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Comment by umeshunni | Hacker News Reader

I fell for a similar scam recently. I needed a copy of a birth certificate and my county's website was a mess and required showing up in person at the county office. I found a site like this that promised to make the process smoother and paid something like $50 for it and all they did was fill out the forms and mail it to me so that I could go stand in line at the county office.

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For me the frustration is often the opposite. I show up to places in person because I'd rather talk to human beings and fill out paper forms than use their shitty website. Yet more and more often once I show up I'm told to use one of their computers to access their website. I could have done that from home!

Heh, I was at the Apple store in Paris and couldn’t understand why people had printed off pieces of paper and marking things off based on their research on the computers there.

Like, how could you not do the research yourself in advance?

I have a hard time someone at the Apple Store doesn’t already have access to internet elsewhere to do their research.

> I have a hard time someone at the Apple Store doesn’t already have access to internet elsewhere to do their research.

Perhaps someone at the Apple Store is there to purchase a device that will give them access to the Internet which they don't currently have elsewhere?

I'd personally reverse the charge on my card. If enough people do it they'll lose their business

Toronto became known to never give you a court date if you filed for a court date on your parking ticket.

You did have to apply in person.

And someone did create a page where you could pay $10 and they would wait in line for you.

So at least sometimes you are buying a real service.

Wow, what happens if you moved all the way across the country and needed your birth certificate? Such as for the DMV in the new state you are declaring domicile in.

Then with the new real ID thing I've heard some elder people had to rebuy their birth certificates because the DMV quit accepting the older ones.

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