I’m writing this just as a response to various things I’ve heard from other driving instructors.<\/p>\n
I posted a few weeks ago about how Vauxhall is feeling the pinch and has decided to stop supplying tuition cars to BSM for free<\/a>. I must admit that I didn’t know BSM got these cars for free. I do know that BSM instructors can pay a lot of money for their franchise and I simply questioned if this might cause that franchise fee to rise still further.<\/p>\n The news seems to have sent nearly all other instructors totally crazy, though! And I don’t mean BSM instructors.<\/p>\n The common desire seems to be that BSM should collapse and all its instructors ‘be made redundant’ (demonstrating the typical instructor’s total lack of understanding over salaried- and self-employment). One thing I learn from this is that membership of the Human Race isn’t clear cut and fringe membership is possible – how anyone could wish redundancy on their fellow man in these times is beyond me.<\/p>\n Another one is that this should cause BSM to put its lesson prices up. The belief amongst some instructors here seems to be that if BSM puts lesson prices up, other big schools like The AA , Red Driving , and so on will follow. Then, all the hapless instructors who are currently charging silly prices to try and steal work away from everyone else will be able to put their<\/em> prices up as well (no doubt to a level which still undercuts the big schools so they can continue to try and steal work away).<\/p>\n Also heard more than once is an attitude to learning that BSM got the cars for free that is so strong your ears nearly catch fire. "How dare BSM get its fleet for free!" is what it amounts to – and this from people who aren’t franchised to BSM and have no business poking their noses in like that. How BSM gets its cars is BSM ‘s business. They<\/em> don’t come and tell these people <\/em>how to run their <\/em>businesses, so what gives them<\/em> the right to try and tell BSM how to run theirs?<\/p>\n The overriding attitude is one of glee. The world is getting more and more full with very sad and very malicious people, I’m afraid.<\/p>\n Being serious and objective for a moment… it will be interesting to see how BSM resolves this. If you think about it, it would be surprising if any large national school actually paid for its fleet – an agreement with a manufacturer is more likely because they<\/em> get the major advertising and the school gets the cars. Yes, it’s a pain that the individual man in the street can’t get the same deal, but at corporate level strange things can and do happen. Vauxhall is quite likely to end up closing plants and making redundancies, so giving away a couple of thousand cars that can only be sold on for perhaps half their value is an expense it has to address first. Hopefully, BSM will resolve the issue from its own side and source its cars from elsewhere without having to charge its franchisees any more money – I was told by an instructor it is in talks with FIAT, but I cannot confirm this. I have no affiliation with BSM , by the way, but I do not want to see it fall.<\/p>\n Just to add that this post is starting to get a few hits and I suspect (judging by the search terms used) it is from BSM franchisees worried about what is happening. This is just my opinion, but it is also a realistic summary of the situation as it stands based on available information… <\/p>\n BSM is in talks with Vauxhall to come to an agreement over the deal. It may end up having to pay for the cars it previously got for nothing. It may be that Vauxhall and BSM part company. I heard a rumour that BSM was talking to FIAT, but I have seen nothing written about this anywhere. The only official information at this time is that Times story<\/strong>. <\/p>\n If you’re a BSM instructor, don’t worry. Something will happen and there’s no way Aviva is going to just close down the driving school. The BSM franchise is already easily the most expensive out there and no one in their right minds is going to ask you to pay more. BSM’s driving school is too successful to let fail. <\/p>\n Ignore the stupid and malicious rumours you keep seeing and hearing. Just wait and see what happens. <\/p>\n *** Click Here! BSM and FIAT sign deal (23\/07\/2009)***<\/a><\/p>\n EDIT 13\/10\/2010:<\/strong> And note the latest change here<\/a>, as BSM decides to switch back to Vauxhall and Corsas. <\/p>\n