ItsEasy Passport & Visa Services

Review: We attempted to use Its Easy Passport Services to get a visa to travel to India within a week. We paid them over $600 for expedited services that they never delivered on and have yet to provide a full refund, and have now become dismissive of our complaints and urging. The full outline of the situation is below.

Issues with its easy:

- When we dropped off our passports, [redacted], part of the team, assured us we'd have them in hand by Wednesday or Thursday as we were flying out Friday night.

- On Thurs night [redacted] and [redacted] told us that they would go first thing on Friday to campaign for our visas and told us to call back at 11:30

- Called at 11:30 Friday and was told to call back at 12:30

- Called back at 12:30 and spoke with the courier who went in the morning and he had no knowledge of our situation while also telling us "There are a lot of other priorities, too!" Major problem number 1. We were told to wait until 6pm

- Our personal contact confirmed with the Consulate that the visas had been released on Thursday and that we just needed to go to BLS ourselves with the coupon to claim passports.

- We called back to its easy to inform them of this revelation! They told us this was impossible to give us the manifest because it contained other visas requests. They told us that bls would not let us in the building because we already contracted a third party. Then they assures us they would go early at 4:30 to try and get visas released. We were told they would call when heading over so we could meet them at BLS. At the end of the day, we were then told to go on our own to the Consulate and WE had to sit at BLS for 6 hours to get our actual visas.

- Called back again at 4:45 to check since we hadn't heard anything yet. Told that the courier had not left yet for bls and that he'd head over there right now

- Called back at 5:30, still no communication from its easy, we're told that he was still at bls and that we should come to the office to wait for him

- When we arrived at 6pm, no one seemed to know about any of these promises that were made to us and another courier was sent at that time to bls

- We were also told that a courier had already gone earlier in the day and not gotten our visas

- Meanwhile when we arrived [redacted] and [redacted] rolled their eyes and said "Oh you're the infamous [redacted]."

- After not receiving our visas and were forced to miss our flight, [redacted] advised us to go to the consulate at 11am (not before) so we went to the consulate at 11am only to find that they were only open from 9-12. Remember - we were told we were not allowed to do this previously.

- After 1.5 hours we were informed that our visas had been issued on 1/* (Thursday) and must be picked up from bls. (Further confirmation of what our colleague had informed us on Friday!)

- Monday comes, and we have already been forced to spend $450 out of pocket for flight changes, cancelled hotel rooms and we were forced to try and reschedule 2 days of business meetings - so of which were not able to be rescheduled.

- We then spend 6 hours at BLS on Monday and finally receive our visas mid-afternoon. We tell [redacted] and he is happy we received them and said that he would immediately talk with his team to get us a full refund because of all of the inconveniences we were faced with.

- 2 1/2 weeks pass and we return from India and contact [redacted] asking why we haven't received a dime that he promised us. Luckily by the end of the week he issues a PARTIAL refund - we are still owed $198.

- We reach out to him and another week passes with minimal responses and nothing but excuses from [redacted]. He doesn't call back when he says he will and is difficult to get a hold of him.

- My wife finally gets a hold of him on February [redacted], almost 1 month after the first issue with the company, and [redacted] proceeds to yell at her over the phone and that she is "Being petty over $99 times 2," and that "that amount of money means absolutely nothing to him!!!" My wife then tries to explain our side, and [redacted] proceeds to yell at her over the phone, cut her off continuously and then scream "I don't have time for this bt," and then hang up on her.

- I contact [redacted] the week of February [redacted] via email, because I did not want to be yelled at or hung up on, because no business in the business of customer service should ever treat someone that way, and I have yet to actually receive a response.Desired Settlement: All we want is the $198 that is owed to us that apparently "means nothing" to Its Easy Passport Services. We are already out $450 because of their incompetence, and should not be forced to pay an additional $198 when the manager of the business PROMISED us that we would be receiving a full refund in person.

