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Original poster

Passport issue

29 replies

Nightowl92 · 05/03/2020 22:36

Hello,

Posting for traffic as I need urgent advise if anyone’s been in a similar position.

I sent my passport off 3 weeks ago and therefore due to arrive this week. I have been checking the tracking and it’s been saying processing and no further updates. It said it would take 3 weeks for a renewal from the date they received my old passport (18th Feb)

Today I got a little panicked as it should have arrived by now or at least been posted I called up and the lady on the phone advised i had been sent a letter on the 26th advising it was liquid damaged and I would need to write a statement to advise how it was damaged. Now the front cover has a small nail polish stain on but to my knowledge the rest is all still in tact especially the main page.

I’ve sent the letter for pre 9am delivery but I’m due to fly next week and obviously worried it now won’t be sent in time.

Lady said passport officer would call me tomorrow and advise if I could upgrade which would cost a further £101 which I don’t have and I’m due to fly on the 13th.

I feel slightly gutted as I’ve received no such letter and the tracking just stated it was in progress no mention of further info being requested...otherwise I would of called sooner.

Anyone have any advise? Or had similar is my only option to pay if possible to fast track? Even if I do feel I wasn’t notified and had been checking the tracking and not wanted to ring as it advised it could take 3 weeks so thought nothing of it and assumed it was still processing as stated on the tracking :(

Please help! No negative comments please I feel bad enough as it is!

OP posts:
YesThatsATurdOnTheRug · 05/03/2020 22:46

I would try and argue for them to fast track for free given that you didn't receive the letter but to be honest your only option may be to pay for the fast track. I don't think you were wrong not to chase before as you had no indication that you would need to. Annoying about the 'water damage' when the inside is fine though, that's frustrating. Just be firm but calm tomorrow on the call.

Original poster
Nightowl92 · 05/03/2020 22:50

Thank you! I’m hoping they understand and offer the fast track for free, also slightly worried they may ask for more things to be sent if it’s damaged as they say but I’ve travelled with the passport without issue and it’s never had any extreme damage. I can only think maybe it happened in transit? But I sent it in a padded envelope on a next day delivery so I can’t see how it would be damaged to an extent that they would need a statement from me :( x

OP posts:
Frownette · 05/03/2020 22:51

Oh that's odd, I wouldn't have thought they'd care if old passport was a bit battered.

Hope you get somewhere tomorrow, fingers crossed

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 05/03/2020 22:56

Having “negotiated” with the passport once on behalf of a friend, I’d expect to have to pay to fast track to have it in time for next week; and then prepare to ask for a refund afterwards. Otherwise I think you’ll delay things while you’ll waiting for a complaint handler to review and see if you should be fast tracked for free...

They’re not usually too fussy about the condition of the old passport, but I guess if it was quite a noticeable paint splatter, they could be checking that it wasn't purposefully damaged or something?!

Good luck on getting it back in time for your flight!

Original poster
Nightowl92 · 05/03/2020 22:57

I know, I tried to question this however the helpline I called can only ask the passport officer to call me to discuss. I could maybe understand if it was damaged beyond being able to read the information however as I said when I posted there was only a small stain on the cover and I’ve been using it to travel without any issues...

OP posts:
Original poster
Nightowl92 · 05/03/2020 22:58

Thanks for your good luck thoughts! Yeah I think maybe paying and then trying to get a refund afterwards will be my best bet, hopefully they at least allow me to pay to upgrade so I can still go away next week! :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Nightowl92 · 06/03/2020 12:49

So the passport officer hasn’t called I called back the helpline who have received my letter regarding the liquid damage statement however have told me this may take days to find... and I can put a fast track application through but no guarantee this will be accepted and there’ll need to find the letter before they can consider this. Also i’ll Have to pay the £101 if they say I can do this. :(

OP posts:
Frownette · 06/03/2020 12:58

Oh that's such a pain. If they have a record of receiving your letter I would have thought the ref would be 'liquid damage' and they'd crack on with it.

DogInATent · 06/03/2020 13:13

Is it a replacement for a damaged passport or a renewal for an expired or expiring passport? And did you do it online or post the form?

I've recently used the online renewal service and it's been very fast. It's due to arrive today (I've had a text and email confirming this, and there's been updates at every stage) which will be exactly three weeks. I have to resubmit a new photo after they rejected the first one, but everything was done online other than posting the old passport back.

Original poster
Nightowl92 · 06/03/2020 15:15

Hello,

It was a renewal for a passport due to expire. So I submitted it and they sent a letter which I never received saying it was liquid damaged the only damage I’m aware of is a small nail varnish stain on the front cover that’s been there for years and never caused an issue. So I don’t know if further damage was caused in transit. So I sent the letter as requested yesterday on a pre 9am delivery this morning. They then called me back and said they would process it today and send today and would take 3-5 working days or I could pay £96.00 for it to arrive either tomorrow or Monday. As I never received their original later I didn’t wanna run any risks and asked for it to be sent within the 2 days and paid £96.00 they called me back and told me payment declined, I have funds in my bank so no idea why. So I have details again...they just called back and advised it hasn’t gone through again and processing is now closed so they will have to call me for payment again on Monday... and have it arrive either Tuesday or Wednesday I’m now getting incredibly stressed and having now luck and I’m literally doing everything I can to ensure it’s here in time :(

OP posts:
DogInATent · 06/03/2020 16:14

I don't want to rub it in, but burgundy (big thumbs up).

