To be livid at the Govs lack of action over the shambles around driving tests

[WynterQueen]

longer than expected

DS passed his theory test, and we booked his practical test. The first test was five months away at a random location, and I watched DVSA like a hawk to get a change to our preferred centre; the date was about the same.

In desperation, as he was nearer to ready to take a test, I used a black market site to get a change and nearly lost my money. These sites will only let you pay via PayPal and using friends and family, so there is no buyer protection. I refused, used goods and services and they wouldn't deal with me. Paypal paid me back after 28 days.

I tried another site and got a change, in my preferred centre for 6 weeks earlier. Cost £120 + £62 original test cost.

He failed, not through a lack of lessons, just an idiot van driver ... anyway he failed. That's life, only 47% pass first time. The odds were against him that morning.

I rebooked on DVSA. The first test anywhere in the country wasi halfway up the country in mid-April 2025. I took it.

Now I'm back on the black market again, the 'safe' place I used before has nothing until early March.

I found another site, but again, they will only accept payments from friends and family (no buyer protection). I am now sitting here with bated breath to see if I have been scammed out of another £122. I have 20 mins before I know

Anyway, my AIBU is, why are the Government doing nothing about this? Why can't they go back to the system of one learner who can book one test at a time and stop the bot's bulk buying tests using the Driving Instructor system bypass?

The place I have just used has offered me four different PayPal addresses and a bank account, all in different names. I hold little hope they are genuine. Particularly las they kept calling me Ma'am. WTF. Nobody in the UK addresses me like that.

Perhaps we need an MN list of black market sites with which we have had genuine transactions to help others feel more secure when working on the underbelly of the driving test market to get our children's tests.

Your are NOT BU
The Gov need to act

You are BU
Its a free market let scammers make money

It's not just the young getting shafted. DH is in his 40s and can't get a test. No way are we using some dodgy site though; I accidentally got scammed by a fake land registry site once a few years ago. I agree the government needs to clamp down on this and sort it out. And I disagree that it was always like this. I booked a test 6 weeks in advance of taking it in 2009 in a busy city.

My grandsons just booked a random location, on the official site, and waited for cancellations to change the locations. There is a wait.

I'd hope anyone capable of driving could book their own test tbh. Why is his mother sorting this out for him?

I've just booked my daughter's, 6 months away! Have you tried the Testi app?

My local Next Door site is full of people offering to get people earlier tests if someone pays them. One person even said they worked for the DVLA.

I must admit that I wondered why someone who thought they were capable of driving couldn't book their own test. I suppose parents are often paying for it.

Until there is a way - and funding for - tech that prohibits organisations booking all the test slots and selling them, there is not much that can be done. There has always been long waiting lists for driving tests - was the same in the 80s when I learnt to drive - and I am encouraging DS to book a slot now, even though he has only had 3 lessons. These things take time.

Is it part of the net zero strategy?

This is another absolute shambles of public bodies. They've closed most of the test centres near us. My cousin who is severely disabled and had spent 20 years on and off trying was meant to do his test in his town, they closed it. He had to go to another town 10 miles away that he doesn't know and wouldn't go to ever again. He literally only needs to be able to drive to his mums house. This terrified him and he almost didn't take the test but luckily he did and he passed!

It's all part of wanting less cars on the road ultimately. But until they sort out the shit show that is public transport it's never going to happen.

@WynterQueen

Please report the F&F aspect to Paypal; it is very much against their terms

But if they pass those that are not ready - they will lose the capacity to pass people.

There are people who 'fluke tests'.. and get on the road and are dangerous. Equally a number of people who struggle being watched and fail - even though they are are safe.

There is no perfect way. But if the current pass rate is 45% the system is flawed.

Perhaps a preliminary instructors assessment and referral would cut down on the failure rate? A higher pass rate = fewer retakes = fewer tests needed.

Because the tests come live and you have a few minutes to book them before they all go. If you are in a sixth form with a no phone policy, it isn't happening.

Was going to say the same. It’s in the government’s interests to prevent the next generation from being able to drive.

The Testi app only seems to have tests outside of London; I've watched our test centre for 5 months with no luck on Testi.

Another big app was the same, you know, the one that auto books, bloody useless for us never auto booked anything

Its the facebook / insta / whatsapp sites that have the tests

Thanks - I hadn't factored that in.

To be fair I was looking at civil service jobs two weeks ago and they're currently hiring for driving examiners up and down the country so I think they're trying to increase capacity but presumably need time to recruit and train people.

Because their mother is paying with her card and a hell of a lot faster at computer admin and typing. I wasn't going to risk DS mucking it up at 6am on a Monday morning.

Driving instructors should not be able to book tests. It should be a system where you have to go on and input your driving licence number and then only book one at a time. How are bots getting past the driving instructor bit? Surely that would be easy for the gov to fix.

It’s a problem we will never have due to DS’s medical condition. Maybe reflect on how lucky your kids are that they can drive and that you have money to throw at it.

We booked one very far away, used an app called Driving Test Now, paid £25 or so. Put in date range and suitable centres. Within a week or so it automatically rebooked it. It was still a few months off but that was what we wanted. It's infuriating to have to pay extra just to get a suitable test, but it's definitely not necessary to support the black market. I don't know how the government can sort out the problem if there's a shortage of examiners.

Are you really suggesting that it's the fault of government that you use dodgy sites to gain a test date? Just like it was the fault of the van driver that your son didn't pass his test first time....

Equally, instructors who keep telling the learner they are not ready so they keep forking out for lessons, which is what I'm damn sure happened with my driving instructor who gas-lit me into thinking I was a bad driver and not ready for test.

It's the governments fault that it's possible to buy and sell tests in the first place. Would be easy enough to put a stop to.