Car Tax warning

[jlg]

Have just applied for my car tax online as normal 6 months for ?77.00 on the usual DVLA and when i checked my account i noticed i was charged a whooping ?119.00. Have just spoken to DVLA direct and they tell me that i was on what they call a copycat website which are legal and have basically charged me ?40.00 for the privilege.so please beware as this website looks identical as the official DVLA site. DVLA have checked the system and my tax disc is on its way. surely this this can't be right?

[KidKruger]

the fact that the mistake can be made, by someone acting in good faith and believing they're on the correct website, IMO means this practice should not be allowed until the user has the choice to tick a pop-up box which says something like 'we are not the target site, we are agents, we take a commission which is ?40).

It's sleight-of-hand trading so should not be legal.

sleight of hand

---------------

way of deceiving people which you need skill to do

[johnie]

Listen to this moneybox episode, explains what's going on and how it is being combated.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b042cq89

Here is one of the copy-cat sites:

http://taxdisc-direct.co.uk/

Johnie

[Mustard]

Wouldn't that come under distance selling regulations so you could get your money back?

[Loz]

There's a lot of this about - car tax, EHIC cards, passports, licences, etc, etc, etc. If the website doesn't end in "gov.uk" then be very, very suspicious.

[the-e-dealer]

what's the website url ?

[jlg]

Hi,website was taxdisc-directgov.co.uk as posted above. I think its now suspended.

[the-e-dealer]

no the one posted above does not have directgov in its url. you need to be really careful with urls!

[the-e-dealer]

if I had time i would check ip addresses they may be the same but neither are suspended. Good con I guess!

[ianr]

> Hi,website was taxdisc-directgov.co.uk as posted above. I think its now suspended.

No it's still current and live: http://taxdisc-directgov.co.uk. The domain was registered on 1 May, the registrant being Identity Protect Limited, and the registrar 123-reg.co.uk (ie Webfusion Ltd). Never mind: they have more available.

[the-e-dealer]

this is the real one https://www.gov.uk/tax-disc

Note no 'direct' in url but there is a 'gov'!

[ianr]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> this is the real one https://www.gov.uk/tax-disc

>

> Note no 'direct' in url but there is a 'gov'!

It leads to http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/app/home/intro.

[the-e-dealer]

it shouldnt you should see https://www.gov.uk/tax-disc

[the-e-dealer]

"h t t ps://www.gov.uk/tax-disc" this should be in the url box. without spaces.

if not you are doomed!

[ianr]

I'm not going to bother any more.

[the-e-dealer]

go to the post office keep them open!

[BrandNewGuy]

Use the URL on your reminder.

[Loz]

Any domain ending in 'gov.uk' must be a government organisation - these domains are not commercially available and therefore can be trusted. Anything ending in 'co.uk' or '.com' or similar will probably be a fake.