What's new?  Stuff breaks during Covid.  Traffic-jams and back-ups occur.  Everyone has to wait their turn.

And so with the online (and telephone) booking service for tests.  Such was the demand last Friday that the service had to be taken down to allow a queueing system to be added.  It reopened on Wednesday (two days ago).  Now it's down again because the 35,625 test slots "sold out within hours".

The crash was caused by about 2,000,000 enquiries, from over 870,000 devices.  This queuing system, like at a delicatessen counter, should help.

Businesses like mine can book most days from 6am but we only see the same available slots.  Slots are being released in rolling 6-week batches (of about 35,000 tests).

​It's therefore likely that only about 10% of learners currently seeking a test will find one.  (For example, there were none available in Birmingham by 9am today until 6-Oct (the latest date published).

However, 5 tests were available in Redditch for next week, so consider looking wider.

My insurer has agreed they could cover a base model electric 208 ... but my premium would rise from £750 to £2116.

So, until I move postcode, the £29k purchase price falls, or my insurance history improves, it's not cost-effective to change.