VWP fee instituted
Sep 13th 2010, 10:05 am
#16
Banned
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 101
Re: VWP fee instituted
I know! 
The reason behind it as much as generating revenue and "promoting tourism" like it needs promoting - New York Vegas, Florida, LA they all are self promoting aren't they? - is clearly to put these online people who will fill in your esta for 10 quid out of business. I can't see anyone using anything but the offical CPB esta site now can you? An Esta off those guys might now cost 20 or 25 quid. They're done!
The reason behind it as much as generating revenue and "promoting tourism" like it needs promoting - New York Vegas, Florida, LA they all are self promoting aren't they? - is clearly to put these online people who will fill in your esta for 10 quid out of business. I can't see anyone using anything but the offical CPB esta site now can you? An Esta off those guys might now cost 20 or 25 quid. They're done!
Sep 13th 2010, 10:07 am
#17
Banned
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 101
Re: VWP fee instituted
The problem I think people have with is giving up your credit card information to CPB or whoever. Of course they little realise that the airlines do that for you
Sep 13th 2010, 1:15 pm
#18
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: VWP fee instituted
I know!
The reason behind it as much as generating revenue and "promoting tourism" like it needs promoting - New York Vegas, Florida, LA they all are self promoting aren't they? - is clearly to put these online people who will fill in your esta for 10 quid out of business. I can't see anyone using anything but the offical CPB esta site now can you? An Esta off those guys might now cost 20 or 25 quid. They're done!
The reason behind it as much as generating revenue and "promoting tourism" like it needs promoting - New York Vegas, Florida, LA they all are self promoting aren't they? - is clearly to put these online people who will fill in your esta for 10 quid out of business. I can't see anyone using anything but the offical CPB esta site now can you? An Esta off those guys might now cost 20 or 25 quid. They're done!
There was an article in a newspaper last week about getting copies of marriage/birth certificates in the UK. Again, the top search results were for agencies scraping a fee from a service that you can officially get for much cheaper. And, again, is the average person going to know the GRO website is the correct, official one? I'd never heard of it before.
Sadly, there are always scammers out there to scab money off the unwary.
Sep 13th 2010, 2:07 pm
#19
Banned
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 101
Re: VWP fee instituted
When I first filled out an ESTA form I Googled it. None of the top few results, sponsored or not, at the time were the CBP official site but instead companies offering to fill it in for you, at a price (it is now top of the search). Is the average holidaymaker going to know which the "real" website is?
There was an article in a newspaper last week about getting copies of marriage/birth certificates in the UK. Again, the top search results were for agencies scraping a fee from a service that you can officially get for much cheaper. And, again, is the average person going to know the GRO website is the correct, official one? I'd never heard of it before.
Sadly, there are always scammers out there to scab money off the unwary.
There was an article in a newspaper last week about getting copies of marriage/birth certificates in the UK. Again, the top search results were for agencies scraping a fee from a service that you can officially get for much cheaper. And, again, is the average person going to know the GRO website is the correct, official one? I'd never heard of it before.
Sadly, there are always scammers out there to scab money off the unwary.
Sep 13th 2010, 3:42 pm
#21
Septic Sprout
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 7,994
Re: VWP fee instituted
Why? If someone's stupid enough to hand out a tenner for something that should be free they'll be stupid enough to fork over twenty for something that should be ten.
Sep 13th 2010, 3:49 pm
#22
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: South Florida
Posts: 2,068
Re: VWP fee instituted
Four of the $14 will cover ESTA operating costs, and $10 will go toward promoting the United States as a tourist destination.
Charging tourists to promote tourism doesn't make sense, critics say.
"It's like inviting a friend over for dinner and then charging them a fee at the door," said Steve Lott, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, which represents airlines around the world.
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-08/t...n?_s=PM:TRAVEL
Charging tourists to promote tourism doesn't make sense, critics say.
"It's like inviting a friend over for dinner and then charging them a fee at the door," said Steve Lott, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, which represents airlines around the world.
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-08/t...n?_s=PM:TRAVEL
Sep 13th 2010, 3:50 pm
#23
Banned
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 101
Re: VWP fee instituted
The main reason is to put these companies charging for ESTA out of business. I can't imagine DHS being happy at people making money on their backs so to speak and now there days are done you watch.
Sep 13th 2010, 3:51 pm
#24
Banned
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 101
Re: VWP fee instituted
Four of the $14 will cover ESTA operating costs, and $10 will go toward promoting the United States as a tourist destination.
Charging tourists to promote tourism doesn't make sense, critics say.
"It's like inviting a friend over for dinner and then charging them a fee at the door," said Steve Lott, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, which represents airlines around the world.
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-08/t...n?_s=PM:TRAVEL
Charging tourists to promote tourism doesn't make sense, critics say.
"It's like inviting a friend over for dinner and then charging them a fee at the door," said Steve Lott, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, which represents airlines around the world.
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-08/t...n?_s=PM:TRAVEL
Sep 13th 2010, 4:02 pm
#26
Banned
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 101
Re: VWP fee instituted
Arent all these profit seeking sites not to a certain degree perhaps copromising passport security. You would give out a lot of information and you don't really have a clue who is on the other end of that website do you?? It is not your dealing with offical CPB government employees is it? I am surprised that haven't voiced serious problems with them before now?
Sep 13th 2010, 4:02 pm
#27
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukie, Oregon
Posts: 9,970
Re: VWP fee instituted
So you rather pay me £25 then just fork over the £10 from the comfort of your own computer. You still to pay that £10 charge from either end
The main reason is to put these companies charging for ESTA out of business. I can't imagine DHS being happy at people making money on their backs so to speak and now there days are done you watch.
The main reason is to put these companies charging for ESTA out of business. I can't imagine DHS being happy at people making money on their backs so to speak and now there days are done you watch.
In order to put companies out of business who charge to fill out the ESTA you think the US has gone from making it free to charging. "OK Joe those buggers who charge people 10 quid for a ESTA form while we do it for free, I've got a way to put them out of business lets charge 9 quid that will show them whose boss"
Sep 13th 2010, 4:04 pm
#28
Septic Sprout
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 7,994
Re: VWP fee instituted
So you rather pay me £25 then just fork over the £10 from the comfort of your own computer. You still to pay that £10 charge from either end
The main reason is to put these companies charging for ESTA out of business. I can't imagine DHS being happy at people making money on their backs so to speak and now there days are done you watch.
The main reason is to put these companies charging for ESTA out of business. I can't imagine DHS being happy at people making money on their backs so to speak and now there days are done you watch.
Sep 13th 2010, 4:05 pm
#29
Banned
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 101
Re: VWP fee instituted
You logic and powers of reasoning are absolutely beyond belief.
In order to put companies out of business who charge to fill out the ESTA you think the US has gone from making it free to charging. "OK Joe those buggers who charge people 10 quid for a ESTA form while we do it for free, I've got a way to put them out of business lets charge 9 quid that will show them whose boss"
In order to put companies out of business who charge to fill out the ESTA you think the US has gone from making it free to charging. "OK Joe those buggers who charge people 10 quid for a ESTA form while we do it for free, I've got a way to put them out of business lets charge 9 quid that will show them whose boss"
Sep 13th 2010, 4:08 pm
#30
Shocked of Redmond
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 3,446
Re: VWP fee instituted
Arent all these profit seeking sites not to a certain degree perhaps copromising passport security. You would give out a lot of information and you don't really have a clue who is on the other end of that website do you?? It is not your dealing with offical CPB government employees is it? I am surprised that haven't voiced serious problems with them before now?
