The RAC is cautioning learners to all the time use the official Authorities web site and to keep away from web sites that supply to ebook or notify them of accessible check dates, for the reason that common wait time for a sensible driving check in England and Wales after the epidemic remains to be roughly 4 and a half months.
The driving check’s governing physique, the Driver and Automobile 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 reap the benefits of college students who’re having problem turning into licensed drivers.
A ‘black market’ that utilises bots to order check areas extra shortly than any particular person may is incessantly attractive learners who’re determined to beat the check backlog.
As soon as obtainable, these slots are subsequently resold at exorbitant costs or by means of paid providers that notify clients of check cancellations of their neighbourhood.
In keeping with RAC analysis, some web sites are reselling driving exams for as much as £195, which is greater than thrice the official value, though the check itself prices £62.
The RAC has found that many driving check dates should be bought on-line by means of third events since they’re supplied by means of encrypted WhatsApp chats, regardless of the DVSA’s swift efforts to crack down on the black market.
The ‘disappearing message’ function is incessantly utilized by distributors on these channels to make conversations untraceable.
By means of ‘cancellation alert’ purposes and schemes, which cost customers a one-time charge to obtain alerts each time a slot turns into obtainable sooner than their unique check, different third events are making a living off of the backlog.
Even when some web sites demand legitimate documentation of a DVSA check, drivers should must pay practically twice as a lot for sign-up charges as for a real check; ‘VIP packages’ can value as much as £117.
The RAC has additionally found that college students ought to be nervous about dropping not solely cash but additionally their private data. One such sufferer is freelance journalist Lara Olszowska, with whom the RAC has had conversations.
Lara mentioned: “I purchased into the driving check black market at £169 for a check value £62, simply to keep away from having to retake my idea and delay my sensible examination. I gave them my driving licence quantity, my idea certificates quantity, and my dwelling deal with with out batting an eyelid.
“After failing that check, I went on-line to attempt to ebook my subsequent try, however the DVSA web site stored 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 ebook exams beneath my identify 52 occasions and swap them with different candidates who wished the slots for triple the value.
“My recommendation to different drivers is all the time to ebook by means of the DVSA on-line or over the cellphone and, when you’ve got months of ready time, plan backwards from there along with your teacher so you recognize you might be greater than able to cross by the point your check date comes.
“You don’t need to find yourself spending lots of on sooner check dates, just for a 3rd occasion to run off along with your particulars to ebook 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 instantly by means of the Authorities web site as a substitute of utilizing a third-party ‘black market’ web site, which incessantly gives inaccurate data just like the frequency of driving check 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 mentioned: “It’s horrible that ‘brokers’ utilizing software program to order exams sooner than a human presumably may are making it so arduous for learners to ebook check slots. It appears as if expertise is continually getting used to cheat the system as we’ve been informed somebody’s driving licence quantity was used to ebook a number of exams.
“Definitive motion must be taken to stop ‘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 grow to be a professional driver. It’s no surprise some learners find yourself reserving check slots earlier than they’re prepared.
“It’s additionally very improper that actual people who find themselves genuinely making an attempt to ebook their exams are being handled as if they’re ‘bots’ as a result of their information has been stolen by fraudsters.
“One of the best plan of action earlier than the DVSA finds an answer to this downside as soon as and for all is to ebook solely by way of the official Authorities web site and never pay properly over the chances through the use of a so-called dealer’s website.”
