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

Salpipjack u we'll get it if your not going to next Friday then there won't phone u bk to Monday Tuesday if there ain't phone u by then then call them bk but try not to worry over the weekend it we'll all be fine

Im feeling sick im so worried, we sent our ds' s first passport application thro check and send on Friday 9th may and for some reason they didn't receive it till the following thus (15th) . After lots of calls to the 0300 number (waste of time) all we'v been told is it went to examination stage on 20th and its in Belfast. Iv asked for an upgrade to fast track so as I can't contact Belfast directly they have emailed them and im waiting for them to contact me, supposedly within 48hrs..ha that will be a miracle. We are supposed to be flying on sat 7th..and right now our dreams of a much needed hol are in pieces. I don't even want to imagine my sons face if we can't go..not to mention our money we have been scraping together to save for this. Don't know what to do..I really think we are going to lose everything :-(

so much mis-information and false hope Catman .... you have no basis to state that someone will or wont get their passport in time for travel. You dont know what checks are being undertaken, what work volumes are like within the office, and havent considered the fact that when the workload rockets, upgrades are sometimes suspended

Susy .... you need to persist with the helpline, and once the application is in examination, request a 2 hour callback from the examiner dealing with your application

We think we have got some good news. My wife took a call saying the passport is to be printed today or tomorrow and was also given a number of the courier company for tracking. Later on we also got an email from our MPs office saying that they had also been contacted and that the passport has been processed. Just hoping it turns up now.

I've just emailed my local mp. I really hope I hear something soon. I daren't even start packing for my wedding in case it all gets cancelled. I wish I hadn't of listened to my stupid local post office telling me it takes 3 weeks and advising me to save money and not bother with fast track

My post office said the same thing, they assured me I'd have it within 7 - 10 days. When I told my husband that he said I shouldn't have believed him as everyone knows he (the post master) talks sh!t. We'll I didn't know! Anyway, I sent an email to my mp yesterday afternoon too so fingers crossed he can help me.

Hi, I cam across this thread trying to find the direc number for Durham Passport office, can anyone help me? I sent off for my little boy's first passport on 28th April, started panicing this week as we are flying on Monday (2nd June). Started ringing them Tuesday and haven't stopped since and have been told so many different things, some people I have spoke to on the helpline have been more helpful than others. I've been told I'll get a call back, that never happened, I've been told there's no way the passport will be ready my Monday :'( My mum got in touch with the local MP who got in touch with the passport office who said they'd pluck my son's application out from the queue and speed up the process so we could possibly pick it up today, obviously that's not happened. I rang them again yesterday and they said they had no record of an MP calling, they couldn't fast track his application as it's a child's first passport and I can't pay for a entire new application because I have to cancel the other one in writing and that takes a week! I spoke to someone else last night who said he was putting it down as a matter of urgency now and to ring back today, possibly I can go tomorrow to pick it up frm Durham. I am absolutely at the end of my tether now. I can't sleep, I feel sick, I can't stop crying. Has anyone got a direct number for Durham please? x

Jelly tots the number is 08456015175 hope everything works out for u :-) were waiting for ours still theyv had it weeks doesnt seem fair that everyone seems to be getting theres sorted and others don't :-( suppose it's who you speak to on the phone! I'm sure they will sort it for you :-) good luck xxx

Hi the office we be close so no one we'll pick up the phone but there are working over the weekend mybe you should take a drive up there

Catman... what is your first language, because it clearly isnt English?
Stop giving out duff information to people on here - you are NOT helping. The office is NOT open to the public, and nobody who simply turns up without an appointment will be seen.
Oh... and your pathetic insults would have more impact if you could actually spell!

DD1 passport arrived this morning - she should have flown on Wednesday. So not great but we are fortunate that she can travel to see grandparents during summer holidays.

What I would like to say is that we have been waiting for a call back to upgrade for over 10 days (I have made 3 calls to the Durham direct number) but no call backs ever received.

I have also been tracking online, although it is a faff as you have to wait for them to email you back...

Yesterday they replied saying, 'it is still going through the examination process' clearly this was not the case as it arrived today. Don't believe the tracking info is up to date.

Mrsonthemove how long did it take for you to receive it from the day you sent it

Mrs on the move I'm in a panic now as were waiting for a call to upgrade, fly weds the 10th but early hours so need it by Tuesday, I'm in a panic really don't think we will be going on our holiday :-( are mp is involved but have still been told we can't upgrade till friday so if there's any mistakes on our passport theyv left it to late to be able to fix it :'( x

Got all of ours now.

Just to say the e-mails don't match reality ie ours said they were being looked at when in reality they had been printed.We got the being printed e- mails after they had arrived.

Oh and the line opens at 8.00 not 9.00 as it says on the website.We managed to get through very early in the morning.Trying pm is pointless.We were on hold for an hour then cut off!

Good luck everybody!

Also ours just made the 4 week time given even the separated one,apparently that sometimes happens(1 can come separately).

I had a feeling that was the case. I don't suppose he told you why the backlog is so bad at Durham??

Retropear, out of interest what is your date of travel? I was told that they are working on a strict date of travel basis but I'm not convinced that's the case. I travel on Saturday 7th. Thanks.

They never asked as when we finally got throughout they were on there way.

We had major problems with getting through and getting info.

They said they got the application on the 6th of May if that helps.Sure they should have received them slightly before that though.

Sorry had problems logging in

Passport took 23 days to arrive via check and send, that was the date from which the passport office Durham, (we live in South West) said they received it, which was about 5 days after the post office had it.

Initially on check and send it was refused as I had used a non biro black pen and the counter signature had put the incorrect date (day out by my signature as parent of DD - so looked suspicious apparently )

Then when DH returned it to post office day later with all corrections they then said photo no good - apparently DD1 head too small - DH gambled and said send, today it arrived 23 days after Durham said they received it - no problems regarding photos.

I emailed the tracking online from 7 days as I had seen the threads - all replies suggested DD's passport was still going through the examination process.

A pleasant surprise and a relief when I found it on the doorstep this morning. I have been using the 0191 number for Durham which despite answering they have not honoured the 48 hr call back, enabling us to fast track, thus DD1 lost holiday to grandparents in Spain.

Hopefully if you have done check and send with at least 4 weeks notice you will be ok - if not do fast track from the start. DH needs a new passport this summer, we are not planning on going away but just in case we are going to do a fast track on Monday

Should have said we were never asked for date of travel, so I do not believe that made a difference.

Actually the passport arrived after the date of travel so made no difference at all

Just wanted to say that it took 10 days to get my son's first US passport - he is dual national - and that was on the standard service. No idea where the six months quoted above comes from. It's surprisingly efficient compared with the UK passport office - STILL waiting for the British passport to come back...