ESTA application US scam

flissyfloss

As has been mentioned by others, there are copy cat ESTA application websites which charge much higher than the $14 for your application 'processing'. I was charged £95 each for two applications and immediately spotted the issue (too late) and contacted the company. The company had one number that didn't work and other incorrect customer service email addresses. They denied a refund and said this had been processed immediately. My bank investigated and agreed to stop the payments. 
The company are now emailing and have said the cost has now increased as the cancellation was 'not possible'. My card has changed so they are unable to claim the money but I am worried about repeated requests and higher demands. Has anyone else dealt with this? They have lots of personal information due to the applications they processed.

martindow

flissyfloss said:

As has been mentioned by others, there are copy cat ESTA application websites which charge much higher than the $14 for your application 'processing'. I was charged £95 each for two applications and immediately spotted the issue (too late) and contacted the company. The company had one number that didn't work and other incorrect customer service email addresses. They denied a refund and said this had been processed immediately. My bank investigated and agreed to stop the payments. 
The company are now emailing and have said the cost has now increased as the cancellation was 'not possible'. My card has changed so they are unable to claim the money but I am worried about repeated requests and higher demands. Has anyone else dealt with this? They have lots of personal information due to the applications they processed.

If the bank has agreed to this, have they cancelled the transaction?  I think you are likely to have more joy chasing them than a dodgy company.

Westin

There are quite a few warnings about these service companies who process visas and travel authorities. You have not mentioned the name of this one so not much of a warning to others.  These sites are often found after a careless Google search and a random click on a link.

I suspect you agreed to t+c’s covering the service charge.  If the company submits these terms to your bank and demonstrate you agreed to paying them, your refund may be reversed.

The fact that they have said it was too late to cancel make me suspect that the ESTA application was completed.  Have you been on the official ESTA site to check if you have one granted and linked to your passport?

Cancelling payment is brave, especially for a US travel document.  If they have processed the ESTA then I think they have an argument that you should pay for that ESTA and their service. If they have not processed or now wish to create trouble as you have not paid, you may not have the correct travel authority to travel to the USA.  A gamble.

Sandtree

They are technically a service company rather than a scam... a poor value service isn't automatically a scam. The post office have been pulling off something similar for decades on passport applications.

You've already handed it over to your bank so just let them deal with it. 

NoodleDoodleMan

These types of con jobs are quite common in the USA.

If you are ever in San Francisco and want to book the Alcatraz excursion - do so through the official operators which I believe is US National Parks Service, if memory serves.

Third parties buy up tickets and resell the trip at an inflated price.

You need to book well in advance too.

pogofish

We have dedicated threads for this in the appropriate forums - this is more than a travel-related issue!

Pollycat

Sandtree said:

They are technically a service company rather than a scam... a poor value service isn't automatically a scam. The post office have been pulling off something similar for decades on passport applications.

You've already handed it over to your bank so just let them deal with it. 

Correct.

Even Martin Lewis says it isn't a scam:

Websites like these are not illegal and customers may still get the documents for which they have applied.

However, some of the companies charge more than five times the amount that the official websites do.

"They are not scams, they're shysters," said Martin Lewis, founder of the website Money Saving Expert.

"They're not stealing your money, they're charging you a fee for something that is completely pointless."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56886957

TELLIT01

Google claimed they were going to ban sites which copycat legitimate government sites, but seem to be slow to actually take action.

Caz3121

I believe it is mandatory for them to flag on the page that they are not the official site but rely on people not reading

Pollycat

Caz3121 said:

I believe it is mandatory for them to flag on the page that they are not the official site but rely on people not reading

I've just done a quick Goggle and the official website is top hit.
The 2nd clearly states:

Official disclaimer: This information website is privately owned and operated. It is not affiliated with the US government. Outgoing links are provided to a privately owned third-party website that offer ESTA processing for an additional fee. All visitors have the option of utilizing the official US government website directly without any third-party assistance and pay USD $ 14.00.

ESTA USA | Apply for your ESTA Visa online

Westin

Caz3121 said:

I believe it is mandatory for them to flag on the page that they are not the official site but rely on people not reading

The ones I have looked at in the past always have.

The OP has not given the name or url of the website they used.  Such a warning may well be there but just missed in haste.