - Driving Lessons

Utilizing account balance - While the lesson credit may be expired, the account balance can still be used to book a driving lesson. The cost of a new driving lesson booking will be based on the current pricing at the time of booking, not at the original price at the time of credit issuance. This would mean that you may have to pay the difference to book a lesson after the original credit expiry. If you have purchased with the membership discount, you would still need an active AA membership to take advantage of any member discount at the time of booking.
Refund - You can request a refund at any time by clicking on Email Us | AA New Zealand and it will processed to the card used for the purchase.

29. We reserve the right to terminate the assessment if:

You engage in any behaviour that your instructor determines is reckless; or
You fail to comply with the instructions or directions of the instructor before/during the assessment; or
Your instructor has assessed your driving skills/competence and deemed you to be unfit/unsafe to drive; or
You show any signs of impairment that will impact your ability to drive safely.

If your lesson is terminated for any of the above reasons, you will incur a cancellation fee equal to the lesson fee

Code of conduct

As a student participating in driving lessons with AA Driving Instructors, you are expected to adhere to the following code of conduct before and after each session:

Respectful Behaviour: Students and Instructors are expected to always maintain professional and appropriate behaviour during the driving lesson and within all communication before and after each session. Treat your Driving Instructor, other road users, and pedestrians with respect and courtesy at all times.
Listening and Following Instructions: Pay close attention to your instructor’s guidance and follow their instructions carefully. Your instructor is experienced and has your best interests in mind.
Feedback and Communication: Communicate openly with your instructor about any concerns, difficulties, or questions you have regarding your lessons after the session.
Zero-Tolerance Policy: AA Driving School has a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive behaviour or the use of inappropriate language towards driving instructors or external contractors and within all communication before and after each session or appears to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Any such instance of inappropriate behaviour will result in immediate action.

If a student is found to be using abusive language or engaging in disrespectful behaviour towards a Driving Instructor, the following consequences may apply:

The instructor has the right to refuse commencing, or immediately withdraw during and after a lesson.
The instructor may cancel any related bookings.
The student may be suspended from further lessons with other Driving Instructor unless approved by AA Driving School.
In extreme cases, the student's enrolment with AA Driving School may be terminated permanently.

Please note:

Any cancellation or termination during a lesson, or within the cancellation period of 24 hours will incur a cancellation fee equal to the session fee.

AA Driving School aims to provide a safe and respectful learning environment for both students and Instructors. By adhering to these policies, we ensure that everyone can benefit from effective driving lessons without fear of abusive behaviour.