£1.50 an item is very cheap, the most I have managed to test in one day is seventy items that is going flat out, that is £95 Quid when my charging out rate is £25/Hr . I spent £1700 last year on courses and exams to enable me to trade, insurance is £400 a year, fees to the requisite trade associations and inspections £700 a year then there are phones vans stationary etc etc etc. I make a living not a fortune! As to whether it is a scam or not no more a scam than when i represented myself in court , which I won, I was not allowed to claim costs, even though I had lost at least two weeks work gathering evidence, presenting the documents and appearing in court, because I was not a solicitor, now that is what I call a scam . I have no problem with people writing their own PAT test labels and certs it's your insurance policy that will have to convince. One really interesting post brought up the condition of the premises wiring, just as important and bands should ask to see a current Periodic test and inspection cert. fire cert and asbestos report and should be contained in the risk assessment. This all may seem very boring and unnecessary nanny state but it is the ay the world has gone the City and Guilds 2391 course used to be £160 until it became a compulsory qualification for Electrical Trade Institutions managers now it is nearly a thousand pounds!