I've had the worst week ever (UPDATED the 18th)

[poppie123]

Can anything else go wrong i ask.

First off my eldest daughter anounnced that she had forgot to send off her University form for her options (it needed to be in on the 2nd September)
now it is unlikely she will be able to do the module she wanted.

Then after all the panic with XL i decided the only safe way to go to WDW was by package so after 2 days on the phone to Disney i finally managed to get my booking altered, only to find that they hadn't cancelled my old booking for accommodation and tickets. Another hour on the phone and at last it is done.(although i will wait and see if they refund my card before i celebrate) Dreading the phone bill.

My youngest announces that she hates Dance (one of her options) that she picked for this year and cried for 2 nights solid. I finally managed to change it for her today.

And just to top it all, today i thought i know i will fill in my ESTA (Electronic system for travel authorization) applications that i need to be able to travel to Florida next year. There was no need to fill them in yet but me being me the organised one couldn't resist.
Well i have only gone and messed them up big time.
Mine was ok, got Authorization and then did my eldest daughters, that was ok too until i tried to do my youngest's. It said passport number already exists.
Oh yes i had only gone and filled in my eldest daughter's application with my youngest's passport details.
You can't change it so i read on their website and it said if you make a mistake with passport details you have to submit another application. Which i did with her correct details and viola authorized to travel, so now effectively my eldest has 2 authorizations to travel.
HOWEVER, my youngest's still won't authorize because it recognises the passport number still exists, which it does, due to my stupidity.

I have sent emails to the US Homeland Security telling them what i have done, but nothing back as of yet. There are no phone numbers to ring, websites etc or advice on what to do if you are brain dead like me!!
The only way around i think is to renew my youngest's passport, then i will have a new number and will be able to process her application.

If anything else goes wrong this week i shall scream!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hildasmuriel]

How very frustrating for you. The only thing you can hope for is in a couple of days they will cancel the first application in your daughter's name so that you can apply the correct passport number to your other daughter.
Just keep telling yourself that you will be having a fantastic holiday at the end of it.

 

[hildasmuriel]

And I didn't like to comment - but I loved the fact that things had gone 'wring'.

 

[poppie123]

And I didn't like to comment - but I loved the fact that things had gone 'wring'.

Just about sums it all up really

 

[sam_rogers]

i'm sure things will get better and you'll end up having a fab holiday!Your daughter might be ok with her options at my uni they let people switch around for a week or so after lectures have started in case people aren't happy with what they've chosen.

 

[gemmybear83]

Hi I'm sorry you have had a bad week - I've read your posts on the uk board.

Look on the brightside your holiday for next year is sorted (fingers crossed disney uk have changed your booking-I have found them very helpful I am sure you will be fine).

Don't worry about the passport issues - as you say you have a whole year!!!! Just wait for US immigration to get back to you, this is all so new for them too!). I really wouldnt worry - I filled my form in wrong standing in the queue and they just let me through!!

As for your kids, well the youngest one sounds like there sorted , and I am sure your eldest can change their option. Anyway, this should make them take more responsibility over forms and things so then you wont have to worry! ..... Don't worry think about something fun like your upcoming trips!!!

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

I'm sure there are ways around things like that if mistakes are made, hopefully they will get back to you asap.

 

[norty mouse]

The sheer fact that you are so organised and sorted with plenty of time left, means that everything will turn out absolutely fine in the end and you are going to have a wonderful holiday. Everything goes wrong at the same time always happens in 3's, but look at all that went wrong and the fact that you have done all you can to correct it,

 

[poppie123]

I have just had this email back from US customs and Border Protection. I think i emailed just about everyone i could think of including the Dept of Homeland Security.

Anyway i just had this sent to me:


ESTA is new so you are helping to explore new territory in making an application! Don't worry since if we can't figure this yet, I will alert the ESTA office to this weakness in the process if it turns out to be unsolvable.

Have you tried going back to application **************** and updating the bio information to match with the correct daughter? Basically doing a reverse correction from what you might have tried before.

Let me know if that works, please.


Well you can't do what he said to try, you can't change anything to do with passport details.
At least i know they are looking into it although i do think the only solution is to remove the particular application from the system.
It is a bit worrying though, what if someone submits their application and gets a digit wrong in the passport number. It would authorize even though that might be someone elses passport number.

 

[sam_rogers]

yay at least they're being very helpful!!! hopefully it'll all be resolved soon!

 

[Ware Bears]

I've just seen your post on UKTP. You poor thing it's horrible when everything seems to go wrong at once.

At least you've sorted youngest DD out, eldest DD will hopefully be OK and you've amended your holiday.

Now, don't worry about the ESTA because there are bound to be loads of people making mistakes, many of which will be far far worse than yours. You've had a reply which is the main thing, I'm sure they'll be able to sort it out and there's lots of time before you go.

Please don't worry, I'm sure it'll all come right.

 

[ukstitch]

Hi Poppie123,

- hope you get it sorted out soon; I'm sure you will.

Thank you for having such a bad day though. I'm supposed to be travelling to the US for work and didn't know anything about the ESTA. Better make sure I get mine filled out as soon as I have my flight dates confirmed.

 

[poppie123]

Hi

Thank you for having such a bad day though. I'm supposed to be travelling to the US for work and didn't know anything about the ESTA. Better make sure I get mine filled out as soon as I have my flight dates confirmed.

That's ok, someone has got to have one, although mine's been more of a bad week.

ESTA doesn't actually come into force until Jan 09, although you can submit applications now if you want to. Thought i would be really organised and get mine done super early Wish to god i hadn't bothered now though.

 

[ukstitch]

That's ok, someone has got to have one, although mine's been more of a bad week.

ESTA doesn't actually come into force until Jan 09, although you can submit applications now if you want to. Thought i would be really organised and get mine done super early Wish to god i hadn't bothered now though.

Oh that's ok then - I'm going next month, so won't be affected in that case.

 

[Cyrano]

As others have said I'm sure ESTA will have plenty of errors to fix

 

[ukstitch]

ESTA is new so you are helping to explore new territory in making an application! Don't worry since if we can't figure this yet, I will alert the ESTA office to this weakness in the process if it turns out to be unsolvable.

Doing this kind of thing for a job as I do, it sounds to me like they missed something fundamental out when they were designing the systems.

Hopefully, the fact that you've run into this problem will mean that it will get fed back into the system and this will be added into their design and the relevant programming code will be added to allow you to get round the problem in the future.

 

[poppie123]

I just received this email...

Hello,

I was out unexpectedly yesterday. Can you tell me what your dates of travel are? I have an answer from the ESTA office but want to clarify something with them first.


PS Don't lose sleep over this. You aren't the only person that has found this weakness in the current application process

OMG there there really are other stupid people out there, i am not alone.
Hopefully he will get back to me today with whatever solution ESTA come up with. I hope it's not something like don't worry it has been logged on our systems, your daughter will be able to travel. I don't think i could stand the worry of it between now and August, they would have to send me written confirmation.

 

[Ware Bears]

Brigette, please stop worrying, you're getting replies and I'm sure they'll get it sorted long before August but if not, make sure you've printed up all the e-mails that are going back and forth and take them with you. I'm sure that won't be necessary though and everything will be rectified very soon.

Believe me, you'll have a good laugh about this one day.

 

[Ware Bears]

OMG there there really are other stupid people out there, i am not alone.

I can't stop laughing at this.









Sorry you're not stupid. It's the sort of mistake any of us could have made.