VFS appointment slots vanishing instantly and suspicious agent premiums

[olivia_write]

I have been trying to book a visa appointment for France for three weeks now, and it feels like a losing battle. Every time the slots are released—usually right around golden hour—they vanish in milliseconds. I suspect automated bots are sweeping them up because moments later, I get messages from ‘agents’ offering those exact dates for triple the price.

On top of that, the official breakdown of fees seems to keep increasing without any clear explanation, and when I tried to contact support to report the scalpers, I got zero response. Is anyone else facing this total blockage? I need to get to Paris for a shoot next month, and I am genuinely worried I might have to pay these scalpers or miss the project entirely. Does VFS even care about this fraud?

[Shrey_Periwal]

Realizing this is not about simple high demand but rather a script-based exploitation of the booking API.

[thabo_music]

Has anyone from Shanghai or similar hubs actually used these ‘premium agents’ for a successful Schengen appointment?

[omar_photo]

I wish to document a parallel experience regarding these irregularities.

[fernando_dev]

Realizing this is not about the visa fee itself but the ‘service charges’ being added arbitrarily.

[Meliza]

@olivia_write

I have been trying to book a visa appointment for France for three weeks now, and it feels like a losing battle. Every time the slots are released—usually right around golden hour—they vanish in milliseconds. I suspect automated bots are sweeping them up because moments later, I get messages from ‘agents’ offering those exact dates for triple the price.

On top of that, the official breakdown of fees seems to keep increasing without any clear explanation, and when I tried to contact support to report the scalpers, I got zero response. Is anyone else facing this total blockage? I need to get to Paris for a shoot next month, and I am genuinely worried I might have to pay these scalpers or miss the project entirely. Does VFS even care about this fraud?

You’re not alone — this is happening a lot, especially for France via VFS.

• Slots disappearing in seconds is common; bots/resellers are widely suspected.

• The “agents” offering dates later are resellers, not official partners.

• VFS rarely responds to reports and doesn’t effectively stop this.

Fees:

• The visa fee is fixed.

• The increases come from VFS service/premium fees, which are optional but heavily pushed.

What actually helps:

• Check early mornings and random times, not just release hours.

• Watch for last-minute cancellations.

• Use multiple devices/browsers if possible.

• If your itinerary allows, consider applying via another Schengen country.

Paying scalpers works for some but is risky and unsupported. If timing is tight, changing strategy is often safer than relying on resellers.