Business

Response:

While there are several points within the complaint, the root cause of the issue is related to the Indian government processing service not functioning correctly. Third party visa services must work within the parameters of each foreign Embassies processing system. In the case of India, this requires working with an agency called BLS who represents the Indian Embassy Consular Section. Our disclaimer reads as follows:

ItsEasy Passport & Visa Services (ItsEasy) serves as an agent only on behalf of passport and visa applicants. We accept no responsibility for the services of U.S. Passport Services of the U.S. State Department or any Consulate or Embassy regarding the issuance or correctness of passports or visas as the issuance or decisions rest exclusively with the government in question.

The documents were received in our office on Friday, January ** at approx. 11:00am. We must leave our office to submit documents to BLS at 10:30am, therefore the documents could not be delivered to BLS until Monday, January **.

We delivered the document to BLS Monday morning (although they do not show the first scan in their system until later in the day, which is normal). The documents were cleared for processing with the Consulate at the same time. At this point, the documents are sent to the Consulate for visa processing. The visa was processed and issued by the Indian Consulate correctly on January **. This is where things started to go wrong internally with India as there are discrepancies over what happened next. The Consulate indicated the passport with visa had been sent back to BLS for pickup, however BLS indicated the visa was still being processed by the Consulate. This can be confirmed by the complainant who spoke to both the Consulate and BLS directly and received the same conflicting information we received.

While we tried several times to retrieve the passports from both the Consulate and BLS, each said the other had the documents. As further proof of this, the complainant can confirm that the issue date on the visa (meaning the date which the Consulate issued the visa and would have sent the passports back to BLS for pickup) is clearly indicated on the visa as January **, however in the below scan logs BLS did not mark it submitted to, or returned from the Consulate until January **.

Application accepted by BLS : **-**-2014 , 17:27

Application Processed and Ready to be submitted to Consulate : **-**-2014 , 17:27

Application submitted at Consulate : **-**-2014 ,16:34

Application processed by Consulate : **-**-2014 ,16:34

Application received at BLS Center :**-**-2014 , 16:35

(screen shot of this information also attached)

The above is not something ItsEasy had any control over and there is little transparency on the transaction during processing – the records below were obtained after the fact. Additionally, during the processing ItsEasy was told different variations of status, as was the complainant by BLS, the Consulate and the complainant’s contacts in India. The internal mishandling by the Consulate and BLS, and only the internal mishandling by the Consulate and BLS and not ItsEasy, is what caused the complainant to not received the service they wanted. ItsEasy performed its duties to the best of its abilities.

With regards to the information the complainant received from our employees, the inconsistencies were a direct result of the inconsistencies provided to ItsEasy by the Indian Consulate and their representatives, BLS.

One service element which we feel requires clarification is that of the interaction with [redacted] went above and beyond, doing everything within his power over several days to deliver to the client what they wanted including, but not limited to, providing his personal cell phone number as a central point of contact 24 hours a day. While there were many positive communications between [redacted] and the complainant, the one conversation the complainant has focused on was had while [redacted] was in a rehearsal for his son’s Bar Mitzvah which was taking place the following morning. The complainant was requesting a refund and going over each point they were not satisfied with. [redacted] had agreed to issue the refund, however the complainant insisted on going through the points several times after the fact. [redacted] again agreed with the complainant and was being urged by his [redacted] to end the call. He mentioned several times that he needed to get off the phone however the complainant demanded they be allowed to continue speaking and at the continued request of his [redacted] and family, [redacted] had to end the call abruptly – his religious requirements demanded it. A follow up written communication from the complainant to [redacted]’s cell phone was made while [redacted] was out of state attending a family members funeral.

I can also confirm that all monies requested have been refunded – although some may still be in the credit process with the complainant’s bank (this is typical for banks to take several business days to process credits). The only fees not refunded, and not disputed by either party, are the consular fees charged by the India government totaling $422. Through two separate credits, all ItsEasy fees totaling $650 have been refunded and were done so prior to a complaint being filed with the Revdex.com requesting such, therefore the request made in the lodging of this complaint was addressed and executed prior to the complaint being failed and is therefore null:

-$452.00 credit approval [redacted] (client has already confirmed this)

-$198.00 credit approval [redacted] (processed 2/**)

