UK Services & Support Ltd BRITISHPassportServices Copycat Website issues DISCUSSION

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Had a brief chat with aviduser by email - they are on holiday at the moment and have submitted their acknowledgement of service. They'll send a copy of the court papers when they are back next week, not ideal as limits time for requests but should give us enough time to get a defence together.

I'll still have to treat it as unverified for the moment though, even though I have no reason to believe it is anything other than genuine.

[Mandid]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Had a brief chat with aviduser by email - they are on holiday at the moment and have submitted their acknowledgement of service. They'll send a copy of the court papers when they are back next week, not ideal as limits time for requests but should give us enough time to get a defence together.

I'll still have to treat it as unverified for the moment though, even though I have no reason to believe it is anything other than genuine.

I am also in the same situation as many of you and they have sent the pre-court action documents asking me to reply to them with what my defence will be. I am not sure if I should pay them off because I don't trust them to provide a receipt of payment if I lost my case in court and then I am worried how I will get the ccj removed if I paid within the thirty days. They are a dirty bunch! Site owner I would be happy to talk to the press something needs doing about them. I have yet to ring CAB as they have been hounding me so aggressively. Has anybody noticed how they contradict themselves with their scare mongering correspondence? They threaten heightened cost of 8% interest and £50 for solicitor if they take you to court yet on their company policy they say they waive this right in order to keep costs down for the consumer. Also are any of those umpteen court cases they list on their website claiming they won real? Is there anyway to find out? Any help appreciated. Can't believe I fell for this, they say you can cancel which I did minutes after I realised but then say you can't actually cancel and persist in giving you all the services days and days after you have cancelled so they can charge you. Outrageous. I read somewhere but can't remember where that they say the passport office allocates them fifty appointments a day which would make you think the passport office actively endorse these Internet bandits!

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Also are any of those umpteen court cases they list on their website claiming they won real?

I haven't seen those, could you give me a link pls.

[Nibbler]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

http://www.britishpassportservices.c...udgements.html

[EXC]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

They're flogging Which? legal services http://www.britishpassportservices.c...al-advice.html

[EXC]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

We are therefore willing to extend our hand in good will and pay for you to receive UNLIMITED legal advice for 1 month from an unbiased, full qualified solicitor of the Law Society who can review our contract, website and all communications that we have sent you and then provide you with professional advice on whether you are legally required to settle the invoice with us or not.

Utterly bizarre. I wonder if Which? know about it?

[Nibbler]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Seems they have been hastily putting up that page this month. Likely another tactic to bully people they have been trying to intimidate lately.

Google cache shows that on 15th Jan they had only just started putting the page up.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...udgements.htmlwww.britishpassportservices.co.uk/court-cases/county-court-judgements.html

8ce03001.jpg

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

blimey, well that's nothing to be proud of, having to sue your customer's for payment doesn't really shout out what a bona fide useful service you offer.

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Utterly bizarre. I wonder if Which? know about it?

Well you don't know unless you ask. Do Which? do a first month free thing at the moment ?

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

ahhh

How to Secure FREE Legal Advice.

Follow the below steps to gain access to the legal advice of nine qualified solicitors and barristers with over 200 practicing years of experience between them: http://legalservice.which.co.uk/our-.../our-team.aspx

(Step 1) - Create an Account with Which? and pay the £1.00 charge via your card by clicking here >>> as soon as the account is activated you will have UNLIMITED access to nine solicitors via email and phone for 1 month.

(Step 2) - As soon as your registration email has arrived with your Which? account number call: 01992 878 213, provide the secretary with your account number and wait to be connected to one of the nine lawyers to discuss the dispute between yourself and our company. We highly recommend providing them with a copy of your contract, our website address and all emails, letters and text messages sent to you to date.

(Step 3) - Contact us at: comments@britishpassportservices.org.uk to request a refund for the £1.00 that you have spent on the legal advice. Simply include your Which? account number and either your bank details for a refund via bank transfer or address for where you would like the refund cheque sent to.

(Step 4) - Before or on the 29th day that you have setup the account simply email; editor@which.co.uk before your first monthly payment is due requesting to cancel the trial and your account. You need to have ‘cancel’ as the subject line and include your name, address and membership number in your email. If you fail to do this you will be charged a monthly charge from them which we will NOT reimburse.

Terms & Conditions

This offer is only open to consumers who have an outstanding service fee on their account. The maximum refund we will provide is £1.00. We are not liable if you fail to email editor@which.co.uk and cancel your account with Which.co.uk within the first month and so are charged their monthly fee. It is understood that you need to cancel the account within the 29 days of opening to avoid your card being charged by Which?. This offer is not open to those who have a current Which.co.uk account of have had an account with the organisation within the past 12 months. If you already have an account with them you are encouraged to call: 01992 878 213 and take advantage of the consumer legal advice that you are entitled to as part of your subscription.

Which?

Get a 1 month trial for £1

etc.

[enaid]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

All that crap on there about the length of time it takes to get a passport I did my daughters on line downloaded form , put old passport in envelope with photos it was back a week later, cost £72.50 plus a stamp.

ps Delivered by hand by courier. old passport came a few days later with corner off

[Poltergeist]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Hi All, I thought that I would throw my hat into the ring on this topic.

