ULEZ scams: drivers targeted by dodgy websites when paying charges
Drivers are being warned to avoid Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) scams after Which? found a series of identical unofficial websites targeting people trying to pay the charge.
This is the second warning about scams targeting drivers we've issued in as many weeks, after we highlighted rogue advertisers using Google to trick people attempting to pay for parking online.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has confirmed Transport for London (TfL) is not associated with any third-party websites accepting ULEZ payments and works with search engine companies such as Google to remove unofficial websites.
Read on for advice on how to spot one of these sites, and what to do if you've already made a payment.
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Unofficial websites on Google ads
A member of the public approached Which? after inadvertently paying a company that appeared as 'Ulezpayservice' on their bank statement, rather than the official TfL website.
They were driving in Stanmore, London, in July and saw a sign that stated they were entering a ULEZ zone. They went online to pay the charge but later realised that the expansion is not due to come into effect until 29 August.
They had clicked on an advert on Google that they assumed took them to an official website to pay the ULEZ charge.
After filling in their personal and financial details, they discovered that "Ulezpayservice" had taken £17.50. Their bank later informed them that this retailer had set up a continuous payment authority (allowing them to take recurring payments) that has since been cancelled.
Drivers should only be paying £12.50 for the ULEZ charge via TfL's website.
Examples of dodgy ULEZ payment sites
We're concerned about the number of dodgy websites taking out adverts on Google, which appear at the top of results when people attempt to pay for parking or the ULEZ charge.
This week, we found Google adverts for two identical websites – 'ulez.emission[dot]london' and 'emissioncharge[dot]london' – when we searched for 'pay for ulez' or simply 'ulez'.
These adverts are shown above the official TfL website, as you can see from the image below. Both adverts have been reported to Google.
Unofficial ULEZ websites
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A large collection of images displayed on this page are available at https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/ulez-scams-drivers-targeted-by-dodgy-websites-when-paying-charges-ayYsE3A2kKd3?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=supporters&utm_content=Scam+alert+310823+-+Core+-+ULEZ+scams
We quickly discovered other identical websites that appear to be intentionally deceiving the public including 'emissioncharge[dot]uk' and 'ulezpayservice[dot]uk', both of which refer to themselves "Ulezpayservice" on the payment webpage.
These websites have very negative reviews on Trustpilot, many of which suggest it does not pass on payments to TfL.
At no point in the payment journey is there mention of authorising a recurring payment, and it's only when you check the terms and conditions that you are told: 'A £5.00 service charge is added to the relevant charge processed to Transport for London (TfL) on behalf of our customers. Please note that this website is not TfL or any affiliated service supplier of TfL or The Mayor of London.'
We flagged these ads to Google, and it confirmed it has taken action. It said it has strict policies that govern the types of ads and advertisers on its platforms, and any ads found to be in violation of these policies are removed.
TfL said: 'Payments for our road user charging schemes should only be made through the official TfL website. Unfortunately, internet search engines don’t always suggest the official TfL webpage at the top of their search results.
'This means that people may be offered a link to an unofficial payment site, which can often overcharge. We are sorry to hear of any customers that may have been caught out in this way.'
ULEZ payment website denies setting up recurring payments
Which? put our concerns to the company running these sites using the contact details listed on each site.
It denied setting up recurring payments, telling us 'all payments are one-off and are made via our payment provider Stripe'.
It said that when customers place an order online they are required to provide their registration details and travel dates, and agree to a disclaimer which confirms that they are paying a third party.
We put it to the company that it is intentionally deceiving the public. It denied any wrongdoing. Its full response is as follows:
'All orders are fulfilled proving the information inputted by the customer is correct. For example, in cases where people have emailed in stating they have received a PCN it is normally due to the following:
- The customer has supplied an incorrect registration (normally missing digits, mistaking a “0” for a “o” or paying for their old vehicle registration)
- The customer has selected the wrong date period
- The customer has used this service for a different location (Birmingham, Bath etc.)
- The customer has paid the ULEZ but then received a PCN for the congestion charge.
Any emails regarding orders are replied to promptly (normally within 24 hours).
- We work with our customers and TfL support to resolve any order queries.
- In some cases, there have been issues on TfL’s system in their website maintenance period that we have helped our customers resolve.
- If we have been unable to fulfil an order based on the reasons above then a refund is issued.
- Our system makes it easier for people to pay for the ULEZ charge. The TfL system is complex for users to use and often times out for users.
- Our system also offers more payment options including ApplePay and AndroidPay that TfL does not.
- Our company is no different to any other 3rd party fulfilment, examples being: Company formations, ticket brokers, DBS checks etc. We have an active account with TfL that all orders are fulfilled through.'
What to do it you pay on an unofficial site
If you accidentally share your card details with a third party operating an unofficial website to pay the ULEZ charge, contact your bank immediately to ensure that it blocks any recurring payments.
In cases where the payment has already left your account, ask your card provider for a full refund.
Credit card payments have strong legal protection under Section 75 for breach of contract, but banks can also use chargeback to reverse payments if you used a debit card or prepaid card.
We have a handy tool to help you lodge a Section 75 or chargeback claim with your card provider.
