Booking Agents vs CheckVisaSlots Community

How do we avoid Agents with Notifications Service?

Firstly, have a look at how agents work.

• Agents collect user credentials to book a visa slot.
• As agents have access to multiple login accounts, they can log in multiple times using multiple user accounts
• As soon as the visa slots are available, they book them and book for their other clients.

As you see from above, there is an unfair advantage for agents because they hold many user credentials helping them to check slot availability multiple times and book when open.

Many users using agents give their credentials, despite the risk that the agent has access to their personal details. But, would a user share their personal email credentials? Probably, not.

How do we empower our users to beat the agents at booking slots?

We have built a crowd-sourced system that works on a community-driven platform with user contributions (uploading visa slot screenshots - install the  chrome extension), helping them check slot availability more often than the restriction by CGI Federal website.

There are always bad users who abuse the system with crawlers or use the platform without contributing to the community and hence we placed guardrails.

• Irrespective of contribution, all users get 20 free sessions a day to check the availability. Each session pulls the latest 12 availability screenshots.
• With each contribution (the  chrome extension does this automatically when the user login to the US visa booking portal) the user gets an additional 12 sessions that are valid for 24 hours.

The above system works well. However, the bigger challenge is the user still needs continuously monitor checkvisaslots.com to know the visa slot availability. So, here we are launching a paid "Notification Service".

Notification Service - How does it work? How do we avoid agents?

Notification Service is just an added convenience for users to receive email alerts when visa slots are available. Paid users do not have any unfair advantages over other community members. All users,  even those paid for the notification service, must contribute images. The users who contribute regularly will be notified first and then the less contributed ones.

How does the notification service work?

Users will have an option to buy the notification service on the checkvisaslots website to get real-time notifications as soon as the slots are available at a location.

• The notification service is a flat fee for a 45-days subscription Subscribe
• Your dashboard on checkvisaslots.com will indicate if you have subscribed for the notifications
• Email notifications are sent to the same email address registered on the CGI Federal / Visa Appointment booking portal
• Adding "alerts@checkvisaslots.com" to the safe senders will alert you with the notification 
• Stop notifications if the user booked a slot

How do we avoid or block agents from the notification service?

We avoid agents by sending the visa slot availability information only a visa applicant can access

• Information is sent only to the same email id registered on the CGI Federal visa appointment booking portal.
• NO notifications to phone numbers, as agents will use proxy phone numbers to infiltrate.
• We believe that no user will not share their personal email credentials with the agent because of the personal information.
• Notifications are stopped after booking a visa slot. This helps to alert users who are waiting for the slots, also avoids information exchanged with agents.