Travel to the USA

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#568160 12-Jan-2012 23:23

New Zealand passports are validity extended for 6 months by the US Dept. of State, but must be current on entry.

nathan

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#568167 13-Jan-2012 00:03

BTW an ESTA is not free

Costs US$14 last time I did one

eracode

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#568225 13-Jan-2012 08:59

nathan: BTW an ESTA is not free

Costs US$14 last time I did one

I did ESTA stuff for my wife and me a couple of hours ago. It cost USD69.70 for the two of us, put on credit card.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

nathan

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#568230 13-Jan-2012 09:08

eracode:
nathan: BTW an ESTA is not free

Costs US$14 last time I did one

I did ESTA stuff for my wife and me a couple of hours ago. It cost USD69.70 for the two of us, put on credit card.

Did you do it on the actual site?
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

or did you get ripped off?

on that site it say $4 processing fee and $10 if your application is successful = US $14 each

eracode

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#568238 13-Jan-2012 09:18

nathan:
eracode:
nathan: BTW an ESTA is not free

Costs US$14 last time I did one

I did ESTA stuff for my wife and me a couple of hours ago. It cost USD69.70 for the two of us, put on credit card.

Did you do it on the actual site?
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

or did you get ripped off?

on that site it say $4 processing fee and $10 if your application is successful = US $14 each

Well, that's a very good question and you have got me wondering. I googled ESTA and went through this site:

http://www.migrationexpert.com/esta_authorization/online_application/?fid=100036&utm_term=e.s.t.a&creative=8052569668&network=0&pl=&adgroup=2282413228&match=e&gclid=CN_mlY-my60CFYVKpgodnHuoFw

I may have been ripped off and now I'm wondering if we have valid ESTA confirmations. Will look into this further and may re-do it on the 'actual site'. Perhaps I have been very stupid but it looked valid to me when I was doing it.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

nathan

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#568240 13-Jan-2012 09:22

stink, looks like you've paid some exhorbitant agents fees on top

when you get the actual codes from them, you can go back to the proper official site and verify that you actually have

maybe you can refuse the fee through the credit card co and get a refund

or suck it up and lesson learned

sorry to be the bearer of bad news

eracode

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#568244 13-Jan-2012 09:33

nathan: stink, looks like you've paid some exhorbitant agents fees on top

when you get the actual codes from them, you can go back to the proper official site and verify that you actually have

maybe you can refuse the fee through the credit card co and get a refund

or suck it up and lesson learned

sorry to be the bearer of bad news

Yep – put the two authorisation numbers into the Dept of Homeland Security website and we have two valid authorisations. However they say we paid them USD14 each. Ripped off! I’m also pissed off but can’t be bothered trying to reverse the card payment etc. I never dreamt there might be agents doing this sort of thing. Will just put it down to experience as you say. Interesting if nothing else.

Also interesting that I would have been none-the-wiser if I had not happened to see this thread on GZ.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

networkn

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#568248 13-Jan-2012 09:43

They didn't rip you off. Many cases services are offered at higher prices. You would have got ripped off if you didn't get what you paid for. All that happened is that you paid more for a service than offered elsewhere. You got value because the site helped you get the etsa. Good for you not to cancel the payment.

nathan

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#568251 13-Jan-2012 09:47

how did you discover the site out of curiousity

google

google sponsored links?

misspelling ESTA

just curious....

eracode

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#568252 13-Jan-2012 09:47

networkn: They didn't rip you off. Many cases services are offered at higher prices. You would have got ripped off if you didn't get what you paid for. All that happened is that you paid more for a service than offered elsewhere. You got value because the site helped you get the etsa. Good for you not to cancel the payment.

Appreciate your philosophical approach which has a calming effect. However although we got what we expected I guess I don't like paying more for something than I need to. But not the end of the world, eh.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

eracode

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#568255 13-Jan-2012 09:50

nathan: how did you discover the site out of curiousity

google

google sponsored links?

misspelling ESTA

just curious....

I simply typed 'ESTA' into google and it was one of the first hits that came up.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

networkn

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#568256 13-Jan-2012 09:50

Hi There!

Yup. I understand :)

Live and learn eh? :)

Cheers

networkn

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#568442 13-Jan-2012 15:04

Just last month I went to Australia and whilst there found a group called amaysim which for $20 gave me $50 of free calling and for $40, 4GB of data.

I am off to the USA for 8 days and I was hoping to do the same thing, but I can't seem to find a provider.

Anyone regularly travel who can let me know what they do for data when they are away. It would be ideal to get 2-3GB.

Cheers

jeffnz

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#568455 13-Jan-2012 15:19

Out of curiosity I ghoogled ESTA and the frist 3 were pay sites the 4th was .gov site. I usually ignore the shaded in first few resyults as they always seem paid advertisements

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#568461 13-Jan-2012 15:21

I get an AT&T SIM card (free), load $40 and use $20 to buy mobile data (500MB) then the rest goes into $1 a day for all you can SMS/voice calls natl (if you don't send SMS or place/receive call then you won't pay the $1). Rinse, repeat.

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