My Honest Review of AvtoReal - A Cautionary Tale of Bad Behavior and Incompetence
add_circle Pros
- The school's facilities are spread across the city, so you've got multiple locations to choose from.
- The classrooms are actually located in regular schools, which is kind of cool, I guess.
- The theoretical classes are held once a week in the evening, so you've got some flexibility with your schedule.
- The school janitor is actually pretty friendly once you get to know him.
- The school's setup is a bit haphazard, but it's not like it's a total disaster or anything.
remove_circle Cons
- The school's staff is completely unprofessional and unfriendly.
- The classes are held in a regular school, which is just weird.
- The theoretical classes are held once a week in the evening, which is kind of a pain.
- The school's setup is a total mess, with 14 classrooms in five different locations.
- The school janitor is actually kind of annoying, especially at first.
Gallery
Editor's Summary
I'm writing this review as a warning to others - my experience with AvtoReal driving school was a total disaster from start to finish. I ended up there because their competitors were already full, and I didn't want to join a group that was already six classes in. Big mistake. The school's facilities are scattered across the city, with 14 classrooms in five different locations. I attended the class on Vlasova, which is actually located in a regular school - think old-school classrooms and all. The theoretical classes were held once a week in the evening, from 6:30 to 9 PM. But despite the school's haphazard setup, it's the behavior of the staff that really left a bad taste in my mouth. Let me tell you, it's a good thing I didn't sign up for the driving lessons themselves. The staff is completely unprofessional and unfriendly, which is just a recipe for disaster. I'm not going to sugarcoat it - my experience with AvtoReal driving school was a nightmare.", "pros": ["The school's facilities are spread across the city, so you've got multiple locations to choose from - that's a plus, I guess.", 'The classrooms are actually located in regular schools, which is kind of cool, I suppose.', "The theoretical classes are held once a week in the evening, so you've got some flexibility with your schedule - that's a decent perk.", 'The school janitor is actually pretty friendly once you get to know him.', "The school's setup is a bit haphazard, but it's not like it's a total disaster or anything.", 'The school's got a lot of classrooms, so you might find one that suits you.', 'The school's open in the evenings, which is convenient for people with day jobs.'], "cons": ["The school's staff is completely unprofessional and unfriendly - that's a major red flag.", 'The classes are held in a regular school, which is just weird - it's like they're trying to make you feel uncomfortable.', 'The theoretical classes are held once a week in the evening, which is kind of a pain - it's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world either.', "The school's setup is a total mess, with 14 classrooms in five different locations - it's like they're trying to confuse you on purpose.", 'The school janitor is actually kind of annoying, especially at first - but hey, at least he's friendly.', 'The school's got a lot of rules, which can be frustrating to deal with.', 'The school's not very organized, which can make things difficult for students.'], "faq": [ {"question": "Is AvtoReal driving school a good choice for beginners?", "answer": "No, I would not recommend AvtoReal driving school to anyone - the staff is completely unprofessional and unfriendly, and the school's setup is a total mess."}, {"question": "What are the hours of operation for AvtoReal driving school?", "answer": "The theoretical classes are held once a week in the evening, from 6:30 to 9 PM - that's the only time they're open, as far as I know."}, {"question": "Can I take driving lessons at AvtoReal driving school?", "answer": "I wouldn't recommend it, but I guess it's possible - just don't expect any professionalism or courtesy from the staff."}, {"question": "Are the classrooms at AvtoReal driving school located in a regular school?", "answer": "Yes, that's right - the classrooms are actually located in regular schools, which is kind of cool, I suppose."}, {"question": "How many locations does AvtoReal driving school have?", "answer": "Five, I think - or maybe it's six - I don't know, it's all kind of a mess."}, {"question": "Can I contact AvtoReal driving school for more information?", "answer": "I wouldn't bother, to be honest - the staff is completely unprofessional and unfriendly."}, {"question": "Is AvtoReal driving school a good value for the price?", "answer": "No, not at all - you get what you pay for, and with AvtoReal driving school, you get a bunch of unprofessional nonsense."}, {"question": "Can I cancel my enrollment at AvtoReal driving school?", "answer": "I'm not sure, but I wouldn't recommend it - you'll just get more hassle from the staff."}, {"question": "How do I get in touch with AvtoReal driving school?", "answer": "I wouldn't bother, to be honest - the staff is completely unprofessional and unfriendly."} ], "meta_title": "AvtoReal Driving School Review: A Cautionary Tale of Bad Behavior and Incompetence", "meta_description": "My experience with AvtoReal driving school was a disaster from start to finish - read my review to find out why you should avoid this school at all costs.", "og_title": "AvtoReal Driving School Review: A Cautionary Tale of Bad Behavior and Incompetence", "og_description": "My experience with AvtoReal driving school was a disaster from start to finish - read my review to find out why you should avoid this school at all costs.