In closing, this experience with our company is not indicative of a normal transaction. It should also be noted that the complainant is a return customer, having been, assumingly, satisfied with our services in the past. The direct reason for the client not receiving what they wanted was due to the failure of an Indian Government contracted agency who failed to process the application as requested. While there are things we can learn from the experience, we do feel that we have fulfilled our obligations by doing everything within our power to deliver the complainant’s initial request and, while our disclaimer does remove our liability from circumstances such as this, by refunding ALL service fee’s as a courtesy to client.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Review: Went in to business on a Saturday to take photos and apply for a US passport. Paid for photos and business service charge and was to come back to pay for passport fees and go to post office when open to apply for passport. In the interim, business lost photos, passport application, and certified original birth certificate. I have been in personally on more than two occasions to see if the business located the items and was told to phone or come back to check. Finally, the business informed me that they searched but could not find my documents because the files were rearranged and the person that handled my application no longer works for the business. No redress has been offered. I lost the money for the photos and the service fee and must pay to obtain a new certified original birth certificate. I called and left messages for the owner to ask what he will do to put the situation right and have received no response.Desired Settlement: Replacement of photos and birth certificate or costs to replace same and refund of business service fees and fees for the photos.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by ItsEasy Passport & Visa Services regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Business

Response:

We are a passport expediting service. Clients pay us a fee (generally ranging from $69-$269) for processing a passport application with the US State department quickly. When an applicant is applying for a new passport (having never had a passport or having a passport which is not eligible for renewal), the applicant must gather a set of documents (birth certificate, photos, application, etc) and visit with an Acceptance Agent, a federal employee generally located at US Post Offices, who must verify an applicant’s identity and seal said documents in a tamper proof envelope. Once the documents have been verified and sealed by the Acceptance Agent they are then delivered to our office at which time we determine best service options, have client place an order (either in writing or using one of the public laptops we supply in our office) and collect payment.In this case, the consumer is stating that he came into our store for photos on a weekend and was then going to go to the Acceptance Agent at the Post Office at some point the following week, which is common. The consumer is stating that he paid our service fees (consumer used term “business service charge”) and left all of his document with us - which is anything but normal. There would be absolutely no reason for the consumer to leave unverified documents with us as the consumer would need to have said documents with him in order to go to the Post Office and have them verified. Additionally, there is no record of payment received in our system or with accounting for our service.The consumer is then stating that he visited our office to retrieve his documents which we were unable to locate them – most likely because we never had them. Regardless, we do have a “Search & Find” procedure that we follow in any case of a missing document. We took the consumers information and told him that we would contact him if the search found anything of his. The search procedure was executed after closing so as not to interfere with normal business and no documents pertaining to the consumer were located. The consumer has visited our location multiple times requesting the same. We have informed consumer that we do not have his documents.While there is no record of this consumer, no documents, no verification of any payment and no logical explanation as to why the client would have left documents in our office, as a sign of good faith we will offer the client a courtesy payment of $125 (replacement photos valued at $10, replacement birth certificate valued at $15 and an additional $100). This offer is in no way an acknowledgment of any fault. If this is acceptable to the consumer please have him provide a valid street mailing address (no PO boxes) and we will have a check issued and sent out via [redacted] within 24 hours.

Review: I ordered a second passport from It'sEasy and then submitted this second passport to them to obtain a Russian Visa, but my passport never arrived. I submitted my passport with a [redacted] self-addressed stamped envelope. They claim that it's not their responsibility since I selected to use my own return postage, but I find it rather odd that the tracking number on the package never showed up in the [redacted] system. This means that the package was not scanned. How do I know that It'sEasy obtained the Russian Visa. They sent me an email saying that the job was finished and they were sending it out, but I have no proof of that from them.Desired Settlement: I would like them to provide me with another second passport to compensate for the one that they lost.

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com,Please accept our response in relation to the complaint

lodged by [redacted] on November **, 2015. First off, we would like to state

that ItsEasy Passport & Visa has been in business for nearly 40 years with

a Revdex.com file dating back to 2004 and have always held a Revdex.com assigned A+ rating.

