HELP PLEASE! DURHAM PASSPORT OFFICE

[twinsplusE]

Long shot but does anyone have a direct contact number for Durham Passport Office or the Upgrade Team?

I applied for my twins' first passports almost 10 weeks ago and we're due to travel on Tuesday (5 days' time). I applied for an upgrade over 10 days ago but haven't heard back from the upgrade team. I've chased a few times but still nothing. I've tried to call the customer service number over 150 times in the past 2 days but it keeps saying "due to high call volume we're unable to take your call". I'm at my wits end! No one gets back to you!

Any help greatly appreciated!

[lookingtofly]

@Viviennedluca fingers crossed for you! X

[Viviennedluca]

@lookingtofly i don’t think I will get any where with Peterborough but I have heard they are really helpful hopefully I can get an understanding of what to do. I have heard Durham are also helpful but there further away so I’m going to start in Peterborough and then 6th June go to Durham speak to someone. I’m not making any more phone calls I’m not waiting for any if I need to go back to durham on the 8th June 48hrs before flying I’m going to do that, I will let you know what happens there’s nothing else I can do now it’s my only option.

[lookingtofly]

@Viviennedluca its so frustrating, what is supposed to be an exciting experience is being ruined. Can’t look forward to our holiday at all in fact I doubt it will even go ahead. I hope you have more luck with those offices than the London one, all they did was give me the email for the Durham upgrade team :(

[HighSea]

@Viviennedluca would you kind enough to share the upgrade teams email address please?

[lookingtofly]

@HighSea they gave me Durham offices one which is [email protected] and said to email that office because that is where my application is. There is a post on this thread which lists all of the offices contact email and says it’s worth sending them all an email. Best of luck x

[HighSea]

@lookingtofly thank you, our 5 applications are all at Durham but will email all listed above as a back up plan.

[Viviennedluca]

@HighSea yes you’ve nothing to lose at the minute.. a bloke at work just told me he sent his off 2 weeks ago and he got it back in 3 weeks and he’s not got a holiday booked makes me so so angry x

[HighSea]

@Viviennedluca I feel you, I am getting the rage at all the posters on here posting to say they’ve had multiple passports back in 2-3weeks and the delays at the passport office are fake news. I think Durham unfortunately is the office that is struggling the most and has the longest waiting times.

[ABlindAssassin]

Apparently Durham have an 8 week backlog on actually opening post. So they are definitely struggling. Fingers crossed for everyone waiting.

[Viviennedluca]

@HighSea its awful but your going through the same thing to. I spoke to them today they said it’s with an examiner he also said that can take a few weeks I said I don’t have a few weeks, he asked when I was travelling said call back 28th when it’s two weeks to travel. I’m going to call on the 28th I doubt anyone will help me then we’ve the 3 day bank holiday then it’s Sunday then I’ve got 6 days I’m absolutely sick to death of this

[newnamenellie]

Has anyone had a positive experience with Durham?!

DD1’s child to adult renewal has gone there. Did online and sent old passport recorded delivery. That was received at Durham on 12th May but system still saying ‘send old passport’.

DD2’s child renewal went to Liverpool, we had a text to say it had been received and that they need a birth certificate, so that’s been sent. I’m less worried about that one as at least it’s showing some progress.

we travel on August 4th!

[HighSea]

@newnamenellie no unfortunately not Durham seem to be having some major issues. I am currently waiting for 5 passports all at Durham, 2 adult renewals and 3 child renewals they have been there for 11 weeks 6 days now and still had no progress passed we have received your documents. The helpline in useless can’t or won’t tell me anything and nobody every rings you back about fast track.

[DurhamDurham]

There's too many fast track applicants now for it to have any real benefit, they get thousands of new fast track applicants every week, it's a huge increase on usual figures.

[HighSea]

@DurhamDurham Good use name for the topic! I know people are using fast track more often now but surely that should affect the ones of us that have passports stuck in the system. Why I applied it was a 5 week wait, increased to 10 weeks after I had been waiting 4 weeks already and tomorrow I will be 12 weeks in. My 5 applications have not yet been dealt with they have been stuck at we’ve received your documents for 3 months tomorrow.

[DurhamDurham]

@HighSea to be officially 'fast tracked' you would have to contact the office and pay to have them fast tracked. However given the time you've waited the likelihood is that it'll be dealt with soon so there's little point paying all that extra money.

Good luck!

[DurhamDurham]

If you get to within 14 days of travel you can get a free upgrade of an application (it's not automatic, you have to ask for it), it's different to being fast tracked as it'll be printed locally and dealt with quicker. You do have to actually have travel plans booked and they'll probably ask for evidence so people can't just ring and claim their holiday is in two weeks.

[lookingtofly]

In case anyone is still interested, I spent 6 hours at the London office only to be told that my passport upgrade application will not be upgraded as it is a post office check and send one and only online applications can be upgraded. They was sending people away empty handed unless you was flying within the next 24hours :(

[Viviennedluca]

@lookingtofly i went to Peterborough Saturday got there for 7am my sollucstions in Durham and it’s paper style check and send, post office which wasn’t the issue Durham we’re not answering the phones, when she got hood of someone after an hour of trying she got an examiner to look at my application as it wasn’t checked, that only took 2 minutes I walked out with my passport at 3pm they were so so so helpful there only helping people 24/48 hours. They will help you if they can they really will the stress us over. I did do something naughty and booked a cheap flight then went 48 hours if I hadn’t of done that I would not of been going on the 11th June the last as the passport office said it wouldn’t of been back for my June holiday. Please bare in mind I have waited over 11 weeks and I can’t wait 48 hours before I fly, cause I need to let jet2 know. I was desperate I’m sure everyone else is if you want to ask me anything feel free good luck I’ve heard London arnt helpful at all x

[lookingtofly]

Thanks for the update! I’m stuck as to what to do as the offices will be closed Thurs/Fri so I doubt mine will get printed if it doesn’t happen today or tomorrow. When I was at the London office yesterday they was sending people away who were travelling in 48hours! I don’t know if it will be worth a trip to a different office

[Viviennedluca]

@lookingtofly peterborough or Durham they will help cause if the bank holidays when I was in Peterborough they were telling people if your flying over bank holidays go back Monday 30th you must do something tomorrow there the only people who can help you

[lookingtofly]

I got my passport!! Durham upgrade team called me yesterday, was able to pick up from the London office this morning
If anyone is in the same situation, recommend emailing the upgrade team as per the post on this thread :)

[obsessedwithsleep]

@lookingtofly did you just email Durham or all the upgrade offices? I've been told to email London as its closest to me but sounds like maybe I should email Durham too.

[lookingtofly]

@obsessedwithsleep Hi! So I was specifically told my application was in Durham but when it got to the two week before I travel mark I emailed all of the offices including Durham, you have to make sure you get an automated response which means they’ve received your email apparently. It was Durham who called me 48 hours before my flight but I was able to pick it up from my local office in London the next day. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions :)

[obsessedwithsleep]

@lookingtofly thank you so much! Just shows what a shambles it was because I've been given different advice. I've now emailed 4 times within the fortnight- how many times did you email? I'm not sure what else to do!! We applied on 26/3 and are meant to be travelling on Friday.