Many of us have found ourselves needing to renew our passport or change the address on our driver’s license at some point. It’s not the most exciting task, but you know it needs to be done.

Along with official providers such as the Home Office who provide passport renewals, or the Driving Standards Agency who provide driving test and theory booking services, there are a number of other online companies, sometimes referred to as ‘copycat companies’, which offer to assist you with accessing services such as these.

For those in a rush it can be possible to mistake a copycat company for an official provider because they often share similar visual features and claims.

Following a number of complaints from consumers about the misleading nature of some of these sites we’ve been taking action to ensure their ads are clear and up-front. We’re also raising awareness to help make sure consumers aren’t misled into paying for a service that could’ve otherwise been free or cheaper.

Are copycat sites legitimate?

Many of these companies are legitimate. It’s not against the law for a company to offer a service similar to an official body.

However, bogus companies present a challenge and are best dealt with by law enforcement bodies. At the ASA we predominantly deal with legitimate businesses that have fallen foul of the Advertising Codes.

The problems

Typical concerns we receive are:

  • It’s unclear from the website whether they’re an official service
  • The company has appeared above the official body on Google search results
  • Copycat sites charge fees for services that could’ve otherwise been free or cheaper
  • You didn’t realise until after the transaction that you’d have to pay a handling fee in addition to paying for the service.

We can take action against companies that mislead consumers into paying for a service or product that they may not have otherwise taken.

Wider trading practices fall outside of our remit, and where for example a company is charging consumers above and beyond official service prices it would likely be a matter for Trading Standards. Similarly, we can’t control where companies’ paid-for internet search ads appear but we can ensure the ad sticks to the rules.

What do the advertising rules say?

It’s not acceptable for companies to mislead people into paying for products or services. Copycat companies should not imply that they’re an official service or that they’re affiliated with one if that’s not the case, and that could be through the claims made on the website, the company name, URL address, the use of specific words such as ‘official / Gov’, or the overall appearance of the site.

Nor should the company imply that they can save us money if they’re actually charging more than the official body. Costs should be clear, transparent and upfront – so if the company is charging a compulsory handling fee they should make that clear.

Misleading advertising represented 70% of our work in 2012 and 25% of our workload was spent dealing with online ads, so we’re well versed to dealing with these matters.

ASA action

We’ve taken action against a number of companies that have fallen foul of the rules. Here are some examples of rulings against ‘copycat companies’ for misleading ads:

  • TAD Services t/a UK-Passport.net (4 September 2013) - implied that they were affiliated with the HM Passport Office.
  • UK Official Services (23 November 2011) - misleadingly implied they were the government's General Register Office (GRO).
  • Trademark Renewal Service Ltd (5 June 2013) - misleadingly implied a mailing they sent out was official correspondence from a company affiliated with the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

We have various sanctions, including a name and shame section on our website, ad alerts advising CAP members to withhold advertising space, and methods for seeking the removal of a companies’ paid for search ads, to get non – compliant advertisers to stick to the rules.

In addition, Her Majesty's Passport Office is monitoring these sites and we’re working together with them and GOV.UK to counteract misleading advertising claims.

Top tips

  • Look out for .GOV in the URL address - https://www.gov.uk/
  • Take time to read the information on the website to ensure that you’re using the official service
  • If you’re unsure about the claims a company is making then lodge a complaint with us here.

Further information

Go to HM Passport Office directly: https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport

Go to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) directly: https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/learning-to-drive

Go to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for Self Assessment tax returns: https://www.gov.uk/file-your-self-assessment-tax-return

Go to TfL to pay the London congestion charge: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging/

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