You don't realise how big a business this Visa service stuff really is. Only when you start applying working with the system do you start seeing all the upselling whilst showing as a comparison how the average service is actually quite poor forcing you to spend extra money. This seems like this is their grand plan and has been designed this way on purpose.
This week has all been about visa week sorting out visas for those that require them for our upcoming trip to the UK and France. The French was straight out daylight robbery by having earlier appointment dates for those that upgrade and pay more for a platinum experience. For this they reduce the waiting time by 10 days and even throw in a croissant and coffee on your arrival. This kind of highlights exactly what a rip off this option is, but I had no other choice.
The French do not hide the fact they are ripping you off unlike the British because theirs doe snot make logical sense and is probably part of their master plan. There is a fixed cost of R2820 per short term multi visit visa (180 days) which gets you an appointment. R2820 is 119 GBP with a current exchange rate of R23.68 to 1 GBP. If you pay an extra 19 GBP they will send your papers to you and do not need to come and collect.
There is another option and this is what makes no logic and that is if you pay an extra 80 GBP you can do this all online submitting your documents and keeping your passport on you. This tells you the passport is not sent away for stamping and is done locally by the British Consulate that is closed to the public.
Surely everyone should be encouraged to do the online which they call the convenience option and why they charge the extras. When you have the appointment all the papers have already been checked and the passport is stamped there and then. There is no back and forth with couriers or yourself travelling which should in my opinion be the option that costs more. The convenience option in my eyes is them just doing their work and makes life simpler for everyone if it is done via the online route ahead of time. Going green being paperless and courier free should be promoted and the cheapest option which is the exact opposite of what is happening.
My daughter wanted to pay the extras and I already agreed for the French, but that was way cheaper compared to the UK visa application. Just doing these 4 is nearly the cost of 1 return airfare and why I had to say no. These are costs I had never planned for because this is the upsell when you are doing your phone booking and no mention of this VIP convenience option until then.
It makes sense now why they shut the consulate down around 5 years ago because this is a scam that makes them far more money under the guise that online is quicker and for this option they score an extra 80 GBP per person travelling.
The biometric data documents that you have to provide and fill in are quite comprehensive and gives you the impression they are trying to weed out anyone who is thinking of overstaying their visa. Questions like what countries you have visited in the last 10 years, your 6 month bank statements showing you can afford the trip and asking religious questions. My daughter spent over 1 hour per application due to the amount of information they required yet you can catch a rubber duck from France and no one cares about any of this and you are a guest of the UK Gov at their expense.
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It is a fact that getting a visa is not easy anymore, especially in the country we live in.