Driving Licence Replacement Scam!

mrssuspicious

I hope one day people becaome as all knowing as you. Until then do you think it is right to berate someone who at least has the balls to admit they have made a mistake and tried to warn others. People making comments like this are the reason scams do not get reported.

Pollycat

mrssuspicious wrote: »

Just like to say, I too got scammed by these people. I am disabled and typed in DVLA online header and applied. Once I realised though I did report them to actionfraud who are now investigating. Victim support also phoned with further information.
The thing I find most vile on here is this thread started with someone posting a warning to others and I have never in my life seen so many nasty, up their own backside comments in all my life. People do make mistakes and this site is supposed to be to help others not make the same mistakes, it is not meant to be a site where people are to be berated for trying to help someone else. I think all those posting the comments about how stupid people are need to think that one day there may be a scam which involves them!!! People are embarrassed at being scammed and those brave enough to warn others may well read the comments posted by the ''all knowing'' individuals and be put off posting. I don't know who you people think you are but you need to take a step back and think what damage you cause to people and to this site too. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Have you checked if the website you used has a refund policy?

Some do, although they do charge an admin fee which is usually around £8.

Worth checking.

mrssuspicious wrote: »

I hope one day people becaome as all knowing as you. Until then do you think it is right to berate someone who at least has the balls to admit they have made a mistake and tried to warn others. People making comments like this are the reason scams do not get reported.

I disagree with this comment.

There are many similar threads - not just about driving licences but passport renewal and other thing that you can get free or cheaper from the official website.

I - and lots of other regular posters - have suggested that that people caught out by these copycat websites report them to OFT (via CAB) if they feel the website is misleading and maybe contact their MP too.

Most people just can't be bothered.

Titi

I was scammed on 31st March 2014 by TAD-SERVICES - life-in-uk-test.org.uk for £85.00. As soon as I have discover that I have been mislead by TAD-SERVICES, I have cancelled the test by email (2 hours after the payment) including mentioning to commence legal action. Also I have contacted my bank and blocked my credit card.

In response TAD-SERVICES send to me an email that in order to refund my £85 fee in full I need to forward my 8 digit account number and sort code to their financial team. Straight away I have contacted my bank, which confirmed that TAD-SERVICES doesn't need any more of my bank details as they are able to credit my card which they had debited in the first place. I have forwarded this information to TAD-SERVICES.

Since then they have been intentionally delaying the process of refunding my money. I have already informed appropriate authorities like CAB, Trading Standards and Action Fraud.

As I have cancelled 9 days prior to test date, regarding to Terms & Conditions on life-in-uk-test.org.uk website, I should be given full refund (cancellation possible 8 days prior the test date). As I have not received the product or refund and my payment was made with credit card my bank will support me in this dispute. The bank will send me paperwork to fill in. I need to attach to this form all the correspondence with TAD-SERVICES and a cover letter. Regarding to bank policy after receiving my claim it should take 48h to refund my money.

Today I have received a phone call from Trading Standards, which contacted Action Fraud and passed the TAD-SERVICES details. Trading Standards Enforcement Officer from my local council gave me Action Fraud information report number and said that at the present moment Action Fraud is not able to fully investigate the TAD-SERVICES scam, as there is not enough complains made up to date, but National Fraud Intelligence is already aware of the scam.

If you have been a victim of TAD-SERVICES scam, I strongly encourage contacting Action Fraud, CAB or your local Trading Standards Office. In this way, the more complaints are made, the quicker action can be taken.

Titi

I would like to thank you for all the comments, which have been posted on this blog regarding TAD-SERVICES. It has given me support and encouragement to report the scam.

What they are doing is morally wrong. I hope that they will be brought to justice at some point.
I believe: "what goes around comes around."

marydoll9

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

Latest reports from the Government is that they believe over a 1000 people a day are using these scam sites. How nice they have not closed them down .

I've just been caught also. £70 from my bank account - payment made to drivinglicence.gov.co.alresford. Any idea who this company is and their address. I am computer literate and as far as I am concerned I had been on the official government site. this company has my passport details as well. Should I be worried. The dvla say they are looking into this - for how long has this scam being going on? Consumer advice hopeless, just continually blaming me and insisting I went on the wrong web-site. is this company piggy backing onto the official web-site. Does anyone know, does anyone in officialdom really care. Not a good sign for the future of internet transactions.

maninthestreet

Titi wrote: »

I would like to thank you for all the comments, which have been posted on this blog regarding TAD-SERVICES. It has given me support and encouragement to report the scam.

What they are doing is morally wrong. I hope that they will be brought to justice at some point.
I believe: "what goes around comes around."

Great forume name!

Pollycat

marydoll9 wrote: »

I've just been caught also. £70 from my bank account - payment made to drivinglicence.gov.co.alresford. Any idea who this company is and their address. I am computer literate and as far as I am concerned I had been on the official government site. this company has my passport details as well. Should I be worried. The dvla say they are looking into this - for how long has this scam being going on? Consumer advice hopeless, just continually blaming me and insisting I went on the wrong web-site. is this company piggy backing onto the official web-site. Does anyone know, does anyone in officialdom really care. Not a good sign for the future of internet transactions.

Can you confirm the website address you used - there are lots of them.

