NCT survey - scam or genuine?

manfromthemoon · 23-01-2018 10:25pm #1

I got a call from a lady in a big, well known accounting company following a letter looking for volunteers to participate in a survey while getting NCT done. She said they'd book my NCT, I would receive a call after the test asking for feedback on the test, then they would refund the cost of the test to me. I agreed, the test is booked but now I'm wondering if it's some sort of a scam. I can't find the original letter to see if there are contact details on it. Has anyone else come across this? Thanks.

Nate--IRL-- · 23-01-2018 10:27pm

At worst you have to pay for the NCT you had to get anyway. Obviously a criminal mastermind at work behind this, be careful.

Nate

elperello · 23-01-2018 10:29pm

Just contact NCT to confirm that booking is listed.

mickdw · 23-01-2018 10:31pm

Don't you now have to give card details for payment when booking so if they are booking, how do you pay? will they not have to have put a card on the system.
Is this a secret shopper type of arrangement?
sounds very odd to be honest.

mgn · 23-01-2018 10:33pm

Was the test paid for?Did you receive a text or e-mail to confirm booking.

Atlantic Dawn · 23-01-2018 10:36pm

How many calls would they need to make to get someone who was actually exactly due an NCT? Sounds odd.

manfromthemoon · 23-01-2018 10:37pm

Yeah, seemed to be a secret shopper type thing alright. They said I would pay when I go for the test, then the fee will be refunded provided I don't make the test centre aware that I am participating in the survey.
I got two texts from "NCT" , one to confirm the booking, then a second reminder text. I'll contact NCT tomorrow to ensure the booking is listed.

mgn · 23-01-2018 10:47pm

Try ringing the number on text message.Did the say how the would refund you?
Something not right about this.

manfromthemoon · 23-01-2018 10:55pm

The text came from NCT and is the exact same wording as the text i got for previous NCT. No option to call it back. It gives a booking reference.
I can log in to ncts.ie where it gives the option to cancel or reschedule.
It seems as if the test is booked (I will check this out tomorrow), & the scam part is probably where they call me after the test looking for my account details to supposedly refund me.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 23-01-2018 10:57pm

It's a Secret Shopper exercise. Lots of Accountancy firms carry them out for clients. Go with it.

Atlantic Dawn · 23-01-2018 11:00pm

I would think realistically if it's a legit survey it should have been publicised on the NCT website to say it's going on.

manfromthemoon · 23-01-2018 11:03pm

Can't find a thing about it online. They certainly won't be getting account details from me.... I will accept cheques!!

coylemj · 24-01-2018 12:55am

manfromthemoon wrote: »

... the scam part is probably where they call me after the test looking for my account details to supposedly refund me.

manfromthemoon wrote: »

Can't find a thing about it online. They certainly won't be getting account details from me.... I will accept cheques!!

You can safely give anyone your IBAN number to receive a payment, it's no more or less than the details that are printed on cheques which thousands of people hand over every day - identifies your branch and account number. Can not be used to extract money.

They sent you a letter, then someone phoned you as a follow-up. If you were suspicious, what you should have done was to look up their phone number on their website, phoned back and asked to speak to that lady to verify it was all genuine. The Nigerian scammers don't tend to write you letters at your home address!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 24-01-2018 11:20am

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I would think realistically if it's a legit survey it should have been publicised on the NCT website to say it's going on.

That defeats the whole point of a Secret shopper audit.

redcup342 · 24-01-2018 11:52am

coylemj wrote: »

You can safely give anyone your IBAN number to receive a payment, it's no more or less than the details that are printed on cheques which thousands of people hand over every day - identifies your branch and account number. Can not be used to extract money.

They sent you a letter, then someone phoned you as a follow-up. If you were suspicious, what you should have done was to look up their phone number on their website, phoned back and asked to speak to that lady to verify it was all genuine. The Nigerian scammers don't tend to write you letters at your home address!

Didn't Jeremy Clarkson get stung for publishing his Bank A/C Details, someone setup a DD on his account to some charity to prove a point.

joujoujou · 27-01-2018 12:49pm

Julian Brave Scenery wrote: »

That defeats the whole point of a Secret shopper audit.

Exactly opposite in fact. If staff knows that secret shoppers may come they would treat any customer the same, very polite and careful way. And that's the most important purpose of doing the whole secret shopper thing - it's not to punish any of the staff for not treating customers the way they should be, it's to ensure customers are treated appropriately. I used to take part in surveys like that in one of my previous jobs.

coylemj · 27-01-2018 12:57pm

redcup342 wrote: »

Didn't Jeremy Clarkson get stung for publishing his Bank A/C Details, someone setup a DD on his account to some charity to prove a point.

Yes, a hoaxer (as you say, to prove a point) sent in a DD mandate supposedly signed by Clarkson, it included his account details and was payable to a genuine charity. His bank accepted the mandate and when it was exposed as a hoax, they refunded the money but they pointed out that it was accepted because there wasn't any reason to doubt it's authenticity. It has to be said that Clarkson brings this kind of stuff on himself, being the monumental pr1ck that he is.

If if had been submitted as payable to an individual or a company unknown to the bank, it would have been rejected as probably fraudulent.

NCT survey - scam or genuine?

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