The problem with posting info to the passport office is that even if you send it recorded pre-9am it gets through the Royal Mail system quickly but it's then stuck in their own internal mail system. My old passport took a weekend plus 2-3 days to be acknowledged as received even though it was first class recorded mail.

But if they have received and acknowledged your letter today the good news is that once it's been approved it's with you very quickly at the moment. Approved Wednesday afternoon, received today. I don't think fast track could improve on that.

Did the letter not also appear on the tracking status as a request for more information? As I mentioned I had a problem with the photo and I had to click through a further information link (or maybe two click throughs) to get to the detail of what the problem was that I had to fix.

Frownette · 06/03/2020 16:54

Sorry @DogInATent do you mean you were pleased it was burgundy?

Passport office have really changed, I got mine done a few months ago, I'm still a bit angry about the last passport as I don't know if it was lost or stolen (think stolen by ex can't prove) so wrote NO diagonally across that section. Passport office phoned and I started getting wound up then gabbled any other information I thought they'd want until they said 'oh we know who you are'. Through few days later.

I don't remember all this fuss about photos, passport condition etc in the past but it's good they're more lenient about counter signatories

DogInATent · 06/03/2020 17:43

Yes, I'm pleased it's burgundy and not black.

You should have put that one as "Lost", I think. Defacing the form with non-standard answer would just bugger up the process and create problems.

There's no need for a photo counter-signature on a renewal, and doing it all online makes things very easy. The problem I had with the photo was that it was one I took myself and the wall I'd used as a background wasn't light enough in colour. It was easy enough to redo it and you upload it digitally. The OP's problem with a damaged passport sounds a bit jobsworth, or it was damaged in transit.

redwoodmazza · 06/03/2020 17:47

We have had soooo much rain recently could it have got water damaged in transit? A bit of nail polish on the cover doesn't sound like water damage.

Frownette · 06/03/2020 18:01

@DogInATent no they just accepted it no questions and it was through 2 days later Grin Praps the bloke didn't like dealing with stressed people.

I'm a burgundy too, not sure when the remaining stocks will run out and they'll switch.

Original poster
Nightowl92 · 06/03/2020 19:30

Nope no mention of a letter being sent or anything which is what I mentioned today that the tracking showed nothing other than it being in process. Hopefully Monday will be better i’ll Pay the £96.00 and they said that will mean it will be with me by Wednesday just frustrated that as I said it didn’t have anything but a tiny bit of polish on the front cover. Possibly could of happened in transit... however they will return the old passport to me so I will see when I receive it back I guess. I don’t really understand why they needed to delay this until they receive a letter from me stating that I didn’t know how the liquid damage occurred and as far as I knew it only have a tiny polish mark on the cover was necessary?

OP posts:
Frownette · 06/03/2020 19:36

What sort of envelope did you put it in, was it waterproof?

I'll have to guard mine like a hawk, god knows what they'll want in ten years time, eyeballs, fingerprints...

DogInATent · 06/03/2020 19:51

Be doubly careful of its condition if you ever plan on visiting Thailand... www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/passenger-barred-flight-cost-novelty-passport-stamp-qatar-airways-a9374406.html

Original poster
Nightowl92 · 06/03/2020 20:23

It was in one of those padded envelopes with the bubble wrap padding inside. And thanks for the link doginatent

OP posts:
Frownette · 09/03/2020 19:34

@Nightowl92 how did it go today? Did you have to pay for fast delivery then try to claim it back?

Original poster
Nightowl92 · 10/03/2020 21:36

Hello @frownetter thank you for your message I paid yesterday (no choice really) my new passport and old passport arrived today. There is no liquid damage to the old passport at all... only the tiny spec of nail polish I mentioned previously on the front cover! So will try to submit complaint afterwards! Fresh saga today though I’ve realised that the passport details I entered when booking my flight now won’t match my new passport and now I have to call Ryanair who are continuously busy due to the corona virus situation. :( xxx

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 10/03/2020 21:49

Is your old passport still valid? If you've already entered your old passport details you may struggle to get them changed now without paying a hefty fee.

Original poster
Nightowl92 · 10/03/2020 21:57

I know! And yes still valid however they’ve cut the corner before returning it to me... however I haven’t checked in yet I’ve only booked with the details and online research leads me to believe that means I still have some hope... so fingers crossed xxx

OP posts:
Frownette · 10/03/2020 22:02

That's really out of order about old passport. I feel annoyed on your behalf.

You're going to need a holiday after this!

(Sorry, keep thinking it's Monday)

Original poster
Nightowl92 · 10/03/2020 22:07

Haha I know I’m hoping for some luck tomorrow! Fingers crossed! X

OP posts: