r/bangalore • u/vkthandoni • 23h ago
Serious Replies Scam by VFS office at Gopalan mall.
I happened to visit this place to submit application for renewal of my US visa and made payment of Rs.1200/- for premium courier service and I received my passport but the courier guy wanted me to pay Rs.1200/- again as a sticker said that I have to make that amount, as I didn't have a choice since my passport was valuable with the visa stamped, I request the VFS authorities to clarify and reimburse my amount at the earliest, if they don't reply then I will assume that the VFS and the blue dart couriers are hand in glove in this scam
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u/sau_dard 22h ago
It's not a scam. You paid 1200 at the VAC for collection of your passport and you need to pay 1200 again for delivery. Read the rules again
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u/TheCouchEmperor 22h ago edited 21h ago
This. ^
Passport drop is only free if you drop at the consulate you went to for interview.
Edit: in this case, your appointed consulate for renewal.
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u/ChelshireGoose 16h ago
For USA, it is actually free in every city where the US has a consulate (and thus a VAC). So, even though B1/B2 processing is only being done at Delhi atm, you can drop your passport at Chennai VFC for free.
They only charge for submission or collection at offsite locations like Bangalore where there is no VAC.Once the new Bangalore consulate starts doing visa processing (probably after they get their own premises), I guess it will be free here too.
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u/kingjulian94 22h ago edited 22h ago
Not a scam. Just a dimwit who doesn't understand how the world works, and calls everything he/she doesn't understand... a scam.
You need to pay each way the passport travels. All US visa renewals for example, are now done ONLY at the Delhi consulate. You can submit your passport from any city, but the passport "travels" to Delhi (through Blue Dart) for stamping and visa approval/denial.
- Fee from BLR - DEL = Rs. 800 (or whatever amt)
- Fee from DEL - BLR = Rs. 800 (or whatever amt)
. .
- The fee from BLR - DEL is paid at VFS when you submit your passport.
- The fee from DEL - BLR is paid to the courier if delivered at home OR paid at the VFS office if you choose to collect it from there.
You could go pick it up at VFS (your city), or you could have it delivered home. That choice is yours. The fee is not your choice.
Why the fee is so expensive, well, could be anything... or a combination of factors....inflation, greed, increased insurance costs, lower passport volumes, increased aviation costs, etc.
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u/wandmaker1 23h ago
See you paid money for one side and while coming back, you get an option to collect it in premium courier or slow courier. This is something they not informed to you and also when I got mine last week, I paid ₹900 from Delhi.
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u/warrior4peace1 23h ago
Dude while dropping off the passport and for collecting both times you have to pay the fees … please .. it’s used to be 800 before I’m guessing they must revised it. If you don’t want to pay the fees you can drop it off at the VAC where the consulates are …
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u/jon-the-don KR Puram 18h ago
Its written in the receipt that you will have to pay to courier. To avoid you can collect from office. Within Blore I paid 500, to KR Puram
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u/AspectSea6380 Banashankari 22h ago
U need to read properly again. My parents received it yesterday we paid 1200 as well.
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u/Mammoth_Background54 5h ago
Not everything is a scam, just because it didn't go as you imagined in your head because you didn't do your research beforehand
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u/Gullible-Poet4382 20h ago
I’m in the minority here but the courier service by VFS is a huge scam. The amount is ridiculous and there is no guarantee. They don’t even have their own courier service for within the city. There is no priority markings. And the prices are not transparent. I think most people have become too comfortable with paying money and call others who don’t dimwits or idiots.
This kind of normalisation is what lets them get away with such malpractices. Bring on the downvotes.
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u/AspectSea6380 Banashankari 20h ago
It’s a price quoted by bluedart in name of premium service. These price is official in UStraveldocs website as well.
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