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Original poster

To think that the Post Office are f***ing @rses?!

38 replies

CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 14:27

I'll start by saying I'm having a really bad day all round, so I may well have not reacted well, but...

Dd needs a passport before we go on hols in the summer. I've already made one trip to get her photos done. DH filled out the form online, which they then mail out to you for signing etc. We got a professional person to certify the photo at the weekend, and to sign the forms and give us his passport number. So armed with the completed form, the photos, my passport and dd's birth certificate, I head into town to use the passport checking service at the Post Office (local PO doesn't offer service).

I queue for over 30 mins in a packed PO, with dd intermittently tantrumming because she is obviously bored in her pushchair, and wants to run around and play. I have a 'disagreement' with a woman who thinks she can push in front of the entire queue as long as she asks the couple that she's pushing immediately in front of (apparently queues should now be based on why you're in a rush, and not ordered by those who bothered to get up and allow enough time for the errands they had to run ), and then I finally get to be served.

The woman glances at the application form, says she can't check it because it's been downloaded and the passport office software puts a solid blob in the boxes where there should be an X. WTF - this is the only reason they won't check it! I'm sure that since the passport office puts the solid blobs in the boxes, that they must find them acceptable, so why can't the PO do the rest of the checks?!

Needless to say a bit of shouting and a few expletives from me didn't get me anywhere except to have another manager confirm what a bunch of useless twats they are .

So now I have to get another form, fill it out manually, find another professional who can certify another of dd's pics and put their info on the form, and queue up to have it checked all over again. Actually dh has to do all of this, because I phoned him up and told him that I was about to have a nervous breakdown in the middle of town, and that I wanted nothing more to do with passports.

OP posts:
MaPickleLovesDinosaurs · 30/05/2007 14:30

Jobsworths

LIZS · 30/05/2007 14:31

Can't you just risk sending it off anyway. Sounds like you've allowed time in case of a problem.

thelittleElf · 30/05/2007 14:32

What an arse!

ungratefuldaughter · 30/05/2007 14:34

don't bother with the checking service, they are over fussy and often reject photos which are later accepted by the passport office although I find it better if you get photos done by a shop where they have a frame to check it rather than the machine

I have countersigned for lots of people and not one has been rejected by the passport office but a few have been rejected by the post office (as my countersignings are for friends and colleagues children I do the checks as well for an extra choccie and don't often find mistakes) so trust yourself and send it direct

hjscho · 30/05/2007 14:35

I understand the rage, although I thought the form were pretty fool-proof if you filled them in on line. I think you go through it so methodically that you can't get it wrong. Why not just send it off without the checking service? It will save the queues...

As for the queue jumping...I hate that.

I'malso mad with my local PO. I couldn't get into mine with my double buggy yesterday (its in the back of a shop) as there was a pile of boxes of Stella and a very inconveniently placed cash machine (the sort that charge you for using them). Had to leave DC at end of isle and I keep saying I'm going to complain...not sure who to though. A wheelchair user would have no chance.

Hope your day improves.

IcingOnTheCake · 30/05/2007 14:36

i had a bad experience too at the post office a few weeks ago. dp hadn't been sent a car tax disc reminder so i went into the po to see if i could get a form dp could fill out to apply for one. there was a mile long que so i went upto the woman on the counter where they sell paper/lottery etc and explained and asked if they had any forms out. she was unhelpful and rude and thought i just wanted to not que and said in her high and mighty tone that i must que. so i did and the woman behind the counter said i didn't need a form, just the log book and the relevant forms.

i was very annoyed because if that first woman had concentrated on what i was asking rather than concentrating on being snotty and unhelpful then it would have saved alot of time! rant over.

LIZS · 30/05/2007 14:36

oh and they were no better to us with Royal Mail Redirection forms, calling up to insist that they hadn't seen enough id for my maiden name and to check we'd paid enough.

