UK-passport.net

Pollycat

laffoley-scam-lane wrote: »

What I would say is that a British citizen should be able to apply for a passport, driving licence, congestion charge payment without without being ripped off by these fast buck companies who are run by scum directors.

Yes, I agree.
And we should have world peace, no inflation, no poverty or hunger, no unemployment, no murder, no child cruelty.......

But 'saying' what should happen will not make it happen.

I wish all the posters going on about these 'scams', 'cons', rip-offs' etc would get off their asses and do something about it.

laffoley-scam-lane wrote: »

The passport office are quite happy to take appointment bookings from these non official companies and after speaking to someone on the inside, the passport agency have no real concerns and will not listen to internal concerns with regards to non official applications.

And why do you think the Passport Office have 'no real concerns'?

Because the majority of these websites are operating legally.

Until the law is changed things will stay as they are.
Actually, they will get worse as more and more websites spring up for these and other goods/services.

Do something about it!

Contact your MP.
Report any 'further evidence of suspected infringements' to OFT.

Pollycat

wantmemoney wrote: »

The AD they referred to was clearly IQ Channels Ltd's estavisas.co.uk main web site.

how you could read the ASA adjudication and summarize that they found nothing wrong with it is mystifying

It's a slap on the wrist.

All this has done is to make this company (Passport-UK) change their website to make it clear that they are not the official website.
And guess what?

People will still use these websites because they don't read (or understand - for Hpuse's benefit ) before using their credit cards.

hpuse

http://www.glasgowsouthandeastwoodextra.co.uk/news/local-headlines/trading-standards-warning-over-scam-passport-sites-1-3238263

Jennifer Hampton, senior trading standards officer, advises checking that the site you use is not a third party agency before offering up payment details.
She said: “Most of these sites do tell you that the service they are providing is available for free elsewhere.
“They also state clearly that they are exempt from distance selling regulations as they are providing an immediate service.
“However, that does not mean they are operating legally, or that you are not entitled to a refund.”

I hope that cat will soon stop chasing the mouse here?

Pollycat

All the more reason - if these companies aren't offering refunds - for people who have used these websites to report them to OFT & Trading Standards, and maybe drop a note to their MP too.

I know I would do that if I'd been caught out - but I haven't so I'm not going to.

I would do that if I was as fired up about these companies as Hpuse seems to be - but I'm not so I'm not going to.

I wonder just how many people posting on here actually do take it further.

Not many, I'm sure.

And I'd be really, really interested which of these websites Ms Hampton considers are not 'operating legally'.

Vincent Edwards, East Renfrewshire councillor, says

“If you think you have been scammed, please report it so that the websites can be investigate and, if necessary or possible, closed down.

It doesn't really sound from reading the article that East Renfrewshire's trading standards team are planning on a massive close down of these websites.

I wonder why that might be?

Could it possibly be that the majority are operating legally?

Hpuse - you have been pretty vocal about the companies mentioned in this thread. Are you going to report them?

hpuse

Pollycat wrote: »

Hpuse - you have been pretty vocal about the companies mentioned in this thread. Are you going to report them?

Dear Polycat,

Please use your senses, respect and stop asking that question.
FYI, I'm repeating the second time, I have no intention to answer even if you or anyone repeat that 100 times.

Of course I am 'vocal' but what was posted in my previous post had some outcomes/'actions' too.

Cheers

Pollycat

hpuse wrote: »

Dear Polycat,

Please use your senses, respect and stop asking that question.
FYI, I'm repeating the second time, I have no intention to answer even if you or anyone repeat that 100 times.

I'll take that as a 'no' then.

Personally, if I held your views on these companies, I would have the courage of my convictions but I guess not everyone thinks the same.....

hpuse wrote: »

Of course I am 'vocal' but what was posted in my previous post had some outcomes/'actions' too.

Cheers

I must have missed the 'outcomes/actions' that happened as a result of your previous post.

Maybe you could enlighten me.

Cheers.

PS - this 'cat' is not going to stop chasing any mouse. :rotfl:

Loushaw83

I have also fallen for this company too. When trying to apply for a passport for my son it's the first link that came up on google and I was taken straight to the form to fill in.

I wish google would ensure that the link to passport direct was below the official government website and then maybe not as many people would fall victim.

I realised what I'd done within minutes and have emailed and phoned several times to cancel the order but still haven't heard from them. Their terms and conditions state that you have seven days to cancel but I guess they try and ignore you for these second days. They gave already taken the money from my account.

DCFC79

Loushaw83 wrote: »

I have also fallen for this company too. When trying to apply for a passport for my son it's the first link that came up on google and I was taken straight to the form to fill in.

I wish google would ensure that the link to passport direct was below the official government website and then maybe not as many people would fall victim.

I realised what I'd done within minutes and have emailed and phoned several times to cancel the order but still haven't heard from them. Their terms and conditions state that you have seven days to cancel but I guess they try and ignore you for these second days. They gave already taken the money from my account.

What do the t&c's say about cancelling, is by letter an option ?

Yews getting google to move the official site further up the listings would help but theres also the element that people should read what they are agreeing to, dont expect the site to be legit just because its number in the google search.

Oh and theres also simlar sites for driving licence applications (its under the gov.uk like passports), the EIHC card and also land registry.

hpuse

It is very important that people do the following if they think they were a victim of such online websites (Passport, driving license etc):
a) Open a dispute by calling bank/CC company. Tell them very clearly that the business has misrepresented information prior to selling.
b) Complain by calling trading standards giving details about the purchase made and other communications you have had with this website.

Both a) and b) are very important.

There is a TSS (local) and OFT (central) structure for information sharing and intelligent monitoring of similar trades in place. It is funded by us, the tax payers and that will take care of the best interest of us, consumers, not businesses.
We also have ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) to look into what these websites are saying in their labels.

Scams/con/scrulpious website like these are not new....The only way we can put the acts together is by making people complain. Yes, please complain otherwise they will continue as a menace to our community/society.

Hermione_Granger

hpuse wrote: »

b) Complain by calling trading standards giving details about the purchase made and other communications you have had with this website.

Both a) and b) are very important.

If you think that it's so important, wouldn't it have been best to check that what you suggest can actually be carried out?

Trading standards do not deal with enquiries or complaints from the public. All enquiries have to go to Citizens advice.

If you call or write to us with a consumer question we will always refer you to theCitizens Advice consumer service. Even if it is a serious complaint, rather than a question about your rights, the Citizens Advice consumer service will handle it by passing it on with all your details to the relevant trading standards office in a local authority.

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/extra/contact.cfm?frmAlias=/contact/