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we have to respond to court papers by 23rd march with our defence (a very similar defence to others we have noticed). Crucially, we are about to apply for a mortgage therefore it has been a conundrum for us as to whether we should continue to proceed with fighting this - but morally we feel it is the right thing to do - i can't believe that richard howard has not been arrested yet. I noticed the recent sunday article....surely the authorities are getting close?????
...our story:
We began receiving regular demands in early december via text, post and phone call from uk passport offices for the sum of £117 - for services that were quickly clicked out of when i realised that they were a misleading website back in may 2014.
We went on a family holiday to greece in may 2014 and had applied for our daughters first passport 7 weeks previously using the post office check and send service, yet about a week before the holiday it still hadn't arrived. In desperation i searched online for an emergency appointment to try and be able to fast track our application. I found this website at the top of the search and they looked official. I clicked a button which said 'get an emergency appointment' and filled out a few details such as email address, address and contact number and the dates of our holiday.
I soon realised that they were not affiliated with the passport office and therefore probably did not have the ability to fast track our existing application. I tried to cancel on the site but an early tick box asking if i wanted to make an emergency appointment now holding me within their 'contract' to pay. I did not share any payment info and closed the website.
Upon contacting the real passport service and calling various departments we were able to track and thankfully received our daughters passport just in time. However, the appointment we were told was made by uk passport offices was made for the day of our flight (i.e.totally unfit for purpose anyway). The 2 dates that i entered into their website that i said i would be available for an urgent appointment was (first choice) 13th may or (second choice) 14th may - but the date they proposed was 21st may, the day of our flight - therefore completely useless - and i'm assuming, intentionally given.
I am aware that the asa recently ruled the site as misleading in september 2014 and that the current website looks to have been updated to reflect some of the advice that they were given. Having researched it i am aware that there are many others in a similar situation against this company and that in many cases no actual appointment was ever made. I found out that hm passport office do not hold record of 'booked' appointments after 6 months so it seems that they have stalled contacting me to chase this payment until there is no ability to prove that an actual appointment had been missed.
I am totally against paying them the escalated fee of £202 when they have done nothing for it other than trick us into clicking a box at an early stage.
Can you offer any advice that would help our defence claim - or can we discuss this with you?
we have to respond to court papers by 23rd march with our defence (a very similar defence to others we have noticed). Crucially, we are about to apply for a mortgage therefore it has been a conundrum for us as to whether we should continue to proceed with fighting this - but morally we feel it is the right thing to do - i can't believe that richard howard has not been arrested yet. I noticed the recent sunday article....surely the authorities are getting close?????
...our story:
We began receiving regular demands in early december via text, post and phone call from uk passport offices for the sum of £117 - for services that were quickly clicked out of when i realised that they were a misleading website back in may 2014.
We went on a family holiday to greece in may 2014 and had applied for our daughters first passport 7 weeks previously using the post office check and send service, yet about a week before the holiday it still hadn't arrived. In desperation i searched online for an emergency appointment to try and be able to fast track our application. I found this website at the top of the search and they looked official. I clicked a button which said 'get an emergency appointment' and filled out a few details such as email address, address and contact number and the dates of our holiday.
I soon realised that they were not affiliated with the passport office and therefore probably did not have the ability to fast track our existing application. I tried to cancel on the site but an early tick box asking if i wanted to make an emergency appointment now holding me within their 'contract' to pay. I did not share any payment info and closed the website.
Upon contacting the real passport service and calling various departments we were able to track and thankfully received our daughters passport just in time. However, the appointment we were told was made by uk passport offices was made for the day of our flight (i.e.totally unfit for purpose anyway). The 2 dates that i entered into their website that i said i would be available for an urgent appointment was (first choice) 13th may or (second choice) 14th may - but the date they proposed was 21st may, the day of our flight - therefore completely useless - and i'm assuming, intentionally given.
I am aware that the asa recently ruled the site as misleading in september 2014 and that the current website looks to have been updated to reflect some of the advice that they were given. Having researched it i am aware that there are many others in a similar situation against this company and that in many cases no actual appointment was ever made. I found out that hm passport office do not hold record of 'booked' appointments after 6 months so it seems that they have stalled contacting me to chase this payment until there is no ability to prove that an actual appointment had been missed.
I am totally against paying them the escalated fee of £202 when they have done nothing for it other than trick us into clicking a box at an early stage.
Can you offer any advice that would help our defence claim - or can we discuss this with you?
Thank you xxxxxx
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