Theory Test Rip Off Warning

kevpartner

Firstly, these services don't make it clear until the very end how much you will be paying. I only found out by pretending to book a test and completing all the details up to the point of payment. They don't make it clear you could book direct.

Furthermore, these services interface directly with the DSA's booking system with the DSA's permission. So, they must have the DSA's permission to do it. I would not be AT ALL surprised to find that the DSA charges them a royalty on each booking so that it makes profit both ways.

The DSA could stop this stone dead by simply refusing to license people to use its system.

And as for "buyer beware", these sites are deliberately designed and advertised to appear to be official and their target audience is not necessarily as hardened and cynical as older people are.

At the end of the day it disgusts me that these services even exist: they add absolutely nothing whatsoever and succeed by conning people. It's time a stop was put to it.

Inactive

kevpartner wrote: »

Furthermore, these services interface directly with the DSA's booking system with the DSA's permission. So, they must have the DSA's permission to do it. I would not be AT ALL surprised to find that the DSA charges them a royalty on each booking so that it makes profit both ways.

Do you have factual evidence of that?

Crabman

anewman wrote: »

If people are really that concerned by this scam and wish to contribute in order to help prevent others being suckered in, I am sure they could pay to put their own adverts on google linking to a page detailing the scam. People are only likely to find posts like this once they have been scammed.

This is the ludicrous aspect - if, say, you and I were to chip in and get an Adwords account to warn others of this particular scam, we may well succeed in our goal to dissuade a few test candidates, but ultimately we would effectively be paying off Google in a similar way one would give protection money to the !!!!!...

Edit - no idea why that word is blanked out - five letter word. Starts with M, ends with A. Clue: The Godfather

Inactive

Crabman wrote: »

!!!!!...

Edit - no idea why that word is blanked out - five letter word. Starts with M, ends with A. Clue: The Godfather

Rhymes with rafia.:D

geordie2010

these services interface directly with the DSA's booking system with the DSA's permission. So, they must have the DSA's permission to do it. I would not be AT ALL surprised to find that the DSA charges them a royalty on each booking so that it makes profit both ways.

The DSA could stop this stone dead by simply refusing to license people to use its system

Ha Ha! do you really think that the DSA (a government Agency) is going to let some little no-mark who is sat in his bedroom with his mates have permission to interface their very dodgylooking website on to an official website.

Also would it not ring alarm bells when you go on to a site like that any you are able to pay via paypal..... again like a Government Agency would sign up to that!

kevpartner

geordie2010 wrote: »

Ha Ha! do you really think that the DSA (a government Agency) is going to let some little no-mark who is sat in his bedroom with his mates have permission to interface their very dodgylooking website on to an official website.

Also would it not ring alarm bells when you go on to a site like that any you are able to pay via paypal..... again like a Government Agency would sign up to that!

You clearly have no understanding of how Government Agencies work. Just as some "no-mark" (whatever that means) who sets up a wheel clamping firm can get access to car registration details, the DSA is quite happy to hire out its information to others. Witness the plethora (before the recession) of theory test websites. All you had to do was sign a contract with the DSA agreeing to pay royalties and you get access to their official question bank.

As for the paypal issue, well you might be savvy and on-the-ball enough to spot that giveaway sign but many people are not. This is the classic sign of a scam - you and I probably don't fall for patter of the guy who wants to tarmac our front garden but vulnerable people might and in a decent society, this shouldn't be tolerated.

Inactive

kevpartner wrote: »

the DSA is quite happy to hire out its information to others.

.

Do you have any firm evidence that the DSA actually do this?

kevpartner

Inactive wrote: »

Do you have any firm evidence that the DSA actually do this?

I do indeed. I have interacted with the DSA directly in the past and know very well how the process works. Just to be clear, this interaction had nothing to do with Theory Test booking. I didn't start this thread because I have a commercial interest in stopping these theory test booking services: I did it because I believe they are exploitative.

INT1

Same with number plates too.
£250 direct form DVLA incl VAt and transfer, and then you get other companies wanting to charge £300 plus the transfer fee!

Shop around.

OP did you pass your theory?
My OH is going for hers soon, we are yet too book but the hazard perception is confusing?!

ZenUK

There are similar websites for Child Benefit applications when it is free via the directgov website. There was a piece on Radio 4 about it two weeks ago. The official response on that issue was that their marketing budget is finite and can't be used to put up competing Google Adwords listings.