This rating helps to properly reflect not only our general dealings with the

public, but also our dedication to resolving issues as they may arise. As a

national company who handles tens of thousands of passport and visa

applications for clients every year, ItsEasy has a proven track record of doing

its job. Our company’s history with [redacted] dates back to May of

2014 when she first ordered a Brazilian visa from us. This was followed up by

her request for a second US passport in August of 2015. Her most recent order

was for a Russian visa which was ordered in September of this year and is the

order in question. We do confirm that she placed an order for a Russian visa on

Thursday, September [redacted] with an estimated processing time of 10-12

business days which we received the afternoon of Monday, September [redacted]

Her application was submitted to the Russian consulate the following day with

an estimated 7 business day processing. We processed her visa request in 7

business days – faster than what she had requested or paid for. Her package was

then shipped out using the pre-addressed, pre-paid [redacted] envelope she provided.

We recommend clients ship using [redacted] due to their more consistent delivery and

tracking, however we do give clients the option to ship documents using they’re

preferred carrier. The legal disclaimer on our web site (available from every

page) states the following:“ItsEasy accepts no

responsibility for delays, loss of passports or other materials or documents

occasioned by any commercial or [redacted] delivery services, Embassy, consulate

or US State Department. Damage compensation is not available from ItsEasy.”We understand, and we agree, that the package does not show

up on any [redacted] tracking system. This then brings into question whether or not

we actually delivered the package to [redacted]. This is essentially the crux of the

complaint. [redacted] also questions whether or not we actually obtained the

Russian visa, but as she has used our service multiple times and received

completed documents in the past, it is assumed that she is not really

questioning whether or not we got the visa, but more on proof of delivery to

[redacted].In order to address it, I have provided copies of the Russian

visa submission manifest and Russian visa paid receipt from ILS which is the

public arm of the Russian Embassy. Russian visas are not actually submitted

directly to the Russian embassy, they are processed through a contracted

Russian company named ILS who handles all verifications and payments on behalf

of the Embassy (this is not common, but India and a few other countries

implement similar interfaces in order to reduce direct public interaction). The

Embassy then issues the visas and they are distributed back through ILS. The

two documents included show the daily submission manifest reflecting [redacted]

application and the submission payment receipt from the same day listing [redacted].

There is no “proof of completion” issued from the Embassy or ILS as the visa

itself is considered a “receipt” so to speak. We do not make copies of the client’s

visas for security reasons. Again, while it was mentioned in the complaint, I

don’t think whether or not we actually got the visa was really the main issue.

We process tens of thousands of visas. If we didn’t actually get the visas we wouldn’t

be in business.As [redacted] did not scan the package, it is of course nearly impossible

for us to “prove” that we delivered the package to the Post Office (short of subpoenaing

video footage from the Post Office which the package label wouldn’t be visible

anyway). I did speak with the two employees responsible for this order, the

manager that oversees Russian visas and her courier who goes to the embassy and

makes other local deliveries (including the Post Office) for her. The courier,

who is a trusted employee, remembered this delivery very clearly. We ship

hundreds of passports every day and they are, generally speaking, [redacted] or UPS.

It is uncommon that clients use [redacted] for shipping passports due to the

importance of the document and the inconsistency of the [redacted], and to a

lesser degree UPS, are more reliable, have much better tracking capabilities

and are able to locate missing packages quickly. It has been our experience

that the [redacted] system is less consistent and packages go “missing” from time to

time, with no accountability. I asked the courier who handled this package to

document and have notarized his recollection of the events. I have attached his

statement. As a valued employee, I consider his statement to be factual. With all of that said, I understand that at this point, [redacted]

has her primary passport which is valid for travel, but does not have her

secondary passport (to be clear, US citizens may have two passports, the second

being valid for 2 years only). In her most recent order, [redacted] paid the following:$253.00 Russian Embassy Visa Fee $129.00 ItsEasy Service Fee $ 7.50 Check Writing Fee (this is the

fee to obtain the money order needed to pay Russia for the visa) ------------ $389.50 TOTALWe did fulfill our duties and obtain the visa. We have

provided ample statements to support that we delivered the pre-paid,

pre-addressed [redacted] package to the post office. We cannot be held liable for a

failure of a shipping company chosen by the client. The US State Department

charges $110 for a standard processing second passport. In order to help

resolve this case what we are offering to do, while expressingly not admitting

to any fault on our part, in the spirit of good faith for a repeat client, is

to refund the service fee paid in relation to her most recent order totaling $129.00.