I was ashamedly caught out by theses shysters. I needed to make an urgent appointment to renew my daughters passport at the Newport office. I typed in 'Newport Passport office' into google, and the second choice stated:- www.ukpassportoffices.co.uk/newport-passport-office/.

I was of the honest belief that I was being redirected to that office, and again, ashamedly, I did not read the full terms etc. but continued on to fill out their application, however, unlike the majority of people here, I did not have a choice to opt out of payment (I was told that I MUST pay within 3 days), I went through to HipWallet and paid the £117.00.

Again, I had an honestly held belief that I was paying the passport office (It has become very annoying when people now say 'you should have looked for the .gov - I know that now, and if I was aware of this rip-off, I would have looked, but I thought it was the legitimate government website - and I would also state here that the majority of all people (if they were not aware of this rip-off) would have done the exact thing that I did).

I was reluctant in paying, but blamed myself for letting my daughter’s passport expire. As with most other people here, within a nano-second of paying, I received an email from Sam Harris giving me my (FREE) appointment at the PETERBOROUGH office. I tried to ring their number (Have you noticed that they claim to have NATIONAL OFFICES (yes, have a look at their passport office pages, when I realised they had got it wrong, I tried to telephone a Newport (South Wales) office, and was told by a robot voice that I would be put through to a 'Real Human' to help assist me (all within their claimed office working hours)

The number actually redirects to their 88-90 Hatton Garden (More on that shady place later). When I could not get a response (I now realise that they will not answer the phone just after payment has been collected) I telephoned the passport office in London to let them know about their mistake. This was when they dropped the bombshell, and I was advised to contact action fraud (more on this later too). Panicking I telephoned the card company I had used to see what was up (no joy with them).

I searched through their site, and found the complaints report. I filled it in, but was only refunded £14.00 odd as I hadn't had an 'expert' 30-minute telephone conversation (neither had I had (as far as I am aware a £10 use of an online booking form, I certainly haven't had the £10 checking of online form for errors, a £10 emergency travel card, and (and this annoyed me more than anything) a £20. Queue Jumping opportunity, and nothing was sent, and (eventually) nothing of the sort was needed I did try to access it, but their website crashed).

I could not believe that this pathetic company had charged me £10 to send google maps directions to get to the Peterborough office. I thought that getting a refund should be easy, as they have welched on their side of the deal (I wanted a Newport appointment, they sent me Peterborough), I tried many times and will (via my phone company) have great amounts of documentary evidence to support this, but they never (during that time) picked up the phone to help.

Their 'Compliance Officer Amanda Kirkman (Yeah right!), emailed me yesterday to say that, and I quote, 'Please find your contract below which shows that you did request we secure you a Peterborough Passport Office appointment. We were following your instructions.' No! Quite clearly NOT following MY instructions. Why would I want to drive nearly 400 hundred miles (past the Newport office) out of my way, that would just be insanity. Now, either their computer programme is faulty, or someone changed my form in order to secure a booking (any booking) which would (according to their terms) not allow me to get a refund.

It would be interesting to know if anyone else has got through to any one of their 'National' telephone numbers. I have, when they realised that I wasn't the sort of person that would be bullied by them, they hang up. (I honestly believe that they then bar your number, or refuse to answer again if they know it is someone bringing annoyance to their party.

I once spoke to a man who, after he realised I wasn't going away, confessed to being the IT guy! I have asked to speak to Richard HOWARD directly (he's never in the office) Amanda Kirkman (she's never in the office). If you ask to speak to Amanda Kirkman they put you through to an automated helpline telling you that they won't take unsolicited 'complaints'. You have to use an online form. Is it really any wonder they won't talk to you in person? No not really, they are probably afraid that you are going to be a bully to them, just as they (Clearly from this thread, bully others).

So 88-90 Hatton Garden. PLEASE GOOGLE the address with the extra word SCAM, you (might) be surprised at the results you get. It is well known. I realise that in relation to my £117.00 I am fighting a losing battle, but it is a battle that I shall continue with, but I think more importantly, they are sailing so close to the line of criminality, that I would not be surprised if fraud, eventually will be uncovered. Is it possible to pool all of the info you have along with the ASA (I also saw that Which Magazine is also taking action), and see where crimes (if any) have been committed.

I noticed from the thread for example, that there seems to be a 4-1 for court action every time (either they have an habitual abstainer or they are using the same form, and the actual meetings are not really held). This, I believe is the way forward. I for one will not be bullied or victim to, this disgrace of a company.

The owner markets himself as an internet entrepreneur (among other things), ripping people of isn't entrepreneurship no matter how you dress it up, it is plain and simple rip-off!

[Amethyst]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Also be good to know which of those were default judgment's and which were defended....(probably most of those judgment for claimant ones are defaults) maybe they could pop that information on, or even scan copies of the General Form of Judgment or order on to the site for evidence, which might be more effective in intimidating folk into paying.

We'll pass that on to Trading Standards see if they can check it out a bit.

[EXC]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Well you don't know unless you ask.

I will.

[enaid]

Re: UK Services & Support Ltd Passport Scam

Thought you could find out if someone had a CCJ easy enough just check the names on there