www.booking-theory-test.com/

PWEI

Is this website a scam?

https://www.booking-theory-test.com/

djimi

Its not even an active website...

h3000

It looks reasonably ok (I don't think the plan to steal from you) but they charge more to book the test than booking direct through the RSA site http://www.theorytest.ie/english/driver-theory-test/index.php . I think the RSA charge €45

https://www.booking-theory-test.com/terms.php wrote:

2.0 Charges:

2.1 Booking Theory Test does not administer the Theory Test systems. However the company charges an administration fee in addition to the Theory Test fee to cover the costs and time involved in liasing with e-mails, postal notifications, telephone calls and text messages to and from candidates. Dealing with driving licence issues, advice and queries for booking the Theory Test and making alterations, actively searching for cancellation dates and obtaining cancellations dates for the users of Booking Theory Test aswell as users who booked from other theory test booking services on behalf of the candidate.

2.2 The charge for booking the theory test is a combination of the RSA theory test fee which currently stands at (€58.60).

PWEI

Well it looked fairly official to me and when I googled motorcycle driver theory test that was the website at the top of the list. I became suspicious when I saw what they were charging €68.

Big Nasty

Why bother your hole when you can book it with RSA cheaper?

MuppetCheck

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Why bother your hole when you can book it with RSA cheaper?

Some people will book it for the higher price. Minimal effort by whoever runs it, and a few quid when you catch someone. Great idea if you ask me.

Big Nasty

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Some people will book it for the higher price. Minimal effort by whoever runs it, and a few quid when you catch someone. Great idea if you ask me.

Sorry, I dont understand. It's €45 through RSA and €68 with these guys. Are you saying that people will just google 'theory test' and if that comes up first they will pay the extra €23?

In hindsight I suppose you will get a percentage who will.........:eek:

Alanstrainor

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Sorry, I dont understand. It's €45 through RSA and €68 with these guys. Are you saying that people will just google 'theory test' and if that comes up first they will pay the extra €23?

In hindsight I suppose you will get a percentage who will.........:eek:

This site has popped up a number of times on the Learning to Drive forum, and as far as I know it is legitimate.

People just google it and go through this crowd. madness really.

PWEI

Alanstrainor wrote: »

.

People just google it and go through this crowd. madness really.

This is what happened me. I just googled it and the site was at the top.
A total scam if you ask me as the official site should be on the top. But like the big eejit I am I fell for it hook line and sinker. :mad:
I am in the process of opening a Visa Debit Transaction Dispute as I never received an appointment & was conned in to booking though them.

Alanstrainor

PWEI wrote: »

This is what happened me. I just googled it and the site was at the top.
A total scam if you ask me as the official site should be on the top. But like the big eejit I am I fell for it hook line and sinker. :mad:
I am in the process of opening a Visa Debit Transaction Dispute as I never received an appointment & was conned in to booking though them.

I don't think there's anything to feel silly about, it's an easy mistake to make.

Did you book it this morning? Or earlier, like I said, I thought I read on the Learning to Drive forum that this site was legitimate, but I could be wrong on this.

Either way, I'd open a transaction dispute, and try and cancel it.

MuppetCheck

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Sorry, I dont understand. It's €45 through RSA and €68 with these guys. Are you saying that people will just google 'theory test' and if that comes up first they will pay the extra €23?

In hindsight I suppose you will get a percentage who will.........:eek:

That's it exactly.

//Runs off to set one up for the NCT!

PWEI

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I don't think there's anything to feel silly about, it's an easy mistake to make.

Did you book it this morning? Or earlier, like I said, I thought I read on the Learning to Drive forum that this site was legitimate, but I could be wrong on this.

Either way, I'd open a transaction dispute, and try and cancel it.

Yea I booked it this morning. If it is legitimate, I've yet to receive any notification about an appointment for the test. I've sent off a Visa Debit Transaction Dispute now to BOI so hopefully they'll be able to get my money back. I also checked up the domain name and the IP Location is Maharashtra - Mumbai.

RATM

PWEI wrote: »

This is what happened me. I just googled it and the site was at the top.
A total scam if you ask me as the official site should be on the top. But like the big eejit I am I fell for it hook line and sinker. :mad:
I am in the process of opening a Visa Debit Transaction Dispute as I never received an appointment & was conned in to booking though them.

Well if they are legitimate and actually book the test for you then it is not really a scam though the buyer should be aware. The company have obviously spent a lot of time and effort to get themselves ranking even higher than the RSA on Google rankings. They are counting on some people to just click result no.1 on their search for booking the test.

So its not really the companies fault but the consumer who didn't check if they were on the official site or not. Those who don't check there will be a €20 quid premium over what it should have cost. I think the saying is 'Fools and their money are easily parted' and that is exactly what the owner of this website is counting on. A scam no but sneaky most definitely yes.

PWEI

But shouldn't the RSA be doing something about this. I work in IT & I got caught out, what about the thousands of people out there who aren't computer illiterate. They don't stand a chance.

28064212

PWEI wrote: »

But shouldn't the RSA be doing something about this.

