Anyone had luck getting a passport expedited?

[ActualMadness]

I have been waiting over 3 months for our passports, after what feels like a million calls to the passport office I finally got through to someone that was helpful. She said she has put me on the list for an urgent call back to expedite all applications because of how long we have waited. Has anybody had any luck with this? I have seen that they never call you back and just say this to get you off the phone, I have already experienced a liar at the office that told me that they were all waiting to be printed and we should have them in 2 days when in reality they still haven’t been looked at and are processing 15 weeks later.

DD's BF got his MP involved to try to expedite his passport as it's been months and they wanted to go abroad this week.
They've ended up going to Cornwall!

Oh no @MrsOwainGlyndŵr thats not promising, we do have travel booked so I am hoping they pull their fingers out. Nearly 4 months on and still not even been looked at! Does he know when it will be back and did he have travel booked?

If it’s I think 2 days before you travel you can go to the passport office at about 7am and they give you a ticket so you get it same day - a friend of mine did this, I think there are Facebook groups explaining what you need to do.

Thank you @MadisonMontgomery i am hoping it doesn’t come to that but will do it if I have to. I don’t think I could face tracking my kids on a 500 Mike round trip to stand outside the passport office as unfortunately they have my whole families applications and they are all the way in Scotland 😢

@ActualMadness do you have an update please? Mine has apparently been put forward to the expedition team, been waiting 11 weeks already.

@WhyNott I am still waiting unfortunately. They called me back and then put me on hold for over 3 hours! They couldn’t or would expedite my applications because they have lost them. I am absolutely livid as they have had for nearly 5 months at this point, they don’t know what I or they need to do the rectify the issue. They have acknowledged they did have them but they aren’t sure why they’ve been deleted or how to process my applications without me having to pay £350+ again. I have been told to ring back tomorrow for an update, I think we will miss our holiday as I just can’t see this being sorted. I have been trying to make a complaint but unfortunately they don’t have a proper complaint process anymore.

I have had an absolute nightmare with mine. Three months too. You need to keep harrassing them via phone and email (but phone most effective) and as soon as you speak to someone on the phone, ask to speak to Customer Service Management who can actually help. I did this and JUST today got told they have printed the passport and will send it next week. (They ignored me for literally almost three months, except to email and say 'someone will be in touch soon' (but nobody got in touch) or email and say 'I have forwarded your email to someone else who will get in touch soon.' (They didn't email at all. No other emails except these.) FOR THREE MONTHS.

For the past week I have basically launched a dedicated campaign of demanding progress, I wrote a letter, made several complaints, phoned, sent multiple emails, filled out the online forms, etc. Everything that could be done. My son's passport expires in 3 weeks and was really worrying (as we are abroad, so once it expires we are here illegally, and can't leave, but also can't stay!).

One advisor, and also the British Embassy (phoned them out of desperation), told me to ask for 'Customer Service Management' and I did, and today I finally spoke to them and they said the passport is on the way back.

The advisors on the phone and via email are LOVELY but just can't help. You need to speak to the management.

Good luck!

British Embassy also said that everyone who is having these experiences needs to make a complaint because it's only by doing so that this will be improved.

You can make a complaint here:

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office/about/complaints-procedure

The British Embassy was really frustrated with them too, as they're being bombarded by calls from worried people because HMPO are being totally, shockingly incompetent. The service is absolutely unacceptable. British Embassy basically powerless to get involved with passport issues but can't quite believe how useless HMPO are being lately.

Let's all make complaints and hopefuly they'll be encouraged to improve. Or even just go back to how they used to be? They used to be great. They're SO bad now!