Specifications
I'm writing this review as a warning to others, a cautionary tale of what not to expect from AvtoReal driving school.
Why I Chose AvtoReal
I originally wanted to attend a different driving school, but they were already in session, and I didn't want to join a group that was already six classes in. So, I had to find a driving school that was just starting to take on new students. Unfortunately, I ended up signing with AvtoReal.
AvtoReal's Facilities
They have 14 classrooms spread across the city of Perm and five locations. I attended the class on Vlasova, which is actually located in a regular school.
The theoretical classes were held once a week in the evening (from 6:30 to 9 PM). When you walk into the school, you're immediately greeted with 'where are you off to?' from the school janitor. Luckily, he eventually recognized the faces of the people taking the driving course and stopped asking that question. The class was on the third floor, and I think they rent it from the school. I'm guessing the school isn't too thrilled about it, though - our class was missing chairs, so we had to borrow some from other classrooms. Later, I talked to the tech person and found out that the school is trying to 'diplomatically' kick them out.
I also visited their central class on Gagarin Boulevard when I went to pick up my certificate of completion. Their class is way better - they have special equipment, traffic lights (both regular and tram), and it actually looks like a driving school, not a school classroom. Our class just had desks, chairs, and a blackboard.
I don't know anything about the other locations, though.
Theoretical Classes
The theory classes, as I understand it, were 36 hours long. They were held once a week for 2.5-3 hours.
I have to say something specifically about these classes. The teacher, to put it bluntly, is not a fountain of knowledge. I heard a maximum of an hour of actual information out of the three hours allotted. The rest of the time was spent on 'incredibly interesting' stories about her son, husband, friends, who did what, where, why, and how. Believe it or not, I started to lose my patience and would often sneak out of the class like I was skipping gym class in school. It's impossible to sit through three hours of stories about people you don't know.
In the end, I just stopped going to those super-classes and studied all the necessary information on my own at home. And, trust me, it didn't take me 36 hours to do it!
I also want to mention psychology, law, and medicine. Those classes were taught by different teachers, and, man, they were masters of their craft. In nine hours, I actually got a lot of interesting information about those subjects. I learned how to act in case of a car accident on the road, how to provide first aid in case of bleeding, how to act if a police officer exceeds their authority, and so on. It's boring to study dry text on your own, but they managed to convey the information in a way that made you want to listen and remember.
Practical Classes
I had three instructors assigned to my class, and I chose the one with the higher rating. Let me tell you, having a high rating doesn't always mean the instructor is good.
At first, everything was fine. Since I'd never driven before, I started from scratch, and the process was slower than for the other students. The practice area itself wasn't a problem, but when we got to the city...
I'd already done half of the required hours (25 hours) and I just didn't want to switch instructors. It seemed easier to compromise and deal with the situation than to figure things out with a new instructor. Now I really regret not switching in the middle of the course, but I thought, 'you don't change horses in mid-stream.'
The problems I had with this instructor were:
He was constantly on his phone during city driving. I mean, I even hinted at it and asked him directly, but I was told that 'he could see what was happening with the phone and I should just focus on the road.'He wouldn't answer my questions or would respond reluctantly. 'You should know,' 'you're learning, not me,' or simply 'I don't know.' These were legitimate questions, not some random stuff. I guess the guy just wasn't used to students getting lost or scared and forgetting things Starting from the middle of our training, he just became really rude. We'd go on his errands during lessons, he'd show up late, and finish early. One time, out of the three hours I paid for, we spent an hour on his stuff (went to pick up his stuff), then drove around the city for an hour, and he dropped me off and ended the lesson 30 minutes early! So, out of the three paid hours, I only drove for one, another 30 minutes was spent on the way, an hour was spent on his errands, and 30 minutes was wasted. What's the point of that?
I can't say the same about all instructors, but this guy was definitely an exception. I knew I should've spoken up right away, but I was too afraid to ruin the relationship with the instructor, especially since we were getting close to the GIBDD exam.
If you need the instructor's name who's not worth it, you can find it in my private messages, as personal data is not allowed in reviews.
I also want to mention the practice area.
I initially trained on the Nagornaya practice area, and I had no complaints. However, as far as I know, this area is shared by several driving schools.
I took the internal exam on the central practice area. You know, I never thought the main practice area could look like that...
The markings are almost invisible! Later, the instructor told me that they're drawn with chalk and after each rain, they're redrawn (it's not even funny anymore, it's just sad).
I was shocked by how many cars were lined up for each exercise (driving school, parking lot, ramp). And these cars would literally be right behind you. It was, at the very least, a minor annoyance, but at most, a huge time-waster. Some people were first-timers who were still learning to park, so they'd have to wait a long time for a spot. Others would speed through the entire course and then leave the city.
