Here’s what’s reported recently about the AA Driving School and BSM Driving School (owned by the AA) and the CMA fine.
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered refunds to more than 80,000 learner drivers and imposed a £4.2 million fine on the AA Driving School and BSM Driving School for drip pricing—not including a mandatory booking fee in upfront prices shown online. This action is part of CMA’s crackdown on deceptive online pricing practices. [CMA press release and multiple reports from April 2026]
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The refunds total more than £760,000 and are distributed to affected customers based on the number of lesson packages purchased; the average payout is around £9 per learner, though amounts vary by individual purchase history. The CMA noted this was the first time it used its new enforcement powers to secure money back for consumers. [CMA press release summaries and coverage from BBC, The Independent, and WiredGov]
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The case marked the CMA’s first financial penalty under its new consumer-protection powers for drip pricing, with the AA having admitted to breaches and agreeing to an early settlement, which yielded a 40% reduction in the penalty. [CMA press release and coverage]
If you’d like, I can pull up the latest official CMA page and a couple of reputable news sources with direct quotes and the exact refund calculation details, and summarize them for you. I can also outline what this means for learner drivers planning future driving-school bookings in the UK.