DVSA issues major warning over rise in fraudulent practice costing drivers 'more than triple'

With post-pandemic waiting times for practical driving tests averaging around four-and-a-half months across England and Wales, desperate learners are falling prey to a black market that exploits the backlog.

According to the RAC, unofficial sites use bots to book test slots faster than humanly possible, then resell them at inflated prices.

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The official driving test costs £62, but some sites are charging up to £195 - more than triple the official price. But due to the high amount of test slots still being sold through encrypted WhatsApp chats, making them difficult to trace, the DVSA has resorted to taking action.

The RAC's investigation has uncovered a range of tactics used by black-market operators to trick drivers into fraudulent practices.

Some offer cancellation alert schemes and apps, charging users a one-off fee to receive notifications when earlier test slots become available.

While these services require legitimate proof of a DVSA test, sign-up fees can cost nearly twice the amount of an official test, with VIP packages advertised for up to £117.

The issue extends beyond financial exploitation. Learners are also at risk of having their personal details compromised.

One victim ended up paying £169 for a test worth £62 when the learner driver unwittingly provided her driving licence number, theory certificate number, and home address to fraudsters.

The consequences were severe with the driver later discovering her account had been blocked by the DVSA for having too many tests booked using her details. In total 52 tests were booked without the learners knowledge.

The driver explained: "Always book through the DVSA online or over the phone and, if you have months of waiting time, plan backwards from there with your instructor so you know you are more than ready to pass by the time your test date comes."

Meanwhile Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, emphasised the need for action: "Definitive action needs to be taken to prevent bots booking tests and then selling them on to desperate learners for crazy amounts of money."

To combat the issue, the DVSA has been making progress to cut down on the fraudulent practice having issued 283 warnings, 746 suspensions and closed 689 businesses for misuse of its booking service since January 2023.

However, the problem persists, with scammers even recommending their sites on Reddit and Mumsnet forums. The issue of driving test delays has caught the attention of MPs, with Labour's Peter Swallow highlighting the problem in Parliament.

He reported constituents travelling over 100 miles, even to Wales and the Isle of Wight, just to take their tests.

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As of September, the average waiting time for a car practical test had reached 19 weeks. The DVSA noted that it is taking steps to address the backlog, including buying back annual leave from examiners and recruiting 450 more.

Conservative shadow transport minister Greg Smith urged Labour to prioritise beating the backlog, emphasising that for many in the UK, "freedom and opportunity only come with the keys to your first car."

A DVSA spokesperson told GB News: “Tackling the re-selling of driving tests is a key priority, which is why we’ve deployed measures to protect learner drivers and removed nearly 5,000 accounts not linked to approved driving instructors.

“GOV.UK is the only official way to book your practical driving test, and we urge people to report any social media channels or posts offering unofficial test slots or bookings to the social media network.”