should I ask for a refund?

[Crawling]

Aibu to ask for a refund my gp filled out the countersigning part of ourvdc passport application. She did it wrong I paid £45 for this. On one hand she did it wrong but on the other she did spend her time doing it. So should I ask for a refund or not?

Off Topic - why did you pay your GP to do it? those days are long gone. Any other British passport holder can countersign - we use our next door neighbours to do ours.

I didnt find out till after hence why I want a refund and not for her to re fill out the form.

How long has anyone been able to sign it?
I was still under the impression that it had to be someone in a position of authority. must pay more attention to life

I think you can ask for it to be done again, rather than for a refund. She may have done it wrong but she should be given the opportunity to get it right.

What's the rule now then, I thought it had to be a professional, not just any British passport holder?

Well, my children are on their third set of 5 year passports and I've never paid anyone to sign it - so at least 13 years.

Come to think of it, I've never paid anyone to sign mine either - so that's 3 adult passports - 30 years. DH says the same.

Not just anyone can sign them, that's not true, but the criteria has been widened.

They have to have a degree from a British university - I phoned to check.

www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

Who can sign applications and photos

The person who signs the photo (the ?countersignatory?) must:
live in the UK

have known the person applying (or the adult signing the application for a child under 16) for at least 2 years

have a current British or Irish passport

They can?t be closely related or involved with the person applying, eg:

related by birth or marriage

be in a relationship or live at the same address as the person applying

No Haggis, that's also not true. I don't know who you phoned to check that, but they are wrong.

And below all that, Holly, is a list of examples of the type of professions that are acceptable in addition to the criteria you quote.

"Countersignatories must work in a recognised profession or be ?a person of good standing in their community?"

Sorry missed a bit:

Countersignatories must work in a recognised profession or be ?a person of good standing in their community?

Then it lists example professions

Cross post!

Haha.

There is additional criteria if you scroll down on the link that Holly sent - they must be a recognised 'professional' or person of good standing in the community

HollyBerryBush

You missed the rest of that page of advice.
There's a whole list of professions that the countersignatory must be (although it has been considerably widened compared to years ago):

"Countersignatories must work in a recognised profession or be ?a person of good standing in their community?, eg:

accountant
airline pilot
articled clerk of a limited company
assurance agent of recognised company
bank/building society official
barrister
chairman/director of limited company
chiropodist
commissioner of oaths
councillor (local or county)
civil servant (permanent), but not someone who works for IPS
dentist
director/manager of a VAT-registered charity
director/manager/personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
engineer (with professional qualifications)
financial services intermediary (eg a stockbroker or insurance broker)
fire service official
funeral director
insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
journalist
Justice of the Peace
legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs)
licensee of public house
local government officer
manager/personnel officer (of a limited company)
member, associate or fellow of a professional body
Member of Parliament
Merchant Navy officer
minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science)
nurse (RGN and RMN)
officer of the armed services (active or retired)
optician
paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals)
person with honours (an OBE or MBE, for example)
pharmacist
photographer (professional)
police officer
Post Office official
president/secretary of a recognised organisation
Salvation Army officer
social worker
solicitor
surveyor
teacher, lecturer
trade union officer
travel agent (qualified)
valuer or auctioneer (fellows and associate members of the incorporated society)
Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers
Your countersignatory?s occupation won?t on its own mean your application will be successful. But you should always try to get a countersignatory who?s in ?good standing? in your community."

I've signed a few in the past. It's the only time I feel important.

You missed the rest of that page of advice.
There's a whole list of professions that the countersignatory must be (although it has been considerably widened compared to years ago):

My NDN was a paper merchant sales rep. Retired now though.

The list given is a list of example professions.

'good standing' means no criminal convictions I think.

So journalists are of "good standing"?

Yanbu OP. If you're paying £45, the least they could do is sign within the box.

£45?? My GP ex boss used to charge a tenner, didn't matter how many he did from the same family either.
DH's boss signed them all this time round as he is the business owner.
Not sure about a refund but maybe take it bsck and ask them to do it properly for free.

I don't understand, OP paid £45 to GP? Then of course she has to sign it again.

DS old teacher had to counter sign his applic THREE TIMES before he got it right (mutter, mutter). But I wasn't paying for his sig.

How can you get the counter signing wrong?! It's so little you need to write!

She signed both photos and it said put the parents name surname first and she put my first name first.

Of course GP has to do it again, for free tho!

She also didnt put the dc middle names on the photos.

Write "I certify that this is a true image of little crawling" and leave a space for him/her to sign, that's what I always did.