Help! Am i being ripped off!

[Guest The Pottertons]

Hi there. Really need some helpful advice. Have been to a visa agent and signed up although am still in the 14 day cooling off period. They have quoted us about 3500 for their services to include doing all the paperwork for the skills assesment and then the visa application, and also a solicitor to certify documents. Just feel this is quite steep and wondered if anyone had any ideas about the price really. They are a big company and have a good reputation but even so i dont want to be ripped off as things are tight financially as it is. Thanks all. Yvonne.xx

[Guest soggy]

Hi,

I did not use an agent so can not say for sure but don't think you are being ripped off but may be able to get an agent for less, does this include the visa application fees, if so not to bad. People who used agents seemed to have paid anywhere between £1500 and £3500 plus the visa and skills assessment fees and most seem to be happy with the service they got

 

Simon

[Guest The Pottertons]

Hi Soggy, thanx for the reply. No it doesnt include the application fees or the skills assessment fees. Have seen others say they are paying £300 which seems crazy in comparison to what im paying. Wish we could do the application ourselves but i think it would be too difficult with the new vetassess process. Yx

[Guest Lisa2991]

Hi, We paid £2500 + VAT and this didn't include TRA Assessment which was £150 and Application fee which was £900 or medicals which were £600. To be honest all we have had to do is sign paperwork everything else was done for us. Was it worth the money? I'll let you know in April when we get a final decision!!!

[Guest The Pottertons]

Thanks lisa and good luck!!!

[Gollywobbler]

Hiya

 

Have been to a visa agent and signed up although am still in the 14 day cooling off period.

 

Why does the Consumer Credit Act apply to the arrangement? That is not normal for professional services in England and Wales.

 

If the £3,500 only includes what you say - ie no TRA fees, no DIAC fees, no meds etc then the price is getting on for approaching double the going rate un the UK if it does not include VAT.

 

Registered Migration Agents can now certify the documents themselves, so where and why does the solicitor come in to it, please?

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest Tracijbc]

Hi there,

 

We paid about £3000 all in. This included everything aside from the meds and police checks. They also gave the guarantee that if we didn't get the visa (apart from something we hadn't declared on the meds or police checks), they would give us a full refund. Not too shabby and the service was excellent.

 

Good luck!

 

T x

[Guest caoimhe]

We paid £1800 + vat for our agent (tra/diac fees on top), we started our process a year ago and I know a couple on PIA who are just starting the process and have been quoted £4000 for agents fees alone.

I know it seems a bit steep but they all sound like they have hiked thier prices up, they must know there are so many of us desparate to get out of here

[Guest pickard family]

Emmigratingexpert.com have just sent me an e-mail quoting approx £300 +vat for a family for their fees, I saw a post which recommended them from another PIA member. Give them a ring see what they say.

 

Carol

[Guest pickard family]

Hiya Traci,

 

Do you mind me asking what visa you have applied for??

 

Thanks

Carol

[Guest graandjac]

;)Hi Guys it sounds like you have gone to Four courners Emigration who we used......would i use them again YES they were 100% perfect in every way cant fault them everything sent off inc the passports for the stickers went via corrie at four corners when the visa application was due it was sent to us already filled in just had to sign they cost more than most ( all) but the service we recieved was Perfect in every way.

 

The cost was what you have been quoted every penny well spent.........if it wasn't them then ..but they were good for the cost. Cheers Graham

[tina&steve]

We paid £1500 for our agent fees (can pay in 3 instalments) and have been very happy with them and they are always on hand to help. 1 of the girls even phoned me on her day off when there was a prob. We are using Concept Australia.

 

good luck

 

Tina x:realmad:

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

Seems steep to me,sounds like the company we almost went with, but pulled quick!

We went with migration solutions a guy caled Mark Glazbrook did ours

He charge about £900 for both applications. Then there were the TRA and dimia fees and the meds on top of this

Sarah

[Guest Tracijbc]

Hiya Traci,

 

Do you mind me asking what visa you have applied for??

