DOUBLE BOOKED APPOINTMENTS - URGENT APPEAL & WARNING

Nirrik · Post by **Nirrik** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:55 pm

Dear all,

I have been reading posts from users over the past few months, particularly ones relating to PEO appointments. I have noticed that people are booking multiple PEO appointments.

This is an URGENT APPEAL to all of you that have booked more than ONE appointment. PLEASE CANCELL the one/s that you no longer need. This will allow more people the opportunity of getting an appointment at a PEO.

As everyone is aware, it is a real struggle to obtain an appointment and people are resorting to staying up until midnight just to stand a chance of getting one.

I called UKBA on 0870 606 7766. They are aware of the fact that people are booking multiple appointments when they need only one. I have been advised that they will be implementing some sort of tracking system, based on first and last names used in the booking process.

Once the system is in operation, someone who has booked more than one appointment (or has more than one appointment liknked to their name) will be turned away when they arrive at the PEO. So, please be aware, Im sure that nobody wants to end up in a situation like this. The application process is stressfull enough!

Ozair · Post by **Ozair** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:38 pm

I second that!

vik30 · Post by **vik30** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:43 pm

@Nirrik

While i fully appreciate your concern regarding multiple bookings. You must understand the fact that the ILR application can be quite a complex process for many of us. Every applicant has its own individual circumstances and it is impossible for some of us to rely on just one appointment especially when there is always a chance of IT problems, public strike or medical issues etc.

For someone whose current leave is finishing in one month's time, you are suggesting that he/she should only have one go at the ILR appointment - does not make any sense. I think its too big a risk to take on.

One could end up running out of time and applying by Post which is, i m sure you know, a pain in rear side. Postal applications are taking nearly 5-6 months and one has to live in that fear / uncertainity for so long not to mention the problem of not being able to travel during the strenuous
wait.

I understand that it can make life difficult for others who are left without any appointment but its down to UKBA to make more appointments available to the applicants or to shorten the waiting times for postal applications.

And i suggest applicants can perhaps try booking at different PEOs and not necessarily at the nearest one.

nionlight · Post by **nionlight** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:12 pm

vik30 wrote:@Nirrik

While i fully appreciate your concern regarding multiple bookings. You must understand the fact that the ILR application can be quite a complex process for many of us. Every applicant has its own individual circumstances and it is impossible for some of us to reply on just one appointment especially when there is always a chance IT problems, public strike or medical issues etc.

For someone whose current leave is finishing in one month's time, you are suggesting that he/she should only have one go at the ILR appointment - does not make any sense. I think its too big a risk to take on.

One could end up running out of time and applying by Post which is, i m sure you know, a pain in rear side. Postal applications are taking nearly 5-6 months and one has to live in that fear / uncertainity for so long not to mention the problem of not being able to travel during the strenuous
wait.

I understand that it can make life difficult for others who are left without any appointment but its down to UKBA to make more appointments available to the applicants or to shorten the waiting times for postal applications.

And i suggest applicants can perhaps try booking at different PEOs and not necessarily at the nearest one.

I second that. If UKBA can guarantee that if for any reason their appoint is cancelled from their end, then they will be automatically given another booking then no one else will do multiple booking.

Nirrik · Post by **Nirrik** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:17 pm

@vik,

i dont follow you logic mate. if someone has ONE appointment, confirmed, and they will be attending that appointment, why do they need a second?

if their case is not decided on the day, theres no need to make another appointment, UKBA will be in contact with and vice versa.

one cannot make appontments based on POTENTIAL prevailing circumstances. Using your example of a strike or medical issues, what happens if subsequent appointments are within two days apart, and the strike or medical issue runs over both dates? you wont be able to attend those appointments anyway.

All im saying is, BE CONSIDERATE of others.

Going by the popular proverb ' WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND', you never know when you may end up in a similar situation!

Nirrik · Post by **Nirrik** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:34 pm

@nionlight,

there are no guarantees for anything in life. let everyone have a fair chance of obtaining an appointment.

@vik,

you point regarding UKBA needing to make more appointments available. I think that you are intelligent enough to know that only a certain number of applicants can be dealt with in a day.

UKBA realeases appointments based on the number of requests they had on the previous day and type of applications, for example, if they can accommodate 100 applicants ona particular day, and they recieve 70 appointment requests for that day, they will release a further 30 appointments for that day.

However if 50 people have double booked for that particular day, it will mean that all 100 appointments have been taken. On this basis how will they release more appointments?

On the actual day, there will only be 50 applicants at the PEO, when in actual fact there could have been fifty more if there were no double bookings.

Ozair · Post by **Ozair** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 3:52 pm

What if there is an IT issue on the second appointment? Do you book a third ... and a fourth appointment?

innocentdevil · Post by **innocentdevil** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 4:11 pm

UKBA IT system is shite and one cannot rely on that. there have been instances when someone's appointment got cancelled without any notice and was advised to apply by post.

vik30 · Post by **vik30** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 4:20 pm

look guys, i understand your concerns but i am only saying that UKBA seems to be understaffed and they need to make more appointments available to the public. By that i mean , UKBA needs to man up a bit more.
For me, i would think that relying on only one appointment is far too risky here especially if one's current leave is expiring in 4 weeks.

In order to be prepared for the contigency, one has to have a back up appointment.

And please dont go into "third", "fourth" etc type comments. If you do that - thats plain stupid.

