I recently applies for a Nexus card which will enable me to pass through Canadian and American customs more quickly on my frequent trips in and out of Canada. I had heard the the fee to apply for Nexus is $50.00 but I googled the online apllication process and near the top of the list was listed this website. There were no obvious disclaimers about this private company and I naively believed that this was a legitimate government website. I went through their process of applying online and was surprised when I was told that I would have to pay a surcharge of $169.00 for their service which would be the fast track to my receiving my card. I was clearly led to believe that this was the only way that I could receive the card. I was certainly not given a $50.00 options. I faxed them (after being unable to submit it online) a copy of my passport and driver's licence along with the completed application to a number they provided on their website. I was told that the application could not proceed until I paid the extra fee by Paypal. I also had to provide a credit card for the $50.00 fee. It was not made clear what these two payments were for and why these two methods of payment were necessary.

At least it appears that this company sent on my application to the proper Nexus government agency because I did receive an email from the real Nexus agency inviting me to come into their nearest office to complete the application in person (iris scanning, etc). I was shocked to be told by them that I did not have to pay the extra $169 fee and that I had not been dealing with the legitimate Nexus organization. I have two big problems with this website for a private company.

First, I believe that they misrepresented themselves as a real government agency and did not justify why I was paying this outrageous surcharge. In preparing this complaint, I looked at their website and found at the very bottom a statement of their status. I certainly did not see this when I first used their website because I believed that they were indeed the real website.

Second, this company has records of my passport and drivers licence and all the confidential information that I used to complete this form. Where is this information stored and who has access to it? Surely, this information is all that would be neeeded to steal my identity.