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 e-book or notify them of obtainable 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, nonetheless, the RAC has found that some unlicensed web sites proceed to aim to benefit from college students who’re having issue changing into licensed drivers.
A ‘black market’ that utilises bots to order check areas extra rapidly than any individual may is continuously engaging learners who’re determined to beat the check backlog.
As soon as out there, these slots are subsequently resold at exorbitant costs or via paid providers that notify clients of check cancellations of their neighbourhood.
In keeping with RAC analysis, some web sites are reselling driving assessments for as much as £195, which is greater than 3 times the official value, although the check itself prices £62.
The RAC has found that many driving check dates should be bought on-line via third events since they’re provided via encrypted WhatsApp chats, regardless of the DVSA’s swift efforts to crack down on the black market.
The ‘disappearing message’ function is continuously utilized by distributors on these channels to make conversations untraceable.
By means of ‘cancellation alert’ functions and schemes, which cost customers a one-time charge to obtain alerts each time a slot turns into out there sooner than their unique check, different third events are being profitable off of the backlog.
Even when some web sites demand legitimate documentation of a DVSA check, drivers should need to pay practically twice as a lot for sign-up charges as for a real check; ‘VIP packages’ can price as much as £117.
The RAC has additionally found that college students must be frightened about shedding 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 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 house tackle with out batting an eyelid.
“After failing that check, I went on-line to attempt to e-book 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’ assessments booked utilizing my particulars – although I used to be blissfully unaware for the years it was occurring.
“An organization had used my particulars to repeatedly e-book assessments beneath my title 52 occasions and swap them with different candidates who needed the slots for triple the value.
“My recommendation to different drivers is at all times to e-book via 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 already know you’re 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 together with your particulars to e-book a number of assessments 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 via the Authorities web site as a substitute of utilizing a third-party ‘black market’ web site, which continuously supplies inaccurate info 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 stated: “It’s horrible that ‘brokers’ utilizing software program to order assessments sooner than a human probably may are making it so laborious for learners to e-book 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 e-book a number of assessments.
“Definitive motion must be taken to stop ‘bots’ reserving assessments 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 assessments, lacking out and having to attend months for an opportunity to develop into a professional driver. It’s no surprise some learners find yourself reserving check slots earlier than they’re prepared.
“It’s additionally very mistaken that actual people who find themselves genuinely making an attempt to e-book their assessments are being handled as if they’re ‘bots’ as a result of their knowledge has been stolen by fraudsters.
“The very best plan of action earlier than the DVSA finds an answer to this drawback as soon as and for all is to e-book solely by way of the official Authorities web site and never pay nicely over the chances through the use of a so-called dealer’s website.”
