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

[wujo]

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!!!

Hello, I had my interview on a Thursday, passport came that Saturday from Royal Mail x

Thanks Andy, will have to wait and see now, her mum is going to contact the Courier on Thursday, so fingers crossed

Help!!!
I sent my son's passport renewal via special delivery on the 08.09.12. The cheque was cashed on the 17.09.12. I wrote down the passport barcode number but now i cannot find it. Each time i get through to the 0300 number most operators won't discuss the renewal because i don't have the number. I finally got help on monday to be told they were waiting on the counter sig to respond. He lives next door and confirmed he had recieved nothing from them. I phoned back to be told i would get a call back from the examiner. The examiner has not called back and i'm at my wits end. We travel to Egypt a week tomorrow and the stress is making me ill. I work nights and am getting no sleep waiting on callbacks or trying to get through to Peterborough to find out if the examiner will see fit to speak to me. Any advise please....

We had same problem in that passport office (Durham) were trying to contact countersig to respond. They advised that they had sent 2 letters via 2nd class post to countersig. (These have never arrived) Finally spoke to Durham direct and nice lady there asked that countersig rang them direct - all they wanted was her passport number, dob etc. She rang them with necessary info and we received passport (via courier) 2 days later, just in time for our hol. We also initially lost barcode number but they were able to trace using name, dob etc so please do not give up hope and keep trying. It cost us £60 to have the passport delivered by next day courier but it was worth it for our holiday a few days later. Don't be afraid to plead, cry, whatever, until you get through to a human with a heart. Very best of luck and hope all works out for you.

Hi. This thread is giving me some hope. Can anyone tell me the number for the Durham office which opens at 8am please. My application has been waiting examination since the 17th October and due to travel next week.

Please offer any tips.
Thanks

Hi. I have my daughters passport application in Durham and they keep telling me that its going through the checks- its now been two weeks and theyre still telling the same thing. Please can someone advise me on what i can do as im due to travel on the 3ed Feb

Seemingly it is useless to bang your head against a brick wall, they directly tell you there is nothing you can do so believe it, I am a British expat trying to return and renew my passport, I have phoned 03002220000 and 08456015175 and e-mailed TP Durham and ukpa and if you like playing Ringa Ringa Rosie's please be my guest, my advise is do not book your flight and wait till they send your passport or you will lose years off your life!

hi all I am call1234,
my husband applied for the British passport 02/01/2014 up to now stuck in Durham passport office no help what so ever from Durham calling them million off time if is busy they will call back with in 48 hours, only two time one supervisor contact us, she was very rude and said is a complicated application is two times name change through Dee poo and send through check and send through post office, i understand have to check all the documents and every thing, in the actual on the advice leaflet given from the passport office doesn't mention for a name change it will take longer than normal amount off the renewal time or a time limit to advice the people, just put peoples life in hell with no proper information if we know it will take longer for name change I would not appliyed, i lost my job on the 14/02/2014 ,my husband only works 10 horse for week ,he got offered full time job and is our luck is have to have a crb check he doesn't drive only identification he got is the passport ,we got two kids 5 and 6 ,one off my daughter applied for her passport on 10/02/2014 is in Durham office too. every time we call they say is processing and checking, I have contact the local mp, wrote to the her majesty the queen ,I don't know any thing to do any more I fell very very down ,Durham have not send acknowledgement letter or any thing , i ask to upgrade ,we ask if we come to Durham for face to face see, Durham has said know any off this option even today we called to see is same recording ,I don't no any more,any help or advice please?thanks,call1234

Call1234, if you find the answer please let us all know!

Not sure why you are bumping such an old thread but you don't need passport or driving licence for DBS(New version of CRB) , there are many other forms and combinations of acceptable id such as birth certificate, marriage certificate , utility bills etc. see www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/documents-the-applicant-must-provide-

Hi Liz, can you advise me on my case, I am on the 6th week and have had no joy from phoning/e-mailing home office, how can I get a positive response?

Sorry know nothing about passport offices

hi lizz,

I understand what you saying, but only problem is husband born in forging country, so that is the issue, they need a photo graphic identification, so to proof off the starters too, fed-up with it all ,
thanks

hi lizz,

I understand what you saying, but only problem is husband born in forging country, so that is the issue, they need a photo graphic identification, so to proof off the starters too, fed-up with it all ,
thanks

I restarted this because it's helpful and a page where people can help you due to their experiences.

hi every one ,

any body got the passport back?

I called on Monday my husband called the passport office general customer service officer told Durham busy will called me back with in 48 up to now I didn't received a call, i am fedup

Not really a good response I received from them, all they said is they are still busy checking, this is now running into the 7th week since Durham received all the documents, I have tried all avenues and am not getting any joy and the job I was going to do there is no longer mine, I will not verbalize how I feel but I am extremely disappointed in this face of UK, it shows incompetence and a I couldn't give a .... Attitude.

hi stu4858,

when did you applied for the passport? is through the post office?

Hi call1234, I live in South Africa so I did it through a agent who did it online, Durham had all documents on the 16/01:2014. I am originally British but my passport expired so I had to reapply.

it seems to me like the posters in 2012 had all the luck contacting helpful human beings in Durham's PO. too bad they didn't or couldn't post the direct phone number instead of the helpline. Durham couldn't have gotten worse over the past two years, shouldn't things get better. I am trying everything under the sun to get my daughters passport to no avail. problem is, I'm all the way in Bermuda!

Now entering the 9th week from when Durham received my documents, they called today and said they are still doing security checks and that they don't know when they will be done, bloody pathetic bunch of plonker!

hi,
same here is has taken 2 months and 5 days up to now my passport is stuck in Durham office, called this week same thing they said is security checks ,my life is getting ruined I had job interview yesterday as a factory worker got the job asking the passport for that reason I cant get the job, suffocating wife lost the job got two kids, if there is not enough staff in Durham employed more, ,who is helping a births citizens when they need support ,???????????????????????

Hi, Stu4858 and call1234, i read your posts earlier and was wondering if there is any updates on your passport.

I do not live in the UK and the durham office received my docs by mail on 31/01. I need my passport for my trip two weeks later, it's for my friend's wedding. feeling very helpless.

Hi everyone, please can you help me. I sent my passport off to get it renewed on the 4th of February and I haven't heard anything. I'm travelling on Sunday with my family. It's stuck at Durham and I am waiting for a call back from Thursday. Please do you know what number I can call Durham on. The operators on 0300 are not really helpful