Passport panic!!!

[rocketfoz]

Hi everyone, hope you don't mind a chap posting here!

Just wanted to see if anyone may have any experience of getting passport applications through at short notice? We have sent our 3 applications off for 3 kids over a month ago to the Belfast office - unfortunatley not recording the reference numbers from the forms.

My wife received a confirmation text message on March 17th and cheques cleared our bank a/c a week after that. We've heard nothing since and are due to fly to Spain on Monday 14th.

So far, the service line have been less than helpful stating that as we chose to send the applications by post we are subject to potentially a 6 week wait - all of which I know is our fault! What I want to know, is can anything be done to speed things up? So far nobody from the PP office has returned the messages we've left and we're starting to have a major panic on! This is our first proper familiy holiday potentiall up in smoke!

I'm prepared to pay whatever it takes (more or less!!!) and go to the Belfast office to get them.

Thank for reading and any (constructive!) feedback would be gratefully received!

Andrew

They don't like it when you don't do check and send I find!

You can upgrade to 'premium' even when your application has been sent in, but you are going to have to find out where they are first, which might be hard with no reference number or barcode.

Just had a look at the website and you can only upgrade (as they call it) if you have used fecking check and send. It's like a conspiracy.

Think I might need to canvas outside the office!!!

Wouldn't there be a reference on the confirmation text your wife received?

I've found the Passport Office quite helpful when I've called - maybe try again and hopefully get a different person?

it's getting past the customer service people to talk to someone in the passport office that's been the problem.

Unfortunatley the text message just advised that they had received our application and didn't supply any references.

Without the reference numbers they cannot readily find the applications. Its a great pity these were not noted; they do advise that all customers note these barcode type numbers.

The premium service for a child's first passport is NOT available; a fast track service is offered but you would be charged £87 per app.

Phone again and insist on speaking to a manager. They will be able to find your applications without reference numbers quite easily.

If we could locate applications then we could have half a chance.

Common sense seems to say that they 'should' be able to find their whereabouts with names, adresses, DoB's etc...

Nightmare. I had passport problems a couple of weeks ago and found that the Belfast passport office were really helpful. They should definitely be able to find you on the system without your reference number (I had a digit missing from mine after paying the PO for check & send!). In my case they sent me a letter requesting new photos which I never received so my whole application was delayed. I had to chase them up three times before I was told this info though - the first two times they just told me that my application was being processed and I would receive my passport in due course. I would call the passport office on 03002220000 and insist on being put through to the Belfast office. If you explain that you've got travel dates so need your passport asap they'll try to help as best they can. Once they've found you on the system (which they should be able to do with your name, address and DOB) then ask them to give you your reference numbers so you have them for future ref. Good luck!