VFS Global Austria Visa Appointment Impossible to Book

Trying to book an appointment for an Austrian visa through VFS Global has been nothing short of a nightmare. Since January, I have been desperately trying to secure a slot for a family or friend visa, but the system is completely broken.

Here are the endless issues I have faced:

Error 1: The OTP code never arrives, and after two or three failed attempts, my account gets banned for 24 hours—there goes an entire day!
Error 2: The site crashes before login, displaying an error and telling me to try again later.
Error 3: After finally logging in and selecting a visa center, I immediately get another error.
Error 4: If I somehow manage to find an available slot, the system suddenly disconnects and refuses to process my request.
Error 5: Even when I fill in everything correctly and click submit, the system claims I left a mandatory field blank—which is completely false.
I see VFS Global responding to complaints, claiming they are happy to help, but in reality, no one ever provides a solution. Where are these appointments going? It seems impossible for an ordinary person to secure a slot, and I am not saying “almost impossible”—I mean it’s absolutely impossible!

I need to know: What does it take to get an appointment? My flight is in less than a month, and despite four months of trying, I am stuck in the same situation.