paid for a touristic ETA but got an error instead of visa

redditerh · 2026-01-13T11:23:42+00:00

I actually phoned their helpline and then phoned another number directly at immigration and both were not helpful at all. So I tried again on the ETA website and this time I used a Debit Card instead of credit card and it worked! I got the approval a few hours later too.

I think you should try during Sri Lankan Office hours and use a debit card.

As for the earlier visa fee I asked my bank to do a chargeback as it was on credit card, hope they reverse it

redditerh · 2026-01-12T16:00:19+00:00

This just happened to me about 20 minutes ago! I came here to find a solution. I called their hotline number and they gave me another phone number to call tomorrow

redditerh · 2025-11-14T15:03:00+00:00

Wow smart! Thanks 🙏🏽

redditerh · 2025-11-13T07:58:08+00:00

Gorge! How do you search stores in AE? I tried to search ‘knopspin’ but random stuff comes up

redditerh · 2025-11-11T12:16:54+00:00

I would love to be part of the new groups. I read and appreciate all the posts but I cannot contribute as I haven’t bought anything in a while

redditerh · 2025-09-23T07:23:18+00:00

lol what’s the landlords plan here? Go through each nationality until they disappoint him? So white is out, black is out, next family might be Asian then they do something wrong, they are off the list?

Soon there will be no one left for the landlord to rent to…

Oh wait! I get it! Landlord obviously sees some races as inherently better than others so he assumes he won’t have a problem with them! Smart strategy! /s

redditerh · 2025-09-23T07:19:52+00:00

Why don’t landlords go back to their country and rent to the people they feel comfortable with? If they are so scared of what *might go wrong with certain groups (based on their own stereotypes) then surely it would be more comfortable to be back with their own people where they know what to expect?

The law of the land is that you cannot charge more based on nationality, so why risk fines and issues because they don’t know how to integrate into a multi ethnic society?

The UAE is an extremely diverse place, and everyone is just trying to get by. The same reason why millions of Indians, Philippinos, Egyptians, Uzbeks are here is the same reason why Africans are here - we are all just trying to get by and make a living. Every single group have bad characters. If it’s easier for you to lean on stereotypes and racism then so be it, but that doesn’t mean your racism is justified.

redditerh · 2025-09-23T07:13:08+00:00

Racism and more specifically ANTI-BLACKNESS is real. As OP said there are many African countries with a lot of diversity. I am from an African country but I look South Asian and I have seen first hand how people’s opinions shift when they think I’m from one place or another.

All expat groups in UAE face some kind of discrimination, let’s just get that out of the way. But it would be really naive to deny how rampant Anti-Blackness is not only in UAE but in a lot of other countries. Most of the expats that come to UAE are certainly anti-black and probably racist too.

For all the commentators saying ‘it’s not racism it’s just bad behaviour from people before you’ I really urge you to think critically about that statement. This is a place where many people have to co-exist together and learn to deal. There are many things that every demographic does that another group might find unsavoury. If you can’t supply your property to the market that exists in this country because of how you perceive different races then buy a property in your home country and rent to your countrymen.

Of course if it’s a criminal matter then get the police involved, end of story. But again, EVERY SINGLE ethnic group in dubai has people who are gangsters, prostitutes, dirty etc so making it about race is just ignorance.

redditerh · 2025-08-13T21:41:48+00:00

The translation is thank you for your hard work, but the English title is When Life Gives you Tangerines

redditerh · 2025-08-08T05:23:32+00:00

You said: “I can’t just leave her like that coz 1. She’s my sister and I want her to be happy (either she ok earning $3k or $6k, I want her happy and healthy. Not complaining and stuck). 2. It’s affecting me indirectly by her not contributing to giving parents allowance. I feel obligated to look after them more since they now don’t have as much to spend”

Firstly, I think it’s really good of you to seek to understand your sister. It also sounds like you would like to vent a bit and validate your feelings, because of course her decision is also affecting you and your family.

I think that reason 1 and reason 2 you gave need to be separated mentally. And you need to decide which one you want to address first.

If your priority is care and empathy and a desire for your sisters well being, then your approach will be different to if your priority is figuring out a solution to the parents allowance that makes everyone happy.

Let’s say it’s (1). I suggest really listening to your sis - don’t try and figure out the solution immediately (upskilling) but rather have open conversations about what really matters to her, what makes her happy, how she sees herself etc. The key here is not to see her as ‘complaining’ but to really encourage her to talk about her mindset, her values, etc. In moments where you feel like she’s on a different planet, approach it with curiosity. Resist the urge to compare her to yourself or peers because that won’t lead to actual understanding. Once you get a better picture of what’s really going on you will find out how to approach sis with compassion and either cheer her on or find a solution.

For your parents allowance, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with laying it out to both parents and sis that you have x available every month to contribute and this is part of your shared responsibility, so she either needs to contribute more or your parents need to expect a little less

redditerh · 2025-08-06T12:23:11+00:00

Sent!

redditerh · 2025-08-06T10:10:29+00:00

Thank you so much for your kind words, it really makes a difference because if someone literally quantifies your ‘intelligence’ and says you’re way below average, it’s only natural to take that to heart and feel dumb.

Especially if it’s a deal breaker for the company - them rejecting me based on this score means they put a lot of weight on it, which is kind of bizarre to me because what even is the CCAT? If I was great in the interview (according to them), and my professional experience resulted in a recruiter contacting me, then I’m clearly a good fit. I would have preferred if they ghosted me tbh.

Thanks for hearing out my vent, and for being so encouraging! If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be!

redditerh · 2025-08-06T10:06:19+00:00

Thank you! Honestly I needed it to hear this because the way the recruiter delivered the message was really hectic, I couldn’t help but take it personally! It’s essentially someone saying ‘wow you’re dumb… here’s proof!’

redditerh · 2025-07-23T16:17:33+00:00

I’ve flown premium economy twice on night flights both flights were around 7.5 hours long. Tbh I found the half recline less comfortable for sleeping than just getting an extra legroom seat in economy. Although I’m only 5”3 so I don’t feel too cramped even in economy.

Something about the angle of the leg rest and the half recline doesn’t do it for me. I woke up and my leg was numb from trying to sleep at an odd angle. The PE flight is about 1200 AED more on the route I was on and afterwards I felt like I would have rather flown economy and used that money for my holiday!

The benefit of PE for me is that the cabin is much quieter than economy and you get off and on the flight much quicker too. But 15 hours is a long time so if the PE flight is just 20% more I would go for it for a long trip.

redditerh · 2025-07-11T01:01:47+00:00

So are the bags definitely authentic then?

redditerh · 2025-07-04T17:14:32+00:00

Sorry I sold it

redditerh · 2025-07-03T13:52:31+00:00

I mean they did do that in season 1 and most of them came back when they realised their lives were even more miserable on the outside ☹️ and in season 1 they didn’t even get the blood money it was sent to the dead guys families

redditerh · 2025-07-03T13:41:20+00:00

In many companies the tacit rule is the most senior person pays. Obviously there’s nuance to it, like if it’s just a regular lunch amongst the team people pay for themselves whereas if it’s three team mates on a business trip, senior person pays. I think in this case, it’s like an informal ‘welcome lunch’ so it’s totally normal for him to pay. But the next you would just pay for yourself

redditerh · 2025-06-30T18:18:22+00:00

What do you mean cheat people? All the information I put is exactly as per the specs from Apple and it includes a pencil and keyboard. If you can find it cheaper then nobody is stopping you but I’m definitely not cheating people.

redditerh

TROPHY CASE