Are you a shyster site victim for EHICs, passports and other renewals?

3 March 2014

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Search for an EHIC, driving licence, passport or similar and you risk paying a shyster site for doing nowt. These sites appear high up on Google and dress up like legitimate sites, then charge you extra for what’s normally just easy form-filling. The Government’s announced extra cash for a crackdown - we want to judge the scale of the problem. Have you been caught out (or nearly caught out) by a shyster site and paid over the odds?

Search for an EHIC, driving licence, passport or similar and you risk paying a shyster site for doing nowt. These sites appear high up on Google and dress up like legitimate sites, then charge you extra for what’s normally just easy form-filling. The Government’s announced extra cash for a crackdown - we want to judge the scale of the problem.

Have you been caught out (or nearly caught out) by a shyster site and paid over the odds?

Results

EHIC should be free. Shysters can charge £20. (731 votes)

I got caught		396 votes (54%)
I nearly got caught		335 votes (46%)

London congestion charge is £10. Shysters try to add £8 on top. (82 votes)

I got caught		47 votes (57%)
I nearly got caught		35 votes (43%)

ESTAs cost $14. Need to go to the US? Shysters add charges. (216 votes)

I got caught		78 votes (36%)
I nearly got caught		138 votes (64%)

Driving licence renewals £20. Some wheeler-dealers add up to £85. (318 votes)

I got caught		195 votes (61%)
I nearly got caught		123 votes (39%)

New passports up to £137. Note the £40 "processing fee" on top. (491 votes)

I got caught		336 votes (68%)
I nearly got caught		155 votes (32%)

Submitting a tax return is free. Some are tricked into paying £500+. (82 votes)

I got caught		35 votes (43%)
I nearly got caught		47 votes (57%)

Holiday visas: Shysters operate for different countries (106 votes)

I got caught		28 votes (26%)
I nearly got caught		78 votes (74%)

Driving theory test is £31. Cowboys lure learners into paying £20 extra. (93 votes)

I got caught		53 votes (57%)
I nearly got caught		40 votes (43%)

Birth/marriage certificates cost £9.25. Some try to charge £14. (114 votes)

I got caught		57 votes (50%)
I nearly got caught		57 votes (50%)

I've been caught by other shyster sites - please let us know what (103 votes)

I got caught		70 votes (68%)
I nearly got caught		33 votes (32%)

I’ve never been caught out (3218 votes)

		3218 votes (100%)

           4,966 people have voted.

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