TLScontact / UK Visas & Immigration UKVI Review

Terrible service and staff know nothing.... Wait for hours outside

This is my first application for shengan VISA and I had a worst experience visiting TLScontact on 20th Jan 2017
The biometric system was not working and we were held captive from 8:30 AM to 1 PM inside the place. We were neither provided with food nor allowed to go out and have food. On top of all these, we were not properly communicated on when the biometric system will be restored.

At about 1 PM, they refunded the VISA fee and asked us to head back home. I had to come again to TLSContact to get my VISA. Over all, one of the worst experience I ever had. I couldn't go to office that day and the entire day was wasted.

I came to TLS Edinburgh office and I am very happy I got a 6month visa.

This centre is the worst and most irresponsible visa centre. If you need to go to France, I would recommend VFS instead of this agency. The French consulate granted me the visa on the same day that I fly (my flight is at 5:30pm) and considering the time to collect passport at this agency is from 9am-11am - which mean in the morning, I should be able to receive my passport with the French schengen in it. However, this visa centre only send me a text one day after my visa was granted to let me know that I can pick up my passport, which stops me from going on my trip. It was a big mistake choosing this agency over VFS. I will NEVER come back to this agency or trust them with any of the visa application. I have had many schengen before and had no problems with other agency. On the other hand, when I was at the centre, the all the staff were very unfriendly, inconsiderate and not helpful. They also treated all the customers without any respects. This should never happen to us, and I urge the French consulate to reconsider outsourcing to this company, as it affects many people, not just me.

The service from TLS was most horrible ever, the staff answer the question like machine without a brain. They don't let you complete your question at all! They just hang up the phone without finishing the conversation!!

The environment is great and less people than London. The service is porfational.

I am not going to change my grade ( reasons listed by my husband Soph Be ).

To the owner: Why do you try to encourage me to list the issues I encountered if you really don't give a.... about them. I have done so 5 or 6 times through the link you suggested and nobody replied to me at all. You are perfect at ignoring people and pretending you want to improve. And I will never use your centre as I am an EU citizen thank God. What I will do is to publish everywhere how horrible your service, staff and attitude are. Please don't get back to me

Worse service I have ever seen.
We forgot a photocopy of one document and the photocopy machine in the premises was out of service.



All the staff members in the TLS Contract are harsh.

We requested them to help us as we were with an infant. The lady staff didn't care the trouble we face. She didn't even show concern for the inconvenience.

I was here today to apply for my visa. Unfortunately we could not apply but the experience has been amazing. Christop and Bilal made sure we were looked after. We were late by an hour and still they were happy to accommodatem us. Hope to see you folks soon.
Thank you
Devang

I went to the visa application we were only 5 in the queu in which I didn t expect less than a minute we went through in the passport and BRP check desk less than a minute again I have been seen by someone my application got checked unfortunately i had to go back due to an early appointment but so far it s was a good experience the security guy was alright no troubles.

Terrible service! Very unorganised and unhelpful. Major delays caused by this centre. Much better to apply directly at the Embassy. Although this centre doesn't make it easy to book an appointment directly with the embassy, it is possible to avoid them. They will delay your application by at least a week. No body knows where your documents are and very insensitive to customer's travel arrangements and the expenses that will be incurred as a result of their actions and carelessness. I hope everybody reads this before even thinking about booking anything through TLS and thinks remembers to book appointments directly with the embassies where possible.

Thank you for your response however please don't push the blame onto the embassy. They have been kind enough to confirm that my documents were returned back to TLS for direct collection LAST WEEK! What I don't understand is, TLS is supposed to assist customers with the visa process and not hinder or delay them. I honestly can't believe what person with a sane mind would pay for this service. The delay is definitely from TLS. Even if the embassy had delivered my documents by walking them over to the TLS centre, it still wouldn't have taken this long to locate them and contact me to come collect them. Using "the decisions are made by the embassy etc." as an excuse just isn't true in this case.

