Reclaim possible: fee at 'copycat' visa site

Voyager2002

Similar to the recent issues with EHIC and ESTA: my friend paid a 'copycat' site for a Sri Lankan electronic travel authorisation. The site is very convincing and claims to be the official government one: it certainly does not include any notice saying that it charges extra for an additional service. Can the fee be reclaimed from the debit card used for payment?

Pollycat

Can you post the website name?

Are you sure it doesn't say it's not the official website, even in the T&C's?
Does it say anything about cancellation?

Did the company provide the visa to your friend?

Ngozi

Hindsight is great but always best researching things as quite sure the Sri Lanka VISA is still currently free to UK citizens, was a month ago.

Guess it depends how they worded it, if there is nothing to state its the official site, even if it looks like one and they charged a "processing" fee then would be very hard to make a claim.

Voyager2002

It says:
Official Website -- Sri Lanka visa online.

https://evisa-lk.com/

There is a statement that it is a private company, but it is buried in the middle of a paragraph of difficult-to-comprehend "Indian English" about the legal status of the eVisa.

The website does clearly say that there are no refunds (echoing a similar statement on the embassy's website).

My friend did receive an email saying it was an "acknowledgement" and we are still unsure whether it is a genuine e-visa.

pogofish

Strange kind of holiday this..?

You would do better to consult the standing threads and guide in appropriate forums here:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/copycat-websites/?_ga=2.36485792.1070396585.1579521352-1812243731.1404141109

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4869030/steps-to-take-if-you-have-been-ripped-off-by-a-copy-cat-government-website

Pollycat

Voyager2002 wrote: »

It says:
Official Website -- Sri Lanka visa online.

https://evisa-lk.com/

There is a statement that it is a private company, but it is buried in the middle of a paragraph of difficult-to-comprehend "Indian English" about the legal status of the eVisa.

The website does clearly say that there are no refunds (echoing a similar statement on the embassy's website).

My friend did receive an email saying it was an "acknowledgement" and we are still unsure whether it is a genuine e-visa.

If your friend (or you) had looked at the 'About us' which is pretty much the first place I check out on a new-to-me website, it would have told you clearly that it wasn't the official website.

Pollycat

pogofish wrote: »

Strange kind of holiday this..?

You would do better to consult the standing threads and guide in appropriate forums here:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/copycat-websites/?_ga=2.36485792.1070396585.1579521352-1812243731.1404141109

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4869030/steps-to-take-if-you-have-been-ripped-off-by-a-copy-cat-government-website

The first link is a bit like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Re the 2nd link:
I'm not sure the old thread with multiple changes makes sense anymore but I guess the OP is free to see if the advice works on a refund.

Voyager2002

pogofish wrote: »

Strange kind of holiday this..?

What is strange about this? My friend and I are both looking forward to our time in Sri Lanka...

Katiehound

As you've discovered maybe, this is the real site:
https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/apply.jsp

But it is still, even on the official site ,showing the costs for a visa @ US$35 when in fact when you get to the end of the application it says that there is no charge.

Luckily I had been on the site before and recognised the real official one

Pollycat

Voyager2002 wrote: »

It says:
Official Website -- Sri Lanka visa online.

Where does it say that?
(sorry, looking at the home page I can't see that but maybe I've missed it)

It does go on about the ETA being an 'official authorization' - which is not the same thing.

About Us

The Evisa of Sri Lanka is affected from 1st January 2012. The main object to announced Evisa is providing an efficient, reliable and simplified service to those who visit Sri Lanka. Evisa holders will be issued a 30 day Short Visit visa at the port of entry in Sri Lanka.
Please note, www.evisa-lk.com is commercial website and not government authority. Please do not hesitate to contact us or email us at [EMAIL="info@evisa-lk.com"]info@evisa-lk.com[/EMAIL] if you require any further information about e-Visa of Sri Lanka.

Payment Guidelines

Evisa-lk.com is a Materialistic website to execute Sri Lankan Electronic Visa through the website of the Government of Sri Lanka with our professional team. After applying online for our service, you will be guided on how to exactly process all the steps of the application. After finishing everything, you will be sent the successful visa notification in a short time. In line with that, our rate may be higher than the Government service.

red text is mine.

I don't find the website convincing at all.
Whilst it doesn't say that it charges extra for an additional service, it does say in at least 2 different places that it is not 'the Government service'.

I was quite surprised to see who had started this thread.

leylandsunaddict

On the front page of their website

"Evisa-lk.com is a commercial website. This is not a government authority."

I don't see anything about it being the official government website.

As with people that pay for an Ehic or more for an Esta it's caveat emptor. A card provider isn't going to refund for people not taking more care.