FAQS

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Notes:

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(Package B students)Our drive test schedule is open accepting those who would like us to simply provide a licensed driver, a vehicle with registration and insurance for an already scheduled drive test in Santa Clara County excluding Gilroy DMV or for a drive test that we would schedule for you to take in Santa Clara County excluding Gilroy DMV.  

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Please note the arrangement for a Package B drive test would be for you to meet our driver at the DMV you are scheduled to take your drive test.  The driver would meet you there and would leave you there once you are done with your drive test.  Please use alternate modes of transportation to meet the driver at the DMV (uber,taxi, family member, friend) on the day of your drive test.

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                                              Frequenty Asked Questions (FAQS)

Q: Can I schedule all of my lessons in one week?

A: Yes and No.  In general, you can schedule your lessons whenever you would like to.  At this school, we have a policy that students can only take one lesson a week.  If you would like to take more than one lesson a week, you may want to contact another driving school who can accommodate your request.

 

Q:Does the online driver education course expire?

A: Yes.  Once you begin your online driver education course, you must complete the course within 6 months.  Failure to complete the course will inactivate the account.  If the account has to be reactivated, a charge of $50 will need to be paid by Venmo or Credit Card in order to reactivate the account.  If an account has been inactive for eight months or more, the account will be closed by the Driving School and cannot be reactivated.  The funds sitting on the account at the time of closure will not be refunded to the student and those funds cannot be used as a credit toward future lessons.

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Q: If I purchased a package of lessons, do those lessons expire?

A: Yes.  Once you have registered, you have six months from the date of registration to complete your package or else the package will be deactivated.  If the account has to be reactivated, a charge of $50 will need to be paid by Credit Card in order to reactivate the account.  If an account has been inactive for eight months or more, the account will be closed by the Driving School and cannot be reactivated.  The funds sitting on the account at the time of closure will not be refunded to the student and those funds cannot be used as a credit toward future lessons.

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Q:What happens if I complete a lesson and would like to request another instructor?

A:Contact us so that we can see if we can place you with a different instructor, if we have another Instructor to place you with.  If another instructor is not available, you can always request a refund of any unused funds.  We will not refund any portion of the lesson already completed under any circumstance since the service was already provided.  Additionally, all refunds are subject to a $75 administrative processing fee.  Refunds on bundled accounts will be converted to the single lesson price, Package A, for completed lessons and then any funds left after applying the administrative processing fee will be refunded.

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Q: What happens after I register?

A: ARS Driving School Staff will contact you to confirm the information in your registration and will schedule you into your first driving lesson.  Please make sure you register AND log onto your bank account online to make a zelle bank transfer payment to Anika Stevens DBA associated with telephone number 408-370-8679.

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Q: What payment methods do you accept?

A: ARS Driving School accepts Zelle bank transfer payments only.  We do not accept checks, Credit card, Venmo or Apple Pay.  Please note if you are purchasing a package offered under Special Pricing, you must adhere to that payment schedule to receive the discounted price.  For Example:  Special Pricing that requires you to make a zelle bank transfer payment on the same day as you register. Failure to do so will result in regular pricing and payment terms applying to your account.

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Q: When do I make payment?

A: You can make a zelle bank transfer payment to Anika Stevens DBA associated with telephone number 408-370-8679 whenever you would like, however, we will prompt you oncw the payment is required to finish setup with the account and the first lesson.

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Q: Do I have to pay the full package amount?

A: You must pay the full package amount is due upon registration and confirmation of the first lesson.

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Q: Do I have to have a learner's permit in order to take lessons with your driving school?

A: In order to take a lesson with ARS Driving School you must have a valid California learner's permit issued by DMV.

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Q: Can I schedule all of my lessons right away? 

A: Here at ARS Driving School, we teach students everyday to drive safely.  You most definitely can take one lesson per week with our school, BUT, we do not recommend that you take your lessons back to back.  Our students can take one lesson a week, that is a policy we adopted and strictly adhere to.  We know this will not work for everyone, please contact another driving school that can accommodate closer lessons.  We believe all students need to practice driving separate from an Instructor in order to master the techniques we exposed them to during the lesson.

