Korea (Thread 14)

[houseofmagness]

Sisses, pasuggest naman ng agency na mura processing fee for visa. thanks!

Tried and tested - Reli Travel & Tours sa Megamall at Dusit Thani. Same branch but different processing fee. Yung sa Megamall ay 700 tapos sa Dusit Thani ay nasa 600 (as of July 2018)

[kachich]

^ You can specify the countries even if not reflected in the passport.

@eischied_21
Hongdae is okay. It's lively, streetfood is cheaper. Myeondong is touristy with expensive streetfood. Makeup stores naman are everywhere, meron din sa Hongdae. What do you mean by attractions? If you mean the palaces, they're in Jongno area.
Refund? Go to Lotte Duty Free, they will tell you that you have to buy this much to get a refund, different with every store. I went there in 2016 and people (chinese) are going crazy on makeups that they're going to sell, of course wholesale sila when they buy.

[kittenchi17]

Hello sisters share ko lang experience namin sa reli tours megamall. Sept. 8 nagsubmit ako ng documents. 2 kami ni hubby. Ang status namin ay: both employed, si hubby 50k bank ako 30k, 2014 na open ang mga account namin, dating ship secretary (seaman) si hubby 2014-2015. Dahil sa previous work nya nakapunta na siya sa korea at US may valid US visa pa siya until now. Since 2016 dito na siya nagwowork pero kakalipat lang nya sa new work nung nag apply kami ng visa. Ako may invitation for A workshop in korea so inattach ko yun pati business permit. Nung nagapply ako una pinaalis nila yung "N/A" sa application form sila nagprint ng 10 pages at chinarge ako ng 100. Sabi sa akin paghihiwalayin daw ang application namin kasi may invitation daw ako si hubby wala, medyo hindi ako comfortable na paghiwalayin kasi usually sa nabasa ko iisa lang ang application pag travelling together pero hinayaan ko na kasi baka new process. Kinuha din ni Ms. Sheila yung old passport ni hubby kasi may Us visa siya na valid, ang exact words ni ms. Sheila "mam sama ko itong lumang passport kasi may US visa si sir" Sa website ng korean embassy nasubmit ang application ng sept. 11, sept. 18 nakita ko approve ako, denied si hubby ang reason "your purpose of entry is not explained in detail" so inisip ko ano kaya problem? Baka dahil pinaghiwalay application namin? since pwede naman mag appeal naisip ko mag appeal na lang kami. Nareceive ko ang text ng reli sept. 19 past 5pm na for pick up na ang mga passport, sept 20 around 7pm pumunta na kami ni hubby to get the passport. At eto ang kinagulat namin, binabalik lang sa amin ang passport ko at yung new passport ni hubby. Yung lumang passport ni hubby na may valid US visa wala. So hinanap wala, tumawag sila sa makati branch at naconfirm na nandun ang lumang passport ni hubby, so tinanong ko, "tinanggal nyo yung lumang passport? E may valid US visa yun" di sila sumagot so sabi ko kaya pala nadeny e tinanggal ninyo e. [textspeak!] nila sa akin ay mam alam nyo na po palang deny. Sabi ko oo kay need ko yung passport dahil mag appeal kami. Twag ulit sila sa makati sabi nila ihatid na sa megamall, [textspeak!] ng makati wala daw maghahatid. Sabi ko "i need the passport now!" Pinakausap sa akin ang certain denise nagpakilala na siya daw nagaasikaso ng korean visa sabi ko need ko yung passport kasi mag appeal kami sabi nya walang magdadala sa megamall [textspeak!] ko dalhin nyo need ko yan. Sabi nya wala daw , sabi ko bakit nyo tinanggal yung passport? Sabi nya pang 3rd passport na daw ni hubby yun at kenya lang daw ang tatak sabi ko anong 3rd? 2nd pa lang niya yan at may valid us visa yan. Tapos sabi ay teka check ko ayun narealize niya ata na mali sinasabi nya so sabi niya walang magdadala diyan kung gusto ko daw kunin ko sa makati. Sabi ko bakit sa makati ba ako nag apply? Kayo ang nagtext sa akin na ready na for pick up, so ngayon kukunin ko dito sa megamall. Biglang sabi nya walang magdadala diyan sabay hang up ng phone. Note: mataas na ang boses namin nung naguusap kami sa phone. So sabi ko sa mga taga megamall binabaan niya ako, need ko yung passport ngayon. Tinawagan ni ms. Emma head sa megamall branch yung makati branch [textspeak!] ihatid mo na mag OT ka na lang. Then [textspeak!] ni mam emma mam ihahatid na po. So ayun nag antay kami ng 2hrs para sa passport, pagkakuha ko di man lang sila nag apologize. Side note; nagchichismisan mga staff doon at rinig na rinig namin ng husband ko sabi nila "bakit kasi nila inaalis yung mga passport, pang ilan na itong nangyari" so doon ko naconfirm hindi lang pala ako, so hindi ako special case. Plan namin magsubmit ng formal complain sa nangyari at never kong ire-recommend ang reli tours. Sa mga sisters marami namang accredited na travel agency sa iba na lang kayo wag na kayo sa reli tours

