The RAC is cautioning learners to at all times use the official Authorities web site and to keep away from web sites that provide to guide or notify them of accessible take a look at dates, because the common wait time for a sensible driving take a look at in England and Wales after the epidemic continues to be roughly 4 and a half months.
The driving take a look at’s governing physique, the Driver and Car Requirements Company (DVSA), has closed 689 companies, suspended 746, and issued 283 warnings for abusing its reserving system since January 2023.
Sadly, nevertheless, the RAC has found that some unlicensed web sites proceed to try to make the most of college students who’re having issue changing into licensed drivers.
A ‘black market’ that utilises bots to order take a look at areas extra rapidly than any particular person may is steadily attractive learners who’re determined to beat the take a look at backlog.
As soon as accessible, these slots are subsequently resold at exorbitant costs or by way of paid providers that notify clients of take a look at cancellations of their neighbourhood.
Based on RAC analysis, some web sites are reselling driving exams for as much as £195, which is greater than 3 times the official value, though the take a look at itself prices £62.
The RAC has found that many driving take a look at dates should still be bought on-line by way of third events since they’re supplied by way of encrypted WhatsApp chats, regardless of the DVSA’s swift efforts to crack down on the black market.
The ‘disappearing message’ characteristic is steadily utilized by distributors on these channels to make conversations untraceable.
By way of ‘cancellation alert’ functions and schemes, which cost shoppers a one-time charge to obtain alerts each time a slot turns into accessible sooner than their unique take a look at, different third events are being profitable off of the backlog.
Even when some web sites demand legitimate documentation of a DVSA take a look at, drivers should still should pay almost twice as a lot for sign-up charges as for a real take a look at; ‘VIP packages’ can price as much as £117.
The RAC has additionally found that college students needs to be frightened about dropping not solely cash but in addition their private info. One such sufferer is freelance journalist Lara Olszowska, with whom the RAC has had conversations.
Lara stated: “I purchased into the driving take a look at black market at £169 for a take a look at price £62, simply to keep away from having to retake my concept and delay my sensible examination. I gave them my driving licence quantity, my concept certificates quantity, and my residence tackle with out batting an eyelid.
“After failing that take a look at, I went on-line to attempt to guide my subsequent try, however the DVSA web site saved popping up with an ‘error’ message.
“That led to a fateful cellphone name with the DVSA the place I realized my account was blocked for having ‘too many’ exams booked utilizing my particulars – though I used to be blissfully unaware for the years it was occurring.
“An organization had used my particulars to repeatedly guide exams underneath my title 52 occasions and swap them with different candidates who wished the slots for triple the value.
“My recommendation to different drivers is at all times to guide by way of the DVSA on-line or over the cellphone and, you probably have months of ready time, plan backwards from there together with your teacher so you might be greater than able to cross by the point your take a look at date comes.
“You don’t need to find yourself spending a whole bunch on sooner take a look at dates, just for a 3rd social gathering to run off together with your particulars to guide a number of exams so your particulars get blocked, and you discover out when it’s too late.”
To be clear, the RAC is recommending that drivers make their reservations straight by way of the Authorities web site as an alternative of utilizing a third-party ‘black market’ web site, which steadily offers inaccurate info just like the frequency of driving take a look at bookings.
Learner drivers are expressing their dissatisfaction with the reserving course of on Reddit and Mumsnet boards, and scammers are even endorsing their web sites there.
RAC head of coverage Simon Williams stated: “It’s horrible that ‘brokers’ utilizing software program to order exams sooner than a human probably may are making it so onerous for learners to guide take a look at slots. It appears as if know-how is continually getting used to cheat the system as we’ve been advised somebody’s driving licence quantity was used to guide a number of exams.
“Definitive motion must be taken to forestall ‘bots’ reserving exams after which promoting them on to determined learners for loopy quantities of cash. This results in real slots being wasted and learners, who’re able to take their exams, lacking out and having to attend months for an opportunity to change into a certified driver. It’s no marvel some learners find yourself reserving take a look at slots earlier than they’re prepared.
“It’s additionally very improper that actual people who find themselves genuinely making an attempt to guide their exams are being handled as if they’re ‘bots’ as a result of their information has been stolen by fraudsters.
“The perfect plan of action earlier than the DVSA finds an answer to this downside as soon as and for all is to guide solely through the official Authorities web site and never pay nicely over the percentages through the use of a so-called dealer’s web site.”
