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

Susy, it sounds like intervention from your MP wouldn't hurt. I'm so sorry this is happening - your poor boy

My mp did get involved. .she managed to get through and was told there is nothing can be done. No way we will get his passport back for Saturday. They cant even give any idea as it hasn't even started the examination process. I've been holding on to a glimmer of hope reading everyone's happy endings..but not to be. We're so sad. Also we'v lost all our money. I just want to shout from the rooftops to everyone "dont book your holiday without passports! !"

Susyb,
In all seriousness I wouldn't give up yet. Granted maybe you need a huge stroke of luck in finding the right person in that office to answer yet another phone call. Mine took 2 days to reach me from when they started examining it. And last year I got a child's first passport back just 5 days after posting it (not even check and send).....so if they really want to they can certainly get yours turned around in 4 days to Sat. I really wouldn't give up yet.

Unfortunately carman you've lied again! Earlier in the thread you've said you told them you flew Friday but actually Wednesday (today) yet you've just written to me you only lied saying 2 days earlier?! Each to their own eh?

Beautician I apologised regarding that post and stated it was written in the heat if the moment! I agree karma is a bitch but lying/liars is something I don't condone! I only came on here for advice not to have people being smug about cheating the system! I didn't find that helpful at all!

I fly Saturday so should be hearing something today! Will chase at 8am! Good luck all trying today!!

*Catman

Oh Suzy I've just read your post!! How heartbreaking but please try not (as hard as it is) to give up yet!! Push push and push done more!!! Let your other family members if possible take the original flight and then once passport arrives could you not fly out and join them? That's my back up plan! Train to Manchester airport £48.50 then flight out to Palma (£49.99-69.99) I know a lot of people have done it this way! Keep trying! Keep us posted and good luck!! Xx

Owlcapone.... DO NOT book travel until you have your passport. If you do, despite reading these posts, you are asking for trouble.

You have me confused with another poster.

SusyB don't give up. Are you calling the 0845 number if possible I'd call it today at 8am when they open. I would just go over it all again and ask who you've spoken to. First and surname and seeing you will be calling back later on in the day to see what they've actioned. Good luck. I'm sure it will come. Don't give up hope

Sorry about that rubbish post I'm on my iPhone and its decided to put full stops where they shouldn't be and autocorrect grr

I've rang and apparently I should be hearing today from the upgrade team. If not I am to call back later ... And so the waiting game continues

I won't relax until I have it in my hand..... But I've just taken a call from a lovely girl at Durham who gave me a tracking number for my passport and told me that it will be with us by 9am tomorrow morning. I don't think it's been upgraded, just looked at in the normal workload as I've not been asked to pay any additional upgrade fee. So all being well it looks like we will get away on Saturday now. I will post the timelines etc once I've received it.

aidycake34 when did they receive your passport

To anyone who has had their passport application put on hold due to them writing to countersignatory:

Once letter was sent back how long did it take for passport to be sent ?

Im hoping letter will reach countersigner today (sent Monday) and then hopefully reach back at Durham by Friday. I'm then wondering if its worth requesting an upgrade. We plan to travel in 2 weeks 6 days

Also does anyone know of its possible to be sent old passport back? It has 18 months left on it and was only renewing to remove a name. Name change was done on birth certificate. I didn't think there would be all this hassle as we thought 2 MONTHS was plenty of time...if I had known I wouldn't have bothered with new passport until later in the year!

Lottie, sent by check and send 29th April , they received it on 4th may.

