Just been ripped off with my ESTA application

[pad406]

Originally Posted by Geordie boy 57

It's the newcomers doing their first Disney holiday that get caught out

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Very likely. But you would think that most people would also stop and think for a moment when the charge comes up as between $100 and $125 per person and at least think, hmm wonder can I get it cheaper and then start investigating a bit

Originally Posted by Geordie boy 57

It's so easy to miss the ad box next to the first 4 that come up on google

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Easy to miss if you're glancing at it as a list. But if you're intending to actually process an application surely you don't click on the first thing you see and actually read it first? Then the [ad] is pretty obvious.
You also missed the bit just below in the screenshot you took

Very first thing is How much is an Esta?

Pretty obvious to check that out I would think.

[Geordie boy 57]

Originally Posted by pad406

Very likely. But you would think that most people would also stop and think for a moment when the charge comes up as between $100 and $125 per person and at least think, hmm wonder can I get it cheaper and then start investigating a bit


Easy to miss if you're glancing at it as a list. But if you're intending to actually process an application surely you don't click on the first thing you see and actually read it first? Then the [ad] is pretty obvious.
You also missed the bit just below in the screenshot you took

Very first thing is How much is an Esta?

Pretty obvious to check that out I would think.

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I totally agree with you Pad when we did our firsts ESTAs in 2011 for a trip to NewYork we checked what the cost should be which lead us to the official site
Just think it's so easy for a first timer to get carried away with the excitement and just click away
We still get stories like this regularly on The Dibb which is probably just a fraction of those who get caught out

[pad406]

Originally Posted by Geordie boy 57

We still get stories like this regularly on The Dibb which is probably just a fraction of those who get caught out

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Agreed. I would think the % of Dibbers that get caught would be really low compared to non Dibbers. Even the most casual, occasional Dibber will likely have seen ESTA posts many times.

But I do think people need to take responsibility for their own actions a bit more, or rather there inaction. I mean if you were going to buy a new TV for say £400 you wouldn't just buy the first one you saw, you'd check into a bit even if it was within the same shop to look at other brands/models/sizes. So why would you not do the same when booking something on the internet. Especially when you have been offered loads of choices by Google? Pick the first, see it's $400, shrug your shoulders and just pay it. The subsequently find out you paid too much and blame everybody but yourself? I'm afraid too much of that goes on in the world today, take responsibility.

By the way, I am in no way condoning actual scams and have great sympathy for people, especially vulnerable ones, that get caught out by them. But these sites are not scams and all have disclaimers that they are not the official site and that their fee is on top of the $14

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Geordie boy 57

Google is also partly to blame
If you type just ESTA into the search bar then the official site is 5th one listed

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That's because the first 4 are ads. It says they are ads next to them. It's how Google makes their money - websites pay Google to appear at the top of the list. Without that, we probably wouldn't have Google. The same goes for almost everything you search for and isn't new.

Still, based on how many of these other ESTA websites there are, it's clearly a fairly easy mistake to make.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by pad406

But these sites are not scams and all have disclaimers that they are not the official site and that their fee is on top of the $14

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I can't see an obvious disclaimer on the main page of the website the OP chose that says it's not the official site. There is something buried within their Ts&Cs and on the bottom of some of their other webpages (it's in grey on a grey background!).

Interestingly, in their Ts&Cs it states:

"We offer a 100% money back guarantee for customers when an ESTA application is NOT approved".

It's interesting because even the official ESTA site doesn't offer this. Therefore the website will make a small loss if the application is not approved.

[tspill]

And there are links at the top of the dibb web pages on exactly all this.

[pad406]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

I can't see an obvious disclaimer on the main page of the website the OP chose that says it's not the official site. There is something buried within their Ts&Cs and on the bottom of some of their other webpages (it's in grey on a grey background!).

Interestingly, in their Ts&Cs it states:

"We offer a 100% money back guarantee for customers when an ESTA application is NOT approved".

It's interesting because even the official ESTA site doesn't offer this. Therefore the website will make a small loss if the application is not approved.

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Quite correct, that particular website it is hidden away (black on white on my machine though). I wonder are they fairly new as USCBP normally crack down on these sites quickly.

The refund is interesting all right, maybe a form of a loss leader?

I wonder too do they actually provide a service? For example the recent thread where someone mistakenly ticked that their baby had a criminal record. Would they pick up on that and contact the customer before attempting to process?

[SimonB]

Out of interest, what benefit do these sites offer over and above going straight onto the US government site?

If none, then it meets my definition of a scam.

[disney332]

Originally Posted by SimonB

Out of interest, what benefit do these sites offer over and above going straight onto the US government site?

If none, then it meets my definition of a scam.

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No benefit... a scam

Disney332

[tocpe321]

In my view it is a scam. It may not be illegal, but it is a scam.

Many of us have the benefit of years on the Dibb, but not everyone has that benefit.

If someone knocks on someone's door and agrees to repair a 1m squared hole in the tarmac for £1000 and then provides a good repair but for £1000 then you can argue caveat emptor. BUT it's an unreasonable price to pay.

It is preying on people and shouldn't be allowed. Some people may be especially vulnerable to this and wouldn't necessarily realise after they've paid that it was too expensive.

If a relative with vulnerabilities had done this people would not quote caveat emptor.

As I said, it may not be illegal but it is a scam.