After offering drivers who were desperate to avoid the six-month wait to take their test, a driving instructor split the opinions. He offered them five-times the normal price and allowed them to purchase last-minute slots.
Steve Cogan from Shepherd’s Bush has been repeatedly posting to Facebook Marketplace in the last week, claiming that he’s got 30 dates at 10 driving tests centres.
The driving instructor is charging an eye-watering £212 rather than the usual £62-£75, but says he is simply ‘trying to do good’ and help drivers beat London’s six-month waiting times.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is investigating the unnamed examiner that gave Steve dates.
Steve Cogan (pictured), a Shepherd’s Bush resident, charges learner drivers up five times what the average price for a test in order to break the queue
Steve told undercover reporters that he could get test slots as quickly as 3 days after being contacted, despite centres already booked up for many months.
The father-of-two bragged that he’s been selling tests from the ‘very handy’ mystery examiner for ‘a couple of months’ and even claimed hopeful learners engaged in a bidding war over one in-demand area of London that saw the test slot go for a staggering £300.
Unidentified examiners are not able to give slots to instructors. This could also mean that he may be violating rules and guidelines.
Self-confessed ‘middle man’ Steve has since told reporters he is ‘just trying to do good’ but admitted pocketing £10 per booking before handing the remaining profits to the examiner.
The driving instructor organizations have come together to call for the naming and shame of this unidentified examiner.
Steve explained that there was a six month waiting list. He said, “I was simply trying to help people.” There are people that think it’s fair. I know there are others who disagree.
“I don’t want to buy” [the tests]. I am just a middleman. My name will not be on the DVSA list of those who have bought them. It’s someone else.
“I know someone who can let me know that they have these tests. I then give them to all my students, and anybody else who might need them.
Steve (pictured), who claims to make just £10 from each booking, said he’s ‘trying to do good’ by helping learners in search of last-minute test slots
‘I was just trying to help some people, and I only make £10 from each booking and the rest goes to the other party.
“It isn’t a large amount of money. It was a gesture of goodwill to offer my contact.
“The man is an ex-examiner or examiner. It wasn’t dodgy to me, but it is. There are hundreds of apps that allow you to cancel driving. It was just one of them.
“A student made contact with him. She then connected me with him. It’s my goal to be good.
“Some people put in the effort to click that refresh button every 20 minutes, but some would rather have it done by someone else.
“If I don’t have to, then I’ll stop.” I don’t want anyone to get into trouble. I do not want to be on the wrong side, even the DVSA.
Steve’s Facebook listing featured slots at London test centre Southall and Uxbridge as well as Ashford, Greenford, Greenford, Mill Hill and Hither Green.
Aleksandrs Krsuckis (33), believes Steve is correct to offer queue jump tests at different centres (pictured), since his partner is still waiting for a slot in 2021.
Driving tests cost £62 to be taken on a weekday and £75 for a weekend, but by paying an extra £150 and providing your provisional driving licence and theory pass numbers Steve says he can help jump the queue.
Aleksandrs Krasuckis (33), who lives in London revealed that his partner Korina Anderson was required to travel three hours from her home to complete the test.
Steve believes he did the right thing and didn’t think about the effects the scheme could have on those who are still waiting.
Aleksandrs stated: “I was amazed and annoyed when it happened to me. Then I said, “What the hell?” This is just unfair. This man is selfishly taking advantage of desperately ill-prepared learners.
He is doing right for whom? Because he is making money, it has to be him. It’s just not right for everybody when the cost is so high.
‘I was just p***** off with this kind of person, keeping the slots for themselves. Although it is faster and I appreciate that, it’s still too costly for me.
DVSA needs to investigate it. Perhaps the testing should be booked by the students themselves, not the instructor. This would eliminate this type of thing.
Steve stated that everyone who paid for the fast-track service (pictured), has been very thankful, and compared himself to an airline which offers priority boarding.
Steve, whose Facebook claims he’s also a mortgage advisor, says he has been called ‘kind’ for providing the quick-booking tests to learners and even suggests the DVSA should begin to operate it in the same way airlines provide priority boarding.
Steve said, “[The examiner]He said that he has a group of instructors, and is contacting them all to say, “If any students aren’t ready for the tests, we can offer someone else their space.”
“He suggested that the money could be used to give this person driving lessons, until they get another slot.
“Everyone that paid the fee has expressed their gratitude, telling me that it was really kind of them and that they are grateful that I have been able to assist them.
“It’s like airline priority boarding. This comes at an additional cost. Perhaps the DVSA could do something similar.
After being told of the DVSA investigation into an unidentified examiner, Steve removed his original Facebook listing.
He has uploaded some more photos with the same offer.
Steve (pictured), said that learners would be more open to understanding the prices he charges and the effort involved in cancelling.
On social media, learners have complained that there are not enough tests available in their locality. One even claimed to have never found any slots before 2024.
Steve boasted in one of his posts, “We can book a test within one-two week anywhere in West/North West/South West London.”
Many people replied to him to say they had emailed him, and he tried to reassure bewildered learners that he would not take payment until the DVSA confirms the booking.
One user replied: ‘So a standard driving test costs £62 and you are charging £150. This is disgusting.
Steve said that he supported his plan and apologized for feeling this way. However, he stated: “I don’t raise prices. It’s better than having to wait six months.”
“I know it’s not within budget for others, but it might help if people understood how the cancellations were made.
“I understand that it is not affordable for all budgets, but this would be a great service if you could find a simple test. All the best for your test.
A DVSE spokesperson warned any tests booked outside of the official DVSA booking site could be a scam and may result in candidates not having a slot. Pictured: Steve and a learner book a test
Other Facebook users appear to be selling driving tests slots on the platform too, with one quoting £162 to secure learners a booking as few as two days prior to the test.
The DVSA urges pupils to visit their official.gov booking site. All slots which become vacant due to cancellations will then be listed there.
A spokesperson from DVSA said that the organization does not support any abuses of customer service booking systems. They are currently investigating. If we find any misconduct, we will take appropriate action.
We will prosecute any instructor found guilty of misconduct against candidates who are legitimate and have waited patiently for the chance to take their test.
Any test bookings made outside the official DVSA website could lead to candidates being denied a slot.
“We ask anyone to notify us of any social media tests.”
Lynne Barrie is the chairman of Approved Driver Instructors National Joint Committee (ADINJC). She stated: “There’s an evident unfairness to everybody else trying to get cancelations and earlier testing slots.
Covid, which causes all manner of difficulties for both candidates and ADIs, has caused an increase in the average waiting period to be as high as six months.
DVSA claims they are working to speed up the process, however this report shows an abuser of the system that should ensure equal access.
“The system as it is now doesn’t work perfectly, but nobody should try to circumvent it for their personal gain.” I have no doubt that the DVSA would investigate.
According to a spokesperson from the Driving Instructors Association, “The Driving Instructors Association (DIA), does not allow this kind of behavior by professionals within our industry.”
It brings down the industry and destroys the trust and hard work that ADIs/PDIs have put into building a professional working relationship with clients.
“The Driving Test Booking System was developed for instructors and the public to make it easy to schedule test times. They are scarce and wait times are high.
“It is against the law for anyone or any mechanical process to acquire individual or tranches from test appointments in order to sell them off for profit.
“The DIA asked the DVSA for assistance in this matter and they have now confirmed that it could be related to their staff.
“This investigation is ongoing and the DIA should not comment further on it. However, the matter must be closed and all those responsible must be named and shamed.