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.

@Almostwelsh That's the point of the site I recommended - the site makes the booking for you immediately, removing the need for you see a notification and act on it

You can only book one year at a time and you need your provisional driving licence number to book a test. I booked mine in September 2023 and the earliest test available at my local test centre was March 2024.

I suspect that what is happening is companies are paying people to use their provisional licence to book tests. Once the test has been booked, you can transfer your booking to a different person.

So person A books a test and pays £62. A company arranges a transfer of that test to person B. Person A van then book another test using their provisional licence number.

I suspect the only way to stop it is to stop people transferring their test dates. However, that's a huge pain in the butt for the genuine people who book months in advance and are unable to take their test on that day. If they can't swap, their back to waiting several months to rebook their test

Get Testi. Book a test anywhere. Change for a local cancellation.

These driving schools clearly get a percentage of money from telling students to go through brokers. There is a code of conduct for driving instructors and these corrupt schools should be reported to the DVSA.

Yes say problem with booking a test in Slough had to pay £300 nothing we can do but pay the instructors it’s a joke. And You are right and I posted about this before slough is sooo sooo corrupt in every which way you look. It’s a pit the councillors are all corrupt look at the state of it no bin collections litter everywhere housing planning changed to data centres and it’s going to lose its library

I'm in North London and it happens all the time here too. My DD's driving instructor refused to deal with these touts, but it did mean a long wait between her failing the first test and taking (and thankfully passing) her second one. It's so unethical and you are right, something definitely needs to be done about it.

I'd be trying somewhere like Reading, Greenford, Southall or Pinner. I know that Pinner is a popular choice for having spaces. I'm not surprised about Slough tbh.

Why does that not surprise me

I’m shocked. This is just appalling. Who knew there was this kind of rubbish going on?!

I can't see how they block book - I've just gone on to have a look, and you have to enter your DL number to get past the first page.

My son learnt with the AA and he had to book his own test. Got one by logging on at 6am and test was six months later. Bit of a pain but luckily he did pass.

They have thousands of people who get paid to book a test then the company sells these spaces through the companies website

I can't see how they block book - I've just gone on to have a look, and you have to enter your DL number to get past the first page.

Driving instructors and other 'businesses' can block book and then transfer to other people apparently.

They can’t block book car tests without candidate details.

They can block book blank lorry, bus or bike tests. There aren’t any of these issues with any of those though.

They are using candidate details and swapping them about umpteen times.

But surely they're still only booking one per candidate, so that isn't really the same as just blocking loads out. If the people booked them separately it wouldn't mean more test would be available.

MargaretThursday there are 9 pages and 2 newspaper articles on this thread telling you that multiple bookings are being made and how it's done. One lady in Slough has posted she had to pay £300.

Didn't Slough have issues with corruption in the council as well

Yes, they are millions in debt because of it.

This loophole does need to be closed and I think it's wrong the instructors to be part of this

They did say last year they’re trying to sort it. So they know it’s an issue.

despatch.blog.gov.uk/2023/06/29/how-were-dealing-with-bots-and-the-reselling-of-driving-tests/

this is scaremongering and not true ino

you have to enter your details

we used testi which auto books tests but even that cancels your original booked test

its normal to pay for 1-2 hour lesson plus car hire for the duration so a test normally does cost around £200 per attempt

my dd joined police last year and it makes it clear driving licence is needed to join - given the amount of driving i wouldn’t be encouraging a newly qualified driver to join anyway - they can’t join with any speed points so i’d be wanting them to be confident first

it’s also normal to have to book your test 3-4 months in advance and then use testi to auto book an earlier one

it helps if your instructor prioritises tests over lessons so you don’t have to check availability though