Esta For Usa Trip

[Answerprancer]

Hi folks, I am terrible with bureaucratic *** and have (hopefully) just applied for the ESTA that I need to travel to the US next month.
Having just jumped onto the first site I could find and paid (it was the statutory $14 as far as I remember) I'm now worried it's one of the dodgy ones.
Here is the URL:
http://estavisanow.com/#nbb
Can anyone confirm somehow that I have NOT been stitched up, I only found out afterwards that there is an 'official' ESTA site :-/
TIA

[Baldric]

Oh Dear

[Answerprancer]

Thanks, very informative ;-)

[Baldric]

Simply being sympathetic, in case you have been stitched up, you really are most ungrateful.

[Answerprancer]

Please accept my humblest apologies.

[Buenchico]

Any UK government website ends in .gov.uk
Similarly, any US government website ends in .gov
Your link doesn't, so I'd be worried!
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/americanservices/?p=519

This is where you should have been:
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

The domain name you've provided has only existed since Thursday! It was created via GoDaddy (which is an excellent service for people setting up personal websites but hardly ever used by reputable firms, since they employ proper web designers) and is a 'private registration', which hides the identity of whoever registered it.

I'd guess that you've lost your money and, more worryingly, given your debit/credit card details to someone whom you'd rather not let have access to them.

Notify:
1. Your card issuer ;
2. The official UK police anti-fraud website:
http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
3. GoDaddy (who, as well as providing the domain name, are hosting that website on their servers): [email protected]

[Answerprancer]

1) Thanks for that info Chris, I suspected this.
2) Notifications: all done except the last one.
3) Rant: I bloody hate bureaucratic complications like this, it's so easy to be led into traps.
4) Night night - you are very helpful :-)

[Svejk]

they don't let commies into America, AP.

[Answerprancer]

Stay away then ;-)

[Answerprancer]

Aw fudge!!
I just checked my recently approved authorisation from the seemingly dodgy ESTA company with the official one ...and it's ok!
Now I'd better let the police know :-O

[janbee]

Hi AP, yes I think quite a few people are getting ripped off by this ESTA thing. They are free and always have been but quite a few places charge for them. It's too late for you now but maybe someone else will read this and learn from it. Enjoy your US trip. Have fun. xx

[Answerprancer]

Thanks Janbee but it looks like the suspicious looking folks were actually ok - their confirmation number was approved by the official US authorities.
I paid slightly over the odds but so what.
Whoops!

[janbee]

Oh well, it's done now. I'm sure you'll have great time. Whereabouts in the US are you going?

[factor-fiction]

>They are free and always have been but quite a few places charge for them.

Have you got a link to confirm that please janbee because I thought that although they used to be free a charge has now been introduced even for the official US gov site

[Answerprancer]

This is the official site:
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

[dzug2]

...I paid slightly over the odds but so what....

If you paid $14 you paid the correct amount

What is odd is that an unofficial site should not add on their own fee - or have they done this without telling you? If they are recently set up it may be that they haven't got it quite 'right' yet

[Answerprancer]

Janbee - I fly in to Wichita Ks, then drive down to Alabama and possibly Florida depending on time factor.