BLS/CGI Vancouver - Unethical & Unfair Trade/Business Practices & Harassment

[jagota_j]

Hi,

I recently received my renewed Indian passport but realized It had my address misspelled even though I had provided the correct address in my application.

I reached out to BLS (the company Indian consulate outsources passport renewals to) advising them about this error and for them to have this corrected. They refused to take any responsibility and told me I had to pay $50 for BLS's FedEx pick up and drop off service so the passport could be sent via BLS Surrey centre again to the CGI (Consulate General of India) Vancouver. I pushed back advising that I should not have to pay for this as this was not my error, rather it was BLS/CGI Vancouver's error. I even wrote to the contact person's listed on CGI Vancouver's site regarding this but nobody responded back to me.

I was threatened by BLS that If I don't pay, my address will not be rectified and if In future I want to have this fixed, I would have to pay again about $150 for re-doing the application. Left with no choice, I was forced to pay this. Consequently, my passport was received at the BLS Surrey centre on Nov 18/2015.

Now, when I reached out again to BLS on Nov 28 regarding the whereabouts of my passport I was advised by the BLS agent that the passport had arrived in BLS's Edmonton location and I need to either go there to pick it up or pay another $30 for them to mail it to me at my work address.

I told her that as I paid $50 for BLS's FexEx pick up and drop off service to my office address, I expect it to be delivered to my pre-specified work office. Why did I have to go to the BLS Office to pick up the passport. She said I should have had sent the passport to the BLS Edmonton office and not Surrey office for correction. I advised her I was informed by another BLS agent that I had to send it to the BLS Surrey location so they could then forward it to CGI Vancouver for correction.

After me going back and forth with the agent, she advised me that she will coordinate with their Edmonton office so they could give it to my work address. She was supposed to follow-up with me today (Nov 30) at 2pm mst but she never did.

All this is unacceptable!!! I am extremely upset of this unprofessional treatment by BLS/CGI Vancouver. The issue is not about paying $50 or $80 but rather an issue of principles and how can this unethical and unfair business practice go on. I want to put an end to this and want to escalate this. I am not sure who should I lodge this complaint against.

Any suggestions?

 

[ifeedly]

looking for suggestions for what?
if the address is wrong on passport then CGIvancouver did it not BSL. CGI Vancouver makes passport and laminates them.
as for the second part of your post I tried but failed to understand what is the issue. if you are in Edmonton and its not much of a bother just go and pick it up.
Would save you a lot of stress and frustration.

 

[scylla]

I would complain to the Indian consulate. This isn't a Canadian matter - so that's probably the best place to go.