25 Investigates: Mom gets no response from Waltham driving school after paying for son’s classes

WALTHAM, Mass. — These days we’re all watching our budgets closely, so at the very least, we want to make sure we get what we pay for.

“We have been calling since June 13th, trying to get my son’s appointments for driving that he has paid for and we have had no response,” said Watertown mom Cathy O’Grady.

O’Grady reached out to 25 Investigates after her son paid about $895 for a driver’s ed course that he couldn’t complete. The family says the school stopped returning all their calls and emails and wouldn’t even let them in the door.

For two months, she says her 19-year-old son has been trying to finish his practice hours behind the wheel.

“So, he was saving his money. And he got some birthday money and he put it $895 towards his class. And now he can’t finish classes.”

Cathy says her son did all the online classes, then it was time to practice on the road with an instructor.

“The instructors would cancel the last minute. Or he would do half hour and they signed off as he did a whole hour. And then the last one was June 13th,” O’Grady says.

And since then they struggle to have any communication.

“No answer. Leaving a message over and over again,” O’Grady said. “My husband came down a couple of weeks ago and knocked on the door. That somebody was inside would not let him in.”

Boston 25′s Kerry Kavanaugh also tried to talk to someone at school in August. She saw someone was inside at a desk, but the door was locked.

The day Kavanaugh met up with O’Grady, that same August day, was the third time O’Grady said her family was shooed away.

Kavanaugh also met another mother who said her daughter was told to come to school that day to make driving appointments and was essentially ignored. Though was able to make appointments again about a week later.

“We just want to finish,” O’Grady says. “We just feel he has five more hours left. We just want to finish. Then move on from this.”

After our interview, O’Grady took to Facebook looking to see if other people have had a similar experience with Boston Driver’s Ed, adding she was speaking with Boston 25 News.

She says that’s when she finally got a response to her email.

When she called, she says the school claimed to be under new management and her son was able to schedule his next practice ride.

“Hopefully maybe this helps other families finish as well,” O’Grady says.

Kavanaugh also called Boston Driver’s Ed twice and sent an email, offering them an interview to respond to the customers concerns.

They declined.

Kavanaugh asked if the school was in fact under new management. They wouldn’t give a straight answer.

They did say concerned customers can come by any morning to speak with someone directly.

When the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles saw our story they immediately reached out to O’Grady and her son.

For any complaints, concerns or inquires that customers have regarding a Driving School or their Driver Education, they should email: drivered@dot.state.ma.us

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