Allied Driving School & Safety Academy

Barbra was a great instructor she’s very patient and she knows what she’s talking about but I wish I had 2 more hours for my money I don’t like the $ 207.00 for 3 hours I think it should be at least 4 hours for the price of $ 207.00 but other than that I enjoyed my 3 hour session and came away feeling better after my session but I still need a lil work

I’ve had 2 lessons from Barbara, in total 4 hours. She was very patient and friendly. She pointed out my mistakes, which was helpful and gave useful advices. She was also very interesting person to talk.
Now I’m sure I’m improved myself driving shift stick cars, thanks to allied driving school.

if I can give this place a ZWRO I would. not the driving instructor but the guy Jerry who answers the phone. GARBAGE really!!! never answers.

my first Unilocal review — i had to write it because some of the reviews are not indicative of my experience.
One of the very few schools that teach driving stick shift cars. IMO, one of the schools that teaches sound fundamentals.
I took 5 hours of lessons with Barbara for learning to drive stick. Please don’t mistake her to be rude (like some reviews say), truth is exact opposite. She really wants you to learn, hence is a good teacher. She is not afraid of repeating «brake, brake, brake» or «gas, gas, gas» — you have two choices — you can get all worked up or just comply — if you comply, you will learn quickly and the correct method of driving.
I have been driving automatic for 15+ yrs and motorbike for 5+ yrs, and i not only learnt about stick shift, but also things that improve my general driving. With Barbara’s help, i became aware of some of bad driving habits.
Scheduling-​wise, they do stick-​shift lessons only Mon-​Wed. Yes, their phones they don’t have voicemail and hard to reach them during weekends. I think that is ok — any place you go will have some kind of restrictions — they have life outside of their work too.
She gives fair unbiased feedback and does not push for more that needed lessons. At the end of each lesson, you will be given a progress card indicating the skills — so it is easy to see your progress.
I had thought i will spend time in the parking lot first, no no. the entire time i was in the drivers seat and on regular roads and a little freeway. Barbara as good a teacher she is — plans the class and makes you repeated do things, so that you can improve.
100% worth the time and money !!

I would like to preface this by saying that I had Barbara as a driving instructor for my stick shift course, she was a good instructor and i was happy with her instruction.
What I was not happy with was the way that the billing process was handled by this company. They have a 48 hour policy for cancellation and they do not have any voice mail or any online scheduling process such that if you have a Tuesday class and you have anything that comes up after 5PM on a Friday, that would prevent you from making your course you are basically just stuck paying for your class.
I tried calling and having a conversation in order to rectify it, my situation was that I had a business meeting that got moved and as such could not make it because i was physically not in town. I called the company and wanted to cancel, they said call back in a few hours I did but got no answer and then the next day i got a call from my instructor saying that i would be charged for my time. I called back and then told them my situation and he offered for me to pay it forward and schedule a future class (but pay in advance). I would have been happy with this option except i did not know when my business trip would end and i did not want to pay for a course that i could also not make. I had a long talk with the guy and then said I have to go and said i would not be paying but i could reschedule for a future date when i was back in town. He said, «so you will not be paying for a future date but will call when you are back» to which i responded «yes.» At this point he hung up, and i thought it was the end of it. Four days later i receive a billing invoice with an extra billing fee as well.
Now understand their cancellation policy makes sense, but when they have no voicemail process over the weekend and most peoples work lives do not end at 5PM on a friday (where they may have work conflicts come up for the next week) and they have no online scheduling process and when you have a conversation with them that ends on the terms of, i will call back at a later date to schedule and they end it well enough. But then they send a billing invoice to your home address which includes an extra fee, I would say they are a very ruthless business which cares more about money than their customer experience.
Not only did they lose my business, they lost my faith in them as a company. If you are reading this i implore you to choose a different service as they are not sensitive to the needs of a modern professional.

