HGV training scams and collapses: real cases, and how to protect your money
Most HGV training companies deliver what they sell. But learners have lost money to fraud, to firms going bust, and to fake medicals. Here are documented cases, the warning signs, and how to pay so you can get your money back.
Short answer
The protection that works is simple: pay by credit card (Section 75 covers purchases over £100), don't pay large sums up front by bank transfer, get the price, cab hours, training address and refund terms in writing, and check the company and the training site exist before you pay.
Documented cases
From court reports, Trading Standards and the trade press.
| Case | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New Wave Driving School, HarrowSentenced June 2022 | Learners were sold HGV training that was delayed far beyond the advertised time or never happened, some on credit agreements. 23 people lost £63,293 between 2018 and 2020. The operator was found guilty of misleading consumers and given a 12-month suspended sentence, a 5-year director ban and £28,000 in compensation and costs. | Trans.info |
| Doctors on WheelsDirector jailed June 2026 | A D4 medical company that claimed to use licensed doctors had unqualified staff sign off lorry drivers' medicals, some in vans, in minutes. The director was jailed for four years at Swansea Crown Court after a Trading Standards investigation. The fraud was valued at £681,699. | Transport News |
| Systems GroupWent bust, November 2022 | A training provider that collapsed, affecting around 2,000 learners, mostly on government-funded bootcamps. | FE Week |
| Qube LearningContract ended, March 2023 | The Department for Education ended its HGV bootcamp contract a year after awarding it, leaving learners waiting for training. | FE Week |
Warning signs
- No published price, then daily sales calls. A price you only hear on the phone can't be compared. Pressure to pay in full on the first call, or "the price ends today", is a sales tactic.
- No training address. A school can tell you which yard and which truck. A company that can't may be passing you to someone else. Broker or training school?
- No cab hours in writing. Without the hours, there's no way to tell whether the price is fair.
- A "guaranteed" pass or job. Nobody can guarantee either.
- Payment by bank transfer only, or a request to pay a personal account.
- "£1 deposit" finance with no price. The rest is a loan, and you still don't know what the course costs. What finance really costs.
- A medical that takes minutes, in a van, with no eye test. A D4 must be completed by a GMC-registered doctor, and an inaccurate one can lead to DVLA investigating your fitness to drive. What a real D4 involves.
- Silence after you've paid. Many complaints describe constant contact before payment and unanswered calls after it. Get a named contact and a written timetable before you pay.
How to protect your money
- Pay by credit card, even just the deposit. Under Section 75, the card company is jointly liable for purchases over £100 and up to £30,000. Debit cards only offer a chargeback.
- Check the company on Companies House: is it active, how old is it, and is its address a real training site or a registered office shared with other brands?
- Visit the yard, or ask for an assessment drive before paying in full.
- Get everything in writing: the price, what's included, cab hours, the training address, test dates and refund terms.
- Keep records of the advert, quotes, messages and payments.
- If it goes wrong, use your cancellation rights, claim from your card company, and report fraud to Action Fraud and Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline. Your refund rights.
Car learners: test and lesson scams
TSB reported that losses to driving lesson and test scams more than doubled (up 211%) in January to August 2025 compared with a year earlier, with an average loss of £244. Facebook accounted for 56% of losses. Since 12 May 2026 only the learner can book a car test, through GOV.UK, so anyone selling test slots is breaking DVSA's rules. The 2026 booking rules.
Common questions
Are HGV training companies scams?
Most deliver what they sell, but there are documented cases of fraud and collapse, including New Wave Driving School in Harrow, whose operator was sentenced in 2022 after 23 learners lost £63,293. Pay by credit card and get everything in writing.
How do I protect myself when paying for HGV training?
Pay by credit card, even just the deposit, so Section 75 applies. Avoid big bank transfers, get the price, cab hours, training address and refund terms in writing, and check the company on Companies House.
What happened to Doctors on Wheels?
Its director was jailed for four years in June 2026 after unqualified staff signed off HGV drivers' D4 medicals. The case was investigated by Swansea Trading Standards.
Who do I report an HGV training scam to?
Report fraud to Action Fraud, and contact Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline. If you paid by card, claim from your card company.