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Topic: EHIC - a warning

ross99

08/7/2010 at 12:29pm
Location: Guildford
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Just in case anyone is planning to apply for their EHIC there is still no charge for them. The BBC has this useful item about a dodgy site charging for them.

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Ross

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paul_M

08/7/2010 at 12:56pm
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Thanks. That and other EHIC material discussed at http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=7&TopicID=27361&PagePosition=1

Opensauce

08/7/2010 at 1:15pm
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This sort of thing happens from driving test applications to US visa applications. Why these websites are not taken down, I don't know.

ross99

08/7/2010 at 3:58pm
Location: Guildford
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Yup, they should be but the internet is almost impossible to police as these sites will often seem to be based somewhere where what they do is legal (or rather not quite illegal). I've been in software/IT/internet based work for over 24 years and I almost got caught out like this several years ago, so I can only imagine how easy it must be to catch less aware people.

One piece of advice I can offer people is when looking for UK government services never ever use an address that doesn't end in .gov.uk and in general never trust a UK commercial site that doesn't have a listed registered office, VAT number, and UK contact details.

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Ross

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lizex

08/7/2010 at 8:29pm
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I thought the government was making money from letting companies re-sell things like EHIC cards that you can get free if you go direct. If so, they're hardly likely to get the websites taken down. I think the idea is the companies are doing you a service, adding value, by getting the cards for you. Of course it's easy peasy to get a free EHIC card online <shrug>

Liz

paul_M

08/7/2010 at 10:36pm
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Yes, it's not a particular rip-off; after all people pay accountants to fill in their tax forms, estate agents to arrange sales, lawyers to complete our house purchase/wills and so forth ... Some people are rich enough to pay someone else to do almost anything they need; some people are stupid enough to be unable to do these things for themselves; most of us are just too lazy .... I still feel able to get my own EHIC and other things but when I'm snile, maybe I would want to pay a few quid to get someone else to do it for me? Ho hum ....

Quote: Originally posted by lizex on 08/7/2010

I thought the government was making money from letting companies re-sell things like EHIC cards that you can get free if you go direct. If so, they're hardly likely to get the websites taken down. I think the idea is the companies are doing you a service, adding value, by getting the cards for you. Of course it's easy peasy to get a free EHIC card online <shrug>

Liz

664DaveS

09/7/2010 at 12:25pm
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Renewed ours on line last night, confirmation e-mail this morning. I used the link from the sticky thread on here!

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Ronnie Ainsdale

09/7/2010 at 12:40pm
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Nearly as bad as the Post Office charging £8.00 to 'look' over a passport application !

Floydfan

09/7/2010 at 1:08pm
Location: Mouliherne near Saumur FRANCE.
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Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie Ainsdale on 09/7/2010
Nearly as bad as the Post Office charging £8.00 to 'look' over a passport application !

That depends on whether you're confident you've done it right doesn't it? If it takes 15 minutes for someone 'official', trained to look for, and spot the obvious mistakes when filling out a pasport application form then so be it. If you'd been the one that hadn't paid, after believeing you'd filled it out correctly, only to find your unable to go on holiday due to a cock-up on the form, I daresay £8 would seem pretty good value then?

As someone said, to those with learning disabilities, or dementia of some kind, these services can be a godsend.

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hlk01

09/7/2010 at 1:19pm
Location: Scotland
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Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie Ainsdale on 09/7/2010Nearly as bad as the Post Office charging £8.00 to 'look' over a passport application !

Grrr, do not get me started. I was recently charged £8 by a local post office jobsworth harridon of a woman who said she could see a tiny fleck on my son's photo. I couldn't see it but it was more than likely a reflection on the frame of his glasses. I think what she didn't like is that we did not use her photo booth. £8 please cherching.
Husband went back the next day as I was fizzing, was told it was now too late to go though post office. I made an appointment at the passport office - £96 now payable for a 5 year passport for my 16 year old son ( he was a few days short of that at the time ) instead of £48 ish - taking the original 'flecky' photos with me. Guess which one now adorns his passport ?

My OH had to hold me back from going and waving it in her face.

ps - this is the second time this has happened, which is why I am still fizzing.

pps - I asked the proper passport person if the photos were Ok as I had the spare set with me, he said 'just perfect hen'.

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jaymac

09/7/2010 at 4:52pm
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My MIL was getting her passport and was not pleased when asked for the fee for checking it...said she'd do it herself, thank you very much as it was supposed to be a free passport - she's 86!

This thread reminded me to apply for my ESTA visa too for the USA though I have no current plans to go there. It's valid for two years and atm it's still free but there's talk of them introducing a charge soon.

Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!

Opensauce

09/7/2010 at 8:00pm
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Tbf. The passport office are very particular on photos now. They can indeed reject on flecking which is caused by not cleaning the glass on the photobooth so always take a cloth with you. Correct size is also vital & mouth must be closed. It is difficult for some people to get it right in a photobooth & it is sometime worth getting photos done by a photographer.

I've no probs with the post office charging for checking passport application as it is slightly complicated & one has an obvious choice but the sites as described in the op are about fooling people into paying for a service that is just as easy to do for free provided one is directed to the correct website.

lizex

09/7/2010 at 9:02pm
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Quote: Originally posted by jaymac on 09/7/2010

My MIL was getting her passport and was not pleased when asked for the fee for checking it...said she'd do it herself, thank you very much as it was supposed to be a free passport - she's 86!

This thread reminded me to apply for my ESTA visa too for the USA though I have no current plans to go there. It's valid for two years and atm it's still free but there's talk of them introducing a charge soon.

Is that one of those free passports they were promised at the end of the War? My mum heard about it and got one too. Better late than never, eh?

Liz

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