In addition and as noted above, [redacted] also utilized our service to obtain

her second passport a few months ago. For this service she paid a $269 service

fee (not including government fees which were an additional $170). We will also

provide a credit for the service fee she originally paid us to obtain the

second passport. This results in a total refund of $129.00 + $269.00 = $398.00,

which more than covers the fee for [redacted] to obtain a replacement second

passport. We would not, and cannot, refund the Russian Embassy or US State

Department fees as those were pass through charges which went directly to the

Russian and US governments. Again, and we can not stress enough, we did

everything we were supposed to do and the failure is a result of the [redacted]. I

have already processed the refunds ($129 credit approval code: [redacted]; $269

credit approval code: 1605159824). These generally appear on a client’s

statement within 4-6 business days.While this compromise may not meet the client’s request of

$873.48, it is far more than we are obligated to do and more than covers the

cost for [redacted] to obtain a replacement passport through normal channels. We

hope this provides resolution and closes the matter.Sincerely,Mark H[redacted] EVP, ItsEasy Passport & Visa Services

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.I would like to thank you very much for your intervention and helping me to receive some responses and resolution for this situation. I would also like to thank It'sEasy for finally responding to my queries in detail and making restitution. I sought this type of explanation the multiple times that I called the company, but was met with quite curt and even rude responses. I would like to specifically mention that when I called It'sEasy that Emory (10/**/15) has been polite and helpful, whereas [redacted] (10/**/15) yelled at me and hung up on me, and Stephanie (10/**/15) claimed to be her supervisor, but was also less than helpful. I thought that since It'sEasy repeats over and over about their commitment to customer service while the customer is on hold that polite and helpful customer service would be the norm, especially when the customer is in a difficult situation, as I was. Thank you for stepping in and providing me with the information that I sought in October.

Sincerely,

Review: We contracted an "URGENT VISA PROCESSING" product from It'sEasy, Inc., for $169 each that was advertised to take "up to 24 days" to process a Brazil Visa. We sent our application to It'sEasy, Inc., a NY address, next day air on December *, 2015 to obtain a Brazil Visa that would allow us to take a cruise, departing on Jan **, 2016 from Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Our Visas finally arrived at our home address on Jan 27, 2016, 38 days later starting from Dec *, the Monday after It'sEasy, Inc. received our next day air package on Dec *, 2015.

It'sEasy, Inc. advertised 3 Visa handling products to choose from, depending on how quickly you needed your Visa: a 33 day application process for $69.00, a 28 day application process for $128.00 and 24 day application process for $169.00. The implication in their advertisement is that they would somehow work the system to provide a faster service and get you your visa in the time we required. We chose the $169.00 based on the advice from It'sEasy AND SPECIFIED WE NEEDED THE VISAS BY JANUARY *, 2016. The NY company received our application package on Dec 4, 2015. We contacted the Brazil Consulate in Miami and were told that they did not receive our Visa application package UNTIL December **, 2015. Why our application was not forwarded sooner to the Brazil Consulate, to allow them the necessary time to evaluate the Visa Application, has not been provided to me. This is not urgent processing. Our application for a Visa was not delivered to the Brazil Consulate in Miami until Dec **. We have this in writing from the Brazil Consulate. Since we paid for "Urgent Visa Processing", our documents should have been delivered a week earlier.

As a result of their application processing, which was not expedited, we lost our tour which was paid in full. We could not board the cruise ship without a passport and more important, without a Brazil visa. We contacted It'sEasy, Inc. numerous times before the January ** sail date to ensure that we were getting the urgent processing for which we paid. We were always told that there is nothing they can do. I HAVE ASKED IT'SEASY, INC. WHEN MY APPLICATION WAS SENT TO MIAMI AND WHEN THE CONSULATE RECEIVED IT. I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN THE CURTESY OF A REPLY.

It'sEasy, Inc can easily claim that the delay was solely the due to the Brazil Consulate which is not correct. I contacted the Consulate and asked them why my application could not be processed since they probably received it around Dec * or [redacted]. I mailed it to ItsEasy on Dec *, next day air so ItsEasy received my paperwork Dec *. The fact that the Brazil Consulate did not receive our applications for processing until Dec ** is irresponsible and not URGENT VISA PROCESSING as advertised that they would do. I would like a detailed explanation why my application was not sent sooner to the Brazilian Consulate.Desired Settlement: I just want a refund .

