ESTA site

[roughtyping]

I am so sorry if this has been done to death already, just looking for some quick help.

Filling in ESTA forms as we're travelling to US in June, ESTA site not loading after I've put in payment information. Used OH's card and he doesn't have internet banking so can't check if money has come off yet. Is the website just reeeeally slow?!

TIA for any advice! :)

Which ESTA website did you use?.

You should have paid $14 US (around £9 sterling per application)

I sincerely hope it was the official US government one which is this one:-

https;//esta.cbp.dhs.gov

Yep, $14, official ESTA gov't site - double checked as was v v paranoid!

First one has gone through, just very slow - it's a bit of a clunky website!

Oh good, there are lots of scammers out there who overcharge customers.

I seem to remember it was slow to load up after payment when my brother recently did his initial ESTA application.

That's it done, all 3 of us approved :)

Attila I was v wary because of the MSE page which made a very big point of the scammers - thank goodness! Yes it was the payment page which was very slow but all done now. So excited! :)

It was very slow to take payment when we did it last week - about 10 minutes each. DDs didn't get approved straight away but when I checked the next morning it had gone through.

I did ESTA for my son's trip to USA.

It was immediate.

Internet banking doesn't make a difference cos you have to pay it with credit card. (Had a Mexican friend come over to do it via US home last year cos he didn't have a crd crd).

Once you've paid, you get the nr. and bumpf and just print it out. Not that you need it cos it's on their computer, but always good to have it on your person.

I used an unofficial one on Monday

willabywallaby,

Sorry to read that you have been scammed. Do you actually have any sort of application or reference number?. ESTA application references are made up of a mix of 16 numbers and letters.

ESTAs are no longer free but you should not have paid more than $14 US (around £9 sterling) for each application.

I googled ESTA and a few things came up in the top box, it was only after doing mine and my 2 boys I looked again and realised I shouldn't have paid £39.99 each! And I saw this thread the other day, but didn't pay much attention.

I phoned my credit card company to see if I could get my money back, they said I would be able to but only when the money has been debited. That could take up to a week. I phoned the website I used and they said the application had been approved so that was that.

So I think I have the visas I need, but at an extortionate cost.

Only saving grace is I hadn't done my husband's. So his has been done on the US customs website.

I did email the US customs website because my credit card company said apply on the correct website, but it says you apply if you haven't got the visa, and we do have them....

Was so pissed off/upset on Monday, but will probably have to 'live and learn'.

I do think these sites should be illegal

HI WillabyWallaby,

Sorry to read that. Lesson learnt indeed. Also there are similar issues with sites that offer EHIC cards for a fee (these are free).

I would ensure you have the ESTA reference numbers from that site for each of you and they should provide this. The ESTA reference is a mix of 16 numbers and letters. If there is no such number I would reimput the details given on the official US government site. Better to be safe than sorry because no ESTA means no travel.

Hopefully you will get your money back from the credit card company, it is not a given that you will but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. You did the right thing in disputing the payment.

There is a grey area with regards to these unofficial sites as many state on their homepage that they are unofficial and act as agents etc. As they operate in the main outside the US, the US govt is simply not interested. Its very much a case of buyer beware.