The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has clamped down on a number of websites that have been selling European health insurance cards, called EHIC cards. These cards, now a key part of health insurance for travellers, are given free by the NHS, for UK residents needing access to free or cheap state healthcare when in the European Union .

 

Despite the cards being available for free from the NHS, four separate websites have been told to stop charging up to GBP10 for the cards, without making it clear that they were not official sites.

 

Although OFT said that the sites could offer a review and forwarding service, it did deem that the sites were misleading customers. Of the websites involved in the scam, three have now signed an agreement that they will not continue to deceive their customers, while the fourth has been suspended.

 

Heather Clayton, senior director of the Consumer Group at OFT, commented While it is not unlawful to charge money for a reviewing and forwarding service, traders must be clear about the product or service they are offering, and not trick consumers into parting with money for services they don't want. People seeking to obtain government-funded services such as an EHIC should check carefully that they are using an official government website.