Looking at the complexity of your case and UKBA incompetency factors, Having a back up appointment is not a bad thing. Period.

uksettlement · Post by **uksettlement** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:19 pm

Well I agree that double booking do not help the wider audience. Yes there are chances that UKBA might cancel the appointment at a short notice but the chances of that are very little compared to chances of people wanting their first appointment not getting one because of other booking more than One. Lets be fair to our fellow applicants or atleast when you book the 2nd one cancel the first one which you hold rather than wasting. As all that we might be doing is reducing the no. of applicants UKBA can see in a day and reducing their work is not really benefiting us in any shape or form!

laxcaj · Post by **laxcaj** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:28 pm

Having a 2nd appointment isn't a bad idea at all as this is based on people's experiences in the past. Many applicants wished they had a back up appointment but never did when an issue came up with the ONLY appointment they booked.

All I will say is please CANCEL your back up appointment as soon as you are through with the major appointment booked.

Being human, I can assure you all that the issue of back up appointment will always reoccur. All we are saying is please be considerate.

Cheers

Laxcaj

arifahmmed · Post by **arifahmmed** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:39 pm

I do apologise and beg pardon before writing this comments. However Some of us is securing their way by booking multiple appointments just excuse if problem with the first one then had a back up. What will happen if any issue arise at time of back up one. Yes, we should be so carefull and will cancell second one if first one go with no problem. On that king case still we are blocking the second slot atleast 42 days because slots booked 42 days in advance.
Now what about me If I failed to book an appointment because of rushing for slots. I might have no choice except postal.

This me might be you.

Hope it make sense.

Nirrik · Post by **Nirrik** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:54 pm

Thank you to all of those people who are in agreement that double booking, besides being inconsiderate to others, is totally uneccessary.

think of it logically, the only reason people double book is out of fear of not getting and appointment. this is also the reason why many stay up till midnight, just to stand a chance of getting an appointment. But, WHY IS THERE SUCH LOW availability of these appointments? NOT because there arent enough, but because so many people are double booking.

if we all are responsible enough and stick to JUST ONE, then in the event of us not being able to make that appointment, due to sickness, IT issue, etc, we can take comfort in the fact that there will be appointment availabiliy, if not the next day, then definately in the next few.

if 500 people are due to apply in the 42 days that are allocated, and each of them book two appointments, then thats a 1000 appointments already take, far too many than the PEO can possibly accomodate, hence non availability.

i am not here to tell anyone what they should or should not do, just here to humbly request of you not only to be responsible, but also considerate towards others.

many thanks.

Nirrik · Post by **Nirrik** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:58 pm

a question to vic,

mate, if UKBA is understaffed, how does booking TWO (or more) appointments alleviate the situation? Does double booking not add to the problem?

also, are you saying that one should thing of every concievable (POTENTIAL) problem and book a backup appointment for each of these?

Nirrik · Post by **Nirrik** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:08 pm

just for a thought,

not sure if any of you booked appointments for a SHENGAN VISA at the Embassy of France. They had a system where the applicant had to include their passport number when requesting an appointment online, and the system would not allow you to use the same passport number to book another appointment, unless of course after you attended the appointment or you passed the date of the appointment.

what will everyone do if UKBA did the same? all they wud need to do is add a field to their appointments section where you would have to enter your passport number. where/how would people get backup appointments then?

uksettlement · Post by **uksettlement** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:56 pm

It's high time UKBA did the same!

ramay · Post by **ramay** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:36 pm

Nirrik wrote: think of it logically, the only reason people double book is out of fear of not getting and appointment. this is also the reason why many stay up till midnight,

ask ukba release appointments at midday then

if we all are responsible enough and stick to JUST ONE, then in the event of us not being able to make that appointment, due to sickness, IT issue, etc, we can take comfort in the fact that there will be appointment availabiliy, if not the next day, then definately in the next few.

if you stick to one there is still will be not enough for everyone...ask ukba to get more caseworkers.....They are planned to cut more staff for one third .It is why Cws were on strike during July, August.In last year 2000 SWs lost their job...
In Solihull Peo used to be 2 SEO CWs.Now there is no one.

if 500 people are due to apply in the 42 days that are allocated, and each of them book two appointments, then thats a 1000 appointments already take, far too many than the PEO can possibly accomodate, hence non availability.

It does not work like that..
people are booking multiply appointments for different days..If everything goes Ok they cancel rest of them.so no waste

i am not here to tell anyone what they should or should not do, just here to humbly request of you not only to be responsible, but also considerate towards others.
many thanks.

then why did you 'humbly' complain ukba if you here not for that???...
did they give you an appointment because of your 'nice behavior'??..If not ask some of OISC advisers.They can give for £1000.Ukba has 2000 OISC advisers..For each of them 2 appointment per weak reserved.One adviser told me that.Then I booked trough him just in 5 days in advance.. 2000*2/5=800 for every day.so ukba has an extra income from them..There is even an advertisement on the door of PEO Croydon..about the
recommendations of using OISC advisers...

I have been advised that they will be implementing some sort of tracking system, based on first and last names used in the booking process..

They have to implement the online system how to track the application first at least...and phone and email contact with CW.After so-called same day premium service people have to wait for 6 months in a big anxiety just to be able to get the answer that your application is in progress or under active consideration or do not worry we are working on it.
good luck

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DOUBLE BOOKED APPOINTMENTS - URGENT APPEAL & WARNING

DOUBLE BOOKED APPOINTMENTS - URGENT APPEAL & WARNING