Diabolical Service from VFS

As an update on our visa application. Basically VFS are preventing us moving to the next stage. They are making it impossible to book an appointment to hand over the application and supporting docs and to get the biometrics done.

The online booking system has been showing "no dates available" for appointments for 3 weeks now. They don't respond to emails. They don't pick up the phone. They don't even respond to premium VIP booking requests.

So, Lenny went to their Manila office. They pushed blame onto the embassy. They lied about who is responsible for answering the phone (claiming it's the embassy when it's a VFS number). They continually said complain to the embassy and showed not one iota of sympathy for the situation. They told her to book online for VIP service when that facility is simply not available (not including email, but we've sent countless for them to either be ignored or rejected because the mailbox is full).

So, at present we are stuck. I have raised the issue with both my MP and the embassy, stating the facts. But at present I am extremely distressed by this situation, especially given I have paid £851 for a service that not only am I not receiving, but VFS are making it impossible to receive.

Bad news, eh. I recall with the VIP service I was able to email them to arrange my wife's appointment for submitting the documentation, with ease. That was 2.5 years ago now. So it has evidently gone down the pan since....

I sympathise.

Indeed, down the pan would be the polite way of putting it. We have resorted to sending several emails to the VIP booking service and directly to the Ops Manager at VFS requesting a VIP appointment for every day next week. They don't offer VIP dates, you have to request them, not knowing anything about their existing workload and without them giving any indication either. Lenny stood at the receptionist desk with a line of people behind her earlier today arguing her point, to no avail... but she made herself awkward for them for a while... something she should not need to do and something which made her extremely uncomfortable. If it were me I simply wouldn't have budged, but there's no way I would ever expect my wife to behave like the belligerent Yorkshireman that I am

It really is a level of service way below any reasonable expectation, never mind the fact I paid £851 for this! Can you tell I'm incensed?

I agree. And cant understand why the VIP service has essentially collapsed. It was a way that the applicant could pick a day of their choosing, which is what we did.

You need to get your MP to raise the matter with the Home Office and specifically the new Immigration Minister, Brokenshire; it is they that has contracted with VFS to provide "front of house" services. Sadly I doubt that emailing the Embassy will yield any positive result.

I did my research Markham. I've had cause to refer to my MP before on a trade union matter (very aggressive union tactics from BECTU relating to volunteering in the media industry) and he was excellent (Colonel Bob Stewart DSO MP). In fact... this is the paragraph in my original email on this issue to Bob relative to what you have mentioned above:

"Please can I ask you to speak with James Brokenshire (copied), the minister responsible for Security and Immigration and a constituency neighbour, on my behalf and ask him if he could look into this matter? All I would like is that my wife can submit the application and supporting documents for which we have already paid."

The matter is now with Bob's caseworker and she is working on my behalf with the UKBA MP's Correspondence Unit.

Nice one.

I really didn't want to hear this, I will be applying at the end of April, more stress just down the road I feel.

Hope this situation is resolved very quickly for you Mark, bet you thought you were nearing the finishing line, I know I would have felt that way. I really didn't expect to hear this, what a shower.

Keep your chin up Mark and your fingers on the keyboard, good to see you are taking positive steps to get it sorted out.

Hopefully it will be no more than a temporary blip....

I hope so too John, for Marks sake, after a bit of googling this problem seemed to have started around the 7th March.

What I really find upsetting is the fact that nobody even answers the damn phone or replies to emails, do they not realise how serious this is to all waiting to apply for visas and so on. They should at the very least set up a recorded message service and auto reply email telling people they are having problems and when they expect normal service to resume.

Its not good enough

Just so.

Kay and I may well be following in the footsteps of Mark and Lenny in a couple of months. What fun we have to look forward to!

Mark,
I'd also suggest you start at the very top (with VFS) and let the fall-out flow downwards.

I'd suggest emailing James Brokenshire, with the following all copied in:
Bob Stewart (as your MP)
Theresa May (as Home Secretary)
... and then
Zubin Karkaria, Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global Group
Paul John Maliekkal , VFS, Regional CEO, Africa, Americas, Australasia
Ajit Alexander, VFS, CEO - Australasia

... so VFS will see who you've addressed it to.

I haven't come across any VFS email formats ... maybe others on here have, but I'd start with firstname.lastname@vfs.com
and work thru @vfsglobal.com until the emails stop bouncing back to you.

Well, it seems my various emails have had a positive effect. VFS have responded and offered an appointment next Wednesday. Obviously we will take that.

This has been a royal screw up between VFS and UKBA. They are transitioning appointment systems between the VFS system and Visa4UK. They are saying it should now be possible to book an appointment using Visa4UK, however I can't confirm for sure. I have been onto Visa4UK just now to see if I could retrospectively schedule an appt... but it seems not to be the case so I can't confirm if it will work for new applications.

Our immediate problem has been resolved (assuming there are no further issues on Wednesday). However, it is clear that the transition between systems has been handled exceptionally badly. There should be notices all over the VFS website (and Visa4UK) informing people, the existing booking service should be taken down instead of incessantly showing no dates available for appointment. There is a total vacuum of information which is not helped by the fact that VFS don't respond to any form of communication, even in person!

I will pursue the questioning of UKBA through my MP, but I will request that the focus is turned to the level of service provided by VFS, and particularly the behaviour of the receptionist that my wife spoke to yesterday.

I must add... given the time of the email response from VFS at approximately midnight Philippines time, my approach obviously rattled a few cages!

This reminds me of the transition period when they chose to filter and streamline the English Language Test Centres a couple of years ago. We walked right into it. Yes badly handled at the time by both UKBA and VFS in fact they contradicted each other. Rather chaotic. Though through a lot of hard work and many phone calls and some elapsed time we eventually cracked it.

For those interested, here is the email transcript that elicited the positive response from VFS.

Looks a bit more promising. Hopefully the application will all go ahead as planned now.

If anyone requires the email address of Maria Cecilia Madrilejo, Senior Ops Manager for VFS Philippines, I can provide. @vfsglobal.com addresses are certainly not easy to guess!