Like what? They aren't doing anything illegal (as far as I can tell)

coylemj

Exactly the same scam is in action for the US ESTA, the pre-clearance authorisation for people from visa waiver countries which includes Ireland. I checked just now and there are three unofficial websites which come up at the top of a Google search for 'ESTA'. They do process the application, it's done via screen scraping but you're paying a premium for no value add.

These people aren't doing anything illegal, they usually deliver what they offer so I can't see how you'll get anywhere with the CC company if they deliver what they've offered and you have accepted their offer in the full knowledge of how much it's going to cost.

I blame Google for taking their money and pushing them top of the search results screen. If you want to distinguish the wheat from the chaff, the websites which pay to be top of the list of a Google search are enclosed in a pale pink coloured box which can be difficult to see but it is there. In the case of the ESTA process, the official US website is the first website below the coloured box.

You also need to be wary of fake hotel websites, the easy way to tell them from the real thing is that the fake websites will never show you the hotel phone number because for obvious reasons they don't want you calling the hotel direct and depriving them of their slice of the action.

PWEI

28064212 wrote: »

Like what? They aren't doing anything illegal (as far as I can tell)

Well I don't know about you but taking peoples money to book a theory test & then not booking the test sounds fairly illegal to me.

28064212

PWEI wrote: »

Well I don't know about you but taking peoples money to book a theory test & then not booking the test sounds fairly illegal to me.

They haven't booked it yet, a few hours after the request. Obviously if they don't book at all, it's illegal

mgbgt1978

coylemj wrote: »

the websites which pay to be top of the list of a Google search are enclosed in a pale pink coloured box which can be difficult to see but it is there.

Exactly...and there are also the words"Ads related to Theory Test" above these results.
In effect these sites are not paying google to put them as the 1st result in your search, they are simply paying to be the top Ads for your search terms.

No matter what you google you will see Ads like these at the top of the results page.

runawaybishop

They are the top ad returned

Ads related to motorcycle driver theory test

Motorcycle Theory Test | Booking-Theory-Test.com

Looks like the offical site is the top non-ad returned.

coylemj

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

In effect these sites are not paying google to put them as the 1st result in your search, they are simply paying to be the top Ads for your search terms.

That's nit picking if you don't mind me saying so, they are effectively one and the same thing. The fact that the ads are enclosed in a barely noticeable pale pink box shows that Goggle makes only a token effort to allow you to distinguish between bona fide search results and paid ads. and for most people there is no difference because they don't understand how Google works.

The evidence is there in this thread....

PWEI wrote: »

This is what happened me. I just googled it and the site was at the top.
A total scam if you ask me as the official site should be on the top. But like the big eejit I am I fell for it hook line and sinker. :mad:
I am in the process of opening a Visa Debit Transaction Dispute as I never received an appointment & was conned in to booking though them.

PWEI wrote: »

But shouldn't the RSA be doing something about this. I work in IT & I got caught out, what about the thousands of people out there who aren't computer illiterate. They don't stand a chance.

Q.E.D.

mgbgt1978

^^^I was not even trying to nit-pick. I was actually agreeing with you and simply clarifying how these Ads appeared on the OP's search request.

I also mentioned the fact that the words "Ads related to XXX" are always above these Ads, but you left that out when you quoted me......

runawaybishop

coylemj wrote: »

That's nit picking if you don't mind me saying so, they are effectively one and the same thing. The fact that the ads are enclosed in a barely noticeable pale pink box shows that Goggle makes only a token effort to allow you to distinguish between bona fide search results and paid ads. and for most people there is no difference because they don't understand how Google works.

The evidence is there in this thread....
Q.E.D.

They are hardly "barely noticeable" its says quite clearly - Ads related to motorcycle driver theory test.

coylemj

runawaybishop wrote: »

They are hardly "barely noticeable" its says quite clearly - Ads related to motorcycle driver theory test.

'Quite Clearly'- a line using grey characters in a tiny font? I don't think so.

Immediately below it, the paid website search 'hits' (that's how most people see them) are in a larger font, are dark blue and are underlined thereby drawing your attention away from the inconspicuous 'ads related to....' line.

Disclaimer: your mileage may vary.

runawaybishop

coylemj wrote: »

'Quite Clearly'- a line using grey characters in a tiny font? I don't think so.

Immediately below it, the paid website search 'hits' (that's how most people see them) are in a larger font, are dark blue and are underlined thereby drawing your attention away from the inconspicuous 'ads related to....' line.

Disclaimer: your mileage may vary.

Quite clear to me. Reading is a key skill.

Our man in Havana

If people are too dumb to notice they deserve to be fleeced.

My NCT rebooking website will be ready shortly.

alrichie

Unfortunately my partner booked through this site, and despite repeated requests for the site to contact, they havent (big surprise)
To be honest, at first glance its quite a good scam site!
Contacted the RSA and they are aware of the site, but not a lot they can do at the moment.

How do you go about claiming the money back for a scam web site like this.

Our man in Havana

Make a charge back request to your bank.

