DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE - I have been scammed

[ihavebeenscammed]

Aghhhhhhh so angry.

Needed to renew DD's passport, googled the passport website and clicked on the following link

uk-passport.net/

Was in a rush and filled out the form for a renewal for under 16, and put my credit card details in for 46 passport fee.

Form came back completed in the post a few days later and I took it to the post office with the photos and did check and send, paid again but didn't think anything of it as a message came up when I put my credit card details on the site saying they wouldn't charge my card until the form was submitted.

Anyway turns out it is a total scam, they are not related to the passport office and are just charging you the fee simply to send you out the form you complete online. I realised when checking my credit card bill and saw I had paid twice, once the fee to uk-passport.net and once the check and send fee so rang to find out.

There actually is a disclaimer at the top of the site saying they are unconnected to the passport office, but I didn't notice this. I feel such a fool as am normally so careful about this stuff but was in a rush needed to get a passport quickly.

The guy at the passport office said I was lucky I had done check and send as people have sent their forms back thinking they have paid but then they get delayed as they haven't actually paid and people have missed their holiday he said loads of people are getting sucked into this.

They can't shut this site down, and apparently they are doing the same with DVLA applications and other.

My credit card company are disputing the transcation for me so hopefully I will get the money back they were also aware of the site and have had lots of customers have the same problem.

So Mad!!!!!!

When you set up a google ad (as we do for our online business) you can specify what keywords you want it to appear for (e.g. what exact words or phrase someone types into google as their search term), when you want it to appear (e.g. just in the evening or 24 hours a day), which countries you want your ad to display in (e.g. just users who are using a computer with a UK IP address) etc. So it's not at all unusual to find that ads display for people in the UK but not in another country. Google charges per click so I usually set ads to only display in the UK because I don't want overseas users, who are unlikely to purchase from a UK site due to high delivery charges to their country, clicking on my ad.

No Bertie - I tried yahoo & bing - both brought the gov site as top hit. So it's bye bye google for me.

I'm not sure why ScottishMummy has such a problem with me highlighting information that is clearly stated on the Companies House website.
I happen to use the scrape service at Duedil but again, its publicly available information.

Matthew Stephen Mansell sets up the companies and websites so that his personal liability is limited.
The flip side of that is that his details are published by the Government.

Google take his cash and then pretend to wring their hands for the meejah

Excuse me for a little while,I'm just about to nip out and chat to the OAP who lives in the next street,

I'm going to imply I'm fixing her roof and dress like a builder but really I'm just going to charge her the same price it would cost her to get it fixed but only going to tell her it needs doing and give her the address of a builder.

It is perfectly fine to do this because in very tiny writing I'm going to point out that I'm a cunt and relying on her not checking

Yes I reported you listing the home address and suggesting folk hassle this man
It was inappropriate,provocative and unnecessary

MNHQ
I'm not entirely happy about censoring my post on the basis that the information you removed was NOT private and personal.
Its a matter of public record
wck2.companieshouse.gov.ukcompdetails
for the Uxbridge address
wck2.companieshouse.gov.ukwcprodorder?ft=1
For the Godalming one

ScottishMummy
His home address is a matter of public record.
He is the director of a UK incorporated company.
As am I
As are many other Mumsnetters
It is a choice we take when we operate through limited companies rather than as sole traders.

I have to assume that you work for him in that you alone cannot see that what he does is unethical even though it is technically legal.

NeedsAsockamnesty - that's exactly how I see it.

The government says it's a scam.

www.gov.uk/government/news/hm-passport-office-warns-customers-against-charges-by-rogue-companies

Posting a home address and then suggesting posters hassle (your phrase) is provocative and unnecessary
Is your best retort I must work the company?I'd report any post post I thought provocative
It crossed a line.it over personalised topic you suggested folk hassle him.

To hassle someone is to purposefully cause inconvenience,be intrusive ,or pester...why?all because op paid for an expensive form filling and you feel enraged on her behalf?

Come on SM - the man's a scammer. expensive form filling ?? What he does is totally misleading and dishonest. Sharp practice at best, scamming is what I'd call it.

There's no reason to publish a home address and invite others to hassle an individual

I dunno, maybe not. But calling it expensive form filling is a bit off.

I'm really surprised scottishmummy that you object more to the reposting if publicly available information than you do to a website that quite clearly dupes people into parting with hard earned cash

HERE is a cut and paste direct from the UK.Gov website

A spokesperson for Her Majesty’s Passport Office said

It’s totally unacceptable that unscrupulous companies are continuing to trick people into paying for information which is available free of charge by Her Majesty’s Passport Office

Says it all really...

On another thread about these sites, one of them seems to be backing down and offering a refund

the worm turns

I having problems with this websitewww.ukpassportoffices.co.uk/contact-us/

one of my relatives needed a uk passport and she filled the form on this website with her details but when she was about to pay the page closed, and then she realised that it was not the real company and forgot about this.
Now the company is asking her for 117 pounds for getting an appointment in her behalf. (you can get this for free).
my question is this company can make my relative pay .