Terms of Service

SkillSteer Pty Ltd (ABN 37 700 510 158) (“SkillSteer”, “we”, “us”, “our”) operates skillsteer.com.au and the SkillSteer mobile app (together, the “Platform”) — an online marketplace that connects learner drivers (“Learners”) with independent driving instructors (“Instructors”) in Australia. These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern everyone’s use of the Platform. By creating an account, browsing instructor listings, or booking a lesson, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy.

If you’re booking or paying for a lesson on behalf of someone else — for example a parent booking for their teenager — you confirm you’re authorised to accept these Terms for that person and to agree to the Learner obligations in Section 5 on their behalf.

1. Acceptance of these terms

You must read and agree to these Terms before using the Platform. If you do not agree, don’t create an account or use SkillSteer. We may update these Terms from time to time as described in Section 18 — continuing to use the Platform after an update means you accept the revised Terms.

2. Definitions

• “Lesson” means a driving lesson (or other coaching session) booked through the Platform between a Learner and an Instructor.
• “Booking” means a confirmed reservation of an Instructor’s availability slot for a Lesson, made and paid for through the Platform.
• “Compliance Documents” means the licences, certifications, and checks an Instructor must submit and keep current to remain listed on the Platform (see Section 6.1).
• “Concierge” means SkillSteer’s AI-assisted search and booking help feature, where available.
• “Content” means listings, profiles, reviews, messages, blog articles, and any other material submitted to or published on the Platform.

3. Eligibility & accounts

You must be at least 16 years old to create a SkillSteer account. Learners under 18 may only book lessons with the involvement and consent of a parent or guardian, who remains responsible for the booking and payment. Instructors must be at least 18 and legally entitled to work and provide driving instruction in Australia.

You can create an account with an email and password or via Google sign-in. You’re responsible for keeping your login credentials secure and for all activity under your account. Tell us straight away at support@skillsteer.com.au if you suspect unauthorised access. Provide accurate, current information when you register and keep your profile up to date — impersonating someone else or creating an account under a false identity is not permitted.

4. SkillSteer is a marketplace

SkillSteer is a technology platform that helps Learners find and book Instructors, and helps Instructors find and manage students. We are not a driving school, we do not employ Instructors, and we do not provide driving instruction ourselves. Each Instructor is an independent business (see Section 6.2) responsible for the Lessons they deliver, including their content, quality, and safety on the day. SkillSteer facilitates discovery, scheduling, and payment, and sets minimum listing requirements, but the contract for each Lesson is between the Learner and the Instructor.

5. Terms for learners

5.1 Booking a lesson

You can search for Instructors by suburb, transmission type (manual/automatic), and language, and book an available slot shown on an Instructor’s calendar. Once you complete checkout, your Booking is confirmed and the slot is locked for you. Slots are held for a short window during checkout — if payment isn’t completed in that window, the slot may be released back to the Instructor’s calendar.

5.2 Pricing & payment

Instructors set their own hourly rate, shown on their listing and at checkout before you pay. Payment is processed by our payment provider, Stripe. When you book, we authorise your payment method for the full Lesson price but do not capture (charge) the funds until the Lesson is marked complete or a cancellation is processed — this protects both you and your Instructor. A platform service fee is included in the amount Instructors are paid out; it is not added on top of the price you see at checkout.

5.3 Cancellations & rescheduling

Plans change — you can cancel or ask to reschedule a Booking from “My Bookings.” Refunds for a cancelled Lesson follow the cancellation policy shown at checkout and on your booking confirmation, based on how much notice you give before the scheduled start time:

• More than 24 hours’ notice: full refund (100% of what you paid).
• Between 2 and 24 hours’ notice: 50% refund; the Instructor is paid the remaining 50% for holding the slot.
• Less than 2 hours’ notice, or a no-show: no refund. The Instructor is paid for the reserved time, less SkillSteer’s service fee.

An Instructor may also need to cancel — see Section 6.5 for what happens to your payment in that case.

5.4 Lesson completion & payment release

After a Lesson, the Instructor marks it complete in the app, which triggers capture of your payment and release of the Instructor’s payout. If a Lesson didn’t happen as booked or wasn’t marked complete correctly, contact us at support@skillsteer.com.au promptly so we can look into it before funds are released.

5.5 Refunds & disputes

Refunds are issued to your original payment method and can take several business days to appear, depending on your bank or card provider. If you disagree with how a Booking was handled — for example a dispute over whether a Lesson took place — raise it with us as soon as possible; we’ll review the booking record and, where relevant, the Instructor’s account of events, and aim to resolve it fairly. This process is separate from your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

5.6 Learner responsibilities & conduct

To book a driving lesson you must hold a current, valid learner or provisional licence (or equivalent permit) for the state you’re driving in, and comply with the licence conditions that apply to you (such as displaying L-plates and any accompanying supervisor requirements, where applicable). You must attend Lessons fit to drive — never under the influence of alcohol or drugs — and follow reasonable safety directions from your Instructor. We may suspend your account if you repeatedly no-show, behave abusively toward an Instructor, or misuse the Platform.

6. Terms for instructors

6.1 Eligibility & compliance documents

Before you can accept Bookings, you must complete onboarding and submit verifiable Compliance Documents, which we (or our verification partners) review before your listing goes live and periodically thereafter. Depending on your state, this includes:

• A current driver’s licence.
• Your driving instructor accreditation / certification (ADI or equivalent state authorisation).
• A valid Working With Children Check (WWCC), where required in your state.
• Proof of current insurance covering your instruction vehicle.
• Confirmation that your vehicle has dual controls, where this is a condition of your accreditation.

You’re responsible for keeping these documents current and re-submitting before they expire. We monitor expiry dates and may automatically pause your ability to accept new Bookings if a document lapses, is rejected on review, or you don’t respond to a request for updated documents. Submitting false or altered documents is grounds for immediate suspension and account termination.