TheBully

Just booked it there for C licence without even thinking! how do i start a visa dispute?

Ciaran1916

Its fake and the site has been deleted or taken down...

We need to inform RTÉ as this is a semi Govt story due to the nature of what we are booking and its also news the country need to hear...

Does anyone have a contact at the press or tv?

Also I booked and payed the €10 extra to get the free re-sit

runawaybishop

It hasn't been taken down - they aren't really a scam, just resellers.

Ciaran1916

It was down this morning for hours. I booked 10days ago and not a word just like everyone else. Its a scam.

runawaybishop

Its only a scam if they don't actually book you a test.

Ciaran1916

Yes and they havent done that so its a scam.

runawaybishop

2.5 Charges are payable by the user in advance, however cleared funds are required before a Theory Test is booked. Booking Theory Test will confirm your booking within 5-7 working days of your booking being made.

^^ has that time passed? If so get on to them.

Ciaran1916

Yes the time has passed and I have contacted them with at least 5 emails.

They are not responding because its a scam. Have you booked with them and taking your theory test?

runawaybishop

Nope, but there are posts in the motoring forum apparently from people that have successfully.

Ciaran1916

So them saying its legit is some how has more weight than myself and others saying its a scam?

Its a scam - the others are probably apart of the scam. there is no phone number on the website, there is limited navigation or breadcrumbs either.

Its dodgy and was offline for several hours this morning. They have limited organic presence on Google focusing on PPC in order to get customers meaning they are more likely to be a quick start up who are conning people.

runawaybishop

Ciaran1916 wrote: »

So them saying its legit is some how has more weight than myself and others saying its a scam?

Its a scam - the others are probably apart of the scam. there is no phone number on the website, there is limited navigation or breadcrumbs either.

Its dodgy and was offline for several hours this morning. They have limited organic presence on Google focusing on PPC in order to get customers meaning they are more likely to be a quick start up who are conning people.

Its only a scam if they don't book your test within the allotted time and per their t+cs. They make it quite clear they are resellers.

Ciaran1916

You are a moron. I never debated their re-seller status. Its been 10days since booking. Again and with vigor... you are a moron.

runawaybishop

No need for personal attacks. Their t+cs indicate that they require up to 7 working days since your payment cleared. All you have said is that you booked 10 days ago.

h3000

They have their domain registered through this crowd http://privacyprotect.org/
Their own contact details don't seem to be available through domain lookup.

You supposedly can contact them/report abuse through http://privacyprotect.org/ . Their site ID seems to be ID#10760.



Try to calm down on the abuse a bit.

Dontfadeaway

Ciaran1916 wrote: »

You are a moron. I never debated their re-seller status. Its been 10days since booking. Again and with vigor... you are a moron.

Rude

He isn't the one who booked through the wrong site.

TestTransmission

Ciaran1916 wrote: »

You are a moron. I never debated their re-seller status. Its been 10days since booking. Again and with vigor... you are a moron.

Say something like that again and you're gone

LG92

hi did anyone here who booked their test on that website ever get a reply? Its now been 10 working days since i booked mine and i havent heard anything from them. Also they havent answered my e-mails!

Ericaa

"Would you like us to chack for a cancellation?"
"Please seelct test date"

Okay, I would never throw my money at someone that can't even make sure their website has no typos.
God only knows how many more there are, I stumbled across these two on the same page. I wasn't even searching for typos!

Faith+1

I'm sure it's been done before but I'll message the RSA about these b*stards.

Ciaran1916

I now have confirmation that this site is illegal from the Driving Theory Test Centre in Dublin.

People on these boards are clearly from the company in question. They are a sophisticated bastard organisation who prey on us good people.

I refuse to entertain his discussion any further they are illegal and must never be trusted.

Slán

J_R

LG92 wrote: »

hi did anyone here who booked their test on that website ever get a reply? Its now been 10 working days since i booked mine and i havent heard anything from them. Also they havent answered my e-mails!

Hi,

Have you contacted your credit card company and requested a "chargeback". If not do so immediately.

The RSA have already stated that they are aware of this website, but seemingly are incapable of shutting it down.

The website is hosted in India but this does not appear an issue as there is another similar website for the driving test that is hosted in the UK which also appears to operate with impunity.

The operators will continue whilst it is still profitable. That is, that their income is greater than their spend on Google Adwords.

PWEI

No point in wasting your time trying to get a 'charge back' as you won't get any money back. I tried getting a 'chargeback' through BOI & eventually they wrote to me saying there was nothing they could do as the company in question proved they had booked a test for me. They did eventually book a test for me but not for my preferred dates.
When I first submitted the charge back I rang the bank a week later & they told me I had to contact the RSA to get more information about the dodgy website. So when I rang the RSA, they didn't want to know & were very unhelpful & dismissive. As soon as I mentioned the website to the RSA customer service agent cut me short & said "this has nothing to do with us, this was an agreement between you & the website". So I asked her were they aware of the website & were they doing anything about she said they were aware but there was nothing they could do.