As we revealed last week, AA Driving School research shows waiting times for a driving test have increased by 20% since the beginning of this year – from 14.8 weeks in February up to 17.8 weeks by the beginning of this May.
Perhaps unsurprisingly then, such waiting times are driving some learners to jump the queue wherever possible.
According to a new report in the Sunday Times, some pupils are swapping their booked test for an earlier one, paying their instructor £62 fee for the test itself plus a £100 for the privilege of making the swap.
Sleight of hand
The newspaper claims that what we suspect to be a very small minority of driving instructors go even further. Normally, your test is booked by your instructor via the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s booking platform. To do this, the instructor needs a specific learner’s provisional driving licence details to secure a spot.
However, according to the Times report, some book a test without actually informing the learner – before swapping the test booking to another pupil who’s test-ready.
Quick buck
Whatever your view is on such controversial practises, the real issues begin when scammers advertise in social media groups that they can get you a last-minute test – so long as you’re prepared to pay over the odds upfront.
For instance, learner driver Oly Hutchings revealed to the Times that a friend had paid £200 for an earlier test. The problem? “When they turned up to the centre in High Wycombe, they discovered the test didn’t exist," explains Oly.
“Then I found these Facebook groups online, and I could see how many people were getting scammed the same way. The scammers offer you an earlier test date and take your money, then just disappear or the test doesn’t exist.”
Official line
Responding to the report, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency told the Times that “[the agency] does not run, approve or endorse any cancellation finder apps or services and we encourage learners only to book their driving test when their instructor agrees they are ready.”
Know Your Code
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