Excellent service, and really helpful!
Don't be scared by the bad reviews. I was worrying about it too before going. Finally I'd like to say everybody there is very friendly and ready to help. If you think they're trying to put you in troubles, it's just because they want to make sure the documents meet the requirements from France Consulate to help the Visa application, not being asked by them.
You can still insist to submit the application, but take the risk by yourself.

Very very bad experience.The stuff in fingerprinting collection point is pretty unfriendly.never want to come to here again.

Organised process. Overall takes 1 hr start to finish. Be very particular about following instructions online else will have to come back with more info.

Very helpful and polite, may be abit slow in the process of getting your application to the agency during the appointment , but you can't complain about it, there are hundreds of people waiting, so I respects that they are doing the best they can. Beside that, my application was sent back right just one week with a good new . Appreciate the service they provides . Great job , well deserved 5 stars !!!

Located in a small building next to the train lane, the recent service has improved slightly, providing computers and printers for supplementary materials; if it is about in the morning, there will be fewer people

Very bad attitude! The woman who received the materials chatted with others all the way, looking as if I owed him money. The Chinese staff nearby did not ask me serious and detailed questions. I just let me go without asking whether the passport should be sent or picked up by myself. When I went back and wanted to change, there was a man who drove people out. He was very tough and couldn't do it but paid for it. Obviously they made a good mistake in their work. Foreign staff have a group of eyes on their foreheads, and they will never look at you when they talk to you. The praise is also brushed by the motor, you don't have to be too good to go. They have no influence on the visa process.
Rubbish.
The lady in Cubicle 2 kept complaining about her discomfort instead of focus on her job. She even lost her temper a bit and shouted at me. I understand everybody has a bad day but she should not be allowed to be working if she was sick and rude. She did not asked me if I would like my passport to be delivered or collected.

By the time I found out about this issue and double back. Another male officer literally forbid me from seeking any help and rushed me to pay and move along.

I sincerely hope those employers of TLS do not represent the image of France, cuz that would be absolutely huge disappointment! This place will ruin ur trip from the very beginning. I don't think France as what it was anymore.

No printing facilities available. Doesn't accept Amex.

Long line, horribly rude staff. Better off apply directly at the consulate.

Great and timely service. Pleasant staff. Completed work in a breeze. Nice Edinburgh visa application center.

I have applied for visa France for four times here. Service is good. I don't need to wait for the Fingerprint this time. It really saved my time.

I came Edinburgh French visa application center. Nice attitude here.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A POOR SERVES IN ANY WERE IN MY LIFE

6 weeks just to have an appointment and submit documentation! Bureaucracy at it's idiotic best means my family will not be holidaying in France this year, and the small towns and villages we had planned to visit will not be receiving much needed revenue. Sort it out - hire more people to achieve your own 48 hour appointment targets, and facilitate the tourism industry your country so depends on.

Thanks you to use tls for scengen visa.i have 2nd time to go tls contact. Staff is so far ok but need to get more training to help applicants.
But I would like to request you about Belgium application. Belgium embassy reception who is dealing very rude lady and no chance to get any update and if I ask anything about my passport update she is angry, why?this is her job to answer politely.
I hope tls contact with Belgium embassy tell them to provide information properly and quickly. They are very very slow for service. I think they are not working properly inside .they don't want to listen any emergency from applicant that is not good .I will never go to Belgium embassy future.
Thank
TLSCONTACT

disgusting organisation, robbers simply, robbed me with 217 pounds!

Jordan Security , Had a wonderful experience and service

Worst customer service, horrible experience!!

Rubbish website, confusing information, Rude people.

Please use a different place to get your visa!! Doesn't even worth one star. Rubbish Rubbish Rubbish...

Applied for French visa on 12th of Sept. Tried to book my appointment in start of August and wanted to book early coz my family were supposed to travel on 20th of sept. But couldn't find any earlier date. Except this of very long appointment dates my experience with TLS team was realy good. Well behaved and professional staff and also e-mail inquiries are responded very efficiently.

