Warning issued to motorists over copycat DVLA websites that charge a premium for services

pogofish

Have we not got enough threads on this already? - incl MSE stickies already set in more appropriate forums.

This is a much wider issue than just motoring.

Pollycat

pogofish said:

Have we not got enough threads on this already? - incl MSE stickies already set in more appropriate forums.

This is a much wider issue than just motoring.

I guess MSE thought there was a need for this thread given that it was started by MSE Emily.

ontheroad1970

born_again said:

Pollycat said:

TooManyPoints said:

According to the BBC article, Google don't always close them:

Why should anybody close them? They are advertising a service, they make it clear they are not associated with the DVLA in any way and they make their fees perfectly clear. They are not deceiving anybody, they are not doing anything illegal and I would say there is nothing immoral in what they are doing. There is no basis for their forced closure whatsoever.

Have you read the BBC article I gave the link to?
The BBC certainly think Google should close them.

This coming from the very group that are now fleecing over 75's for the TV licence....

Nice moral high ground stance they have.

You've fallen for the Tory propaganda too then - you'll think that them installing Paul Dacre as head of Ofcom independent too then.  Even after the independent body didn't choose him, and Bozo decides to overrule them and restart the process.  If you are going to take a moral stance at least hold the right people responsible. The Tories who were the ones that cut the specific funding that paid for the over 75s.  

AdrianC

born_again said:

Pollycat said:

TooManyPoints said:

According to the BBC article, Google don't always close them:

Why should anybody close them? They are advertising a service, they make it clear they are not associated with the DVLA in any way and they make their fees perfectly clear. They are not deceiving anybody, they are not doing anything illegal and I would say there is nothing immoral in what they are doing. There is no basis for their forced closure whatsoever.

Have you read the BBC article I gave the link to?
The BBC certainly think Google should close them.

This coming from the very group that are now fleecing over 75's for the TV licence....

Nice moral high ground stance they have.

Umm, actually it's the government who unilaterally withdrew the over-75 licence funding, as part of the 2015 BBC Charter renewal. They were paying for it, then they said to the BBC "No, we're not going to any more - you're free to if you want, but out of your pocket now."

The only time the government will still pay is for those who receive Pension Credit. This was a £750m/year reduction, nearly 20%, in the BBC's funding. The quid-pro-quo for that was to allow the licence fee to increase in line with inflation, and to allow on-demand TV to be licenceable.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jul/06/osborne-slashes-bbc-budget-pay-over-75s-tv-licences

TV licences aren't unique to the UK, either - most developed countries have them, with a relatively few exceptions, and some are far more expensive in real terms than here. None have a public service broadcaster funded by them, though.

The BBC costs the average household far less than the commercial broadcasters per annum - the only difference is that the cost is explicit instead of being hidden in passed-on advertising costs. Even if you don't pay Sky's subscription, the average household pays them more than the licence fee through advertising revenue alone, before considering the costs of producing the ads.