Help - Does anyone work at the Passport Office at Durham

[janeb204]

Im at my wits end...I need to speak to Durham Passport office, I am going on holiday Saturday and my daughters passport renewal is stuck in a backlog at Durham. I will pay for accelerated service but can't get through to ask for it. The general phone number takes hours to be answered, the call back service doesn't work, the 48hr email reply service doesn't reply. Can I drive to Durham and sit and wait. I'm frantic to resolve this...but what can I do? Has anyone got any suggestions of what I can do....apart from cry? Does anyone work there and can tell me something I can DO

Aargh I'm a dummy. We get married abroad soon and travel on the 10th June. Didn't even think about the baby's passport I forgot in all the wedding planning. I sent it off 28th April still didn't worry as I got the two older boys and mine and DPs last year and it only took two weeks. I've called the 0300 number once and was told it was in the print que. According to the guy on the phone I should get it by tomorrow. I'm worried though so I'm currently trying to get through to the Durham number

Just got off the phone. My sons passport isn't in the print que like I was told its still waiting to be examined. So they've now pulled it out the que and referred it to the upgrades team. I've now got to wait for a call an he said it could take up to a week. I want to cry I can't go without my baby and we have booked our wedding.

I'm starting to wonder how they prioritise the applications. Beautician, I sent mine 1 day after yours and yet yours has gone to print and mine hasn't even been looked still yet. Do you know if yours was dealt with by the Durham office as the other offices don't seem to have the same lengthy wait.

Sorry just seen your subsequent post, we are in the same situation. Other people further up the post have been saying to get in touch with your local mp and given that this is your wedding I'm sure that it'll be treated really urgently if you do.

I feel a Mumsnet campaign coming on. They are really not fit for purpose and seem very happy, as PPs have said, to take cash for upgrade services that people resort to in desperation. Anyone fancy involving the press? Or a Twitter campaign?

What annoys me the most is that whether its been left late or not the message on their phone service still stays that passports will take 3 weeks via post office check and send. I'm now on week 5 as of tomorrow. I got my date wrong it was the 25th April I sent mine and I got the text on the 28th saying it was received

That's what screwed me and resulted in a mad dash last week in an attempt to get my passport. My house has been inundated with call backs which are about 9 days late.

I didn't even get a text so if I hadn't chased them after 2 weeks I still wouldn't know that they'd received it.the whole system seems to be shambolic, why are people who sent theirs on 4th may now in receipt of their passports but others who sent them as far back as 25th April still waiting on theirs?

Hi im also at my witts end. i sent off for my passport on the 12th may, they recieved it on the 14th may. i zm suppose to go away on sunday (3days time) and my passport still hasnt been examined!!! after calling them up so many times they are just very unhelpful ive even said its an emergency im attending family funeral and they said they need to see proof of this by funeral director in the country im going too, if i provide that then they will send it out in 24 hours. Now if this is possible to do why cant they just do it anyway, why does there have to be a grusome emergency. The emergency is that im going to loose out of lots and lots of money and they dont give a shit !!! need some help. i am willing to travel to Durham office but dont want a wasted journey for them to turn me down for not having an appointment!??

Gemmalcg, have you been speaking with the Durham office or just the 0300 helpline?

The Durham office 0845 number

When I spoke to them this morning they said that they were looking at passports today for people who are travelling this weekend so maybe yours is being looked at today. Sorry, can't be anymore help.

It is a total nightmare, 4 weeks they've had my little boys and not even looked at it and "won't anytime soon" I was told.

I sat on hold the other day and a recorded message played into my ear over and over for 30 mins - " if your travel date is over 3 weeks away please use the post office check and send, this has a 3 week turnaround" !!!!