Original poster
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 14:36

Liz - I don't want to send off dd's original birth cert and my passport, and by using the checking service they verify those details instead, otherwise I would just send it off, yes.

OP posts:
hjscho · 30/05/2007 14:39

I haven't had problems sending offoriginal documentation before. They have always sent it back.

Original poster
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 14:41

But I don't want to fold the pristine birth certificate, for irrationally sentimental reasons .

OP posts:
LIZS · 30/05/2007 14:41

Get a Duplicate copy in that case !!

beckybrastraps · 30/05/2007 14:44

I love our PO. They hold our vilage diary, give out entry forms and tickets for the fun run, horticultural show, fireworks display etc. They go out of their way to help the older people who use it. They are wonderful with helping with form-filling etc. And yet they are under threat of closure.

haggisaggis · 30/05/2007 14:52

It does actually say on the computer generated form that you can't use the passport checking service!

Original poster
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 14:54

Does it? I left it all to my dh, and he assured me that it hadn't told him that at all!! We will be having words if it does. On the actual application form?

OP posts:
Original poster
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 14:58

Nope, just checked the form, and it doesn't say it on there.

OP posts:
beckybrastraps · 30/05/2007 15:01

www.passport.gov.uk/Epa1d/index.aspx?c=1

beckybrastraps · 30/05/2007 15:02

Not sure of that will work. I quote from the home page:

"Welcome to the IPS on-line passport application

This is a secure site designed to help customers correctly complete a passport application form online.

Once you have completed your online form

We will print the information you entered onto a paper application form. The pre-printed application form will then be returned to you by post for you to sign, date and return to IPS for processing. If we receive your online form before 5pm on any working day, we will aim to dispatch the pre-printed application form to you within 24 hours. Please note however, that during periods of peak demand it may take us longer to dispatch your pre-printed application form. It is only on receipt by the IPS that the fee is charged and the processing of the application begun. Pre-printed forms filled in online cannot be used for Check & Send."

Original poster
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 15:07

Right, dh gets it!!

OP posts:
beckybrastraps · 30/05/2007 15:08

Apology required for the PO

prettybird · 30/05/2007 15:09

But if your reason to use the "Check and Send " service was that you didn't want to send off your dd's passport, I think you'll find that itdoes still need to be sent off.

See extract here from the passport website, the page on "What is check and send"

"check that your application form has been filled in correctly
check that you have included all the supporting documents and the correct fee and
forward all the relevant paperwork plus your payment for the passport directly to us. "

Original poster
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 15:11

Still a stupid rule though .

Quick - have dh on skype - he says 'what can i do to make it up to you?' - what shall i ask for?!

OP posts:
Original poster
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 15:13

The certificates don't get sent off prettybird - used check and send for mine when we got married so that the marriage cert wouldn't have to go off either.

OP posts:
Bibis · 30/05/2007 15:15

CSWS

Just to make your day even more, it took three visits to the po and an extra set of photos of dd1 to get it right with our passports AND I had to send off the birth certs, never given option not to and I am not sure that you can't . The po did give me the option of spending even more money and having them (certs) sent using reg post - I declined offer and they were all returned within 2 weeks. Passports were hand delivered by a very nice man (not a postman) in a car.

DH had filled form in incorrectly and also got photos of dd1 (6 years) with her mouth open - not allowed I didn't grin in town, I shouted like a fishwife into my mobile at him

Original poster
CantSleepWontSleep · 30/05/2007 15:21

Sounds like fishwife shouting is the traditional approach to take then .

I've told dh that he can take dd out on Saturday morning whilst I have a long soak in the bath. He's NEVER taken her out without me before .

He even said that if he can find someone to do the certifying by then, he'll go to the post office and sort it all out with a manual form. (Though if the certs now have to go off too, then there might be no point in doing it this way).

OP posts:
AttilaTheMeerkat · 30/05/2007 15:24

www.passport.gov.uk/passport_countersign.asp

Useful link re countersigning of a child's passport application.

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