BBC - passport website sues it's customers - Richard Howard britishpassportservices

zagfles

marleyboy wrote: »

Far too much coffee drinking going on fermi, your bordering on the obsessive with this thread.

It's only on its second page! You want obsessive, see the 100+ page thread full of people defending these shyster sites on the PVT board! https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4869030

Strange they don't seem to be contributing to this one

Twopints

zagfles wrote: »

It's only on its second page! You want obsessive, see the 100+ page thread full of people defending these shyster sites on the PVT board! https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4869030

Strange they don't seem to be contributing to this one

I don't see people defending these sites in that thread. I see a lot of incorrect advice given by the OP of that thread and him avoiding all the time when called out on it. Correct advice is given by other posters in that thread. :beer:

zagfles

Twopints wrote: »

I don't see people defending these sites in that thread. I see a lot of incorrect advice given by the OP of that thread and him avoiding all the time when called out on it. Correct advice is given by other posters in that thread. :beer:

You don't need to look far. Post #2 on that thread:

There is no misrepresentation. All of these websites state clearly on their opening page that they are not the official sites and that you can get the same service from the official site, the fact that people are willing to use these websites without even reading what is in front of them does not make them as scam. People need to take responsibility for their own actions.

Which is similar to what Richard Howard said:

Richard Howard, the 28-year-old director of UK Services and Support Ltd, repeatedly denied his website misleads people into believing it is the government site.

He pointed out that at the top of his site it said "no government affiliation" and it also said "our fees can be avoided by visiting the Post or Passport Offices incurring just the passport fee still due if using our service as we are an unaccredited company without any government license

The courts disagree :beer:

Pollycat

zagfles wrote: »

It's only on its second page! You want obsessive, see the 100+ page thread full of people defending these shyster sites on the PVT board! https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4869030

From this thread started by Fermi:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/68504198#Comment_68504198

Twopints wrote: »

I don't see people defending these sites in that thread. I see a lot of incorrect advice given by the OP of that thread and him avoiding all the time when called out on it. Correct advice is given by other posters in that thread. :beer:

At the time (18 months ago), the websites were not operating illegally.
Even the OP admitted that fact some time later in that thread.

That was the extent of your so-called 'defending'.

On the thread above, you even say:

zagfles wrote: »

I'd be surprised if there weren't vested interests at work there, can't be that many people sad enough to whine "should have read the website, it's all perfectly clear" as many times as in that thread if they didn't have some sort of vested interest!

:rotfl:
Most posters stated that - at the time the thread was current - most of the websites were operating within the law (they were) and that disclaimers that they were not the official website were clear (they were).

That's not having a 'vested interest' - it's stating a fact.
A fact that the OP failed to grasp until much later in that thread.

zagfles wrote: »

Strange they don't seem to be contributing to this one

Because we're bored with it all.

fermi

This thread is really about a specific site/company and what they are doing.

I appreciate the issues and opinions expressed on other threads about others sites, but I would also appreciate it if people could restrain themselves and not let that spill over into arguments that are not really relevant to this one or point scoring as other threads are closed.

Other victims of BPS may well hit this thread after websearching etc, so I would rather they can find ifn/links to help them rather than having to read though stuff like the above. No offence to anyone intended.

Thanks.

As a note, today one of the BPS victims won a counter-claim against them for Data Protection breaches and harassment and was awarded ~ £1,500.

Will follow with details later....

fermi

http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/showthread.php?58752-UK-Services-amp-Support-Ltd-BRITISHPassportServices-Copycat-Website-issues-DISCUSSION&p=548833#post548833

Clearly not having the balls to travel oop North, this what Mr Richard Howard missed today in Barnsley:

• A chance to meet Thelma, the loveliest court usher you would wish to meet

• A very brief hearing in which him and his company got a complete hammering

• His Claim dismissed in under 5 minutes (this should really now become the norm)

• A judge who was completely underwhelmed by Howard’s Witness Statement

• A judge who said that any alleged contract was terminated at the point that my step-son clicked away the site without going through the payment page.

• A judge who awarded damages of £1500 for harassment and breaches of the Data Protection Act. Along with £50 travel costs and £35 counter-claim fee. All to be paid in full within 14 days of the Order.

When is Howard going to learn he is unlikely to ever win in court?

Ideally I would like to see anyone – be it discontinued claims, dismissed claims or those who merely paid up out of fear – consider the prospect of issuing a claim for damages on the grounds of harassment & DPA breaches. If you have been sent multiple texts / emails or phone calls, you have been harassed. If your personal data has been compromised as it has been for my step son, they have breached the Data Protection Act and you deserve a damages award. Today has shown that we can stand up to pond-life spineless bullies like Howard and really hit him in the pocket. Let’s keep on doing it and then maybe, just maybe, he'll get the message.

fermi

Richard Howard loses in court again.

fermi

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3122764/Judges-turn-passport-profiteer-court-throws-claim-copycat-website-owner-against-unhappy-customer.html

Judges turn on passport profiteer as court throws out a claim made by copycat website owner against an unhappy customer

By Jeff Prestridge, Financial Mail on Sunday
Published: 22:06, 13 June 2015 | Updated: 22:06, 13 June 2015
View comments

The man behind a controversial passport website who routinely uses the courts to chase customers disputing his bills is discovering that his bullying tactics are not impressing some judges.

Earlier this month, a county court judge in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, threw out a claim for £197.60 made against an unhappy user of the British Passport Services website by owner Richard Howard.

But more significantly, the judge also accepted a counter claim made by user Ethan Wainwright, who said British Passport Services, operated by Howard’s firm UK Services & Support Limited, had harassed him for payment relating to a service he did not agree to.

Triumph: A county court judge in Barnsley accepted a counter claim made by user Ethan Wainwright, who said British Passport Services had harassed him for payment relating to a service he did not agree to

The judge awarded the 18-year-old student £1,500 in a move that could trigger similar actions from other unhappy customers.

It also raises the pressure on Howard, who in the past two months has seen many of his claims dismissed. On Wednesday, a county court judge in Reading threw out a £202.60 claim against 44-year-old business analyst Dominic Ogden, awarding him costs of £90.

British Passport Services arranges appointments at official Passport Office centres for travellers in urgent need of a passport. It charges £117.60 on top of the official fee for renewing or issuing a passport.

Yet its service often disappoints customers, who either receive appointments for dates after they planned to travel or at centres far from their homes.

In many cases, people end up on the website after using an internet search engine to find out how to make an official fast-track passport appointment.

Passport profiteer: Owner of British Passport Services website Richard Howard

It is only when they are asked to pay that the penny drops and they realise they are on an unofficial website.
Even if users decide not to go ahead with the service after requesting an appointment, British Passport Services demands its fees. Failure to pay results in a series of penalty charges and finally a county court claim. More than 750 claims have so far been issued by Howard.
Ethan and Dominic did not proceed to payment when they realised they were not dealing with the official Passport Office.

‘It’s a nasty business model,’ says Dominic.

Howard says he is appealing against the counter claim judgment made in favour of Ethan.

He also says most people who are issued with claims pay them because ‘there is no defence or legitimate reason not to’.

The Mail on Sunday understands that Trading Standards is showing a keen interest in Howard’s business activities.

fermi

Arrests at copycat website company after a surge of consumer complaints

Doesn't say what actual sites, but good news all the same.

fermi

Richard Howard arrested and offices raided by trading standards ecrime

JEFF PRESTRIDGE: Investigation over past four months leads to passport boss's appointment...with the police