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Original poster

Help - Passports renewal application stuck at Durham Passport Office and we are traveling this Friday

999 replies

wujo · 18/07/2012 22:22

hi all,

I am desperate!!!

Passports sent via PO Check and Send on the 2nd July.
Called the IPS 0300 number over 60 times today - got through a dozen times.
Cant escalate - can't get transferred to Durham.
Cant talk to anyone.

I am crying and feeling sick as it will ruined the holidays for my twin girls, my son, my husband and my mum.

Can someone help or know someone from the Durham office help us!? We prepare to drive up from Bristol tomorrow to pick them up if need be :(

Help!!!

OP posts:
Beyondstressed · 20/08/2012 13:28

Lin088 and nickysom please check your inboxes!! Good luck x

Mrsslickback · 20/08/2012 13:34

Hi all

Can anyone please give me the tel number for Peterborough office. I spoke to someone on the 0300 tel no this morning about upgrading my applications and was told she would email appropriate team and they would ring back within 48 hours. However after reading all the comments it doesn't look likely they will call back anyway. I am meant to be travelling next tues 28th aug and I feel physically sick at the moment! I would appreciate any advice

Beyondstressed · 20/08/2012 13:41

Check your inbox mrsslickback!!

Mrsslickback · 20/08/2012 14:10

Hi Beyondstressed checked my inbox but nothing there! Xx

Beyondstressed · 20/08/2012 14:21

Re sent it again!! Sorry ! X

Mrsslickback · 20/08/2012 15:05

Thank you so much Beyondstressed. I got through straight away and spoke to a lady who said that we could upgrade to get our passports urgently. She said someone else will ring me back but probably not today as it is prioritised according to when we travel. I feel a little happier as I think I have spoken to someone other than a call centre. If I have not heard today then I will def ring them again tomorrow morning. Need to try and relax as cant do much more for today!

MrsSomerhalder · 20/08/2012 15:11

Hi i've read through all the posts here and was wondering if anyone could help? I'm due to fly out on friday and sent off for my pp's 2 weeks ago and not received them yet. I've been ringing up the pp line and they told me that i should keep ringing up and get put through to peterborough to get an upgrade, but had no luck getting through :( does anyone know the direct number for peterborough upgrades?

Beyondstressed · 20/08/2012 15:17

Mrssomerhalder please check your inbox!!

Mrsslickback I'm glad they r helping you!! U will get pp back in time!! X keep us posted.

dutchmartin · 20/08/2012 15:32

Can anyone please give me a working number for the Liverpool passport office?

After five weeks Ive just been told my eldest daughters photo has 'failed' for her passport renewal even though she doesnt look any different from before and we followed all the guidelines and advice in the info and at the photo booth. I want to pay the upgrade fee as well. I've tried the numbers previously mentioned in this forum but they no longer work. We fly next Sunday 26th....please help!!

gemmay1 · 20/08/2012 21:21

VERY VERY STRESSED!!!
We are due to fly out on our family holiday 31st aug .
We sent our daughters passport away 27th july for renewal via post office check and send.
I have rang 0300 numerous times and been told i couldnt get throught to progress team until today 20th who have advised me that the hold up was the countersignature had been contacted!!! but they sent the letter on the 15th.the countersignature went on holiday on the 17th so ive been told to get a new form and someone new to sign it and take it straight to Durham.we did n the guy at the desk told me to ring off their phones and speak to the guy dealing with my passport and check ill get it back on time but instead i got a vile lady who said the guy didnt need to speak to me but just hand it in.the thing is im now worried as to how long it will take to check the 2nd signature??? seriously i can understand if its a first passport but a childs renewal??? trying to explain to a 6yr old that they might not be going on holiday has had me and my hubby in tears tonight!

