Driving test booking madness

[blobbyshouse]

Anybody else frustrated with this?
Failed my test earlier this week (disappointingly messed up my manoeuvre, did well on the actual driving part with only 1 minor)
Went to book another test and absolutely no slots available. Looked up other test centres across the country and also nothing. I will have to look at 6AM Monday and hope I am fast enough to grab one in six months time.
I understand there’s a backlog but, looking online, there are third-party sites with plenty of slots available in coming weeks and months. All for at least 3x the cost. I have also found news articles from over 2 years ago promising the government are going to crackdown and solve the issue of bots buying tests 🤨
Just very frustrating! 😩

@PhuckTrumpi can’t remember, sorry. The app had been recommended to us by lots of people though who had all booked tests successfully. We booked his test , changed it using TestShift for two weeks later. There were ones for the following day, two days later etc.

It just seems to be impossible to get a test anywhere in the whole of Britain at any time or on any day just now. I wouldn’t mind paying one of these bots, but from what I understand you need a test date in the first place. The bots just bring that date forward for you.

I think the individual should be able to book directly through the DVLA, so one slot per person, and stop all this grabbing of slots by companies 🤬

I've been through the same for my daughter this morning (she's abroad and cannot get online) after failing her first test.

Had 10,000 people ahead of me when I logged on this morning at 6am.

Managed to book a test for March - 100 miles away and her instructor will change it to a cancellation at our location test centre. Booked the test at 10am.

The instructors have cancellations before they are released to the general public so he will move it for us.

There should be a change in the law in regards to the theory test expiring and unable to get a practical test

@ChangecrossI know, it’s a nightmare . We logged at 6am on a Monday morning and got a test for six months later. We did download the Testi app too but after six weeks, we gave up on it. TestShift worked far better in my opinion and holds the test for 15 mins ( I think) The Government should have intervened years ago.

Basically, when you sign up to the app, you give them your provisional licence number. They then use that ASAP to book a random test anywhere in the country. When the app then get hold of a test in your area (bot booked using someone elses provisional number), they swap the two licence numbers over and there you are, booked in for a test in your area.

Basically, if we all boycotted the apps, then they wouldn't be able to use our provisional numbers to book tests, and the whole situation would resolve itself. Or you know, the government could just pull their finger out of their ass and deal with it.

It’s such a solveable problem that it means no one is trying to crack down on it. There’s absolutely no need for a test to be transferable to someone else. You book it, you then take it or cancel it. If you cancel you get a refund and it becomes available to be rebooked.

If they stopped people being able to change the driver on a test booking this would stop overnight.

Testi app worked for us last summer. 5 or 6 month wait for a local test so booked that and used Testi to move it forward several times before getting a very last minute one with 12 hours notice, which she passed!

Thats so true. At this point why on earth won’t they do this?