Comments for Government Site May Provide Clues Why 'Unscrupulous' Alternative Sites Pop Up

Government Site May Provide Clues Why 'Unscrupulous' Alternative Sites Pop Up

2009-02-08T20:33:13Z

A new online system requiring mandatory registration for tourists traveling to the United States is being abused by unscrupulous businesses that are taking advantage of travelers' ignorance of the new rules, according to a report in The Age today.

But is it ignorance of the new rules or lack of confidence in the original site that inspires people to look elsewhere, inadvertently creating a demand?

]]> Since January 12 2009, all tourists traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program are required to submit details about themselves and their upcoming trip on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization Web site.

The site, created by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Customs and Border Protection in an attempt to strengthen security and simplify entry to the US, allows visitors to submit their travel details and provides instant approval via automated response.

In the past month, several unauthorized sites with similar names have popped up and are charging unsuspecting travelers anywhere from $49.95 to $249.95 per person to assist with the application process. While this is clearly a lot of money, the question of how much value sites such as these provide needs to be examined.

"No traveler should have to pay for any sort of form to be filled out," a spokesperson for the US Consulate told The Age, adding that the consulate encourages travelers to avoid these sites because "in many cases, they are not legitimate."

Unfortunately, the problem with this statement is that the 'illegitimate' sites are often easier to navigate than the official site which is confusing at best and has been criticized itself. While this does not justify the popping up of unofficial or illegitimate sites that offer 'help' for a fee, it does need to be noted.

"The Web site has put off a few people," The Age reports, and points to the wording on the sites splash screen:

"You are about to access a Department of Homeland Security computer system...there is no expectation of privacy when you use this computer system."

While most Web folk will recognize this to be nothing more than a warning, the lawyer speak that we typically see on a privacy page, the splash screen is disconcerting and may in itself cause visitors to the site to hesitate if not leave.

Additionally, the official site is not user friendly. In fact, even I (and I consider myself fairly Web savvy) was puzzled by the layout of the site and had to slow down when attempting to apply; the link for which was not immediately apparent.

Recent statistics show that the majority of the world is still not connected to the Web and when you add to that the increase in identity theft and the media attention it receives, you can see why a lot of people may turn to other sites for assistance.

While lack of knowledge about the Internet and an unfriendly user interface do not justify the fees charged by other businesses, it may just point to - at least in part - the reasons why some folk would consider paying for a free service.

What do you think? Would sites that charge for a service that is offered for free survive if the original site was better designed?

Comment from sohbet on 2009-06-14

2009-06-14T17:18:10Z

This makes the site function as a trap to criminalize most visitors. Personally, I went no further.

Comment from mirc on 2009-06-14

2009-06-14T17:16:24Z

Anyone who accesses a Federal computer system without authorization ... may be subject to penalties, fines or imprisonment."

Comment from Ben Gallagher on 2009-02-09

2009-02-09T17:52:43Z

Does anyone else find the "welcome" in the title bar a little ominous? Could the Government not afford any upper-case letters?

Comment from Pete Austin on 2009-02-09

2009-02-09T10:03:13Z

When you visit https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ you get a pop up.

This states, and I quote an excerpt: "Access to this system is restricted to authorized users only ... Anyone who accesses a Federal computer system without authorization ... may be subject to penalties, fines or imprisonment."

This makes the site function as a trap to criminalize most visitors. Personally, I went no further.

Comment from Khürt Williams on 2009-02-08

2009-02-09T05:14:21Z

I think the DHS needs to investigate and shut down these site before someone gets hurts. I would never hand out the details of my trip to some stranger.

Comment from tws on 2009-02-08

2009-02-09T03:55:12Z

I've been a web designer for over a decade. I owned a very successful design agency working with pretty big clients (it still exists; I sold my share). And the ESTA site isn't bad at all from a usability perspective.

Here's what I think works:

it very clearly and prominently offers multiple language options
it displays a large, clear diagram of the 4 step process
if offers a Help system in multiple languages
it uses very few images, and offers large, generally easily-readable typography.

And doesn't:

it's designed at a fixed width of almost exactly 800 pixels -- seemingly for an 800x600 minimum display. But an 800x600 display has a minimum browser area of significantly less, say 760 pixels.
the "Apply" and "Check Status" buttons might be tough to notice at first, since they're at the very bottom of the green application callout.
the alert dialog that pops up on first visit is very alarming (the "no expectation of privacy," as well as mentioning "authorized access" and threatening possible violation of criminal laws) and offered only in English. It needs to go!
the alert dialog only appears once; it doesn't appear as part of the Help system, the Privacy statement
the Privacy Statement is available only in English; it offers, as Elpie says, NO info on what security measures are taken with data other than data collected automatically.
as The Age mentions, the application process uses the vague phrase "moral turpitude"

Much worse are the DHS and the Dept. of State sites that explain the Visa Waiver Program....

Comment from shankar on 2009-02-08

2009-02-09T02:24:59Z

i think its a good step

Comment from Elpie on 2009-02-08

2009-02-09T00:14:34Z

I consider myself an experienced user of the web, having been online since the days of having to dial into bulletin boards through the phone. And I was completely put off by that government site. The lack of any explanation as to how they protect the data is appalling. US government websites are not known for good security practises and the idea of handing over every piece of personal information that could allow anyone to steal my identity is abhorrent.

If a third party site was to offer secure submissions of the data with a solid privacy policy (and some come-back if the data was compromised) I would be very tempted to pay for such a service.

As to the usability of the site - its a nightmare. I had to spend far longer on it than I expected, simply to try to understand what was required. Some of the questions make no sense to people unfamiliar with US-centric government terminology yet these are the very people who are expected to use the site. It would be interesting to know how many prospective visitors to the US are denied entry simply because they failed to understand the online form.