The Immigration Advisory Service
reviews and complaints

I had a very unpleasant experience with this company run by Alistair and Fiona Markham in 2013. After handing over approximately £2000, I began to have doubts that the person handling my case (Fiona Markham), actually knew what they were doing. There were lots of inconsistencies, certified documents I sent to them mysteriously disapperared, costs escalating way beyond what Alexander Beufort Williams originally quoted. When I raised concerns, they disengaged with me and didn't answer letters of complaint. When I wrote to them with a deadlock letter and saying I would be contacting consumer organisations and regulatory bodies eg The office of Immigration commissioner, Alistair wrote to me ordering me immediately to desist any activity which would tarnish his company and demanded transcrpits of all communication I had made to any other organisation about them. He claimed he had uncovered email chains from me which evidenced I was trying to circumvent the justice process.
I didn't cease and secured a CCJ against them through money claim on line. However when I tried to enforce this, the judge ' dismissed' the case and judgement claiming the Immigration advisory service was a government department. This became even more complicated as the IAS were using several office addresses, which I now am led to believe were postal addresses only and not the luxury office buildungs they would like us to believe. I worked tirelessly over the next 8 months, navigating the visa process alone but also trying to get a fair outcome. I contacted every regulatory body and government department I could( Trading Standards, Australian embassy, the law society), including my MP who contacted other departments on my behalf and the ministry of justice. I complained to the court manager at the bulk billing centre ( money claim online) and received a very disappointing response from a customer service employee inplying I had lied when I was shocked that the IAS were using several bugus addresses. I complained again and got mush the same from the court customer service manager, supporting his colleagues previous letter.. In the end I had to give it up as I was becoming unwell with the stress and anxiety it was causing. However then out of the blue I received a letter from the ministry of justice apologising, offering me a small sum of compensation ( as they felt an apology wasn't sufficient) the case and judgement was reinstated. I also received a letter from the office of immigration commissioner thanking me for bringing the IAS to their attention and they had issued them with a warning for false advertising. The result of this I noticed was the IAS changed their website about offering UK Visas and curtailed their previous statement that they were more or less registered with MARA ( a minor detail they seemed to think). With the CCJ, I applied for a third party debt order which froze the IAS's bank account containing the grand sum of £1900, however I was due to leave for Australia before I could apply for that order to be acted upon so never received the money back. I then moved to Australia in 2014 and kept my eye on the IAS and low and behold, they continued their deception and stole the hopes, dreams and hard earned cash of other individuals. If my concerns had been taken seriously and supported in 2013, this may not have happened.
In response to a post on on the Eigrate Australia thread, in support the Markhmas. 'Nice enough Chaps' do not threaten customers . From the posts on here, Poms in Oz, Poms in Perth, Alisatir and Fiona Markaham have not made any attempt to right the wrongs they have done. Further more, until they were ousted both posted pictures on social media showing Rolex watches, flash restaurants, boats and swimming pools. The author who has posted in support of them, claims consumers who have lost out since the company folded, should be aware of Caveat Emptor, translated as 'buyer beware'. Strangely, he uses this in support of the Markham's, however, the phrase is quite fitting, we as consumers should have been aware of unscrupulous individuals, falsely advertising and taking payment for services they wouldn't or couldn't deliver as they lacked the skills and knowledge. Consumers today in the UK tend to prefer the Goods and Services Act 1982 for protection against fraudsters.
I am heartened to hear an arrest has been made of one of the Markham's in Gibraltar and will be adding my complaint to the list.
For those of you who have lost a lot of hard earned cash, don't let this couple take your hopes and dreams, push on in the face of adversity, I did and it was worth it.

The Immigration Advisory Service
50 Jermyn Street
Mayfair
LONDON
SW1Y 6LX

My Case Officer: Laura Green [protected]

• Case Number: LG1501037

Money Paid into the Account:

• Lyoyds Bank Plc – Money paid £700
• Sort Code: 30-66-76
• Account Number: [protected]
• Money paid to pay Pal :£700

`I have paid the Immigration Advisory Service £1400 and I have not heard anything back from them after I sent copies of all my personal information and certified documentation on the 5 August 2015 via email.

I have called Laura and Nicole 100’s of times and no one picks the phone up and now the lines are dead, I have also sent many emails and they have all bounced back to me saying undeliverable which raised suspicion. I have been on line only to find out the Immigration Advisory Service is a scam and many people have been caught out. I have just been to the bank manager and found out because my last payment was in Aug 2015 the bank are unable to recover the money due to the accounts scaling out. I have been advised to contact the Police Fraud Department on [protected] and file a complaint. I feel so stupid that I have let this happen because normally I am so suspicious of everything and even had a bad feeling about this.

This company claims to provide visas for Australia. I have paid nearly £3000 to them and sent many confidential documents to them. They are not answering phone calls or emails and from investigating further it would appear I am not the only one to be scammed. Director, Alaistair Markham, seems to have a habit of starting companies with the sole purpose of shafting people. See Emigrate Autralia, Teaching Autralia, Violet Popsicle. Do not trust them. They are thieves who will steal your, only.