Passport UK

Pollycat

Pieguts wrote: »

Just made the same mistake as a lot of others and used Passport UK, thinking I was renewing passports for my wife, my daughter and myself. Although I now want to beat myself around the head for throwing £200 down the toilet, my question is what do I get for the money. The Passport Uk website gives the impression that they forward a completed form to the official gov. Passport office who will then respond with what they require. My issue is that I need these passports for travel at the beginning of April. If I just except that I have been a fool and £200 out of pocket, can I just re-apply for these passport renewals either via the post office or official passport service now or will this not be possible because supposedly Passport UK have submitted my applications.

Have you read post #5 about refunds?

Maybe check if the website you used does offer a refund....then you can go ahead and use the official website.

PompeyPete

Same sort of scam. This article was in the Daily Mail a few days ago...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2549818/Were-ripped-tax-return-sharks-Copycat-sites-bill-people-thousands-phoney-government-services.html

kronenbourg

geez are people really this thick
they shouldnt be allowed a passport if they get scammed like this

Pieguts

kronenbourg wrote: »

geez are people really this thick
they shouldnt be allowed a passport if they get scammed like this

Great, that's all I need, a "keyboard warrior". You know nothing about me or others that use this site, so keep your "thick" comments to yourself.

Moto2

Take no notice of the bottom feeders Pieguts, they're only looking for a rise

Pollycat

kronenbourg wrote: »

geez are people really this thick
they shouldnt be allowed a passport if they get scammed like this

That's pretty rude.

I don't think people are 'this thick'.

I think they are maybe trusting (not expecting these copycat websites to exist), or they are in a hurry or they were distracted or any number of reasons other than 'thick'.

Pieguts - have you checked if the website you used offer a refund?
That's your first step, then you can go ahead and use the official website.

To this list I posted a few days ago:
EHIC
ESTA application
driving licence application/renewal
driving test booking
Submitting tax return
Land Registry

you can also add:

Booking a driving theory test

PompeyPete

If there's easy money to be made, then there are plenty of rogues out there to exploit whatever it may be, and tbh that list is endless.

I don't think 'thick' is a good word to use either, but there's enough honest, decent folk out there who get 'taken for a ride' every day.

Especially when dealing with the 'faceless' on the internet on money matters, you need to take a step-back before committing yourself.

Pieguts

Pollycat wrote: »

That's pretty rude.

I don't think people are 'this thick'.

I think they are maybe trusting (not expecting these copycat websites to exist), or they are in a hurry or they were distracted or any number of reasons other than 'thick'.

Pieguts - have you checked if the website you used offer a refund?
That's your first step, then you can go ahead and use the official website.

To this list I posted a few days ago:
EHIC
ESTA application
driving licence application/renewal
driving test booking
Submitting tax return
Land Registry

you can also add:

Booking a driving theory test

Unfortunately the forms turned up yesterday, so Passport UK have delivered what I paid for!!
From your comments above, in my case it was certainly because I was in a rush and did not pay enough attention at the time. An expensive mistake that won't happen again!!
Unfortunately, unlike the poster who thinks we are thick and don't deserve passports, we are all fallible to these things.

Pieguts

Pieguts wrote: »

Unfortunately the forms turned up yesterday, so Passport UK have delivered what I paid for!!
From your comments above, in my case it was certainly because I was in a rush and did not pay enough attention at the time. An expensive mistake that won't happen again!!
Unfortunately, unlike the poster who thinks we are thick and don't deserve passports, we are all fallible to these things.

As a follow up;
Before anyone says the home page of the site tells you that there is no affiliation with the official passport renewal site, people like myself should not be trusted to take a dog for a walk, let alone apply for a passport etc. etc. etc. my main source of frustration is that when I clicked on the site, I was taken straight to the application page rather than to the home page. As strange as it may seem, all of the disclaimers don't appear there!!!
As a result I have written to the advertising standards agency and made a formal complaint. Whether this will make any difference time will tell.
Many thanks to those who offered genuine advice.

Pollycat

Pieguts wrote: »

As a follow up;
Before anyone says the home page of the site tells you that there is no affiliation with the official passport renewal site, people like myself should not be trusted to take a dog for a walk, let alone apply for a passport etc. etc. etc. my main source of frustration is that when I clicked on the site, I was taken straight to the application page rather than to the home page. As strange as it may seem, all of the disclaimers don't appear there!!!
As a result I have written to the advertising standards agency and made a formal complaint. Whether this will make any difference time will tell.
Many thanks to those who offered genuine advice.

That sounds strange.

How did you find this website in the first place?

I googled 'passport renewal' and clicked on 'passports-uk.co. uk' (is this the one you used?) and it took me to the home page where it says this:

A similar checking service can be obtained from a Post Office at a reduced fee or you can apply without a checking service where there will be no checking fee payable.
We are not affiliated with Post Office, HMPO or any government body.

Going direct to the application page was something that happened some time ago with these websites but I thought they'd been changed so you went to the home page with the disclaimer.

I would also report it to OFT via CAB - the link is in my post #5.