6.2 Independent contractor relationship

You provide driving instruction as an independent business, not as an employee, agent, partner, or contractor of SkillSteer. You’re responsible for your own tax obligations (including income tax and, if applicable, GST — you’ll need an ABN to receive payouts), superannuation, insurance, and compliance with the driving instructor regulations in your state. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment relationship, joint venture, or partnership between you and SkillSteer.

6.3 Listing, pricing & availability

You control your own hourly rate, the suburbs you cover, the languages you offer, and your available slots via the calendar. Keep your calendar accurate — accepting a Booking is a commitment to deliver that Lesson. You may optionally connect a Google Calendar to help avoid double-booking; this is your choice and can be disconnected at any time from your dashboard.

6.4 Platform fee & payouts

SkillSteer charges a service fee on each Lesson’s price, which is deducted before payout. Payouts are made via Stripe Connect to the bank account you provide during onboarding; you’ll need to complete Stripe’s identity verification before payouts can be released. Fees may change with notice as described in Section 18.

6.5 Cancellations by instructors

If you need to cancel a confirmed Booking, do so as early as possible through the app. Learner-initiated cancellations follow the tiered schedule in Section 5.3. If you cancel a confirmed Booking, the Learner receives a full refund regardless of notice period, and repeated late cancellations may affect your standing on the Platform, including suspension.

6.6 Code of conduct

You must deliver Lessons safely, arrive on time (or notify the Learner promptly if you’re running late), hold current insurance and accreditation at all times you’re accepting Bookings, and treat Learners professionally and respectfully. You must not request or accept payment for a Lesson outside the Platform to avoid our service fee, or solicit Learners you met through SkillSteer to book off-platform — doing so is a breach of these Terms and may result in suspension.

6.7 Insurance, vehicle & tax obligations

You’re solely responsible for maintaining a roadworthy, appropriately licensed and insured vehicle for the Lessons you provide, and for meeting any state-specific requirements (such as dual controls or a “Learner Driver” signage). You’re also responsible for reporting and remitting any tax, including GST if you’re registered, on the income you earn through the Platform. SkillSteer may issue payment summaries to help with your reporting but does not provide tax advice.

7. Reviews & ratings

After a Lesson, Learners may leave a rating and review of their Instructor. Reviews must reflect a genuine experience booked through the Platform and must not contain defamatory, discriminatory, or abusive content. We may remove reviews that breach this or that we reasonably believe are fake, and Instructors may respond publicly to a review through their dashboard.

8. Blog & Concierge content

Our driving blog and Concierge assistant provide general information to help you prepare for lessons, tests, and licensing — they are not personalised driving instruction, legal advice, or a substitute for your state’s official road rules and licensing authority. Concierge may use AI to answer questions or suggest instructors; always confirm booking details in the app before relying on anything it tells you.

9. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in a way that breaches someone else’s rights;
• Scrape, reverse-engineer, or use automated tools to extract data from the Platform;
• Circumvent our booking or payment flow to transact with another user off-platform;
• Upload false compliance documents, reviews, or listing information; or
• Interfere with the security, availability, or normal operation of the Platform.

10. Intellectual property

The Platform, including its design, code, logos, and the SkillSteer name, is owned by SkillSteer or its licensors and protected by intellectual property law. You keep ownership of Content you submit (such as your instructor profile or a review), but you grant SkillSteer a non-exclusive, worldwide licence to host, display, and use it to operate and promote the Platform.

11. Third-party services

We rely on third-party providers to run SkillSteer, including Stripe (payments and instructor payouts), Supabase (accounts, database, and storage), Google (sign-in and optional calendar sync), and email and content providers for notifications and our blog. Your use of features backed by these providers is also subject to their own terms, and we’re not responsible for outages or issues that originate with them.

12. Disclaimers

The Platform is provided “as is.” We don’t guarantee that Instructors listed will be available, that a Lesson will result in passing a driving test, or that the Platform will be uninterrupted or error-free. We don’t vet Instructors’ driving instruction quality beyond the compliance checks described in Section 6.1, and outcomes from any Lesson are between you and your Instructor.

13. Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any guarantee, right, or remedy you have under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) or other applicable Australian law that cannot lawfully be excluded. Our services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. Where permitted, our liability for a failure to comply with a consumer guarantee is limited to re-supplying the service or paying the cost of having it re-supplied.

14. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, and subject to Section 13, SkillSteer’s total liability to you arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose. We’re not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential loss, including loss of income (for Instructors) or loss connected to a Lesson’s conduct, since Lessons are delivered by independent Instructors, not SkillSteer.

15. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify SkillSteer against claims, losses, and costs arising from your breach of these Terms, your negligent or unlawful conduct, or (for Instructors) the driving instruction you provide, except to the extent caused by SkillSteer’s own negligence or breach.

16. Suspension & termination

You can close your account at any time from your settings, or by emailing support@skillsteer.com.au. We may suspend or terminate your access if you breach these Terms, if a Compliance Document lapses or is rejected (for Instructors), or if we reasonably believe your account poses a risk to other users or the Platform. Where possible we’ll give notice and a chance to fix the issue first, except where immediate action is needed for safety or legal reasons. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Section 14 and Section 15) continue to apply.

17. Governing law & disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia, and you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of its courts. Before starting formal proceedings, we ask that you first contact us so we can try to resolve the issue directly.

18. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms as the Platform evolves — for example, to reflect new features or changes in our fees. We’ll post the updated Terms here with a new “Last updated” date, and for material changes we’ll make reasonable efforts to notify you (such as by email or an in-app notice) before they take effect.

19. Contact us

Questions about these Terms? Reach us at support@skillsteer.com.au.