Anti-pollution sticker hid scam with extra charge

Reader Brian Lean, in Morbihan, said he bought a Crit’Air sticker online at www.vignettecritair-enligne.com believing it to be the official government site. However after receiving the €4.18 vignette for his Citroën he was shocked to see a sum of €29.90 taken from his bank account. He found the website was also charging him for an online magazine – with another sum due soon.

He spoke to his bank and tracked the company, LW-Bienpar, to ask for his money back. Happily his Cornish tenacity won out and he was repaid.

He said: “You have to be careful. I really thought I was using the government site.”

Paris and Grenoble have set up closed-circulation zones where Crit’Air stickers are obligatory and Lyon Villeurbanne will do the same in October with Lille and Strasbourg following.

The official Crit’Air site is certificat-air.gouv.fr