Denied boarding due to visa with the wrong date (page 2 of 3)

Hi, I have a layover in Abu Dhabi and arrive in Chennai at 8:30 AM on the 10th. My main question is: is the agency at fault here? Thanks

My main question is whether the agency is at fault?

I think on this topic we’ll all just say anything and everything. If you want to try taking legal action, your best bet is to explain everything to a lawyer—preferably one who specializes in this kind of case—rather than asking us travelers, since we don’t know much about these kinds of disputes. Just for a consultation about your question, it won’t cost you much. PS: You haven’t mentioned your disappointment/frustration about not being able to leave.

Thanks for your insightful reply. Expanding my options, I wanted to get some feedback from the forum. Of course, I sent an email to the agency to formalize the situation, contacted their platform by phone, and I'm still waiting for their response... Given how slow they are to get back to me, I also imagine the local contact told them I never arrived. I also reached out to a legal service for initial advice and to prepare my registered letter. Of course, the frustration of not being able to leave is huge. I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet. The suitcase is still in the entryway. The mental exhaustion and the amount of money involved aren’t helping. Thanks again

... My main question is whether the agency is at fault?

YES, there’s a lack of advice due to the agency’s insufficient knowledge and therefore incompetence regarding e-visas or ETAs. This results in a double penalty for you: missing your trip and losing money.

The agency informed you that you needed to apply for an e-visa, but they should have also warned you and drawn your attention to the very specific conditions for obtaining a 30-day Indian e-visa. Indeed, such an ETA expires 30 days after its issue date. In relation to your arrival date in India, you shouldn’t apply for it too early—or, of course, too late.

The 1-year and 5-year Indian ETAs are less problematic because they’re valid for 1 and 5 years from their issue date (so there’s less risk of error). Similarly, when traveling to the USA or Canada, this isn’t an issue because the US ETA is valid for 2 years after approval, while the Canadian eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) is valid for 5 years.

Thanks so much for this super detailed reply. I think I’ll be starting a long process to try and get my money back. I’ll come back to share updates on how my issue progresses, in case it helps anyone. Thanks again to everyone! 😊

Hello

I agree with Marien. It’s best to contact a professional, and here’s the official link to the Tourism Mediator:

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R46367

Everything is well explained.

Good luck with your claim

Thanks so much for the link.

...here's the official link with the Tourism Ombudsman: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R46367 Everything is well explained...

yes, the steps to follow are clearly outlined on the public service website. You should always try to resolve the issue amicably before resorting to legal action if necessary.

We can’t really help you, but personally, I’m with you wholeheartedly. I find this really traumatic, and I can tell you’re devastated. That suitcase still in the hallway really gets to me... Of course, these are just words, and they don’t fix your problem, but just a little encouragement. I went through something similar a few years ago. Because of a handling error on the Air France website—but also due to incorrect information from a customer service agent over the phone—my ticket was canceled. When I showed up for check-in, I was told my ticket had been voided. For personal reasons, it was such a shock that, in a panic, I paid full price for a new ticket to be able to leave. 2000 €. I was convinced I was in the right and that Air France would acknowledge the professional mistake of their phone agent (calls are recorded) and reimburse me. But after over a year of procedures, registered letters, hiring a lawyer, and going through mediation, it was Air France that "won" the battle! And yet, the computer error could have been fixed at boarding. So I know how awful it is to hear at the gate: no, you can’t leave. I wish you good luck in the fight ahead—because there *will* be a fight, no doubt about it. And I hope you win.

Thank you so much for your empathy. We’re really looking forward to our trip and we’ve stretched ourselves financially to go, so this kind of situation is more than frustrating. And walking into a travel agency, I didn’t expect to run into something like this! I just sent off my registered letter. Hang in there too, and thanks again for your support.

If you arrived in India on the 10th and your visa was valid starting from the 10th, they couldn’t refuse your boarding because you were on Indian soil with a visa that was valid date-to-date, right? If you’d arrived on the 9th, it would’ve been 24 hours too early. But from what you’re saying, that wasn’t the case! !

... We’re so excited for our trip and have saved up so much to go that this kind of situation is more than disappointing. And walking into a travel agency, I never expected to run into something like this! I’ve just sent my registered letter....