If I could give Allied Driving School a zero rating I would. We had a horrible experience with them.
After setting up appointments for my son (a first-​time driver) I talked to a friend who recommended that I look for another driving school because of her daughter’s negative experience with Allied. I then went back and read the reviews on Unilocal. (Read for yourselves, they seem to be pretty consistent with poor customer service and sketchy business practices.)
After reading the reviews I called and cancelled with Allied. To tell you the truth I was concerned about how my son might be treated, and I want him to have a good first-​time experience behind the wheel. They verified my cancellation over the phone. I thought we were complete with them.
Today Allied arrived at my house as though we had not cancelled the session, claiming that they had no record of cancellation. Even though the driver was 15 min late to the (previously cancelled) session, he said that I would be expected to pay for it.
I was caught off-​guard so I let Gary, the instructor, go. I then looked for a confirmation or any communication from Allied and did not find any.
I called Allied to clear up the misunderstanding. Jerry (the manager) told me that they never send confirmation emails for two-​hour appointments (he later said that I scheduled three?). When I explained that I cancelled the appointments with them Jerry began to communicate with me in a very condescending and disrespectful manner. At the point where he began arguing and talking over me, I hung up.
I called back 10 minutes later and spoke to Jerry to be certain that he cancelled all other (already cancelled) appointments. He said he had already done so. I am also sending him an email as proof of cancellation.
Judging from other reviews I have subsequently read on Allied Driving School, I expect there will be underhanded retaliatory measures from them.
Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised. I will let you know if they do the right thing, if not, we will stand up for our fair rights as consumers. Enough of their bullying.
I regret I scheduled with them prior to reading these reviews. I have learned to do my due diligence and to get everything in writing. Live and Learn.

Cindy calls my daughter a moron during her lesson… WTF??? Need I say more. The review would have scored the same before that happened. I had to go there to once to pick up some paperwork and I stood there forever just waiting to be acknowledged, bad way to start the experience. Then she failed her written the first time so I’m not sure what we paid for because she definatley wasnt prepared and I believe their primary purpose was to prepare her for that test. So they failed. Then after this Cindy thing… UNBELIEVABLE!!! I think I’ll stop there. This place and places like it are the reason their are so many people out there that can’t drive. Wonder how many deaths they are indirectly responsible for??? Don’t support businesses like this. Cindy… You’re a piece of

This is my updated review–
I really like Gary and think he is a good teacher. Here’s the thing… he never showed for our last apt and then no one ever called me– I had to call them. The man in the office said he had a bad number for me (not sure how that happened since they had no problems contacting me before). So I guess that’s no biggie really but now they have no available appointments for several weeks. So, I am probably going to find a new program since I don’t want to let so much time lapse between lessons, especially since I was just starting to feel comfortable. It’s pretty disappointing and I am going to look for a school that is a little more professional and has better organization.

This school sent me to collection after ignoring the fact that I never scheduled an appointment with them. There is no proof that I did. They claim I had an appointment and did not cancel it. I signed nothing. I personally never spoke to them. I don’t know where they got my information, but I am furious. This is going to be in the hands of the BBB. This us fraudulent. Prove it! A suggestion for Allied would be an actual contract. There is nothing legally binding when a meeting appt. is made. I still have no idea how you got my name, number and address. You could have anyone’s name, number and address and send them a bill if your methods were valid. You have nothing legally binding. Yes, it’s sad people don’t always respect time. Find a way to protect yours legally.

If I could give them a negative rating, I would. I got behind the wheel instruction from Cindy. She was nice to my parents, but once we were in the car, she would laugh at my mistakes, yell every 10 seconds, and offer discouraging input about how ignorant I was. I was under the impression that I was supposed to be learning from her, but she acted as if I should have been competent from the moment out first lesson began. She is a terrible instructor who does not get the job done.

Excellent driving instruction and on-​site training for stick shift.
After calling around various schools, Allied offered on-​site training for stick shift. My instructor, Barbara, was excellent and the front office handled by Jerry got me scheduled quickly.
Prices are very reasonable and factor in price of having car provided, which is rare for learning stick shift.

