They said: “Although the £3 booking fee was made clear to customers prior to their purchase, we acknowledge it should have also been displayed at the start of the online booking journey.
“Having listened to the regulator, we made immediate changes to our website to make the £3 booking fee more prominent. We are now refunding all relevant customers.”
The CMA’s investigation found that people booking lessons online between April and December last year were initially shown prices that did not include a mandatory booking fee.
It was only shown at the checkout stage, after new customers had gone through selecting lessons, choosing times and entering their personal details.
The practice is known as “drip-pricing” which is illegal and can mislead customers into choosing a service or product for a low price, only for it to be increased later.
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell, said: “If a fee is mandatory, the law is clear: it must be included in the price from the very start – not added at checkout – so consumers always know what they need to pay.”
She added: “At a time when people are watching every pound, dripped fees can tip the balance.”
In November the watchdog launched an investigation into eight businesses including AA Driving School and BSM Driving School.
