Maybe I'm confused... Is this person paying for a Vietnamese Entry Visa, or the DTV Visa at the Embassy or DTV online? Either way, I don't really care any further.
I paid for a four week cooking course and received a DTV in Vientiane back in September. Received it, entered Thailand, exited, and will re-enter after the holidays.
I did. Search my name and you can find the full post about my success. When I was looking for schools I found that most places aren't actual schools as their name would say they are.
In person in Vientiane takes about three days. Drop off Monday, pick up Wednesday. Drop Tuesday pick up Thursday. Make sure you have an appointment in Vientiane before arriving as that is required. There's a small cafe near the consulate that has coffee and treats, and free wifi. If you need last minute copies of documents, someone outside the consulate has an overpriced copy machine. Best of luck.