Driving schools are taking advantage of the post-Covid backlog at the DVSA, resulting in inflated prices for booking driving tests. One company, Fast Driving Test Booking (FDTBooking), openly admitted to ripping off customers by charging £180 for a test that should only cost £62. Another company charged as much as £255 for the same service. Many of these companies justify the high prices by claiming it reflects the time and effort required to find available test slots on the DVSA website.
When questioned about the scam, FDTBooking’s head, Rahat Fokrul, confirmed that they were indeed ripping off customers, stating that they were aware of the rules. Customers such as Tom Verdon-Roe, a student in London, expressed frustration with the difficulty of booking a test and ended up paying £146 for a booking service. While customers feel compelled to pay extra due to the widespread practice, they believe regulatory bodies should crack down on this abuse.
Several driving schools charge excessive amounts for booking tests. Local Intensive Driver Training (LIDT) charges £149, while Intensive Courses charges £179. Both companies deny block booking. Despite the inflated prices, they argue that the high cost is necessary due to the time-consuming process of finding available test dates. FDTBooking charges £180, while Best Driving School London charges up to £228. The Driving Test Exchange offers a range of prices from £89 to £255.
Christian Kriel, the director of Best Driving School London, admitted that his company charges double or triple the price of a regular test but justified it as an administration charge for finding the test on behalf of the customer. With increased demand for driving tests after Covid, finding available slots has become a nightmare, leading to these higher fees. Kriel believes that as long as customers are aware they are paying for a service, it is a personal decision.
The DVSA has taken steps to address the issue, including issuing warnings and suspending businesses involved in misuse. They have also changed terms and conditions to prevent driving instructors from making a profit from test bookings. However, the problem persists, with some companies using bots to secure test slots and resell them at higher prices. This creates unfairness for those seeking tests and forces some to pay exorbitant prices. The DVSA is committed to combating this issue and has implemented new bot protection measures and penalties for those who exploit learners.
In summary, driving schools are taking advantage of the DVSA backlog to charge inflated prices for booking driving tests. Customers feel compelled to pay these high fees due to the limited availability of test slots. While the DVSA is taking action against misuse, the problem continues with some companies using bots to secure and resell test slots at higher prices.
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