Why to avoid cheap Consultancies? Exposing: IDP, SIUK, TC Global etc

I see a ton of posts asking for consultants. I thought people should know how free consultancy works.

How free consultancies work?
They send you to "Partner Universities", the partner universities pay them after you have paid your 1st or 2nd semester fees. Roughly its around Rs 1.5L - 2L per student.

Who are your consultants?
Your consultants have 0 study abroad experience, they are 90% call centre employees prentending to be experts. Doubt they even understand what are the contents of your course. You are smarter than them trust me.

Who do they serve?
Imagine you are paying them 0 for maybe 5k-10k. The universities are paying them 1.5L, who will they serve? They serve the universities. If a poor quality university is giving them 2L vs a good university is giving them 0. They will happily send you to the poor university. How else will they earn money?

How to work with them?
- Do your own research, select your own universities, if the consultancy is okay with applying to them then proceed or else find a new one
- Apply on your own, ask help from an alumni or this community

How to identify these consultancy?

Anyone charging you less than 20K is a making money from universities. They insist on filing your application. That is how universities know that you came via an agent.

my_qualifications: Worked in the industry for few years