Driving Licence Renewal - NOT DVLA

[PV7998]

Any help with this appreciated.......

A lady at work needed to renew her driving licence and was told she could do it online, so this weekend just gone she did just that - except that she didn't do it on the DVLA site, she gave all her details and debit card details to a company tthat processes your application for you.
On the same day, she realised what she had done and emailed the company to cancel the service. They replied to her today (Tuesday) too say that they had already started the process and could not cancel.
They quoted ttheir terms and conditions:
https://www.drivinglicence.uk.com/terms.php
She has sent off another email to them reiterating her wish to cancel, quoting Regs 10 and 12 of the Distance Selling Regs.
She paid £50 by debit card which has already been taken from her account.

Anyone any similar experience or advice?

Before anyone starts, everyone in the office has already called her a pl*nker for not checking the company, so tthat bit's taken care of.

[Pontoneer]

Hmmmm , the fonts , colour scheme and general design of the website are coincidentally quite similar to those of DVLA's .

[DanGT]

No experance. But

Let ehm know you will take them to the small clames court.
Then if no reply and you want to take them to the small calmes court.
Also contact the bank, they may help but as they did not use a credit card probably not.

[leyorkie]

Same for renewal of EHIC, friend paid £17.50 for a free service.
Don't click on the first web site that you see.
It's a scam of sorts and she's been caught, don't fancy her chances of any refund.

[CYMR0]

The company is called "Caveat Viator Ltd" - let the traveller beware. They're not subtle if you're clever.

Scammers, providing a worthless but legal service.

If there is a remedy it will not be because there is no consideration but because there is an inducement, etc., that the site is the official DVLA site, based on the layout and/or passing off.

Considering that their page has an "Us" "DVLA" comparison box, etc., that will be difficult (if not impossible) to win and one that the customers would resist fiercely.

My instinct would be to put this one down to experience, but if you were willing to go to a *lot* of effort, who knows?

[herewego]

This is a problem with google. They place adverts above the real search items in a very faintly coloured box that's easy to miss.

[CatJ]

I just renewed my driving licence recently as my photocard was about to expire. Cost was £20 plus the cost of the photo.

[Dwight VanDriver]

The obvious question is

What do DVLC (official) say?

dvd

[CYMR0]

Dwight VanDriver said:

The obvious question is

What do DVLC (official) say?

dvd

Why? They have presumably received something perfectly acceptable to them, that they have processed as normal.

Unless they want to allege passing off (and they are supposedly non-commercial in this activity, so there's no great incentive for them to do so), I don't see that they have a great deal of interest in this.

[R0G]

There are now many middlemen sites for doing this or that - all perfectly legal but not morally right in most peoples eyes

All I can say is user beware and NEVER give out any financial info unless 100% certain

Also - always use a CREDIT card as they give more protection

[streaky]

CYMR0 said:

The company is called "Caveat Viator Ltd" - let the traveller beware. They're not subtle if you're clever.

There's no need to be clever or to understand Latin, just able and inclined to read.

The home page contains this statement in a good-sized font, displayed prominently:

"We are not affiliated with DVLA, the UK government or any official body. The checking service we provide can be obtained from a DVLA office directly at a reduced fee or you can apply without a checking service where there will be no checking fee payable."

Streaky

[Los Endos]

This just happened to my 17year old

This type of scam makes me sick, I am fortunate enough to put this down to hard luck, but many people who are struggling with money, losing £50 is a big deal in these tough times

I am I great believer in what 'goes around, comes around' so I hope the people who run this site will eventually come a cropper in life, the only sad thing is I won't be around to see their demise

[randlemarcus]

Los Endos said:

This just happened to my 17year old

This type of scam makes me sick, I am fortunate enough to put this down to hard luck, but many people who are struggling with money, losing £50 is a big deal in these tough times

I am I great believer in what 'goes around, comes around' so I hope the people who run this site will eventually come a cropper in life, the only sad thing is I won't be around to see their demise

Completely agree that this is not a line of business I would feel morally comfortable being in, but...

£50 is very cheap for an object lesson in looking before you leap.

[Los Endos]

randlemarcus said:

Los Endos said:

This just happened to my 17year old

This type of scam makes me sick, I am fortunate enough to put this down to hard luck, but many people who are struggling with money, losing £50 is a big deal in these tough times

I am I great believer in what 'goes around, comes around' so I hope the people who run this site will eventually come a cropper in life, the only sad thing is I won't be around to see their demise

Completely agree that this is not a line of business I would feel morally comfortable being in, but...

£50 is very cheap for an object lesson in looking before you leap.

In fairness if your are 17years old, and you have never applied for a licence before ( or been caught by a scam ) you naively tend to trust Google and the Banks who facilitate this sort low life activity.
But I know what you mean....

[streaky]

Los Endos said:

randlemarcus said:

Los Endos said:

This just happened to my 17year old

This type of scam makes me sick, I am fortunate enough to put this down to hard luck, but many people who are struggling with money, losing £50 is a big deal in these tough times

I am I great believer in what 'goes around, comes around' so I hope the people who run this site will eventually come a cropper in life, the only sad thing is I won't be around to see their demise

Completely agree that this is not a line of business I would feel morally comfortable being in, but...

£50 is very cheap for an object lesson in looking before you leap.

In fairness if your are 17years old, and you have never applied for a licence before are a product of an education system that has left you unable to read or comprehend ( or been caught by a scam ) you naively tend to trust Google and the Banks who facilitate this sort low life activity.
But I know what you mean....

Fixed that for you.

Really, there is no excuse (other than above) for falling for this one.

Streaky

[watchnut]

Can i also add my 2 pence worth where I have heard that many young folk get caught out booking driving theory tests and practical driving tests by going through these sites and not thru "direct.gov"....it really is easy to make a mistake and use these sites costing you more than it should

[Los Endos]

streaky said:

Los Endos said:

randlemarcus said:

Los Endos said:

This just happened to my 17year old

This type of scam makes me sick, I am fortunate enough to put this down to hard luck, but many people who are struggling with money, losing £50 is a big deal in these tough times

I am I great believer in what 'goes around, comes around' so I hope the people who run this site will eventually come a cropper in life, the only sad thing is I won't be around to see their demise

Completely agree that this is not a line of business I would feel morally comfortable being in, but...

£50 is very cheap for an object lesson in looking before you leap.

In fairness if your are 17years old, and you have never applied for a licence before are a product of an education system that has left you unable to read or comprehend ( or been caught by a scam ) you naively tend to trust Google and the Banks who facilitate this sort low life activity.
But I know what you mean....

Fixed that for you.

Really, there is no excuse (other than above) for falling for this one.

Streaky

Thanks for that, I had sort of expected your comments after previous posts....
I'm not playing

[marshalla]

A little video produced by Trading Standards : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCfOQC7ONSI feel free to circulate it (or post criticisms of course)

[speedking31]

R0G said:

Also - always use a CREDIT card as they give more protection

The OP's colleague paid £50. Credit card confers no more protection.

[ferrariF50lover]

E-Crime?

We've a thread full of people here who say it's not a crime to entrap the unwary with bells and whistles, but that video perhaps suggests otherwise.

Could there be some misrepresentation? Copyright infringement or IP 'theft'?

Simon.