Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB

Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/)
-   West and South Asia (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/west-and-south-asia/)
-   -   Problems with Iran Visa with IranianVisa.com? (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/west-and-south-asia/problems-iran-visa-iranianvisa-com-29946)

rossmac 31 May 2009 07:24

Iran Visa
 
I know it doesn't help you people trying to get you visa's but must be a different system here in NZ. I applied directly to the Iranian Embassy in Wellington. Received my Visa the next day. Go figure!

mcgiggle 31 May 2009 09:01

Try using www.persianvoyages.com they sorted our, recieved our number on Thursday after a nine day wait. They always replied to emails the same day and were very helpful when we phoned, another plus for us is that they are UK based so transfering money was straightforward.

Pete

nico-la-vo 8 Jan 2010 05:35

we used key2persia.com after iranianvisa.com got arsy and told us they had got us banned from iran (?!) when we didn't pay the day they wanted us to after they had ignored us for days.

anyway, the next guys were a lot more professional and we got our code with no problems.

the visa getting was quite easy once we were in ankara too.

all the best
nicky

lee2000 21 Feb 2011 16:20

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES use IranianVisa.com
 
Written by kkuranhttp://i.virtualtourist.com/online.gif?1011010 on Jul 15, 2008
Iran Travel Guide
Send to a Friend

If you are planning a trip to Iran DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES use IranianVisa.com. It is an unprofessional, dishonest service, and quite possible a scam as well.

The website is very flashy, advertising wonderful visa success rates and low fees (only EUR30! For only EUR22 more you can have the visa expedited. It sounds great and manager/owner/agent Hamid Reza Tavassoli sends professional emails in perfect English in the earlier phases.

The thing is that the EUR30 or EUR52 is basically for nothing. As soon as you wire it to a German or Turkish bank account, you get an email saying that the actual visa processing fee is a cheeky EUR150. Hamid has still not given me a good explanation for what the EUR30, EUR22, EUR150 are for--but I think I know--they're for a really $#@#ing expensive visa.

As an American I more or less am required to go on a tour or have a guide in Iran. I checked this out--this is true. Hamid offered to find a guide for EUR45 a day, which is a competetive rate. What he did not mention at the time was that I would have to enroll in a set itinerary with four star hotels, private transport, etc. I protested that I was a backpacker and not overly wealthy, but he said that there was not other way--there was not a single guide in Iran who would be willing to stay in budget hotels or ride buses. I held my ground though and l lo and behold he found not one but two guides who agreed to ride buses.

I wired the money for the trip and the wire got held up for about a week. Even though Hamid knew that I had just a few weeks before I left the US to get the visa, for about six days he refused to acknowledge my emails asking him to get going on the visa applicaton. So much for the "expedition fee".

When there was no money involved, Hamid's emails became sparse, rarely responding to my desperate appeals for progress reports (I was leaving in a matter of days). Then I left for Turkey, where I was going to fly to Iran from and for a ten day period I heard nothing.

In desperation I went to the Istanbul office of IranianVisa.com, listed on the website and despite the fact that there were Iranian travel related firms in the area, the office was not at the listed adress and none of the Iranian travel agents had heard of Hamid or IranianVisa.com. IranAir hadn't either. I also sent a friend to the Tehran office but that didn't exist either. So BOTH OF IRANIANVISA.COM'S LISTED OFFICES ARE FICTICIOUS.

I finally got an email saying that there had been a long Shia holiday (I was not warned of this even though it would kill my trip) and that Hamid had been in a car accident in Mashad. This obviously spelled the end of the road for my trip and I sent polite emails to Hamid wishing him well but saying the trip was not possible and requesting a refund for the trip-related (not the EUR200) money I sent over.

The visa authorization came two weeks after I was due to go to Iran, about a month after Hamid began the "expedited process". I know the Tehran authorities can be slow, but the reason you hire an agency is because they are supposed to be good at what they do. One month for MFA approval is not impressive when you considered this is Hamid's profession and he had EUR200 to work with.

That was well over a month ago. Hamid has given all sorts of excuses, but the fact of the matter is that the money has not been wired even though I've asked about a dozen times and he's promised about eight times. I will update this post if Hamid proves that he's not a crook, but right now I don't know what to believe.

Whether or not I get my money back, I would advise any Iran-bound travel to be EXTREMELY wary of this website, which looks too good to be true and definitely is. Please spread the word--there are plenty of alternatives to IranianVisa.com and I hope that others don't have to endure such a sleazy experience.





