UK-passport.net

Nickolarge

keyser666 wrote: »

They are not designed to target the vulnerable, they target those that do not exercise due dilligence

Same thing.

Twisted_Cherry

I need to renew my passport, it expires in March and I am travelling 2 weeks before hand! I googled passport renewal, of course all these sites popped up, but it was so easy to distinguish what was official and what was not!


Completed official application renewal online, and will now wait for passport office to send the pre-printed form to me to sign, add photos and make payment, I guess I shall opt for the Post Office Check and Send Service!


I suppose it does not help that this website https://uk-passport.net/ actually says 'Official UK Passport / Application & Renewal Service' on the IE 11 Tab I have open! I suspect that makes it extremely misleading for some people! It is about time that Trading Standards shut down these websites, legal or not! :mad:

DCFC79

If people do read what the incorrect site says about the website eg "this is not the official site for applications and still carry on regardless then its they fault.

Nickolarge

Pollycat wrote: »

Legal is legal.
End of.


And why should the 'owner or perpertuator (sic) of these sevices (sic)' need a defence?
They are not breaking the law.

That's an argument that almost says "if it's legal, it's ok".

Beside the fact that things can quite obviously be badly wrong but not illegal, there is a difference between "no law against it" and "grounds for a civil claim". There is also something known as unfair terms of contract and , as I have already said, the Distance Selling Regulations allowing cancellation within 7 days for a full refund.

I have asked for my money back and I feel 100% justified in doing so. The Passport Office have described these sites as being "tantamount to fraud".

wealdroam

Twisted_Cherry wrote: »

It is about time that Trading Standards shut down these websites, legal or not! :mad:

I think you need to stop right there.

I agree these websites are not going about things in the right way, but unfortunately they are legal.

It is silly, no, downright dangerous, to actually think that a government body should close down, or even have the power to close down, a website because someone thinks they should.

If you think the law needs changing, then that is another thing, and you are best advised to lobby all the people that can help towards that happening.

Lobby your MP, write to the Office of Fair Trading, write to the Consumers Association, etc, etc.

mije1983

Nickolarge wrote: »

as I have already said, the Distance Selling Regulations allowing cancellation within 7 days for a full refund.

And as I and powerful_Rogue have said, the DSR's don't apply to services that start immediately.

I wish you well in your crusade, but you need to get your facts correct so they take you seriously. Otherwise they will just brush you off as someone who doesn't really understand.

DCFC79

Twisted_Cherry wrote: »

I suppose it does not help that this website https://uk-passport.net/ actually says 'Official UK Passport / Application & Renewal Service' on the IE 11 Tab I have open!

Same on firefox, on the link you posted it does say

"Disclaimer:
Our service is not connected to or affiliated with the Passport Office or any UK Government department. "

That to me says they arent the correct site to use simple as.

wealdroam

Nickolarge wrote: »

...as I have already said, the Distance Selling Regulations allowing cancellation within 7 days for a full refund.

You may well have said that, but unfortunately that doesn't make it right.

There are exceptions to that.

Regulation 13 of the DSRs says (amongst other things):

Exceptions to the right to cancel
13. (1) Unless the parties have agreed otherwise, the consumer will not have the right to cancel the contract by giving notice of cancellation pursuant to regulation 10 in respect of contracts—
(a)for the supply of services if the supplier has complied with regulation 8(3) and performance of the contract has begun with the consumer’s agreement before the end of the cancellation period applicable under regulation 12;

Thus once the service has started, with your agreement that it can start, you have no right to cancel under DSRs.

Now, you may not like this, neither do I, but the point is that that is how the law currently stands.

Nickolarge

wealdroam wrote: »

You may well have said that, but unfortunately that doesn't make it right.

There are exceptions to that.



Thus once the service has started, with your agreement that it can start, you have no right to cancel under DSRs.

Now, you may not like this, neither do I, but the point is that that is how the law currently stands.

The problem there is defining at what point the service starts. Of course, they will say it starts immediately, perhaps for no other reason that they think it's a get out from DSR's.

If, however, I have submitted the form on a Sunday afternoon when their office is unmanned and then, within minutes, emailed instructions not to proceed, presuming that they actually do any checking before passing on my details to the Passport Office, then I have informed them before they have performed any "service" other than taking my payment.

mije1983

Nickolarge wrote: »

The problem there is defining at what point the service starts. Of course, they will say it starts immediately, perhaps for no other reason that they think it's a get out from DSR's.

If, however, I have submitted the form on a Sunday afternoon when their office is unmanned and then, within minutes, emailed instructions not to proceed, presuming that they actually do any checking before passing on my details to the Passport Office, then I have informed them before they have performed any "service" other than taking my payment.

The Ts&Cs say the service starts immediately. That part is quite clear. You would need to prove that it doesn't.

Your argument is also conditional on them not working on a Sunday afternoon. They claim to have a 24/7 customer service department. Do you know that they don't?