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Long Wait for Driving Test

an1179
an1179 Posts: 1,847 Forumite
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My DD had to wait 2 months for her driving test in August in Skegness. She failed although the Tester said she was an excellent driver and he had passed drivers of lesser skills but anyway she made a mistake and failed.

We got another test date for 13th October that was the soonest we could get. I have been going onto the DVLA web-site to try to bring it forward but no joy.

Yesterday morning I tried as usual and when I checked later the date had changed to 9 November :eek:

We cannot afford to pay for anymore lessons and nearby Boston has October dates but as she is not familiar with the area it does not seem a good idea to swap and it is 26 miles to Boston from here.

I have sent an e-mail to DVLA but do not hold my breath that they will be able to give me an October date

I don't suppose anyone has any ideas of how I can get a sooner date in Skegness?

Anyway I just needed to get this off my chest really as I just feel like going back to bed and covering my head :(
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Comments

  • Keith
    Keith Posts: 2,924 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Once she has her bit of paper she'll be able to drive anywhere in the UK without knowing the area.

    If she can drive she can drive.
  • I thought it's the DSA that deal with the tests.

    Just keep checking. A cancellation will always pop up. That's how I got my tests.
  • an1179 wrote: »
    My DD had to wait 2 months for her driving test in August in Skegness. She failed although the Tester said she was an excellent driver and he had passed drivers of lesser skills but anyway she made a mistake and failed.

    We got another test date for 13th October that was the soonest we could get. I have been going onto the DVLA web-site to try to bring it forward but no joy.

    Yesterday morning I tried as usual and when I checked later the date had changed to 9 November :eek:

    We cannot afford to pay for anymore lessons and nearby Boston has October dates but as she is not familiar with the area it does not seem a good idea to swap and it is 26 miles to Boston from here.

    I have sent an e-mail to DVLA but do not hold my breath that they will be able to give me an October date

    I don't suppose anyone has any ideas of how I can get a sooner date in Skegness?

    Anyway I just needed to get this off my chest really as I just feel like going back to bed and covering my head :(
    Not really helpful, but I passed my driving test in Boston.

    I live in Suffolk, at the time it was the only place nearby (!) you could get a test within nine months, (this was the early 2000s, when there were MASSIVE backlogs!). Drove around it a few times, took my test and passed.

    Maybe it's a lucky place? It's a very small town, didn't feel that different to driving around the little market town I live in.

    Regards,
    Andy
  • mikey72
    mikey72 Posts: 14,680 Forumite
    Check every night for cancellations, more often if you can, that's how we did ours.
  • hethmar
    hethmar Posts: 10,678 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Car Insurance Carver!
    After son failed last time (august) I looked on the site and the first was middle of October. I looked again the next morning and there were 4 showing at the beginning of September. Booked one of those and he passed on 7th. Keep checking because driving instructors block book and then if they dont have a candidate they cancel.
    You are checking on the right site arent you as there are some spoof sites that try to charge you for just booking a slot? I cant see how your daughters slot could be changed without her being informed first?
  • an1179
    an1179 Posts: 1,847 Forumite
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    hethmar wrote: »
    Keep checking because driving instructors block book and then if they dont have a candidate they cancel.
    You are checking on the right site arent you as there are some spoof sites that try to charge you for just booking a slot? I cant see how your daughters slot could be changed without her being informed first?

    Hi

    I was wondering how Driving schools seemed to get near dates but that is not fair really is it

    Yes I have got the correct site sorry to mislead I meant DSA

    I'll keep trying

    Thanks to all
  • mikey72
    mikey72 Posts: 14,680 Forumite
    hethmar wrote: »
    After son failed last time (august) I looked on the site and the first was middle of October. I looked again the next morning and there were 4 showing at the beginning of September. Booked one of those and he passed on 7th. Keep checking because driving instructors block book and then if they dont have a candidate they cancel.
    You are checking on the right site arent you as there are some spoof sites that try to charge you for just booking a slot? I cant see how your daughters slot could be changed without her being informed first?

    How do schools block book?
    Our instructor couldn't, he could book on behalf of individuals, but only by using their details, and with their permission.
    Usually he preferred them to book their own, and arranged his lessons to free him up for tests.
    He does log on every day to look for cancelations, then texts his students to tell them to get the slot if they can.
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    an1179 wrote: »
    We cannot afford to pay for anymore lessons and nearby Boston has October dates but as she is not familiar with the area it does not seem a good idea to swap

    If she is to test standard, it shouldn't matter a jot where the test is taken.
  • cajef
    cajef Posts: 6,283 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    mikey72 wrote: »
    How do schools block book?

    Our instructor couldn't, he could book on behalf of individuals, but only by using their details, and with their permission.
    Usually he preferred them to book their own, and arranged his lessons to free him up for tests.

    They cannot block book now it was stopped by the DSA some years ago when I was an instructor as the system was being abused, if you look at the site vaio has linked to you will see under the terms and conditions that the courses are arranged after the person has been given a test date.

    Personally I always used to book tests for my pupils, that ensured that two pupils did not come up with the same date and time and I could arrange lessons for other pupils that did not clash, also that way you did not have to split yourself in half for two tests at the same time.:D
  • vaio
    vaio Posts: 12,287 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    cajef wrote: »
    .... if you look at the site vaio has linked to you will see under the terms and conditions that the courses are arranged after the person has been given a test date......

    Which makes my earlier post nonsense so it's deleted
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