Automated systems and instructors are reselling driving tests for more than £200 for an early driving test.
With learner drivers facing a six-month backlog that has seen no signs of relenting, people have begun selling tests to take advantage of desperate learners.
With tests being unavailable in major cities until the end of the year, companies have found a way to make money by automatically picking up cancelled tests to resell them for over three times as much.
The fee for a driving test is £62 on the weekday and £75 for a test on the weekend or during a bank holiday.
However, one woman told BBC that she had paid £210 for a driving test in London after she was contacted by her instructor about a cancellation.
The test she booked had a £148 markup, and once she had paid, she was able to sit her test earlier.
Prices for an earlier test have ranged from £186 to £235, with driving instructors in London charging as much as £215.
The DVSA has condemned third-party cancellation checking services and advises learners to book directly through the DVSA and to check their website regularly.
As previously stated, companies have set up algorithms that automatically crawl the DVSA’s website in the hunt for an earlier test.
Using a VPN to avoid being banned from the DVSA, these companies can pick up the test before learners have a chance to and resell them at an outrageous markup.
One of these companies explained how the service worked to the BBC, “This software… [is] like if you’re pressing the search button. It just automates your press, or clicks, on the button.”
With these tests currently flooding Facebook Marketplace and social media sites, it is worth remembering that driving schools, including us at Drive 247 Bedford, can book tests for learners in bulk. We also won’t resell them at the high prices seen online.
A spokesperson for the DVSA told MailOnline: “We urge applicants not to use any third-party cancellation checking services and to always go through the official DVSA website.
“We’ve already put in place measures to monitor and prevent bots from accessing our systems while also strengthening our firewall to tackle the issue.”
The DVSA is trying to correct the issue by recruiting 300 additional driving examiners to help tackle the ever-growing backlog.
If you are searching for a driving test in Bedford, we would recommend speaking to one of our driving instructors in Bedford first before you begin looking on third-party websites.
You can see more on this story by visiting the Mail Online.