The TLScontact online process is by far the worst I have ever encountered. I attempted to arrange an appointment with TLScontact to pursue an application for a French visa. After the painful process of completing the 'create an application' form I eventually arrived at 'pending' status yesterday. I have returned to 'my account' today, after having to reset my password which I had entered correctly, to find that the application had disappeared ! What an absolute shower you are. Cecile, Gabriele, Simon you need to get a grip and make some radical improvements!

The staff in Schengen visa centre are very kindly and have professional working attitude which are quite helpful to us to hand in our Schengen visa documents. The employees also provide useful advice for me. In addition, the employees work effectively that help us saving time. I have a nice experience with the staff who were working in the Schengen visa centre.edinburgh.

Terrible service, had to wait for nearly two hours as 'it was busy and staff were on lunch break' despite the appointment time being booked in advance. The costs are entirely unjustified and the staff very rude.

The process was smooth and fast and the staff were really kind and helpful. We could even have coffee and breakfast after getting application done! Hope to get back my passport earlier!

Others are okay, the efficiency of the 4-day signing is also very high, but can you please update your system in time, I have already filled out the documents and said that I am missing files, which led to the rejection of the documents, but still got the Amitabha was signed by the law for many round trips a year.

I have never seen a worse visa application centre. We came a bit early to our appointment as suggested, and have been waiting for over an hour after the due time of the appointment. I have been watching the doors and nobody has been getting in or out of the doors (probably the personnel is having an unofficial lunch break). When I asked the security why nobody was getting in, he told me they were still processing people from an hour ago. Needless to say the security was extremely rude, saying there was something wrong with my eyes if I don't see people coming in and out. This is just outrageous and I am speechless. The security also mixed the queues so latecomers jumped the queue! It's such a pity people have to go through this ordeal and treated awfully on top of it.

Very good, very good attitude, serious, very satisfied service! Edinburgh

Very good.She is very patient and every explaination is clear.edinburgh

friendly staff and nice exprience. just waited too long for biometric data collection. London.

I came to Edinburgh and this was an easy tramit. You only need to check the document list on the web site and if you have any query you also can call. Nothing to worry about.

Worse ever, I called them several times and they never called me back!!!!!
The customer service of this company is horrendous, I hope I don't have to use it ever again!

Premier service is great and affordable especially with Malena's professional help. I would highly recommend it. Also you can literally have breakfast here :p

they were ok. they are professional . staffs were friendly and helpful. I've been there last week and they were nice to me.

extremely poor service. I cannot believe such a slow and poor system in Europe!

Well I am an Indian national, so I pretty much need a visa to step out of my house! My job requires me to travel a lot and therefore I have had several experiences getting visa's for countries across the globe.

However, this experience with TLS Contact for France and Belgium in London really stands out - coz it was the WORST ever!!

Here are few of my observations -
1. Very poor queue management - on 23rd February a pregnant lady had to stand in the queue outside the facility (in 2 Degree Celsius ambient temperature with freezing winds) for almost 90 mins :(

2. Impolite and Untrained Staff - The staff was extremely rude, had no empathy and were at times borderline cruel and insulting!

3. Cumbersome and Flawed Process - Other Visa service providers have simplified the document collection and validation process to less than 15 mins per applicant. TLS on the other hand has a very in-efficient multi level validation process where 3 people in all validate the same set of documents adding zero value, stretching the cycle time indefinitely and ruining the customer experience beyond repair.

4. Not Family Friendly at All - The facility does not allow kids and does not give any guidelines for families with infants. A couple (with a 3 year old) that I met there went through a nightmare. They took separate appointments that were 1 hour apart so that they could each be with the kid while the other one went in to complete their application. However, when the second one went inside TLS insisted that they should have all come together as they are all travelling together with no empathy for their situation on how to manage their young one. To make things worse they marked their application as incomplete as both the parents of the kid did not come in together.