I didn't expect such a powerful problem with the central parking area.
Problems That Arose After Training
I never thought I'd encounter something like this.
SCENARIO #1
After training, the class administrators should give us exact dates when we need to bring documents for the exams at the DMV. I asked my administrator 10 times about the date, and they'd say, 'It hasn't been set yet. As soon as it is, I'll send you a message on the website.' On their official website, students get their own personal accounts where they can sign up for driving lessons or communicate with the class administrator and school director.
Okay, I waited, and waited, but no messages came. I went to the administrator to ask a question, and while I was there, I asked about the exam date. They were shocked when I asked, 'I stopped accepting documents on Wednesday.' It was already Friday. I asked why I didn't get a personal message about it. 'I think I sent messages to everyone.'
That's how I missed the exam at the DMV with my group.
But what really surprised me was that if I went to take the exam at the DMV on my own (thanks, administrator), I couldn't use the car I was trained on. I was willing to pay whatever they asked, but they immediately denied me.
I understand that if you know how to drive, you can get into any car and drive. But for me, it would be hard to adjust to a different car's dimensions, since I got used to the one I was trained on. Now, I've accepted it, and it doesn't bother me as much, but at first, it really caught me off guard. They were bragging about their 'large fleet of cars, over 100 vehicles,' but in reality, they're just ordinary liars who take groups of 100 people with only two instructors.
By the way, when I tried to prove to the administrator that I didn't receive the message, I was surprised that they had DELETED MY PERSONAL ACCOUNT! This is a personal account on the driving school's website where you can sign up for driving lessons and communicate with the class administrator and school director.
I found it quite amusing, since my friend, who also trained at this driving school, told me that his personal account was still active even a week after he passed the exam at the DMV. But my group's exam was two weeks later, and I hadn't even finished training, but they had already DELETED MY PERSONAL ACCOUNT. I guess they realized their mistake and decided to 'cover their tracks.'
SCENARIO #2
Training was over, I had passed all my exams, submitted my documents, and was ready to get my certificate of completion from the driving school. It takes 5-7 working days to prepare this certificate, and then you can pick it up from the central class.
I had to call ahead to confirm that my certificate was ready, and after getting a positive response, I headed to pick it up. I need to say that this 'central class' is located on the other side of town from my place, and it takes me around 1.5 hours to get there.
When I arrived, I got a comment saying 'You owe us money, I won't give you anything, figure it out with the class administrator.'
Are you serious? Why would I find out about some debt when I've already arrived to pick up my certificate? Couldn't they have told me earlier?
I called the class administrator, and our conversation went like this:
- Hi, I came to pick up my certificate, but they're refusing to give it to me because of a 600-ruble debt.
- Yes, you owe 600 rubles.
- Why did I only find out about it now?
- When you submitted your documents, it wasn't there, and now it's appeared.
- HOW? IF I HADN'T TAKEN ANY PRACTICAL CLASSES AFTER SUBMITTING THE DOCUMENTS?
- I don't know, I won't resolve anything over the phone, come with all your receipts and we'll figure it out.
To say I was shocked is an understatement. I didn't have time to deal with all this nonsense, I just came, paid the 600 rubles, and they told me the long-awaited 'go pick up your certificate.'
I did manage to pick up my certificate.
SCENARIO #3
I needed a certified copy of the license from this driving school. To get it, I had to submit all my receipts and the agreement for paid educational services, which I did hand over to the class administrator.
The administrator's call:
- Hi. I can't give you a copy of the license because your agreement isn't signed by the school director.
P.S. If it's not signed by the director, it's NOT VALID, AND THE SCHOOL HAD NO RIGHT TO CHARGE ME AND TEACH ME IN THE FIRST PLACE!
- How could you then offer me paid services and take money from me?
Silence.
- The director will be here in two weeks, and we'll sign everything. Would you like to pick up your license later?
I wasn't in a rush, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. HOW CAN THEY BE SO INDIFFERENT? Take money from people first, then figure out the debt later! And as for responsibility, they don't want to take it.
I also want to mention the 'awards' of this driving school. There were rumors that they were easily bought and then showcased to everyone as 'look, we're the best, come to us!' Now I just see it for myself, and I think it's impossible for a driving school like this to receive an award 'Best Driving Schools in Russia' four times! It's even laughable. Where are they the best? Maybe in some village where there's only one driving school, and that's not even a guarantee.
FINAL OPINION
I strongly advise against going to the 'AvtoReal' driving school. Permyak people, take notice of other driving schools, because here:
unqualified staff;rudeness;unexplained debts after completing training.
I've already passed all my driving tests, despite my instructor's comment that I wasn't ready to get behind the wheel. He said 'you can't even drive!' but I proved him wrong. I've got my license now and I'm loving the freedom of being able to hit the road whenever I want.