Estas

beezageoff

I foolishly applied for an ESTA to visit the USA, using an unauthorised site. So, instead of paying $14, Ive paid $88 per person. The site looked quite credible and completely fooled my 78 year old brain!!
However, the next day, I received a text from my credit card company, warning me that fraud had been attempted and that the payment had been requested three times. I told them that I had only authorised one payment!

Now, heres where it gets messy! I have received my Esta, duly authorised to enter the USA, but there is not an entry on my credit card for any amount. Originally, the amount was showing as pending, but has now been removed!
So, heres my question. Having received a printed document, (received by email) authorising my Esta, and having checked through both the MSE website link and the embassy web site that they are genuine, is it possible for the unauthorised website to cancel my Esta if payment is not received from me? By the way, I applied for the Esta on Friday the 3rd of January 2020 and received the authorisation the next day. Any advice would be most welcome as I dont want to arrive in LA and not be admitted!!! Alternatively, Ive thought about reapplying through the MSE link and swallowing the extra cost, but again, I dont know if you can make the same application twice. Sorry to take so long to explain my problem.
Thanks for any help in advance.

Archergirl

Well it wouldn't be an extra cost if you haven't paid for the first one. Has the cc been cancelled or can you cancel it?
When do you go?

Westin

If you go on to the official ESTA site https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ and click on "CHECK ESTA STATUS" you can see if you have an ESTA against your passport or not.

Also selecting "APPLY" & "INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION" and starting to apply would stop you once your passport details are entered as it would see an existing ESTA linked to your passport.

TELLIT01

Even if you check now and everything seems OK, I would check again a couple of weeks before you are due to travel just to be certain it's still there.
I suspect your bank has cancelled all the transactions because of the fraudulent activity so you may be lucky and get a free ESTA.


Keep a copy of the text on your phone in case any questions are asked at the border when you get there.

beezageoff

Thanks for your responses. I checked on the official US link as suggested, but the waters only get muddier!!!
When I key in the application number, I get the reply that the application cant be found, BUT, when I use the other option of keying in my passport number, issue and expiry dates, I get the reply that authorisation has been approved!! Ive double checked all the info that I keyed in using the application number and that was keyed in correctly. So, where do I go from here? One way says I dont have an application, and the other says I do and that its been approved. I dont travel until March 2020 so hopefully this mess can be sorted out before then!!!

leylandsunaddict

I dont want to arrive in LA and not be admitted!!!

An Esta doesn't guarantee admittance anyway. If it was cancelled you would be denied boarding in the UK.

TELLIT01

The system seems to be saying that authorisation for issue of an ESTA has been approved, but not that the ESTA has actually been applied for or issued.