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

You can’t book without your theory test but you can book without taking a single lesson, as long as an instructor gives you their booking number.

Which means that people are booking tests before they are ready to avoid waiting 6 months resulting in more failures, and “fake” students who book and rebook tests without ever taking them.

I hope the new rule that Driving Instructor Companies registered with DVSA and therefore eligible to block book tests will have to prove they have active ADIs working and teaching as of Jan 5th 2025 will kill this black market instantly, or at least calm it down.