I am not happy

Here's my story. Applied for DDs passport on the 17th April. Got a text to say they received it on April 24th. We fly on Wednesday 4th June early morning. Called Durham 2 weeks ago to request an upgrade, they said the upgrade team would call me back. I received a call on Sunday from a lady at Durham to say I wouldn't need to upgrade as my passport would be delivered on the Wednesday we travel, I explained this was no good as we travel early so she said I would need to pay the £60.50 to upgrade and again I would need to wait for a member of the team to call. I phoned again (Durham 0845) yesterday to check on the progress the gentleman said it had been sent to print so I haven't had to pay the upgrade fee and it has just been delivered now.... Phew I can finally get excited now! Good luck to everyone.

That good teacher we was the same phone Tuesday 0845 Durham and got passport yes day we leave sat so all you people out they who r traveling with 4 days Durham we'll sort it just phone them not the 0300 number there don't give a shit

DO NOT USE 0300 NUMBER

I applied for my daughters first passport end of April- online. Date of travel 07/06. I have had an absolute nightmare! And these threads have been a god sent so wanted to warn every one else

After ringing every day and pulling my hair out thinking I'm not gunna get the passport it time, putting numerous complaints in. The 0300 is a joke! You get told bullshit- different bull shit on every call. It's terrible treatment.

Do not waste ur time ringing 0300 number. I rang the 0845 durham number- 0845 601 5175. This number will ring and ring and ring but trust me someone will pick. Spoke to a lovely lovely woman who couldn't help as my daughters passport was at Peterborough. She kindly put me through to a lovely young lad at Peterborough who pulled my application out lastnight and sent it straight for examination. A lovely woman ring me this morning- I paid for fast track and it was printed this afternoon and out for courier tomorrow. Please- ring every day and someone will be able to help. I can't believe the service I have recieved had been for the same company- Peterborough and durham can't help u enough and the call centre 0300 one is a joke!

Anyone feel free to reply for any more advice. I have been at my wits end.
Good luck xxx

PAY FOR FAST TRACK FROM THE WORD GO!!!!

Hi am new no mumsnet but been following this thread frantically but theres light at the end of the tunnel. I sent 2 renewals and one child first via check and send on the 8th may recieved txt 14th may to say recieved and just a txt this morning to say in print yay :) so three weeks from applying for ours , no calls or emails. We fly on the 10th june :) . I hope u all waiting have some luck soon x

Jasminxxx I got told by someone at the Durham office today that he will pass my case to the upgrade team and that they will contact me at the latest next Thursday. Do I wait for that contact or call back in the mean time. I'm panicking as I can't cancel the wedding now and we are supposed to enter our details online including all passport number to board the flight which I obviously can't do for the baby

beautician I would contact again after the weekend. I requested an upgrade exactly 3 weeks after the passports had been 'in the system'. That was on the 19th May. I had to send in supporting documents the next day (20th) and had phoned them again to confirm a few things.
I then phoned again on Thursday 22nd and fri 23rd to see if my documents had arrived. I found out on Tuesday 27th that my upgrade request was only initiated by whoever I spoke to following the friday call.

Something positive for you - I sent my renewal via check and send. It arrived at the passport office on 16th May and I've just had a text to say it's being printed. So, well within their 3 week time frame. I wonder why some renewals go through quickly and others are a nightmare?

What I don't know is whether that applies for both DSs and my renewal or just one.

I really think it depends on which office your application goes to. Durham seem to be particularly busy!

I have no idea where mine went. I'll see if there are any clues when it (or hopefully they!!) arrive.

Mines at Durham and its ds3 first passport. It's definitely in the upgrades que. They said i should get it the day before travel. I'm supposed to check in online the week before. I won't sleep or rest until that passport is in my hand x

Out of pure desperation I just called them again. I was told that it's not in the upgrades queue yet and that If I haven't heard from them by Wednesday to call back. I'm pretty sure I won't have heard from them by Wednesday! I am beyond frustrated, I can't relax because I'm thinking about it so much. I am thinking of getting my mp involved as others have done but I'm afraid if I do it'll piss them off and they won't bother processing my passport at all.