To remove confidence from their students and hence trick them into more lessons seems to be their business model. The instructor Gary clearly doesn’t know how to teach.
I’m from overseas and currently a Stanford student. Recently I completed a driving course with Allied Driving School and got my license. I have to say that the entire experience was, frankly, terrible.
The instructor I got, Gary, seems to know nothing about teaching but yelling. Instead of explaining to me what I didn’t understand, he shouted or even laughed at my mistakes — from the first lesson to the last. That is, in my opinion, the worst thing that an instructor can ever do. I couldn’t help wondering, if I already understood everything about driving and was able to manage everything without him explaining, what the hell he thought I was paying him for?
Somehow his attitude made me (emotionally) feel like being a moron. I survived education in Cambridge and got my graduate place in Stanford, not to sound arrogant, but to show that I’m usually a very self-​confident person. If he managed to make me feel like being a moron, probably many people feel the same when driving with him.
Elisabeth, my former landlady, who has taught all of children (who are in their thirties now), was kind enough to let me practising with her car. In the end, while Gary kept ridiculing my driving, Elisabeth and all my friends who have seen me driving thought I was more than capable driving on my own. Therefore I took the test at DMV and passed easily. I can’t helping thinking that perhaps to make students feel stupid might actually be his/​their strategy to keep them for more lessons.
I’m an adult learner therefore was able to set emotions apart and concentrate on learning. I can not imagine the negative impact Gary would have on teenagers learning driving with him.
Bottom line: Please only send your children to Allied Driving School if you’d like to DISCOURAGE them from driving!

I can’t believe with all the businesses going out of business in America, how come ALLIED Driving school is still surviving? There MUST be a secret for success.
Oh I know… the NON REFUND POLICY is how this company makes its ways.
So many (seriously) many bad comments and negative experiences. I called back and complained after having a bad experience with Cindy — Miss Frustrated Queen with he Gum Popping in her mouth the entire time we were driving.
I argued with the guy on the phone a little and i told him I would talk trash about them if they don’t do refund. The guy threaten so SUE me. Haha Isn’t it great ?
This is a bad business that is run by uneducated, inexperience, impolite and rude people. I hope to GOD, Allied Driving school will learn their lessons and start changing, otherwise from a perspective of a entrepreneur myself, I don’t see this business surviving any more than 5 years.

Manual Transmission lessons — good experience, decent price.
I’ve been driving automatic cars since I was a teenager (some twenty years ago), but never learned to drive manual transmission. So I decided to learn by taking professional lessons. I did two sessions with Allied in order to learn how to drive a stick shift. The instructor I worked with was «Sparky.» (Not sure if this is her really name — probably a nickname I suppose.) Anyways, she was great.
The first day, I practiced in a parking lot for two hours. It was slow learning, but steady. Sparky had me go through several drills — such as starting from a hill, backing up, and parking. By the end of the first day I started to get the hang of it. The second day was even better. She took me on the real roads and we drove around town for two hours. I stalled a few times, but it was feeling a lot better.
I only took two sessions with Sparky via Allied Driving school — but that was enough for me to get the basics of learning manual transmission. They provided a late model Toyota Yaris (current model at the time). Now that I look back on it, the car shifted pretty easily — though I was so knew to driving a manual transmission, I couldn’t tell. The car is equipped with a break pedal for the instructor for emergencies.
I paid $ 112 for each 2 hour session. Each session was done early in the morning (I suppose to avoid too much traffic). Payment was taken at the end of each session when I got back home. (They come to you’re residence to pick you up.) Again, the experience was professional, and my instructor did a great job. If you with Allied, ask for Sparky.

I wish I had read the reviews before I enrolled my son in behind the wheel training from Allied Driving School. Then I might have known how dishonest and downright rude this company was. Be prepared that if you cannot make your appt for ANY reason (including them providing mis-​information to you) you will be charged. Then, if you are lucky, maybe the «supervisor» will yell at you over the phone about how they are a customer service company. They don’t know the meaning of the words!
I would have given zero stars if I could.
When I called to inquire about behind the wheel training, I asked if a permit was needed because my son did not have it yet as we were waiting for the certificate of completion for online training from another company. The person answering the phone (Jerry) told me no, they could issue a temporary permit. As we were talking, Jerry put me on hold numerous time to take other calls. When he came back online, he often repeated things he had already told me, but at no point did he tell me that I needed the completion of online training in order for them to issue the temporary permit for the lesson. When I opened the information they sent via mail, it did appear that the certificate was required. I tried to call to let them know that I did not have the certificate yet, but could not reach them (no answering machine). Unfortunately the driver did arrive but the lesson could not happen. I tried to explain all this to Barbara (Jerry’s supervisor?) but she kept insisting they had told me the requirement — when she was not the person I spoke to — so how could she know what was said?
I was charged $ 112 for service that was not rendered due to a mis-​communication. I was treated very poorly and very unprofessionally.
I have since learned that this company is not a member of the Better Business Bureau and has not responded to numerous complaints made to the BBB.
Do yourself a favor and don’t take the risk of working with this company.

this place sucks. instructors and customer service suck. they’re rude and impatient. don’t go here.

**Buyer Beware**
Wow! I have a lot of negative feedback to give about this very unprofessional company.
First off, my son was scheduled for 3, two hour lessons; 2 at 7:30AM and the last at 5:30PM.
Gary the instructor typically did not do driver training this early in the morning (typically 9AM) and made it clear to my son that he wasn’t happy about it. My son got through the first lesson ok with «Dude, push in the clutch», «now the brake» and «Dude, what are you doing?». No positive reinforcements, Gary just barked orders out and without any explanations at all. My son may as well had an older brother in the car! I pay them approx. $ 55/​hour for this? Hmmm…
So, the next day (Sunday) is my son’s 2^nd appt. at 7:30AM. We had to drive down from San Francisco, which Gary was made aware of the day before. Gary shows up at our meeting point at 7:30AM and was advised that we were on our way from the city and would arrive momentarily. We arrived at 7:37AM and no sign of Gary! Gary split 2 minutes after he had arrived! We circled around the neighborhood looking for him to no avail. This is Redwood Shores we’re talking about… there are 2 ways in/​out — no joke! He bolted out of there! We were never given a phone number to reach Gary and they had my cell#. No call.
So, I called Monday and spoke with Jerry/​manager and he proceeded to get defensive and basically not believe anything I was telling him about good ‘olé Gary. Because apparently he or his staff would never do anything like I was describing and conduct themselves with such unprofessionalism or irresponsibility.
They refused to refund my money for the day that Gary bailed out on our lesson! I proceeded to cancel the last scheduled day.
Please be advised that this is not a professional and reliable company and I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Also, Gary is the only trainer that teaches manual/​clutch driving. You’ve been warned! Good luck and happy driving! :)

Instructor driving black Scion has NO concept of the word «merge». I cannot imagine letting my children learn driving skills from her.

I was given a Manual Transmission car as a gift, but have never driven a manual transmission before. We decided that the quickest method for me to learn would to take behind the wheel lessons.
I never took them for automatic transmission so I can’t compare the experience to that. That I learned first hand scratching up others hubcaps! :)
Anyways, so typically they offer lessons at a certain rate (don’t remember it now, but between $ 100-​$ 200) for each 2 hour lesson. The lady I spoke with on the phone (an older sounding woman) was very pleasant and happy to help, unlike the receptionist at Standford driving School. (Think I’ll Unilocal her later). I explained to her that I needed to learn quickly as I wasn’t able to get the car until I learned. She suggested that just for a bit more $ she could make the lessons 3 hours each. Great deal!
So I took two 3 hour lessons. First, my leg was shaking by the time I got out of the car. The little red car they use has a very hard clutch which I didn’t know at the time until I was able to compare it to the car I got. My leg hasn’t been sore in my car once and it’s been over a month since the lessons and I just received the car this week. So I wish they did use a car that was a little bit more up to date.
The instructor was a young guy and very nice. He called the night before to confirm where he would be picking me up from as I guess he hadn’t received the information.
I wont go into details of the lesson as I’m not Unilocaling that! haha All in all the experience was just fine and I would recommend them to anyone looking for behind the wheel training for a manual transmission.
The only odd thing is the instructor does not carry a cell phone and is the only instructor not to so if there is an emergency better hope you have yours! Also, the instructor suggested a couple more lesson to cover hills and parking which I agreed with and didn’t feel it was money driven.
We called them to schedule 2 more sessions ASAP and were told they would see how soon the driver could do it, but they never returned our calls.
I give 4 stars and not 5 for them not returning the call. They are providing a service and I shouldn’t have to make repeated attempts to utilize that service.