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The purpose of lessons are to teach students during the lesson how to drive safely.  After the lesson, it is the student who must drive and practice as often as possible to determine if they can do these things without someone sitting next to them reminding them of what to do.  One of the best ways to accomplish this is by the student practicing often with someone other than the driving school instructor and then looking at their notes provided by ARS to see if they really remembered what to do properly.

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Teen learner permit holders are required to hold their permits for 6 months before becoming eligible to take a behind the wheel drive test.  With that said, the teen permit holder should take their first lesson to get started. They should then wait several months to take their next lesson.  We recommend this because the teen should be driving often working toward the 50 hour requirement of driving mastering everything they were taught in the first lesson.  ARS Instructors would see the teen permit holder in approximately two months so that the Instructor can check to see if the student has been practicing correctly.  Anything that is incorrect at the midway point (second lesson) would be corrected.  At the second lesson, the Instructor adds in a few more techniques.  The third lesson should be scheduled somewhat close to the scheduled drive test so that the feedback received at that lesson can be understood and carried into the drive test resulting hopefully in a safe behind the wheel drive test which means PASS.

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Adult learner permit holders are not required to hold their permits for a specific amount of time, BUT, should also make sure that they DO NOT schedule their lessons super close to each other.  Again, the purpose of the lesson is for us to teach students during lessons how to drive.  After a lesson, the student should drive. practicing everything taught in the lesson.  This is so eventually the student is able to do all the techniques without someone sitting next to them reminding them to do the techniques.  Remember in a lesson, Instructors will ensure that a student does the proper technique, but we need the student to ultimately be able to do the technique on their own without instruction.  That is how students learn to drive safely resulting in a PASS on the behind the wheel drive test.

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Q: Can I take a one hour driving lesson?

A: Here at ARS Driving School we do not offer one hour lessons.  Each lesson is two hours in length.

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Q: What cities do you provide driving lessons in?

A: We provide driving lessons in Santa Clara County excluding: Alviso,, Cupertino Hills, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos Hills, Palo Alto and Stanford. 

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Q: Where will the Instructor pick up and drop off at?

A: The address provided on the online registration you provided is the address Instructors will begin and end lessons at unless you notified us prior to the day of your lesson of a different pickup and/or drop off address.  If you send us a request for pickup and/or drop off at a different address than what is on your registration, we will review the address and confirm if we can pickup or drop off at that address.

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Q: If I take lessons, do you guarantee I will pass my drive test?

A: No.  We can advise you that you would have definately been taught the techniques you needed to know in order to drive safely.  We have no control over what you do outside of the driving school lesson.  Some people will drive and practice the technques and others will not.  Please remember, it is you that has to put in the work of driving often to smooth out your driving skills and to remember what to do.

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Q: How many lessons should I take?

A: We recommend taking enough lessons so that we can teach your all of the techniques.  Lesson 1 provides 95% of driving techniques, lesson 2 adds in the remaining balance of techniques.  Lesson 3 includes a practice drive tests you to see if you are driving safely and if you would pass your drive test at that time.  You should self reflect and decide if you feel like you are able to do all of the techniques we taught you by yourself without someone saying them to you.  This typically means that most people will need to take more than one lesson, but there are some who just take one lesson and learn the balance of techniques elsewhere.

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Q: I have a drive test scheduled today, can you provide a car and driver?

A: Yes we can most often provide a driver and car same day.  We have drivers on standby.  If we are able to do it, you must make arrangements to meet the driver at the DMV.  This service is for Package B only.

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Q: Who needs to take online Driver Education?

A: Those students who are under 17 1/2 who have never taken their online driver education course before, must take it, pass it and receive a certificate.  The certificate is what is taken to DMV to apply for a learner's permit.  Successful completion of DMVs written exam will result in a learner's permit obtained.  This is when behind the wheel driver training can begin with a driving school.

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Q: Can I have the Instructor or Driver's telephone number?

A: We do not provide the Instructor or Driver telephone numbers to students.  Instructors and Drivers will phone you from a blocked number.  