 

Thanks

Carol

 

Don't mind a bit! We are on the old SIR 495. OH is a self-employed Gardener in the UK, so we needed an agent to sort out all the TRA stuff for us. He has been self-employed for years, so it was quite complex putting work history and stuff together. Our agents were worth their weight in gold and I would highly recommend them to everyone!! Darren Chatt and his fantastic team at Visa Go in Edinburgh.

 

Now all we need to do is make sure I get a job as an Administrator/Secretary/PA and Matt gets work as a Gardener and we'll be as happy as a happy thing.

 

Cheers

 

Traci x

[Guest c4ndygirl]

Hi there,

 

We did ours by ourselves, its saved us a fortune, and it was pretty straight forward to do, just make sure you read all he stuff through, and post it!

We've had no problems.

 

Hope your going on ok

Candia

[Guest The Pottertons]

THanks for all your info guys. We had a hard think and have pulled out of the company we originally signed with and have moved to another group which is £1500 cheaper for the same service. Feel more relieved now, hate feeling like someone has got one over on me!!!!

[Guest shaznsteve]

hi,we have just recently had consultation with a reputable agent and the total fees came to £6,170.!!!.after reading this we are glad we didnt sign up.this did include everything from applications to vettassess tests ,solicitor fees ,police and med checks but i still felt it was way over the odds.does anyone know of the best way to reccie adelaide and keep cost down.thanks shaznsteve.

[Guest Nick11]

hi,we have just recently had consultation with a reputable agent and the total fees came to £6,170.!!!.after reading this we are glad we didnt sign up.this did include everything from applications to vettassess tests ,solicitor fees ,police and med checks but i still felt it was way over the odds.does anyone know of the best way to reccie adelaide and keep cost down.thanks shaznsteve.

 

Good grief - that's a disgusting price. Dick Turpin would be turning in his grave!

[duncan-clan]

there is always the cheaper way.....its how everyone gets in to this country just claim asylum in adelaide and say england is turning in to a no go area and that we are are getting taken over by non speaking free loaders

 

man i hate this country, but soon to be living on april 16th

 

alex

[Guest shaznsteve]

dick turpin would probably own an emmigration agency by the sounds of that quote.looks like the cheapest way forward is to d.i.y.is there anyone who has done it themselves if so how long did it take to get visa.or does anyone know of a reasonably priced agent to use..they must think we are a ticket to paradise.ps where would be the best place to go to have a fair view of adelaide for a reccie.anybody got any pointers???we fancy it but would prefer to see the real life we can expect if we moved there not just rose tinted glasses.

[Guest shaznsteve]

i notice you have made your application yourselves,i hope it all goes well for you and show that there is no need for the over priced agents as we have had a ridicoulous quote and am interested to see how you are doing with application.what kind of visa are you applying for??many thanks.shaznsteve

[Guest Nick11]

If I had my time again -I would have done it by myself. Hindsight though is a wonderful thing!

[Guest katsmajic]

We did the whole thing alone - with help off brit expats etc...

Whole process including going to court over kids, new passports all round etc...cost us £2500

thats the visa, tra, certifying, the whole lot!!!

 

and our case was not easy!

[Guest Greg & Dani]

Hi Mark and Yvonne, we used an agent and paid £3500 in agency fees alone on top of this we had to pay, Tra, solicitor fees, visa fees, medicals, police checks and small stuff like pass pictures - about another £1800 ( ouch ). We ended up paying more than we thought we would have to. The little costs soon added up. BUT it will be worth it if we get our visas.

FYI - the £3500 included all paperwork preparation, alot of help with the TRA preparation, some relocation info, some help finding jobs in Oz and a meet and greet at the airport.

Good luck with your application

 

Greg & Dani

[Rachiegarlo]

Do you ahve to pay for that meet n greet service? I thought they used volunteers?