Somerton and Frome Liberal Democrats

Working with David Heath MP & Local Councillors

DAVID HEATH EXPOSES HOLIDAY RIP-OFF

4.03.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 16th Jul 2009

Thousands of British holidaymakers are being charged nearly £10 for an official document they can get free, an MP claimed today. Liberal Democrat David Heath, the Member of Parliament for Somerton & Frome, raised the issue in the House of Commons at questions to Leader of the House Harriet Harman today.

Britons travelling abroad are encouraged to make sure they have a European Health Insurance Card before they go, a card to ensure that they receive the equivalent of NHS treatment of they fall sick or are injured while abroad. But if they search for the EHIC on the internet, they are led to two sites, EHIC.org and EHIC.uk.com which offer online applications. Each provides all the official information, and an online form to apply. But each of them charges £9.95 for the application.

The official NHS or Department of Health sites provide the same information, and the same application form, but there the application is free.

Mr Heath said:

"I doubt if what the two companies - Imap (UK) Ltd of Bolton and Portcreek of Gosport - are doing is illegal, because they do tell customers how to access the official site, and warn that the charge is £9.95 for "forwarding the application". But it is certainly a rip-off, and a lot of confused holidaymakers must be paying for an official document which is actually free of charge. The forms are exactly the same, so it's hard to see what the companies are providing for the money.

It's time something was done to stop what is yet another holiday scam."

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Previous news story: SORT OUT HELICOPTER CRISIS SAYS DAVID HEATH (Thu 16th Jul 2009).
Next news story: Top Tory joins Lib Dems (Fri 23rd Oct 2009).

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