HUNDREDS of angry holidaymakers have been left out of pocket after Covid test providers offering results for £20 on a Government site charged them up to £149 each.

Firms have been accused of long delays, invalid results and shoddy customer service, while test items were also reportedly missing from kits.

Meanwhile, The Sun on Sunday has discovered that the £20 tests for days two and eight offered by ten of the 26 firms are actually provided by just four of the companies.

The tests are required to allow passengers to fly out to some countries – and then return to the UK without the need for quarantine.

Tory MP Nigel Mills called the testing model a “complete shambles” and said the Government urgently needed to do an audit of all providers to check on them.

He said: “This is a very worrying situation.

"We need travel to get back up and running again, and these firms are crucial to that. They need to massively improve.”

One firm, Expert Covid Testing, was yesterday selling tests for £20 – but only in Warrington, Cheshire, where there were no slots. 

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Members of the public had to pay £129.99 instead.

The firm hit back: "As you can appreciate, these tests are extremely popular."

Covid 19 Travel Clinic’s tests were £28 – but only at a Newcastle site, also with no slots available, meaning Brits have to pay £149.

A company spokesperson said: "These slots are selling like hotcakes as they're the cheapest."

MP Mills said providers should be dropped if they're not good enough.

"Anyone on the approved list has to be up to standard. If not, they should go," he said.

Avi Lasarow, of Government-approved test provider Project Screen, said: "The list is being ruthlessly exploited by testing providers luring in consumers with misleading prices, and then offering tests up to nine times more expensive.

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"They're clearly trying to make a quick buck and that's not fair.

"The Government has done a great job including the private sector in testing solutions, but they really need to clamp down on these cowboy operators so that consumer confidence doesn't erode.

"The easiest thing to make tests cheaper is for the Government to axe VAT on holiday Covid tests. If VAT was removed, a family of four flying from London to Majorca could save £166 – which would pay for the cost of the flights.

“Not only would they fly safer and cheaper, but it would mean an extra seven million people would be prepared to go abroad, which would be a huge boost to the UK travel industry.

“We promise if the Government axes VAT on holiday Covid tests, we will pass on every single penny saved to the public. And we challenge everyone in the testing industry to do the same.

“That’s why we launched a parliamentary petition to cut VAT on holiday Covid tests which the public can sign."

A Government spokesman said: "All private providers must meet the minimum required standards.”

• The Treasury has ruled out cutting VAT on Covid tests. But to sign the petition to change the rules, visit takeaholidayfromvat.com

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