AIBU to question paying extra to post passport documents securely?

[sorryIdidntmeanto]

I had to renew passports. First the woman at the post office tried to make me pay over £9 to send each of our old passports back. I refused, and just paid for a stamp. Then the passport office wanted a birth certificate. Another £9!
I don't get it. Why would it be £9? I asked for tracked and that was £3. She went on and on about how if it got lost I'd have to replace the document and start the passport application again. Why should it get lost? I am paying them to send it. Why have a tiered system. Like, a stamp - maybe we will lose this. Tracked - more likely to arrive but maybe not. Signed for- yeah OK, we will deliver this one. I don't get it.
AIBU

I’ve just renewed mine, I couldn’t care less if the old one comes back or not so didn’t pay the extra for that. It came back absolutely fine. I didn’t need to send any extra documents but I would have sent those signed for because Royal Mail are a bit shit and I just don’t trust them with important documents.

Thanks for engaging. Annoyed that AI changed my thread title. It isn't really about the passport. It is more about the bullying by the PO staff to spend more, and the threats they would lose all my documents! But now I am also annoyed with mumsnet for using AI.

YANBU. Ridiculous and unnecessary.

I have half copy birth certificates for sending off, and I certainly wouldn't care if the old passport didn't arrive (they always have!)

Its hardly a good advert for the Royal Mail if their own staff are saying they so unreliable

It’s not bullying though is it?

No it is not bullying.

They told you of other delivery services they offer and why one of them might be a good idea. You didn't want to use them.

Sorry, I don't see the issue here.

Edited for typo.

The issue is that they want you to pay extra to cover yourself financially for the eventuality that they lose or steal what you're sending using their service.

Maybe you need to use a different post office because mine is great at finding the cheapest option.

I agree with you that it sounds like she’s presented the options like a game show. If you pick option A we will probably just throw it in the fire.

I'm with you about the mumsnet AI titles . Can we really not write a few words to say what the thread is ab out? The AI ones are usually misleading.

I had the same experience at our local post office, I would not call it bullying but it was heavy pressure. It’s a new set of people and their upselling is a constant now.

Because by buying a stamp you've already entered into a contract with the post office that they will deliver the letter - render the service that you have paid for.

Why do we need to pay on top? It's like a bloody protection racket.

I had exactly the same experience last week. I asked for the cheapest tracked option and they insisted i had to pay £9. I felt they had not listened to what i wanted, and coerced me into paying more- and wont go to that post office again.

I agree. I think I will go elsewhere in the future.

Further to the expectation of loss in the post, I sent my friend who is post op an afternoon tea that has vanished in the post. This never used to happen.

They have quotas for special delivery and will push to sell that. You don’t have to agree.

Be grateful you aren't dealing with the mess that has been created for dual nationals living overseas.

The passport office in the UK is beyond a joke. We have to register everything. Thinks you've got it done and then they request more documents. So far, I've sent my long birth certificate, divorce decree, legal change of name, old UK passport (out of date by 40 years and not even in the system anymore), a full colour copy of my Commonweath passport, my Citizenship certificate from the Commonwealth country that I live in. Over $100 to have that couriered to the UK. Now they want more documents!

There are people out there who have spent over $700 in courier fees in addition to the application process.

We send the documents that the online form asks for and then some passport office type decides they want more.

The new rules for dual nationals are incredibly unfair and unfriendly, not to mention costly. I’ve just helped a friend with this. I’m sorry you have to deal with this. I guess the issue is your old passport being out of date by 40 years and you no longer appearing on the system. It’s a wake up call to all of us to keep our vital papers up to date. I hope you get it sorted soon and can travel freely. I think we will look back on the preBrexit years as a golden time for travel and freedom.

Still missing

Probably not bullying, just letting you know what other services they offer and the consequences if things do go missing. At least if they do, you were informed of the other services they do offer as a safe guard!

I've accepted that I will never see the UK again. My life and our childrens lives are here. (sounds wrong grammar wise).

I basically just can't transit through the UK on our travels to Europe. I have no desire to ever live there again. Our children are furious that they are now considered to British and subject to this.

It's a total cock up of the first order.

But the Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 services cost less than half the price of the £9 Special Delivery service and should be good enough, ie quick delivery and very unlikely to be lost.

T24/48 are relatively new and perhaps awareness is low, but Post Office staff should know that they are available and suitable for sending passports and other important documents.

I would question why they have introduced these products if they don't want people to use them? Also what is the point of Special Delivery when in most cases T24/48 seems perfectly adequate.

Maybe they need to advertise their price lists more publicly eh?
It's hard sell tactics and in public usually too right there at the counter

So your post is actually nothing to do with the passport office and more of an attack on Royal Mail’s charging structure.

I don’t think the principle of charging more for a service which costs more to deliver, is problematic. I do think the amounts Royal Mail now charges for all services is problematic, given that all of their services are shit.

I recently renewed my Irish passport it is all done online fill in the form take a photo of yourself scan your old passport pay online and my passport was with me within the week

Having worked for RM I would 100% pay the extra for special delivery when sending important documents. Special delivery is a completely ringfenced system. A lot of the rest of it is a shit show.