Disgusted at the corruption of the DVLA and all the scamming around driving tests

[ManyBooksLittleTime]

Both my children are trying to pass their driving tests. In the area in which we live, and several centres surrounding this, individuals buy up ALL the driving tests using bots to purchase them all. It is impossible to buy your own test. The Instructors, including 'reputable' companies, recommend who to buy the test from. The tests are sold for £160 -500. Then the student is encouraged to pay for an hour driving lesson before the test and use of the car during the test.
My son's last test cost £340 all in and my daughter's £360. She got into the police, but couldn't join as she couldn't pass her test in time! It's soul destroying. AIBU to think that the the government/police should step in? This should be an illegal practice. At the moment the examiners and instructors must be getting massive backhanders and it's very much in the interest if the examiners to just keep failing the students. I'm so angry and frustrated! It just seems like very open corruption.

Can they travel to a different area? I was about 7 hours into lessons when lockdown started and eventually got my license summer 2021. Spent SO much on lessons and it took me months to get a test. I actually booked one of those crash pass me fast courses but they had to spread the hours out over months because nobody could get a test. The majority of my friends were in the same boat. You can sign up to the government cancellation service (about £20) I think and you get can test cancellations there. It seems to have calmed down a bit now. My friend booked his test last month and got one for in 3 months which isn’t too bad. We’re in a big city. He saw a cancellation come up for somewhere 40 miles away the other day but decided against it as he didn’t know the area.

Paying for an hour before the lesson and for the car is standard and always has been. You’re renting the car from the instructor and he could be teaching in those hours.

I think I would happily pay £160 for a cancellation right now, as currently we’re having to continue driving lessons at £370 for every 10 lessons! DS is test ready, so frustrating! Luckily we can afford it, many others can’t!

My Dd had a test booked for January 2025 through the Testi app there were earlier dates but Dd is off to uni in September so wanted it when she was next home.My Dh went on the Dvla site 2 weeks ago on the Friday evening saw a test for the following Tuesday booked it and she took the test in her own car and passed with one minor.

What is not ok is those with a disability who need more forward planning re taking tests and lessons will be the most disadvantaged. The cost is going to be huge for my daughter.

You can preset some of the cancellation apps to book automatically.

My DC did and passed their theory test on their 17th birthday. We then booked a test anywhere in the UK for 6 months later and then waited for the App to rebook their test nearer to us.

If you are proactive you can easily get it all done in 6 months (depending on how quickly your DC picks up the driving skills).

Was this the Testi app?

not any more it isn't.

Maybe when booking the test you have to do a security photo where you hold up your provisional driving license next to your face.
I presume the dvla or dvsa has been hacked to show all the provisional licence holders in the area with all their information so programming a bot to book tests within a certain area.

Also make it that you can only book 2 tests per day and pay from the same bank account or address

There are simple ways round this and shouldn’t take a genius to implement

It's all well and good saying book a test in another area but if you are relying on the driving instructors car, that could add up to an absolute fortune. Could add hours to what is normally a triple lesson.

My sons driving instructor wouldn't let him take his test unless he was 99% sure he would pass as it effected his pass rate stats. If it looked like he wasn't an effective instructor he would have to pay to do a retraining course,

No it was one of the others Driving Test cancellations Now I think. There are loads some let you preset for them to book and change your test.

It’s not that simple though, is it? If you’re using the instructor’s cars, your test centre options will be limited. DS’s instructor only did our local one.

Really odd that some people seem to be intent on insisting there is no problem.

Ok, thank you.

You can hire dual control cars from Arnold Clark for tests.

It really shouldn’t be allowed. Not at all fair.

It's all adding to costs for these poor kids tho isn't it. Not everyone has parents who can afford to or will support them to learn to drive.

And not driving traps people in rural poverty.

"There were levels of service based on how quickly you cannot to be alerted to cancellations based on what you paid. It seemed to work really well for us.""

And do you not see the problem with that? Learning to drive is already incredibly expensive, adding a further layer whereby rich people can get alerted to test spaces and book them up, while poor people have to wait for slots months in advance, if they can even get them, is hardly fair, particularly when there's no need, the system worked perfectly well before these scammers got in on it, and it would be very easy to solve just by, once a test is booked, not allowing any changes, at all, ever, only cancellations and then you lose a percentage/all of the cost.

The odd person losing out because they were unfortunately ill or whatever would be fairer than it is now.

I agree OP!

They could sort this out but they don't seem to want to!

1. Stop the ability to be able to change the date, time and location once the initial test is booked. So full cancellation and refund only. Possibly small cancellation fee to stop people from booking before they are ready.

(Last year you could make 6 changes - ridiculous!)

1. Link the driving test booking website to the driving license website - same login details so only genuine drivers can book the test in the first place.

In this day and age they could have the above done by the end of next week and the whole thing is sorted.

You don’t need a car with dual controls to take the test.

As plenty of posters have said, cancellations almost never come up at some centres. Add school/work commitments and instructor availability to the mix, and it’s really not straight forward.

We had the perfect alignment of a (rare) same day cancellation at our local centre, it being the school holidays and DS using his own car. I feel like if it wasn’t for all of that, we could still be trying.

1. Also only be able to book a month in advance to stop people guessing when they are ready!

You do if it's a hire car.

So if you don't have a car, and can't use your instructors, you will have to hire a dual-control car.

I know my DC did it in our car which doesn’t have dual controls just thought for some parents who don’t have a suitable car helping their child in a DC hire car maybe preferable.

Why do people think you need dual controls? There is simple guidance about using your own car here.

My DD took her two driving tests in her own car. First test she waited about ten months due to covid and it was in Wales!
Second test was in the next town and a cancellation. We had an app but you need to be on that at 8am. Both were taken in her own car and we ended up teaching her on the weeks before her tests due to a fickle driving instructor. Cost about £300 pa to put her on the insurance.
I took years to learn to drive and I think if you have only learnt test routes you are setting yourself up for failure and unsafe driving. You should be able to drive anywhere. I went on to drive 1000 miles a week pretty quickly.
Fwiw the test is definitely harder now.
Your DD will have a lifetime to learn to drive, take it steady. My mother was a police officer and they pay for the advanced driving test.

But if you don't have a car of your own and cannot use your instructor's, you will need to hire a car. If you take your test in a hire car it MUST have dual controls.