Have you checked their website for a refund policy?

Regardless of how computer literate you are (or think you are) you could not have been on the official website.

Re having your personal details, I really doubt that these companies are going to use your personal details for identity fraud or some other illegal purpose.
They just want to part unsuspecting people from their cash for services that can be obtained cheaper or free from the official websites.

Similar 'scams' to this have been going on for a number of years.
Back in 2010, Trading Standards were closing down copycat EHIC websites.
Now they have just become 'cuter' and usually clearly display a disclaimer that they are not affiliated to the official website and some even provide a link to the official website.
This is how they are allowed to continue to operate.

It's unfortunate that you have not had any success with consumer advice, but they are more than likely right that you used the wrong website.

If you really, really do believe that the website you used was misleading, then report it to Trading Standards.
You can't do this directly to them, you need to go through CAB:
http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/index.cfm

And also consider bringing it to your MP's attention.


But I personally think you are on a hiding to nothing, because I think you will find that the website did have a disclaimer - you just didn't see it or read it.


Incidentally, all these copycat websites were removed from the top hits on Google (Gov.UK would appear 5th or 6th in a search) but today, there's a new website at the top:
https://dvla-driving-licence.com

However, even without clicking on the link, I can see these words

Our service is not connected to or affiliated with the UK Government or

so they have probably got round that too.

Beware of all sorts of similar things, there's a list in my post #107 although it's probably not exhaustive.


I think you will just have to put this down to experience and remember that not everything is as it seems when purchasing goods & service on-line.

SoeMoeThu

Titi wrote: »

I was scammed on 31st March 2014 by TAD-SERVICES - life-in-uk-test.org.uk for £85.00. As soon as I have discover that I have been mislead by TAD-SERVICES, I have cancelled the test by email (2 hours after the payment) including mentioning to commence legal action. Also I have contacted my bank and blocked my credit card.

In response TAD-SERVICES send to me an email that in order to refund my £85 fee in full I need to forward my 8 digit account number and sort code to their financial team. Straight away I have contacted my bank, which confirmed that TAD-SERVICES doesn't need any more of my bank details as they are able to credit my card which they had debited in the first place. I have forwarded this information to TAD-SERVICES.

Since then they have been intentionally delaying the process of refunding my money. I have already informed appropriate authorities like CAB, Trading Standards and Action Fraud.

As I have cancelled 9 days prior to test date, regarding to Terms & Conditions on life-in-uk-test.org.uk website, I should be given full refund (cancellation possible 8 days prior the test date). As I have not received the product or refund and my payment was made with credit card my bank will support me in this dispute. The bank will send me paperwork to fill in. I need to attach to this form all the correspondence with TAD-SERVICES and a cover letter. Regarding to bank policy after receiving my claim it should take 48h to refund my money.

Today I have received a phone call from Trading Standards, which contacted Action Fraud and passed the TAD-SERVICES details. Trading Standards Enforcement Officer from my local council gave me Action Fraud information report number and said that at the present moment Action Fraud is not able to fully investigate the TAD-SERVICES scam, as there is not enough complains made up to date, but National Fraud Intelligence is already aware of the scam.

If you have been a victim of TAD-SERVICES scam, I strongly encourage contacting Action Fraud, CAB or your local Trading Standards Office. In this way, the more complaints are made, the quicker action can be taken.

I was scammed with this website too. I still have 10 more days to cancel it. How did you sort this out? Did you get the full refund?

Iceweasel

Richmuma wrote: »

A hamburger restaurant is not allowed to open and call itself McDonalds - it would be shut down immediately so why is a scam website allowed to call itself DVLA ??
Anyone have any answers ??

Not quite true - there are hundred of folks in the UK alone that have the name Ronald McDonald - any of them can open a restaurant called McDonalds - just so long as they don't copy the colour scheme and the 'golden arches' which are copyrighted.

As far as I am aware the letters DVLA and their website colour scheme have not been copyrighted.

McDonalds (the famous one with a head office in Oak Brook Illinois) tried suing another McDonalds in the Cayman Islands - they lost and are now banned forever from opening a branch there!

The law is an !!! sometimes - a load of McCrap perhaps.

Of course you have a valid point - but these folks are very very clever - it's going to need someone even more clever to stop them.

They were thrown off google a few weeks back, but they are back to catch out the over 70s now.

Try googling DVLA licence renewal - you get only the genuine DVLA.

But mis-spell one word, like the popular 'license' with an S instead of a C) and top of the list is a lookee-likee DVLA copy - spelled correctly.

Shameful.

DCFC79

marydoll9 wrote: »

I've just been caught also. £70 from my bank account - payment made to drivinglicence.gov.co.alresford. Any idea who this company is and their address. I am computer literate and as far as I am concerned I had been on the official government site. this company has my passport details as well. Should I be worried. The dvla say they are looking into this - for how long has this scam being going on? Consumer advice hopeless, just continually blaming me and insisting I went on the wrong web-site. is this company piggy backing onto the official web-site. Does anyone know, does anyone in officialdom really care. Not a good sign for the future of internet transactions.

You went to the wrong site, nothing wrong with internet transactions. When renewing your passport and EIHC card go direct to the official site so the site must have .gov in the web address for passports and the nhs site for EIHC.