Scammed Over Day 2 PCR test.............These companies should be regulated by Gov

lucknnow

Went abroad just as omicrom reared its head.  Initially bought a LFT Day 2 test from online company called UKHealthTesting.com for £15 which arrived in good time before I departed.
While away the rules changed.  Had to buy a PCR test and UKHT offered £10 of the regular price of £39.99 if I choose to use the original reference number for the LFT previously ordered.  I duly did that and the test kit was waiting on my door step when I returned home on a late Wednesday night.
I did the test and promptly returned the parcel on Thursday morning before 11 am as instructed.
Waited through the weekend without any result.
On Monday I received an email to inform me that they have received my swab but due to it arriving more than 72 hoours after swabbing the test cannot be done and no result will be issued.
I got on the phone immdiately but "due to unprecendented demand we cannot answer you call right now, please send us an email" and got cut off.  There was no way to get to speak to a real person.  So without any option I sent them an email and promptly got a reply to contact nhsinform for advice.  
Got onto that asap and the advisor on the other end just said go get another test to which I said shouldn't the supplier be obliged to send me another test foc.  Her reply was speak to them it is not the nhs problem.  
I fired off another email to UKHT and guess what, "please contact nhsinform for advice.  Automated reply to all emails.
Did some research on this company and there wasn't much other then reviews left on trustpilot and presto 95% were in the same boat as I.  How can all these swab arrived back at the lab late?
Having no other choice I drove 3 hours to my nearest eurofins walk-in centre, paid another £40 and got a second test done with a result in less than 12 hours.
I have forked out £110 for 4 tests and only 2 (both eurofins) were any good.
There should be more and stricter regulations for these cowboy companies popping up online.

eskbanker

There is a government accreditation process but no doubt it won't be perfect, so some companies will be better/worse than others - it's not a surprise that the cheaper ones aren't likely to be the best, although if the original root cause of the problem was postal delays then that could affect any using the post, especially at this time of year.

However, there is a feedback loop if you wish to make your feelings known to the authorities....

https://enquiries.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/s/enquiries

Sandtree

So you bought on price and then complain about quality?

Most of these people are just resellers, they buy wholesale, deal with the sales, service and distribution aspect but the specimen gets sent straight to the lab which is an independent unrelated party. As we all know Royal Mail don't deliver 7 days a week and there are various single points of failure through the process which can add a day here and there. The closer to the weekend you send it back the more chances of having problems unless you've paid the premium price for the centres open 24/7, not using RM etc.

onashoestring

There is only one Government test provider that has the Government contract for Day 2 or Day 8 test . That is CTM . At the time of writing a day 2 testing kit is priced at £68. 

The government website says “ The Government does not endorse or recommend any specific test provider - you should do your own research about them and their terms and conditions.”

 -As with any purchase,  if you choose a provider on price alone without researching their T&Cs and reading reviews you leave it to chance on the quality of service you will get .

beduth

They are all rip off merchants. Government approved for a reason, they have a financial interest in them. 

Four days waiting for results, crap service. 

michael1234

Presumably it is not in the tin pot testing companies interest to have the samples tested.

HeinzVarieties

michael1234 said:

Presumably it is not in the tin pot testing companies interest to have the samples tested.

It's presumably not in their interests not to be charged either.

I'm sure the lab charges them the same, regardless of whether the sample is tested or not.

jimi_man

That's why I use Eurofins. One of the cheapest and you get the results the same day if you do it before midday.

However I don't suppose anyone was interested in the result? You supplied the code for the PLF and that's all they want. I'd probably have left it tbh. 

lucknnow

Sandtree said:

So you bought on price and then complain about quality?

Most of these people are just resellers, they buy wholesale, deal with the sales, service and distribution aspect but the specimen gets sent straight to the lab which is an independent unrelated party. As we all know Royal Mail don't deliver 7 days a week and there are various single points of failure through the process which can add a day here and there. The closer to the weekend you send it back the more chances of having problems unless you've paid the premium price for the centres open 24/7, not using RM etc.

No, I did not buy on price.  Their price is the same as and even dearer than some others.  I only went with them because I bought the LFT from them in the first place.