Business

Response:

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for contacting us regarding the above mentioned complaint. I do acknowledge that the clients placed an order for two Brazil tourist visas on December **, 2015 and that we received the documents from the clients December **, 2015. At the time that they placed their order, the estimated processing time listed on our web site was 23 business days. The following two warnings posted on our site do indicate that processing times are not guaranteed: “Processing times are estimates based on both government publish as well as observed processing times” “We accept no responsibility for the services of … any Consulate or Embassy regarding the timeliness, issuance or correctness of passports or visas as the issuance or decisions rest exclusively with the government in question.” While it is unfortunate, our industry is far from an exact science and we are sorry that the applicants did not receive their visas in time for their scheduled trip. During the period that the visas in questioning were being processed, we noted increasing processing time frames at the consulate in question, in part and increased our estimated processing times to 40 business days (which is still reflected on our site today). This in and of itself would be explanation enough for the delay IF we could prove the applications were submitted when we indicate they were. In most cases the date the consulate indicates they “received” an application is the date which they first looked at it and scanned it. In some cases applications can be turned into a government agency and may sit in a bin for days or weeks before being reviewed. While I cannot say that is what happened in this case, we know for a fact that this does happen from time to time with consulates of all countries. Many consulates provide a specific receipt or digital invoice when documents are submitted providing us with a documentable paper trail which we can use to prove we are not at fault. In the case of Brazil that is not the case. We do receive a “slip” but it does not indicate specific applications, ergo in this particular case, while we are confident we did our job to the best of our abilities, we cannot prove it. The client states in their complaint: Purchase Price: $338.00Disputed Amount: $200.00 The client actually paid a total of $673.00. The amount they paid is broken down as follows: $160.00 Brazil Government Visa Fee $169.00 ItsEasy Service Processing Fee$ 7.50 Postal Money Order Fee (listed as “Check Item”)$160.00 Brazil Government Visa Fee$169.00 ItsEasy Service Processing Fee$ 7.50 Postal Money Order Fee (listed as “Check Item”)--------------------------------------------------------------------- $673.00 TOTAL The $160.00 x 2 ($320.00) Brazil Government Visa Fee was paid to the Brazil Consulate, this is not a fee we can refund. While admitting no fault, but accepting that we cannot “prove” our position, we are refunding all service fees ($169.00 x 2, $7.50 x 2 = $353.00) to the clients Visa card ending [redacted]. As with any credit card refund, it can take several business days to post to their account, however I can confirm the credit was issued and approved today with Bank Reference Transaction ID: [redacted]. This is certainly not the type of experience most clients see and again, we are sorry that the visas were not delivered in time for the intended departure.

Review: On August *, 2014 I went to their offices to apply for a passport for an upcoming trip to Canada. I filled out the application on their computer and paid $189.00 for an expedited passport. I submitted to them my birth certificate, drivers license and marriage certificate. He put the documents in an envelope and told me to bring them down the street to the post office. I then went to the post office and submitted the documents along with a check for $170.00 made out to the US Department of State. On August **, 2014 I received an email from It's Easy Passport stating that there was a problem with the documentation I submitted. They said the Dept of State sent them a letter stating they need additional documentation and an additional fee.Since this is the business they are in, they should have told me that the documentation I gave them was not acceptable. Instead they charged my credit card $189.00.Upon receiving their email on August [redacted], with the letter attached from the Dept of State, I emailed them back asking for the address to the Dept of State so that I could get my documentation back. They told me I could go to the passport agency and tell them I don't have documentation but they would issue me a temporary passport but it would cost another $170. I told him forget it, and to refund my $189. because I paid for a service and did not receive the service. They denied my request for a refund and proceeded to block my emails.Desired Settlement: I have disputed the $189.00 charge with Citi Card. At this point I want a refund from It's Easy Passport & Visa since they did not provide any service whatsoever. They blame the Department of State for not issuing me a passport based on incomplete documentation. I feel that since they are in the business of processing and obtaining passports, they should know the documentation that is required. Instead they took my money and blame the US Department of State.

