The National Car Testing Service has issued a warning to customers about a UK website that charges a fee to make an NCT booking, but still leaves the customer to pick up the test bill. 

With the address nctservices.org site, the site looks like the official NCT site, but has no link to the Irish testing service. It charges a €76 fee for an NCT appointment, however, although the appointment is made, no money is paid for the test and the customers still has to pay the €55 charge. 

In its small print the website describes itself as "broker service”, however, some drivers have been fooled into thinking they are directly booking a test. 

The NCT has said, "NCT wish to make it clear that this organisation has no affiliation with the National Car Testing Service in any capacity and urges the Irish public to proceed with caution and to only use the official NCT website”. The service adds that it has also issued warnings about the site on social media and reported the issues to Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Google and the Gardaí.

The company says that there is absolutely no need to pay any third party to book a test and all bookings can be made directly at www.ncts.ie where there is a priority section for urgent appointments.