Read more: VISAS Avoid IranianVisa.com at ALL COSTS and other Iran Tourist Trap Tips - VirtualTourist.com

Jelle 12 Mar 2011 20:33

I cannot believe this company is still kicking about, they took money from myself and 3 of my friends in 2009 and NON of us got a visa!!!!!!


Magic carpet are meant to be very good, but we never did get a visa in time and ended up going through bloody Kazakhstan instead :(

Motocimek 2 Oct 2011 22:01

Just to keep this post updated.
For me iranianvisa.com not so bad. Have got visa after 24 days, no problems, no hassle. Have british passport.

eljulian 8 Oct 2011 17:17

My experience this Summer:

German passport, IranianVisa took 5 weeks.

After three weeks I just went to Trabzon in northeast Turkey and tried my luck. Got it express, same day, 75 Euro (next day is 50, but it was just before the end of Ramadan).

For the "less controversial nationalities", Trabzon seems to be something of an insiders tip.

Julian

thoy 9 Oct 2011 11:02

don't pay!!
 
Hi!

We have recently crossed iran on our motorcycles and applied for the visa in Ankara Turkey. The only thing you need for a visa is a entry code from a travel agency! This code will be sent to the Iran embassy were you will apply for your visa. for us (Dutch) the whole process was 9 days and we only had to pay for the visa (50 euro) for US the prices are the same but the proces can take longer... So we used Poonel travel agency (Iran/Teheran) they sent us the code and booked a few hotels(cheap ones) on the route. Ask for mr. Kamran Zaher he will help you! There is also a list of travel agencies at the embassy that can provide you with a (entry)code. NEVER EVER PAY that much money!!!!!!!!!

Good luck!!!!

Roy and Lathoya

Actueel - De Jimdo-website van nowayback!

Rixxy's 10 Oct 2011 06:47

We used Iranina Visa .com only a few weeks ago and got our code and did get it all sorted. It does sound like there might be cheaper ways to get it done but we didn't have any problems getting our code or then the Visa.

Contact details we used are info@iranianvisa.com we where getting reply from someone called Sarah.

J

Motocimek 11 Oct 2011 22:55

Thanks Thoy, good to know it.
Next time I'll be smarter.

jimed 29 Oct 2011 07:38

Hi we just used Iranian visa . com and after we wired the money to a UK bank account they sent the code in about 5 working days, about 1 week later we applied for the visa at the chosen Istanbul consulate and I (British) had to pay €150 and my wife (Irish) €50 then 3 days later we went back to the consulate to collect the visa with no worries.

Obviously some people have had problems with this agency and that is pretty lousy but just putting my experience across.

surya 5 Dec 2011 16:15

Do not use iranianvisa.com
 
AFTER 48 DAYS I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE REFERENCE CODE. DO NOT USE IRANIANVISA.COM THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL. I WAITED FOR THE CODE IN ISTANBUL, IN ANKARA AND IN ERZERUM. EVERY TIME THEY HAVE STUPID REASONS BECAUSE THE CODE IS NOT ISSUED . ( REASONS LIKE : THE COMPUTER LOST YOUR DATA, ahh aaahhh).

eljulian 7 Dec 2011 14:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by surya (Post 358296)
AFTER 48 DAYS I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE REFERENCE CODE. DO NOT USE IRANIANVISA.COM THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL. I WAITED FOR THE CODE IN ISTANBUL, IN ANKARA AND IN ERZERUM. EVERY TIME THEY HAVE STUPID REASONS BECAUSE THE CODE IS NOT ISSUED . ( REASONS LIKE : THE COMPUTER LOST YOUR DATA, ahh aaahhh).

Hi Surya,

Are you still in Turkey? This summer I was in the same situation your are in right now. I was in Eastern Turkey, waiting for my confirmation code from Iranianvisa.com.

I got my visa at the Iranian consulate in Trabzon. I paid 75 Euro for express, same day. Normal is 50 Euro and two days, I think.

They don't issue visas for all nationalities, but you should give it a try nonetheless.

Cheers, Julian

demito 4 Jul 2013 19:51

FYI:

Iranianvisa most definitely IS or has become a scam. They just took my money and did NOTHING but finding excuses for 3 months now. Contacted Touranzamin and they fixed it in 4 working days.

Check out this fb page I created about it and read others experiences.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Irani...527247?fref=ts

Tnx for liking it!


Tom


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 16:22.


vB.Sponsors