Online government services - don't get conned

3rd November 2011

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating websites that charge people for government services that are available directly from government, either at no cost or for a lower fee.

A number of private services have been set up online, which often sound and look like the official service. They may pay to appear at the top of internet search results and listings on websites to grab people's attention.

But these websites will often charge you extra 'administration fees'. And some of them will try to get you to ring premium rate phone lines for their advice and services. In most cases, at the end of the day, you will receive exactly the same service but will have paid more.

OFT investigation
The investigation is looking into websites that charge consumers to apply for services that are free, such as European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs). It will also examine websites that impose higher charges for services that do carry a cost, such as booking a driving theory test.

Cavendish Elithorn, a Director at the OFT said:"It is important that companies are clear about the service they are offering, and do not trick people into paying for something that they can get for free or much cheaper on government websites. We will be considering whether any of the sites under investigation are misleading consumers."

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