I received a text to say 1 of my kids renewals was on way to print and then post exactly 3 weeks to the day they received it and it arrived 3 days later, now waiting on the other 2 renewals and hoping they will be the same, altho im panicking a little and requested an upgrade today exactly 2 weeks til we travel today. My Mp did get involved so don't know whether that helped or not. Iv been told if they have had it 3 weeks I wont have to pay so will have to just wait and see. My partners first application is a different story tho, they have had it 6 weeks today and still nothing, they seem to think that he will receive an invite to interview within the next few days and that next week is plenty of time to arrange an interview and 3 days later to receive his passport, Im not convinced. One thing is for sure after receiving a £48 phone bill today just to their number my complaint that I have put in will be going all the way to the top whether we go away or not because the mis information and lies we have been told the last few weeks by the 0300 guys is awful, I cant believe they are allowed to do this. good luck all

Ours will be here by 1pm tomorrow via Royal Mail special delivery! No extra cost this end either! Have been given a tracking number that I can track from 7pm! The woman too was very lovely! Very helpful and said "most do get their passports in time! We do it to travel date (seems to be two days before) BUT we just can't guarantee EVERYONE will get there's so although most do and we'd like to tell them this we simply can't just incase!' So stay strong as others have said get MP involved and call durham everyday for 'progress reports' at 8am! Good luck everyone xxx

can I ask what people are saying/asking when they get through to durham as iv been ringing daily to see where we are at and all I get it ill get a call is this all I can do? I feel so helpless my 2 childrens passports are in the upgrades que will nagging get It done any quicker xx

Blondi I totally agree with you..I have been told so many different stories by different people at the 0300 number.
Its so frustrating, the system they have in place is a circus as far as im concerned. Seems a bit of a lottery as to whether you are going to be one of the lucky ones to receive your passport in time. What a terrible service and very misleading.
Unfortunately for us we have categorically been told there is no way of getting my ds' s first passport in time, I tried again first thing this morning (the 0845 number) got through straight away and was again told it hasn't even been looked at yet, and no, we simply cannot fast track. I've cried and begged but alas to no avail. My mp has been amazing so I can't thank her enough, but there is no hope.
We have to try and be positive now for the sake of our son (we've shed our tears last night after ds had gone to bed). As I said before I really dont want to go through
Anything like this again!
Projuly..so glad you have a happy ending! Anyone else waiting. .good luck! X

Lottie, I'm not sure if nagging will get you there any quicker but it might make you feel better. When I first phoned the 0845 number last Thursday they said that i wouldn't hear back from them until today and that there was no point in phoning until today. I kept on calling anyway and true to their word, I didn't get a call back or any further information until today. Calling made me feel better though and I felt that I was doing something and the situation wasn't completely out of my hands even though it was. My MPs office have said that it's their intervention that did it but who knows if that's really the case.

yes your right deep down I know my constant phoning don't help but as you say it makes me feel better I lust cant help thinking with how busy they are some applications are going to "slip through the net" if you like. I feel by phoning that stops them forgetting me. I also have my MP chasing them up he emailed yesterday day and said he would chase up with a phone call later this week if needed, they told if iv not heard by Tuesday to call them but I think ill have to ring twice before then just to make me feel less helpless.. im dreading seeing my phone bill this month :(

aidy cake when do you fly?

Susyb it is a horrible situation to be in and I only blame myself really for leaving it 2-3 months before the holiday, thing Is they say peak times but whens not peak times , if they work by your holiday date as it seems then it doesn't matter when you send it in. We have just been so frustrated at the lack of information given to us about my OH first application , they have basically had his 6 weeks and its only just going to be looked at, all he wanted was an interview letter so he could organise it but it seems that's a difficult thing to request. I have phoned every day for the last few weeks every time being told the same thing still in examination. The 0300 number is rubbish, I had a text to say your passport is on its way to print so rang them to find out which application it was and they told me all my applications hadn't been looked at yet still in examination queue , passport arrived 2 days later so just shows how fast they update their systems ....it is exactly that a CIRCUS.

My daughter is going on a school trip to France on Tues 10th June. Sent the passport 1st class, signed for delivery on Friday May 9th and got a text saying received on 19th May (hmmm 10 days). Only began to worry yesterday so called 0300 number. Must have been lucky as got through to a very helpful woman who said passport at Peterborough and she would email to request an upgrade. Lo and behold this morning at 10.10am I got a text saying the passport was being printed and would be delivered in a few days. Now I just hope it is delivered by Monday. Didn't have to pay for an upgrade but wonder if they acted on the email from the 0300 woman...

*sent the passport renewal application 1st class on Friday 9th May