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!!!

It's a nightmare isn't it .

We have all our passports now, but had a right old process to finally get DS1's back.

We applied (DH, DS1, DS2 & DD) on 12th January - that is the date the forms were sent off, all together, by Recorded Delivery. DS2 & DD's passports came back at the end of January, having been issued on 26th January. DS1 (16) was sent an appointment for an interview on 24th February. DH's passport came back around the end of February, having been issued on 14th February. Great we thought, DS1's will come back shortly after his appointment & we will be sorted in plenty of time. Except for that didn't happen!

At his interview (I sat in with him), we were told that everything looked fine & the passport would arrive within 10 days. By the end of March, when nothing had arrived, we kept on trying to phone the advice line to be told that they couldn't see what the problem was but couldn't put us through to Durham either as they weren't answering the phone. Umpteen call-backs promised, not one transpired.

Mid-April a letter arrives saying that DS1's photo is unsuitable as he has slight red-eye in it! Why it took 3 months to tell us that I will never know. We then had to complete a new application & ask the countersignatory to complete their section all over again & send it off to Durham via Special Delivery. The passport was FINALLY issued on 26th April & arrived yesterday - so it took MORE THAN 3 MONTHS for his first adult passport to be produced.

Luckily, we don't travel until May - but I never thought we would be cutting it fine by applying in January!

Best of luck to all of you still waiting - if you can actually get through to Durham it sounds like they can be quite helpful, it's just so impossible to get to them!

Hello guys,

Good News! Got a call from peterborough office! The guy has confirmed that both apps have been received and they are now going to the examination office, after which they will be scanned. Then some correspondence will go out to the counter signatory. Only after receiving that back and after checks will they then be able to issue the passport. I just hope that it's sorted as I've got less than 3wks now.

@ jennywrenman - good news regarding your hubby, pity about your and kid's passport...they are absolutely useless. I guess a lesson we've learnt here is always remember you apply 6 months before travel date, giving you enough time to sort things out.

Hi all.sat tonight thought id fill out online track my passport form on passport.gov page and can't do it as it's saying error with the barcode am putting in.says it should be 10 characters long.all four PO check+send receipts have only a 9 digit barcode on them what the PO assistant has copied down.so I can't even check passports progress thru that way. :-/
I've looked on this thread at all the different durham office direct numbers.tried a few AND no longer in use
PLEASE SOMEONE POST ME A TRIED AND TESTED NUMBER FOR DURHAM SO I CAN SPEAK DIRECT TO SOMEONE THERE.
I've a feeling(womens intuition) that the 0300 line say they can't see what the hold up with mine is bcos it's not even gone to the examiner thru an error.if I can speak to someone and find out what's going on I can resend or do whatever needs to be done!!! AT THE POINT WHERE MY BRAINS WORKING OVERTIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HOLD UP IS. :-(

Jenny have you tried adding a 0 to the front to make it a 10 digit number?

Hiya Jenny,

I've found a few numbers which most likely are for Durham Passport Office, but I would advise you wake up early to call them:-

0845 601 5175 - This Definitely seem the Durham passport office number

0191 3707289 - Is constantly ringing right now, but it's late...try them again @ 9am - if engaged in the morning, keep redialing!!!

0191 3707141 - Constantly Engaged, so not sure about this.

I'm sorry that I can't be of further help, but please do keep us upto date and GOOD LUCK!

Screen shot from my post a min ago.

Bugger it's not clear look a few threads down.

Just re reading your post, it isn't the post office bar code you need but the one on the passport application forms.

I phoned yesterday (Durham)- lady said not to send the birth certificate in in case it gets lost. Need to now wait until they call me to request it.

All my own stupid fault.

Any news Jenny? Hope all is well.

Hey. Jennywrenman this is the number for Durham that I got thru on 0845 6015175 they told me to ring between 10 and 11 and 4 and 5 I got thru every time. Hope u get it sorted. I had call this morning to say passport approved now going thru to printing so no need to pay extra for fast track... Must say it's done wonders for post holiday diet I'm so stressed its unbelievable hope u get thru x x

Katy - out of interest, when they send a passport via the normal method, i.e. not fast track, is that still recorded or not? What's the chances of it getting lost in post?