Attention the French Foreign Office and the French Embassy in the UK - Your country attracts millions of tourists every year and for a significant number the visa process is their first tryst with France. The way TLS is running the show in their London offices is really hurting your brand as a Tourism magnet. I am sure you will empathize with several suffering applicants like me who had to waste almost half of their workday just to navigate through TLS' cumbersome processes.

I believe this can be fixed very easily with a little effort, attention and empathy for the applicant. Request your intervention to save us the horror that the TLS visa process is.

The service is quick and convenient, excellent. Thanks. Edinburgh.

Staff are nice but it is so slow for the fingerprint collect and the waiting area is useless.After 25min waiting we were told to queue outside the room and it is kind of wasting our time.

This is by far the worse visa application organisation I've come across.

The customer reps are extremely rude. The managers are very unhelpful. I hope nothing takes me back there.

The only change that can come will have to be an overhaul in management and terrible customer service reps.

My advise stay away.

I find the staff is very co-operative , and process is exactly what they mentioned in their website. If you keep all the documents in the mentioned order, it is quick. But they took more at the payment counter , otherwise everything is fine. Overall Good experience :)

Hari

I was allowed to enter later than my appointment time due to backlog of earlier applicants inside the building.

Security staff were polite on this day. Thereafter security check and inside the building.

Reception staff were good. Application and documents scrutinised, and then directed to wait for counter number to be displayed on screen against your name.

Persons accepting documents unsure of what documents required in particular case which doesn't match their predefined applications.

Then was payment - the real bottleneck. One counter was working instead of two provided. Amount on card swipe receipt and receipt provided doesn't match - disclaimer states they can provide receipt for VFS fees and charges only, not Visa fees which is charged in Euros. (If so then how was the total GBP amount calculated?)

After payments was the biometrics. Took their own sweet time for that.

Toilets available inside. Decently clean.

Refillable water cooler / dispensers provided - but no glasses! Guards were seen refilling their thermos and having a water, nothing for the applicants.

Hot and stuffy after payment counter due to many partitions and lack of air circulation.

Bearable experience, wouldn't want to experience it again.

PS. Better to walk down from West Kensington (District Line) or Shepherds Bush (Circle Line). Tube on District line to Kensington Olympia station do not operate on weekdays.

On the website they didn't specify the type of insurance they require, it causes many troubles.
The staff outside are nice, but the service inside is terrible.

The incompetence at this organisation is staggering. I have no idea why you book an appointment time because there is not chance that you will actually have your appointment at the actual time.

Terrible experience, website not very friendly and badly structured, staff very rude and unhelpful, no way to change an error on application without losing original appointment, having to call, then wait for them to call back - I hope I never have to deal with them again

In an alley, I went in from the direction of an exhibition house. I don t know why there are so many people who come to the queue. It s a long time to go in. It s also a black man. Most of the Chinese, the service is More

Felt like coming here to beg for money. No, I came here to apply and pay for my bloody tourist visa to visit a country that they represent.
Staffs. especially the security guards treat you like prisoners - rude and arrogant.
4 hours of torturous queueing, Worst visa centre I have ever been in my life.

Very Supportive and correct directive given.
It was pleasure and pleasant

Regards, VIJAY ANAND.

Worse place ever! They refused my visa for no reason!!! It'd the first time I get it refused ever! The day I applied from French visa centre.

Worst service. I would rate zero star if there have one !

I find staff not very polite. One person says to stand in one queue and then other person asks to join another lengthy queue. So they don't themselves know which queue applicant need to stand when one is coming for an appointment. Then the numbers are not called in order while we wait. There was a booth displayed on biometric screen for my wife and when we went there, the person doing a biometric told us that he is not expecting us. Based on other reviews and my experience, I feel it is good if you opt for upgrade for premium appointment. If not, please don't expect a smooth experience.

Rubbish company no UK contact telephone. if you call they will say to you we don t have UK Visa telephone number. They must have one switch telephone then you select the visa department you need.

Appointment at 11:30, it is now 1:00 and I am still waiting. No protection from rain. Rude service. Outrageous.