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If you need something from a Driver or Instructor, please quickly contact office staff at 408 370-8679.  Office staff can always get in contact with Drivers and Instructors to relay messages.

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Q: What type of vehicles do you use for lessons?

A: We have Nissan Sentras.

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Q: Do you teach manual/stick shift lessons?

A: No we do not.

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Q: Can we take lessons with your school using our own vehicle?

A: You can take lessons, but not in your own vehicle.  Our lessons are in our cars.

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Q: What happens if the Instructor arrives for my lesson and I do not have my permit?

A: The Instructor will not be able to complete the lesson and your account will be charged a no show fee of $100.  Once Instructors arrive, they have fifteen minutes to start a lesson.  Students must have all pages of their permit including the paper photo that DMV incorporated in as part of their permit.  Instructors cannot drive students to a different location to pick up a permit either.

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Q: If I forgot my permit somewhere and the Instructor arrives, can the Instructor drive to where my permit is? 

A: No, we will cancel the lesson since you were not prepared and will charge a $100 no show fee.  

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Q: I lost my six hour certificate issued by your driving school, what do I do?

A: Please contact the school immediately so that we can re issue the certificate.  The re issue fee is $25 payable to ARS Driving School.  You will need to coordinate arrangements on how to get the certificate picked up, we will not deliver it to you.

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Q: I have a drive test scheduled and someone from your school is meeting me for check in with a licensed driver, use of the insured and registered car, will that person be able to 

take me driving around alittle bit before the drive test?

A: No.  Our service does not provide a lesson to you on the day of your drive test.  We are simply providing you with a CA licensed driver to check you in along with the insured and registered vehicle.  At the conclusion of your drive test, our service to you ends.

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Q: Can the instructor show me the routes for the drive test?

A: No.  Instructors do not know the DMV routes and are not allowed to drive in the DMV drive test area at all.  If you know your driving techniques, you should be able to drive anywhere safely.

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Q: What happens if I sign up for a package and choose or don't complete the package, can I get a refund?

A:Yes you can request a refund so long as your account has not been closed due to non activity.  If the account was simply deactivated, the account will need to be reactivated first by paying the reactivation fee of $50.  Once the account is reactivated, you can then request a refund.  Please note if an account was deactivated, there would be a fee of $50 to reactivate and then there would also be a refund administrative fee of $75.  We charge a $75 administrative processing fee to all refunds.  Under Packages C and D, the special bundled priced package you originally picked will be converted to Package A pricing for each lesson completed, our current hourly rate will then be multiplied by the number of hours you completed and the difference between what you paid and the new balance will be refunded to you minus the $75 administrative processing fee.  For instance, you signed up for Package D.  You only completed three lessons and not the drive test portion of the package.  We would convert the account to Package A times three which is $405 plus the $75 administrative fee, total $480.  You paid $475 for the initial package.  You would owe $5 if you would like us to process a refund. 

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Q:What happens if I start lessons with your school and then I do not complete any lessons for more than six months.  Will I still be able to complete the remaining unused portion of my package?

A: Yes you can after paying a reactivation fee in the amount of $50. This fee must be paid by Credit Card before we schedule you into any future lessons.  If your account is inactive for eight months or more, the account will be closed and the remaining funds will be forfeited by the student.  We will not refund any funds left in the account and we will not provide credit toward future lessons.

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Q:What happens if I took a lesson with your school and then contacted your school eight months later to take the remaining lessons I paid for in a bundled package, like Package C or D?

A:Unfortunately, your account would have been closed and no refund will be provided.  You can always re register with our school and purchase a new package. 

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Q:What happens if my permit expires before I complete my lessons?

A: The school will not be able to complete any future lessons with you until you obtain a new permit from DMV and provide us with a new valid permit id number, new issue date and new expiration date. 

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Q: What happens if I requested a refund and physically move to another address, but forgot to let ARS  staff know.  It has been about 6 months and now I remembered I never got my refund?

A: Please note the funds of mailed out refunds that are returned to us undeliverable or labelled as no forwarding order provided, will be written off and forfeited by the requestor of the refund unless alternate arrangements are made during the same calendar year within 30 days of funds being returned back to our office, NO EXCEPTIONS. 

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