kirstyboo · 20/08/2012 21:55

hi gemmay1 did you not get the guys name you spoke to ? someone on ere ad the same problem as you stargirl i think her name was! its not your fault that the countersignature ad gone on holiday.can you not get an appt for a day passport? x

kirstyboo · 20/08/2012 21:58

duthchmartin you shud get the day passport if ya can, they shud of let ya know sooner that the pic wasnt suitable! x

rachools · 20/08/2012 23:57

Ahh really hoping I can get some help from you lovely ladies! Brother's passport was received on the 24th July (he's 9, and it's his first passport) and haven't heard anything from the passport office since! Me and my mum were calling 0300 over and over, trying to get through to the Peterborough branch, with no luck. Majority of people answering our calls were lovely but one actually said, "So what do you want me to do about it?" to my mum. Been told that a form may have been sent to countersigner but countersigner hasnt received anything. Apparently the application is in Peterborough. Also told that we couldn't upgrade as it's his first passport, been told that we were eligible for an upgrade, seems that number doesn't know what it's doing. We're panicking since we fly next Tuesday!
Does anyone have a direct number for the Peterborough office? Would really help, stop us from ripping our hair out and make a little boy very happy!

lisad123 · 21/08/2012 00:07

If its his first passport, the quickest they can do a postal is normally 6 weeks ATM and if you go in person, they can only promise a week! However we went into peterbourgh office on a Monday and got dd2 passport delivered home on thursday. Can you go to peterbourgh if needed?

rachools · 21/08/2012 01:03

Yeah, luckily it's only about an hour away, at this point, we're pretty desperate but haven't been able to get through to Peteborough at all :/

gemmay1 · 21/08/2012 03:10

Kirstyboo no didnt get a name :-( I'm just sooooo gutted it's got metro the point ov waking up feeling guilty n stressed. I
Going to ring the number provided on here to see if anyone can help. I've put in a complaint as why has the passport sat for two weeks before a letter being sent out?
Also apparently I could cancel both the new and old form and do the one week service but there are no appointments

stargirl40 · 21/08/2012 07:07

gemmay1 The exact same happened to me and my sister, my sons was a renewal my nephews was first passport. Both used same signatory but she went on holiday. We sent second form and countersignatory they send letter second class :(. My nephews was being processed a few days later then mine for some reason even though we sent the same time, so his was more urgent then mine. They can fax the letter to the countersignatory and then get it faxed back, they done that for my nephew. My countersignatory received the letter about 3 days later then faxed it back to them.

If you speak to someone at Durham direct they are usually helpful ask about the fax, one lady told me to ring with the fax number (i will inbox you all the numbers i have) when i rang and spoke to a different lady she said i cant fax. But we did anyway. They received my fax on the Tuesday and i got the passport on the Friday. You can also tell them you want to upgrade it £60 to make it quicker

Good Luck let us know how you get on x

stargirl40 · 21/08/2012 07:09

rachools don't listen to the 0300 people they are useless you can upgrade for childs first passport my sister was going to for her sons but in the end didn't need to.

Ami01 · 21/08/2012 07:38

Hi There, thanks to all for the valuable tips
...however I am in a similar situation to a lot of people, Ips helpline not helpful beenm more than 2 weeks and passport at Peterborough.

Usually am so organised but this year has been tough on family...so never got around to it flying in Friday.

Can someone please kindly message me the Peterborough Direct numbers as the ones above seem dead.

I am also emailing my mp this morning, the Ips 0300 is a waste of govt money.

stargirl40 · 21/08/2012 07:55

I don't know Peterborough number but i'm sure someone will be on here who does good luck.

gemmay1 · 21/08/2012 07:55

Thanks stargirl40 me and my hubby were following your posts last night lol
I am going to ring them at 9am and see what they say.Just hope the person that signed has a fax number as i dont know anyone who has access to a fax other than the local libary! Fingers crossed they sort it today! they guy at the passport office front desk was lovely and was disgusted at the way the woman had spoken to me but he didnt want the form going through the slow process again! fingers crossed for some help today!

gemmay1 · 21/08/2012 07:57

could understand if it was a new passport but a renewal??? they would of already done checks when we applied for her first passport! I work in the airport and see people who have got passports without speaking a word of english and just think its totally wrong!

stargirl40 · 21/08/2012 08:00

It is wrong my sons was a renewal me and my partner both have valid british passports and the countersignatory has a valid british passport too, they seem to pick on the wrong people keep us posted x

gemmay1 · 21/08/2012 08:10

i know its crazy! but fingers crossed we get answers today! im praying to the gods!
Me and the hubby now arguing over who is going to go and who is going to stay at home if we cant get it!

lisad123 · 21/08/2012 08:18

Some people who were there when we were just turned up, no appointment and were allowed to sit and wait, could you try that?