Finally got mine back, at the second attempt and in record time if you take into consideration that i posted them 24th Dec, received 29th, processed the 3rd Jan, so take out the public holidays and the boy done good.
A word of warning re pics :-
They are superimposing your photo onto the visa, so simply "photoshopping" your normal passport pic into 2"x2" format may not be good enough. The resolution and clarity needs to be good.
Still never found out why they refused my first applications, after talking to them on the phone just put everything back into envelope and re-posted. Hey presto.....could be luck of the draw.
Good luck folks.
Eddie

I'm glad to hear that you're finally sorted, Eddie.

It must have been really frustrating for you because, as you said, you couldn't see anything wrong with your original application and neither could VFS.

Phew that must have been a relief Eddie... great news!!
Chilly

HELP..(agian)..
Year in, year out, the visa situation screws my head up...
Its the first time i have done mine on-line...
Filled it in...sent off with everything requested...and recieved my "Tracking" number.
I have today tried to check the progress.....
When you go on site it asks for your passport number..(why give you a "Tracking" number !!!)
It says my aplication was prossessed on 3rd January and is awaiting collection at London/Hayes..
I enclosed a Special Delivery envalope for the return of my passport so why is it saying ready for collection.

Hi Noggin,
don't panic! It means it is ready for collection by Royal Mail so it should be with you very shortly.

Cheers squigs....
Yipppeeeeee our lovely postwoman droed them off this morning....Goa gt ready

Sent my visa's off on tues they arrived wed ,checked the progress today and it said pre checked and processed at hayes then i checked again later it now says status "scan" what ever that means i just hope alls well

Went to the manchester visa centre yesterday to sort out the visas ahead of our visit to goa in march.
Took everything with me and travelled over by train from deep in the heart of south yorkshire.
Quite easy to find really...came out of Picadilly station and asked what bus I would need for Crowcroft park - this is next to the centre on the A57 Stockport Road. Bus no. 192 from outside station towards Stockport. Bus fare was £1.60 each way. Got to centre for 1020 am. took ticket out of the little machine. I was ticket 31 - they were currently processing ticket No.5. Time passed and I was talking to many of the peolpe that were waiting to get there visas processed.
Several people came in with the old passport size photo not the 2x2 that required. They were quickly dispensed to the local photo express to get the right sized photo - about £6 a pair (they must be making a bomb!!). Many came in with the old form and had to go back home again to restart the process.
On duty was a young security guy from a private security firm.....WHAT A STAR.....he was very helpful. He reassured those there that were very apprehensive of the process. He got people to sit down with him in turns and he went through their application forms. I hadnt included our home postcode or the port of departure from India (the adobe form on the vs website didnt give me prompts for this when I completed it at home) - i was advised just to write the 'missing' details on both my forms. Several people had quite few other things on their forms that had been omitted but these were simply put in in longhand. So I got into the room with the 2 Vs staff and they went through my forms. They were OK with the hand written stuff and my photos - these had been done at home on the http://idphoto4you.com/ which I found very useful and obviously must have passed muster with the VS staff as they approved them. They put down a few details of their own, asked if I wanted to take up their own courier service - which I did. I paid £85 for 2 visa and the postage service of the forms going out and being returned back to us. I left the centre at 1315. SO....lets hope and wait to see if we get ou pp's back with visa intact. I was told by the VS staff that they would be returned to me within 5 to 7 days - so fingers crossed. Final word on this ....the VS web site with the visa application on it has tucked away the following link with the second document that you need to read and sign...http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/pdf/Declaration.pdf, this is the declaration by each applicant that you will abide by all the regs laid down by the High Comm and VS Services in the processing of your Visa.

Hi Ronsan....
why did you travel all the way to manchester to do your visas....
Did ours on-line....down-loaded them...sent to Hayes...(2x visas + postage £84)..
Sent on 30th December...got them back today...6th January...

In ronsan's case it sounds like it was a good idea to go to Manchester - seeing as they were then advised to put in missing postcode and ports. If they had sent them to Hayes they may have been rejected on that basis.

HELP AGAIN....
got our visas back the other day....
speaking to some of our friends yesterday over a few drinks...we started talking about both of our holidays....
They got their visas back at the same time as us...( both sent to Hayes VFS)...
They mentioned about thier photos on their visas....
We dont have our photos on our visas....
PLEASE EXPLAIN......

Don't worry noggin. Ours don't have photos on. It seems they are phasing them in and it's completely pot luck if you get ones with photos on or not.

Hi GoooRooo,
thanks for that...

Does anyone know if you have to wait one month for your visa to expire before you can get another one? I am hoping to get another week in Goa late season, bt if this is the case ( I think I read it somewhere) then I will not be able to go

This will be the first time I fill in a visa. I am confused about postal addresses needed for India or am I just misreading the informaton. Do I need to give an address in India?

Thanks

Dee

Dee, if you have your accomodation booked just put the address of your hotel/guesthouse down. If dont know what it is im sure someone on here will know

sent visa form off last tuesday and it says on vfs that they are processed and now with royal mail.
just hope that all forms and photos were ok, my fingers are crossed ,will let you all know tomorrow

Anyone made multiple applications (i.e. me the wife and son).

If so is it 3 apps & 3 online payments? or can I pay for all 3 at once?

I made applications for me and my husband and paid for both at the same time.