When selling a package holiday, travel agencies sometimes offer to handle the visa (or ETA) application process for the customer if needed—this service (which they probably didn’t mention to you) is usually charged as an extra fee. But most of the time, it’s the traveler who takes care of their own visa/ETA application, just like they check their passport’s validity and stay up to date with vaccinations. When you apply for an ETA online yourself, the issue is that during data entry (which isn’t always straightforward), you risk making an unintentional mistake due to a lack of helpful information and no outside support (agency, friends, etc.). Unfortunately, that’s what happened to you. I hope you manage to get compensation from the agency that provided poor assistance, especially since the planned services in India (accommodation, transport, meals, tours, etc.) weren’t used.

This option wasn’t offered to me. For a previous trip, the agency did indeed take care of everything. But a professional who knows the challenges a private individual faces could have pointed out the specifics for obtaining it. I haven’t had any response from the agency so far. The local contact must have reported that I didn’t arrive on Monday! Unbelievable service! Thanks for your insights.

For VF members who have visa expertise to help you, we’d need to see your documents... I still can’t wrap my head around how a visa valid from the 9th of the month wouldn’t be valid on the 10th—the day you were supposed to arrive in India. It’s completely baffling! Some info is missing. Something’s definitely off here.

There’s something off about this.

I thought so too... But I think I figured out that the trip had to be planned *exactly* for 30 days, date to date, with no buffer at all. That was pretty risky, especially in India where a train delay, a strike, or anything else can happen and prevent you from leaving on the planned day... So, yeah, the visa wasn’t valid anymore at the end of the stay—it was one day short. That’s the explanation I came up with...

That’s the same reasoning I had, but once you’re there, it’s always possible to extend a visa—especially in this case for just one day! In most countries, including Thailand, if you exceed the planned date by one or two days, you pay the overstay fee on the day of departure.

That’s the same explanation I gave myself, but on the spot, it’s always possible to extend a visa—especially in this case for just one day! In most countries, including Thailand, if you exceed the planned date by a day or two, you pay the overstay fee on departure.

In India, it is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE TO EXTEND A VISA on the spot, except in cases of force majeure like illness, hospitalization, or a special event in India. And if you overstay, not only do you have to pay a fine, but you can also be "penalized" with a visa ban for a certain period (duration unspecified)—it’s a matter of whether the immigration officer is lenient or not. On top of that, you need to apply for a special EXIT VISA without which you can’t leave. And since you can’t stay without a visa... well, you go to prison, plain and simple, until your situation is sorted out. No joke! Indian immigration services are very strict and severe about overstaying. That’s actually why the airline—which is responsible for checking and knows India’s strict rules—denied boarding. Especially since, upon arrival, immigration would have noticed the issue and refused entry, sending you back at the airline’s expense for not doing their job. So airlines are extra careful. There you go, now you know everything.

This isn’t recent, but once I left Nepal on foot via a mountain trail and entered India outside an official border post. No exit stamp from Nepal or entry stamp for India. True story! I sorted out my situation the next day in Darjeeling, and it went as smoothly as could be! I did have a visa in my passport, though 😅

In India, it’s absolutely IMPOSSIBLE TO EXTEND A VISA on the spot, except in cases of force majeure like illness, hospitalization, or a special event in India... And if you overstay, not only do you have to pay a fine, but you can also be "penalized" with a visa ban for a certain period (duration unspecified)

PS: I now know that getting sick can help you avoid prison ;)

This isn’t recent but once I left Nepal on foot via a mountain trail and entered India outside a border post. No exit stamp from Nepal or entry stamp for India. True story !

Can you tell us roughly when this was, at least?

It’s true I had a visa in my passport

Well, there you go—but if your visa hadn’t been in order, especially entering almost illegally like that, I think the letter would’ve had a hard time getting through...

Can you at least tell us roughly when this was?

Not that old: November 1985. I was coming back from the Kangchenjunga base camp. For Nepal, I didn’t have any trekking permit. I showed my passport as a permit, and a cop (who didn’t speak a word of English) at a checkpoint wrote something in Nepali on the first page of my passport, next to the photo!! That later invalidated my passport once I got back to France, but it didn’t bother the Indian authorities at all