I think they always send them back special delivery or equivalent. I have never paid to fast track and I think (not 100% certain) they send them back only by safe means.

They DX them if you call DX they can track it using your postcode.

I don't know I stupidly didn't ask so now I'm worried bout that to, from what I can find they send them recorded delivery so u have to sign for them. Can't face ringing again to find out!!!

Jennywrenman if u ring Durham direct u don't need ur passport number they can trace it thru name and dates of birth etc.....

The .gov website says this about delivery of your passport:

Your new passport will be sent to you either by courier or Royal Mail Recorded Delivery. The postman or courier will then do one of the following:

• hand your passport to you if you’re at home
• deliver your passport with the rest of your post
• leave you a card or send you a letter to tell you where to collect your passport or how to arrange redelivery
• The ‘missed delivery’ card or letter won’t say that the package contains your passport.

Thanks guys,

Chances are if your wanting quick delivery and they are aware of it, they most likely will send it via DX.

@ Katy9718 - I would call them again and request for a quick/tracked delivery.

Will do thanks alicewilliams

Hi guys.update.
Was soooo close today finding out whats the holdup.
Finaly got a call back after 3rd time calling 0300 line.i answered the phone knowing it was the PO at durham.but I wasnt at home, didnt hve the barcode info on me ffs!!! Why didnt I hve them glued to me? This whole carry ons got my life on hold!! Its all I think about.anyways the line was very bad could hardly hear the agent.he said he cant gve me any info without the barcode numbers...I was mortified.told me to ring 0300 when I get home.i said but they tell me nowt! He said the status of the applications will hve changed they will inform you of stage theyre at now and wots going on.Ok I thought.got home fones 0300 explained that the other agent wudnt gve me the update.So he checked again and to my dissapointment NO CHANGE!!! :-0
he went to his manager.she recommended to put a complaint in.after waiting since last friday for phonecall to be told nothing! So the lovely lad wrote up a good email on my behalf complaining.he sent one also to the big wiggs above the office handling my applications.So they hve till friday @6pm to fone me bck.or I must ring 0300 back and escalte it. The nice chap said hed do everything in his power to help me bcos it has all been handled inappropriately! He said hes requesting they upgrade them for us and anything thats wrong holding them up, that they assist sort it with me fast! So fingers Xxxed they get me my passports :-/
Katy9178 my hubby had his interview monday.got a text yesterday saying new passport being printed it will be with u in a few days. A courier delivered it this morning. Not royal mail.looked like an independanyt courier.so quick seevice there :) x

Alicewilliams have you recieved your passports yet? Hope so :)
Well waiting today please say a prayer for me no complications..need those passports to be straight forward and back soon.

Jennywrenman I'd ring everyday that's what I did and be nice I pleaded and begged with them even cried I told them I was gonna email MP also as that desperate and low and behold they could all of the sudden help. I don't trust there call backs they also put complaint in for me and a manager was supposed to ring back as of yet they haven't I know they prob got my application sorted but still would have been nice to speak to a manger to complain bout service. Apparently the 0300 number doesn't get updated until 2 days after passprt office have done something so highly likely that status has moved on but not yet showing on 0300 system... Keep us posted I'm back on door watch waiting for the postman to come...

I'm waiting for my dd1's first passport, put in 4 weeks ago with check and send and having no luck whatsoever in getting put through anywhere. It's apparently in Peterborough which is near me but they won't put me through and said they couldn't see us either. I'm desperate as it's a bank holiday on Monday and she is supposed to be travelling to Spain on a school trip on Wednesday next week!

Any idea what I can do? I've called a couple of times and requested a call back but they wouldn't put another one through as there is already one being waited on...

@ Jennywrenman - No, but I've had a call from the PO to say that papers have gone out to counter signatory, so will ask him to fill in the necessary forms and allow me to send them back via special delivery. I will pray for you Jenny, but you haven't told me if you managed to get through using the durham numbers we gave you...let me know!

@ staceybruno42 - People on are extremely upset as it is and your advertising some stupid healer? Get a life!