Business

Response:

This is an unfortunate situation that occurs from time to time and falls outside of our control.

In order to obtain a new adult passport having never had one before, or it having been more than 15 years since an adult passport was issued, applicants must submit a set of documents (application, proposed flight itinerates, etc) including proof of US citizenship. This document is generally a US birth certificate or a US naturalization certificate. All documents are then presented to a passport Acceptance Agent (a federal employee trained to review passport applications, generally located at a post office, town hall or county court). The documents are then “executed” and sealed in an envelope by the Acceptance Agent and delivered to a hand-carry service such as ours, or, if not utilizing a hand-carry service, the documents are left at the post office and mailed by a postal official to a US State Department office for processing.

We do acknowledge that [redacted] visit our office on 08/**/14 in order to obtain a new passport. We agree that she brought her documents to us for review. We agree that she then went to a nearby post office and had the documents reviewed, executed and sealed by an Acceptance Agent. We agree that [redacted] then brought her sealed envelope back to our office and paid our fee to have the documents processed in 3-5 business days.

Processing passport applications involves utilizing a series of pre-approved, expedited processing appointments with the US State Department in which, registered services such as ours, deliver the documents by hand for expedited processing. In cases where there is an issue with the documentation the State Department provides our company with information regarding the issue so that it may be address expeditiously.

In this case, while there were several minor issues with the application which could have easily been resolved, on the 4th day the US State Department notified us that they would not accept the clients birth certificate as it was filed late by the issuing authority when she was born, a filing issue made some 60+ years ago. The US State Department requested

additional birth record information, which in all likelihood could not be obtained in time to meet the impending travel date resulting in the client missing their trip. While cases like this are very rare, we do understand the clients unhappiness as she was not able to go on her trip. However this does not negate the service we provided to her as we did everything within our power to have the documents processed within the requested time frame.

As indicated above, the documents were verified and executed by the Acceptance Agent – the government official who pre-screens the passport applications prior to the US Start department performing their investigation prior to issuing a passport. The actual issuance of the passport is not something that we have control over – promised, implied or otherwise. For reason such as this, our disclaimer (available from every page of our web site) states:

General Service Disclaimer

ItsEasy Passport & Visa Services (ItsEasy) serves as an agent only on behalf of passport and visa applicants. We accept no responsibility for the services of U.S. Passport Services of the U.S. State Department or any Consulate or Embassy regarding the issuance or correctness of passports or visas as the issuance or decisions rest exclusively with the government in question. ItsEasy accepts no responsibility for delays, loss of passports or other materials or documents occasioned by any commercial or U.S.P.S. delivery services. Damage compensation is not available from ItsEasy.

While ItsEasy clearly did its job, as a courtesy, we have refunded 50% of the $189.00 service fee the client paid to us resulting in a refund of $94.50. This credit was issued on 09/**/14 with MC approval code [redacted] and should post to the clients statement in approximately 5 business days. We hope this explanation clears up any confusion and that [redacted] is satisfied with result.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: I applied for a visa to Russia for me and my son to travel from August ** to August **, 2013. I used ItsEasy agency to assist me in my application. I came to their office on June **, 2013. The representative asked me if I need a "Rush" visa and I said I don't need rush visa, because there were 2 months left before my travel and non-rush visa should take 20 business days so I had plenty of time. The visas for me and my son were ready for pick up on July ** and I came to pick them up on that day. I was given a receipt at the time of pick up. I noticed that it included two charges for $99 dollars, for rush visa. I was trying to resolve this issue. The representative [redacted] confirmed that the Russian Embassy processed my application as non-rush and I should expect refund of $198 on my credit card in 3-5 business days. I did not receive a refund, called again. After it dragged for a while, I was advised to talk to [redacted] from billing department. She explained to me that although the Russion Embassy did not process my application as rush, but the agency itself, ItsEasy that is, processed it as rush by sending my documents to the Embassy faster than for non-rush case. [redacted] said that the service was done and the fee can't be refunded. I can't see on the ItsEasy site the agency fee for $99 rush service. All it shows is the Embassy $99 rush service fee which is not applicable to me.Desired Settlement: To get refund for $198

Business

Response: