Legal
Privacy Policy
Last updated: May 2026
1. Who We Are
CompareTheInstructor ("we", "us", "our") is a driving instructor matching service operating at comparetheinstructor.co.uk. We connect learner drivers in the UK with local, DVSA-approved driving instructors based on their individual preferences, budget, and availability.
For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, CompareTheInstructor is the data controller responsible for your personal data.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at info@comparetheinstructor.co.uk.
2. What Data We Collect
When you use our matching service, we collect the following personal data:
- Full name — to personalise your match and allow instructors to address you correctly
- Email address — to send your matching confirmation and keep you informed
- Phone number — so your matched instructor can contact you directly
- Postcode — to match you with instructors in your local area
- Lesson preferences — including vehicle type and any specific requirements
- Confidence / experience level — so we can match you with an instructor suited to your stage of learning
- Availability — the days and times you prefer for lessons
- Budget — your preferred price range per lesson
We also collect limited technical data automatically when you visit our site, such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This is used solely for security, analytics, and to improve our service.
3. How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes and on the following legal bases:
| Purpose | Legal Basis (UK GDPR) |
|---|---|
| Matching you with a suitable driving instructor | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) |
| Processing your £3.99 matching fee via Stripe | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) |
| Sending you a matching confirmation by email | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) |
| Sharing your details with your matched instructor | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) |
| Complying with legal and financial obligations | Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) |
| Improving our website and service | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) |
We will never use your data for unsolicited marketing without your explicit consent. We do not sell your personal data to any third party.
4. Stripe Payment Processing
Payments on CompareTheInstructor are processed securely by Stripe, Inc. and its European affiliate, Stripe Payments Europe, Limited. When you pay the £3.99 matching fee, you are directed to Stripe's hosted payment page.
Stripe collects and processes your payment card details, billing information, and other data necessary to complete your transaction. We do not store or have access to your full card number, CVV, or other sensitive payment details. Stripe is certified to PCI-DSS Level 1, the highest standard for payment security.
Stripe's use of your data is governed by their own Privacy Policy, available at stripe.com/gb/privacy. Stripe acts as an independent data controller for the payment data it processes.
5. Who We Share Your Data With
We share your personal data only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards in place:
- Your matched driving instructor — We share your name, phone number, email, postcode, lesson preferences, experience level, availability, and budget with the instructor(s) we match you with. This is the core purpose of the service. Instructors are independent professionals and are responsible for their own compliance with data protection law when handling your contact details.
- Stripe — For payment processing as described in Section 4.
- Service providers — We may use trusted third-party providers (e.g., cloud hosting, email delivery) who process data on our behalf under binding data processing agreements. They may only use your data to provide services to us.
- Legal authorities — We may disclose data if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal request from a public authority.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data with any third party for marketing purposes.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law:
- Matching and contact information — retained for up to 12 months from the date of your match, to allow us to handle any queries or disputes arising from the matching process.
- Payment records — retained for 7 years to comply with HMRC financial record-keeping obligations.
- Website analytics and log data — retained for up to 26 months, after which it is anonymised or deleted.
Once data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it so it can no longer be linked to you.
7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@comparetheinstructor.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.
Right of access — You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request).
Right to rectification — You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data we hold about you.
Right to erasure — You can ask us to delete your personal data where we have no compelling reason to continue processing it.
Right to restriction — You can ask us to temporarily stop processing your data while a dispute is resolved.
Right to data portability — You can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format to transfer to another service.
Right to object — You can object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will stop unless we have compelling legitimate grounds.
Rights related to automated decision-making — We do not make solely automated decisions that have a legal or similarly significant effect on you.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — the UK's supervisory authority for data protection — at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
8. Cookies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure it functions correctly and to understand how visitors use the site. We use the following types of cookies:
Strictly necessary cookies
These are essential for the website to work. They enable core functionality such as security, form submission, and navigation. You cannot opt out of these.
Analytics cookies
We use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with our site. These cookies collect anonymised data about pages visited, time on site, and referral sources. You can opt out via your browser settings or a cookie preference tool.
Payment cookies (Stripe)
When you proceed to payment, Stripe may set cookies to facilitate a secure transaction and prevent fraud. These are governed by Stripe's own cookie policy.
Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information, visit aboutcookies.org.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please get in touch:
Company: CompareTheInstructor
Website: comparetheinstructor.co.uk
We aim to respond to all data-related enquiries within 30 days. If your request is complex or you have made multiple requests, we may extend this period by a further two months, but we will inform you of this extension within the first 30 days.
This policy may be updated from time to time. Any significant changes will be posted on this page with a revised "last updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.