I had no problem paying on line but couldn't get their courier service to work on line so I ended up printing a USPS Priority Mail label to use to send my papers to them, and I printed one (dated 2 days in the future) for them to use to return. I dropped it all off at the post office Monday morning and received my passport back a little more than a week later. I should say I had a prior visa that expired so that may have made it quicker for them to approve me this time.

An update - mine went totally smoothly.

I applied for a conference visa from the Houston branch. I sent in about 25 pages all told, with all the forms, letters of invitation and conference permissions, photocopies of ID, etc. I sent it in using FedEx myself and paid for their courier service to return it.

10/29 (Wed) - Sent package off; received by C&K the next day.
11/4 (Tues) - Submitted to embassy
11/12 (Wed) - Back from embassy
11/14 (Fri) - Back in my hands, all completed.

I don't think it could have gone much faster or better. ^

Here are some e-mail address we had success at getting replies from:

[email protected]
[email protected] (for courier receipt)

And phone numbers:
Customer Care Nos: 516-206-1483 & 646-589-0088

Tourist Visa Application with consulate as of 10/07
 

I applied at Houston office via mail and have not seen any progress yet. The passport I sent was new, so it did not have old visa in it. But, I had recelived visa before. I don't understand what is hold-up. I don't know what to do, since CKGS people are just giving canned replies over email as well as on the call, which are useless. So, I don't know what is best course of action at this point. My travel plan is on 12/05. CKGS tells me to wait and hope.

Initially I had some documents missing, which they received and confirmed it. This is my status right now on there website.

11/07/2014 - Your application has been submitted at The Indian Embassy/Consulate
for further processing.
11/06/2014 - We have recieved your required additional documents. WE HAVE RECIEVED CLIENTS MISSING DOCUMENTS AND CLIENTS
APPLICATION WILL BE SENT TO THE CONSULATE ON 11/07/2014
11/05/2014 - YOUR APPLICATION IS ON HOLD due to the missing or
incomplete documents as mentioned in Remarks Column Only once
the documents are received by us at CKGS and post verification,
will we be able to continue to process your application. Refer to the
Email sent to you from CKGS with further details.
Missing Additional Particulars Form. Missing CKGS Declaration Form.
Send Electronic Shipping Label or Shipping fees, no hand written
labels will be use for security reasons.
11/04/2014 - Your application is in process. Your tracking id is xxxxxxxx

YOUR India visa application experience with CKGS @USA
 

Tourist visa on arrival for launched for US citizens . No more hassle for tourists to india .
http://canaranews.com/news/india/India-launches-e-visa-facility-for-43-countries/

Anyone have any success in getting the new e-visa system to work for a date in 2015? Currently works only for this year. Also, there is definitely not enough space in the form for "Countries Visited in the Last 10 Years." I had 24 more that I couldn't list! Just saved it as temporary for now.

We had a group of 18 apply weeks ago. Several just got their passports back from CKGS (the parent of one had to go to San Francisco and work directly with the consulate to get movement). Another is still waiting and can't afford to fly to San Francisco to argue. CKGS has disavowed any ability to help, and the consulate won't agree to expedite processing. This person may not be able to travel, despite applying two months in advance. The group leaves Thursday night.

I'm writing to ask but wonder if this is good for all entry places or only airports. We will be arriving by cruise ship, first two day stops and then disembarking in Mumbai, so not arriving by air.

Already have an answer only at a few major airports.

For those eligible for the evisa, it is applicable for use only if arriving at these airports:

Bangalore, Chennai/Madras, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata/Calcutta, Mumbai/Bombay and Trivandrum.

That covers the vast majority of flights into India on scheduled commercial passenger flights from beyond the Indian Subcontinent. As far as I'm concerned, it's applicable at all the major international Indian airports but not elsewhere.

Too late to help me (and just by a few days, which is so frustrating), but here is an article about the new Tourist Visa on arrival...

http://i.imgur.com/2TwO9Ir.jpg?1

For those still interested in receiving a regular tourist visa with a longer validity, I recently had no difficulties obtaining a 10-year multiple entry visa from the NYC office.

Paid them the $15 for courier return & as prior reports indicate, it took them a couple of days between receipt from consulate & the package being given to Fedex. Overall, nine calendar days from the date they signed for my FedEx shipment to their office until the date FedEx delivered it back to me.

Well, in a weird twist of "efficiency", at least some of the OECD countries where the fingerprint scanning and outsourcing offices were being expanded this year were left out of the Indian visa on arrival/evisa arrangements.

I am applying for a visa at the new york office.

The courier service part of the application isn't working for me online.

What are my other options for paying in advance for this that they will accept?

CKGS only wants to make money through us and not service us back. They are squeezing courier company on low rates and the squeezed courier company fails to deliver to us.

FedEx is a brand which they have brought a bad name in our country. I have lost faith in FedEx. I neither have faith in CKGS nor its courier.

Either they wish to earn through harassing us by courier and on top of that a new designed "convenience fee" to add to their pockets and CHEAT us without any support of assistance.

Mr Modi needs to take stern action on this pathetic services by CKGS else their beautiful words of effective speaking will break our hearts of a better india to visit in future.

the Consulate have to penalize ckgs for their effective failures to services the Americans.

Mine was turned in two business days at the NYC consulate. We had someone form our company drop off the application and pick it up two days later. It helped that we had our Indian customer pushing the consulate for a fast turnaround.