The bureaucracy and administration involved with the Apostille can be time consuming and frustrating.  Many reputable companies have grasped this opportunity to step in and provide a consumer friendly legalisation service. However, various dishonest and illegitimate companies have also taken this opportunity to take advantage of consumers unfamiliar with the Apostille process.

 

Before committing to any service provider, Apostille or otherwise, there are several checks you make to ensure your time and money is not wasted. Ensure you are not caught out by looking for some of the following red flags.

 

Whilst this is arguably not the biggest indicator of legitimacy as fake service providers may be easily contactable, a company that is very difficult to contact should certainly give cause for suspicion. It would be advisable to check the contact details they have provided on their website and phone them directly if you do have doubts. Another valuable tool to your disposal is to search for their address using an online search engine; is this a real location?

 

The benefit of using a registered UK Limited Company for you as the consumer is their transparency. A variety of information is freely available for a UK company by searching on the Companies House Public register here. By law, any company in the UK should display their company number somewhere on their website. You can find all our our company information on our website here.

 

Before using a service provider check how long they have been established and the current stature of their company. Would you trust a service provider with your affairs when they cannot manage their own? 

 

Although the legalisation department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office closed their counters in 2011 to members of the general public wishing to hand deliver documentation they do afford recognised service providers this opportunity. As such, any credible service provider should be able to legalise your document in just a few working days providing there are no unforeseen delays. If you have been quoted a longer timescale this may possibly be a cause for concern. Before vesting your interests in a company it is worthwhile to contact the Foreign and Commonwealth office to verify whether or company is registered as a recognised service provider.

 

 

Word of mouth can go a long way to adding credence to the reliability of a service provider. Check if any of your peers have used a service in the past and, if so, would they recommend it? Ensure a company is tried and tested before deciding to use them.

Similarly, there are several online review sites at your disposal that can be used to possibly substantiate a company’s claims. A growing number of service providers are also now establishing a social media presence. Checking recommendations on social media can be invaluable as customer reviews will often be uncensored and honest.

 

Ultimately, a good service provider should deliver more than simply legalising your documents. Your customer experience is paramount and you should not settle for less. If there are any delays or queries with your order you may want to speak to a friendly advisor who genuinely wants to assist you and resolve any issues.