Originally posted by Pauldo@Sep 7 2005, 09:25 AM
This what worries me about calling for information:the person who aswers the phone is probably just a telephone operative, and don't actaully KNOW any hard facts. As with most asians, telling anybody that you don't know something goes against the grain, so they will often give you their opinion, or what they think the facts are, to save losing face.

When I tried to get the 'Certificate of Non Impediment' to marry my wife, I rang the embassy on three occsions, to see if the information gelled. It did: Turn up any week day between 10am and 4pm.

Nope! :blink:

I rolled in at 2pm, all the way from Angeles in a hire car, and was told, "Oh no sir, you need to come before midday. Just come back tomorrow" :P

Well, I didn't spend four hours in a car, at 3000 pesos, just to do it all again the next day, so made an official complaint there and then, spoke to a 'whitey', who was a touch obnoxious, telling me I should have called up to get the correct information.

"I did" cried I, "three bloody times", and was told to come 'tween 10 and 4

Off he went for a few minutes and came back looking a little cowed and far more friendly. It transpired he had asked the telephone operatives what time they were giving out for consular business, and, true to Filipino form, they had the wrong info.

We were allowed to lodge our request that day, and no more problems ensued.

Not right away anyway, but that's another tale :huh:
I had the exact same thing happen to me, like everything with the Embassy, you just have to keep fighting your ground. But everything there is a battle isn't it - even going in for what should be the simplest thing will always turn into some form of battle with them. It's a killer for the blood pressure.