Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the StartLDrive website and platform (the “Platform”), operated by StartLDrive (“StartLDrive”, “we”, “us”). By creating an account, booking a lesson, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

1. What StartLDrive is

StartLDrive is an online marketplace. We connect learner drivers (“Learners”) with independent, qualified driving instructors (“Instructors”) and provide the tools to search, book, reschedule and pay for lessons.

We are not a driving school and we do not provide driving instruction. Each Instructor is a self-employed contractor who provides lessons under their own licence, insurance and vehicle. When a lesson is booked, the contract for that lesson is formed between the Learner and the Instructor. StartLDrive is not a party to it; we facilitate the booking and payment.

2. Eligibility and accounts

• You must be at least 16 years old to create an account as a Learner (the minimum age to hold a learner's permit in every Australian state and territory). A Learner under 18 must have the consent of a parent or guardian, who accepts these Terms on their behalf.
• You must provide accurate information and keep it up to date.
• You are responsible for activity under your account and for keeping your password secure. Tell us promptly at info@startldrive.com.au if you suspect unauthorised use.
• You may browse Instructor profiles without an account; booking a lesson requires one (or the guest checkout, where offered).

3. Booking a lesson

When you request a booking and it is confirmed on the Platform, a binding agreement is created between you and the Instructor for that lesson at the stated time, place, duration and price. Lesson prices, durations and package contents are set by each Instructor and shown before you confirm.

Pick-up and drop-off locations, and any test-day arrangements, are as agreed in the booking. You must be ready at the agreed location at the start time. The Instructor may end a lesson early, without refund, if a Learner is unfit to drive (for example, under the influence of alcohol or drugs), does not hold a valid provisional/learner licence or permit where one is required, or behaves unsafely or abusively.

4. Prices, payment and lesson credits

• Prices are shown in Australian dollars (AUD) and include applicable taxes unless stated otherwise.
• Payment is taken in full at the time of booking, through our payment processor, Stripe. Stripe handles your card details directly — we never see or store your full card number. Once payment succeeds, your booking is confirmed and the Instructor is notified.
• Lesson packages (bundles of credits) are bought from a specific Instructor and can only be redeemed with that Instructor. Credits have an expiry date shown at purchase; expired credits are not refundable and have no cash value.
• StartLDrive charges Instructors a service fee for use of the Platform, deducted from the payment before it reaches them. This does not change the price you pay.

5. Changes, cancellations and no-shows

You can reschedule or cancel a lesson from your account, up until the lesson’s start time:

• 24 hours or more before the lesson: reschedule or cancel free of charge. A card payment is refunded in full; a lesson credit is returned to your package.
• Within 24 hours: a flat late-change fee of $10 applies, to cover the Instructor’s reserved time. If you paid for the lesson by card and cancel, the fee is deducted and the rest is refunded. If the lesson used a credit, or you’re rescheduling rather than cancelling, you pay the fee by card before the change is made, and a cancelled lesson’s credit is then returned. Changing only the pick-up address or notes is always free.
• Refunds go back to the card you paid with and usually appear within 5–10 business days.
• No-show (not present within 15 minutes of the start time, no contact): the lesson is treated as taken and is not refundable.
• If the Instructor cancels or does not attend, you receive a full refund or reinstated credit, and we will help you rebook.
• In the rare case your payment succeeds but the time slot was taken moments earlier by someone else, you are refunded in full automatically and notified by email — no booking is created.

Nothing in this section limits any non-excludable rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)), including where a service is not carried out with reasonable care and skill.

6. Instructor obligations

By listing on the Platform, an Instructor confirms and must maintain that they:

• hold a current, valid driving-instructor licence issued by the relevant State or Territory authority;
• hold a current, valid driver’s licence and the working-with-children or equivalent background check required where they operate;
• use a roadworthy, insured, dual-control vehicle appropriate for tuition;
• hold appropriate public liability and motor insurance covering paid tuition;
• deliver lessons with reasonable care and skill, on time, and in a professional, respectful manner;
• keep their availability, pricing, coverage area and profile information accurate.

Instructors are solely responsible for their instruction, their vehicle, their tax and their compliance with the law. StartLDrive carries out reasonable checks on the documents Instructors submit but does not independently verify every credential and does not supervise lessons.

7. Learner obligations

• Hold any licence, permit or eyesight standard required to drive during a lesson, and bring it to each lesson.
• Be fit to drive — not affected by alcohol, drugs or a medical condition that impairs driving.
• Follow the Instructor’s reasonable safety instructions and all road rules.
• Treat the Instructor and their vehicle with respect. You are responsible for damage you cause to the vehicle through wilful misconduct or a breach of these obligations, to the extent not covered by the Instructor’s insurance.

8. Reviews and user content

You may be invited to review an Instructor after a lesson. Reviews must be honest, based on a genuine lesson, and must not contain unlawful, defamatory, discriminatory or personal information about third parties. We may decline to publish, or may remove, a review that breaches these Terms. You grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display and distribute content you submit (such as reviews) in connection with the Platform.

9. Acceptable use

You must not:

• arrange or take payment for a booked lesson outside the Platform in order to avoid fees;
• use the Platform for anything unlawful, or to harass, defraud or impersonate anyone;
• scrape, copy or resell Platform data, or interfere with its operation or security;
• create accounts by automated means or provide false information.

10. Availability and changes to the Platform

We aim to keep the Platform available but do not guarantee it will be uninterrupted or error-free. We may change, suspend or withdraw features, and may update these Terms. If a change is material we will give reasonable notice (for example, by email or an on-site notice). Continued use after a change takes effect is acceptance of the updated Terms.

11. Liability

The driving instruction itself — its quality, safety and outcome, and the condition of the Instructor’s vehicle — is the Instructor’s responsibility, not ours. To the fullest extent permitted by law, and subject to the paragraph below:

• StartLDrive is not liable for any act or omission of an Instructor or a Learner, for the outcome of any driving test, or for loss or injury arising during or in connection with a lesson;
• we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for loss of profit, opportunity or goodwill;
• our total liability to you for any claim connected with the Platform is limited to the total fees you paid through the Platform in the 12 months before the claim.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law — including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, and any non-excludable guarantee or right under the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)).

12. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify StartLDrive against reasonable losses, costs and claims arising from your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the Platform, or your infringement of another person’s rights, except to the extent the loss was caused by us.

13. Suspension and termination

You may close your account at any time. We may suspend or close an account, or remove a listing, if we reasonably believe these Terms have been breached, if it is necessary to protect the safety of users, or to comply with the law. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including 8, 11, 12 and 14) continue to apply.

14. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the law of Western Australia, Australia, and the courts of Western Australia, Australia have non-exclusive jurisdiction. This does not deprive you of the protection of mandatory consumer law in your place of residence.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms: info@startldrive.com.au, or write to us at 1/896 Canning Highway, Applecross WA.