Claiming refund from DVLA impersonator

TTM

Hi all. 

My excited 16 year old applied for her provisional driving license last night and mistakenly clicked through to one of the DVLA impersonators on the Google search page.  She used my VISA debit card for the transaction and it was only after I saw the amount (£115) that I realised what had happened.

I immediately found the company T&C’s on their website, where they have a cancellation form which I filled in and emailed.  A reply came straight back, but after a bit of back and forth they have of course denied a refund, stating -

“I have received your email expressing your dissatisfaction, and I am sorry if you consider having encountered any inconveniences. 

I have also noted your wish to cancel the process. Please, let me remind you of the benefit our service delivers.

Licence Services cares to offer a simple, step-by-step solution that aims to apply, renew and replace your UK Driving Licence. 

By choosing our service, you will save both your time and energy. You will benefit from a full package including application support, licence protection and discounts on a broad variety of products. Our service also gives you quick access to a wide range of administration services.

You can benefit from all those perks directly via our Member Zone (https://client.driving-licence-application.co.uk), our dedicated platform that allows you to interact with us easily. Please note that your credentials appear on your Onboarding email.

Further to your request for cancellation, we regret to inform you that no refunds can be granted.

According to our T&Cs, once the application form is delivered, customers are not entitled to any refunds. 

Note that, under no circumstances, our company is affiliated with the government or working on its behalf. Therefore, we charge a service fee of £81 for one full year.”

So, any help or guidance would be appreciated as to next steps. 

Many thanks 

pinkshoes

What was the website she purchased the service from?

Undervalued

TTM said:

Hi all. 

My excited 16 year old applied for her provisional driving license last night and mistakenly clicked through to one of the DVLA impersonators on the Google search page.  She used my VISA debit card for the transaction and it was only after I saw the amount (£115) that I realised what had happened.

I immediately found the company T&C’s on their website, where they have a cancellation form which I filled in and emailed.  A reply came straight back, but after a bit of back and forth they have of course denied a refund, stating -

“I have received your email expressing your dissatisfaction, and I am sorry if you consider having encountered any inconveniences. 

I have also noted your wish to cancel the process. Please, let me remind you of the benefit our service delivers.

Licence Services cares to offer a simple, step-by-step solution that aims to apply, renew and replace your UK Driving Licence. 

By choosing our service, you will save both your time and energy. You will benefit from a full package including application support, licence protection and discounts on a broad variety of products. Our service also gives you quick access to a wide range of administration services.

You can benefit from all those perks directly via our Member Zone (https://client.driving-licence-application.co.uk), our dedicated platform that allows you to interact with us easily. Please note that your credentials appear on your Onboarding email.

Further to your request for cancellation, we regret to inform you that no refunds can be granted.

According to our T&Cs, once the application form is delivered, customers are not entitled to any refunds. 

Note that, under no circumstances, our company is affiliated with the government or working on its behalf. Therefore, we charge a service fee of £81 for one full year.”

So, any help or guidance would be appreciated as to next steps. 

Many thanks 

Sorry to add to your woes but I think you will find that is a breach of the terms under which your debit card operates.

Whilst I sympathise as far as I am aware these sites operate legally (although "close to the edge"), so it is unlikely there is much you can do. Yes, there should be regulations to tighten up on this but until such time as there are......

TTM

pinkshoes said:

What was the website she purchased the service from?

https://licencing-matter.co.uk/

TELLIT01

As long as their site doesn't seek to impersonate an 'official' site e.g. gov.uk or HMRC, I don't think they are actually acting illegally.  I have found this site https://licenseassistance.uk/ which I suspect is similar to the one your daughter used.

TTM

There are lots of these sites.  Everything I’ve read so far says they are not illegal, but operate on the edge.
I’m hoping there’s something in consumer law that might help - for example isn’t there supposed to be a 14 day cooling off period for online transactions?

user1977

TTM said:

for example isn’t there supposed to be a 14 day cooling off period for online transactions?

Not if you're instructing them to carry out the service immediately (which I presume is the case here - you wouldn't exactly get many customers happy twiddling their thumbs for 14 days before anything happens).

Aylesbury_Duck

TTM said:

There are lots of these sites.  Everything I’ve read so far says they are not illegal, but operate on the edge.
I’m hoping there’s something in consumer law that might help - for example isn’t there supposed to be a 14 day cooling off period for online transactions?

I suspect they get round that because the service has already started - something your daughter probably agreed to.  

There is the angle with your bank that your card was used without your authorisation, but that probably opens up a can of worms you'd rather keep the lid on.  Your daughter using your card probably isn't illegal, but it's certainly operating on the edge...

macman

You could try a chargeback via the card provider, but I suspect that the response will be the same: the service has been provided.

TTM

The email to cancel was sent within an hour of the payment being taken.  Could I demand proof that the DVLA application was made before my request to cancel and if it wasn’t, would that perhaps be proof that they hadn’t fulfilled the contract?

I know I’m clutching at straws here, but am cross that this nonsense is legal and don’t want them to get away with it.

Pollycat

TTM said:

pinkshoes said:

What was the website she purchased the service from?

https://licencing-matter.co.uk/

This link takes me to a website that looks nothing like the official website.

What did your daughter see when she visited that website?
Was there a disclaimer that the website had no affiliation to the DVLA?
Did it say something like this?

Note that, under no circumstances, our company is affiliated with the government or working on its behalf. Therefore, we charge a service fee of £81 for one full year.”

These websites have been around for years for all sorts of things:
Passports
EHIC (now GHIC)
ESTA
Visas