[crzysxycl]

^aww, grabe naman experience nyo sis. sobrang hassle, dapat nga sa kanila formal complain. thanks for sharing.

[bratinella08]

^^ thanks for sharing it sis, nakaka piss off naman yang reli tours

@ kachich: thanks for the response sis!

[eischied_21]

@eischied_21
Hongdae is okay. It's lively, streetfood is cheaper. Myeondong is touristy with expensive streetfood. Makeup stores naman are everywhere, meron din sa Hongdae. What do you mean by attractions? If you mean the palaces, they're in Jongno area.
Refund? Go to Lotte Duty Free, they will tell you that you have to buy this much to get a refund, different with every store. I went there in 2016 and people (chinese) are going crazy on makeups that they're going to sell, of course wholesale sila when they buy.

yes, tourist spots like mga palaces.

For the tax refund, I can only shop in Lotte Duty Free? Can I get a tax refund if I will shop to any cosmetic stores in Myeongdong? and get the refund in the airport

[mysterioza_me]

Can I get a tax refund if I will shop to any cosmetic stores in Myeongdong? and get the refund in the airport

Yes sis pwede.

[barbillie]

^ thanks sis barbillie! You mean nag attach ka pa ng clean sheet of bond paper for the countries visited?

Yes, sis! Nakatable form lang tapos print-out namin.

[barbillie]

^Sis kittenchi17:

Kaya ayaw namin sa Reli. For my friend's Japan visa application, ready yung supporting docs nya kasi ineencourage naman ni embassy na magsubmit ng supporting docs like flight ticket and hotel accoms. Tapos si Reli Tours -- tinanggal at binalik sa friend ko, di daw hinihingi ng embassy at wala sa requirements. Tapos iritable pa daw yung mga staff dun.

In any case, dahil sa bad feedback nya sa Reli, sa Friendship naman ako nag-apply, yung sakin tinanggap naman yung supporting docs.

[summer888]

@kittenchi17

Tama yan Sis. Mag file ka ng formal complaint para malaman din ng Korean Embassy.

Parang ang dami kong naririnig na bad feedback diyan sa Reli Tours maski sa Japan Visa processing.

[mrs. sweet]

Question lang re KR pass: I purchased a 2 day fx pass online for our transfer from Busan to Seoul , via KTX sana. Pero, the site won't let me book a seat. Pano ba procedure doon?

Or should I just ask for refund then just buy a 1-way ticket? We won't be utilizing other trains naman na din.

[barbillie]

Medyo tumagal na pala processing ngayon ng visa no? When we applied last December, 2 days lang meron ng results. Yung friend ko, nagsubmit ng requirements sa travel agency last Tuesday, ngayon lang nagreflect sa website na Approved. So bukas pa nya makukuha yung passport nya. Inabot din 7 days.

[mysterioza_me]

^True. Depende na kasi sa agency kung agad or idedelay pa submission ng requirements sa embassy

[eischied_21]

Yes sis pwede.

around how much kaya per transaction in order to get a tax refund?

[ohcmon]

^ At least KRW 30,000. Some shops meron silang direct na tax refund, as in ibabawas na sa total payment mo 'yung tax. Sa Etude House sa Myeongdong ganito kaya naparami bili ko.

[mysterioza_me]

^True. Just show your passport.

[eischied_21]

^^I see. thank you for the info

[bratty]

Ay nalito ako, akala ko pwede na ulit ang personal mag-apply ng korean visa. Thru agency pa din pala, prang nanghihinayang ako sa processing fee.

Mga magkano kaya ang decent budget for 1 day in Korea?

Thank you.

[crzysxycl]

Sisses, may nagsabi lang sa akin na pag nakakuha ng visa, within 3 months dapat mag travel na. True ba?

[ms.G]

Sisses, may nagsabi lang sa akin na pag nakakuha ng visa, within 3 months dapat mag travel na. True ba?

true. secure a visa at the most, 3 months  before your travel date. for example, you were a granted a visa this october, your final entry will be on january 2019.