Passport office, what a joke.

[mph1977]

Old Merc said:

mph1977 said:

How do you know he wasn't Royal Mail,third class citizens aka agency / rm casuals get none of the workwear and inferior PPE.

AND I bet they don't get any security vetting?? so passports are delivered by Tom Dick or Harry part timers etc.

That's the one thing RMG do insist on for agency and casual staff.

[scooters]

Well. On thurs I found out that my sons passport had expired. Am/was taking him abroad next week. Panic stations. Phoned to get an appointment and managed to get I eat 10.30 on Friday morning. Took completed form (read who should countrsign etc) to Newport hoping against hope that it would be processed and with us before the planned departure date. (Kids passport cannot be proceeded on the same day and has to be the 7 day turnaround) . Big worry time. Until this morning when it turned up-in under 20 hours from dropping off the form. Thought I would share this as good service is usually overlooked these days. (Thanking my lucky stars!)

[rongagin]

My passport needed renewing when the big "delays" were on in May/June time. I went to the post office and the woman there said you had up to 9 months before expiring to start renewing, but it should be all done within three weeks. Once word was out there were "delays" people were trying to renew 9 months in advance, "just in case". So the problem gets bigger. Panic buying if you like.

My passport was back within three weeks.

[BrabusMog]

For no explicable reason the plastic has started to come away from my passport. I've been fine travelling on it as it never usually gets questioned until I land back at LHR or LGW but last week I was told at Gothenburg airport that I should probably get a new one. As I am travelling practically every week will I be able to get an appointment to have it done in one day? I'm quite miffed as I only ever travel with it in a protective wallet so I have absolutely no idea how the plastic could start coming away.

[AMD87]

Not for a damaged passport its 7 days.

[BrabusMog]

FFS! Not sure what I'll do then.

[King Herald]

Chrisgr31 said:

soi6 said:

The Uk immigration ans passport office are staffed by complete idiots. Been through he whole immigration thing for 7 years and it proves why this country is a joke.
They hardly ever get "vetted" after authorising passports etc . None checks to see they have been done properly. Thats why most of them get nice little cash presents each month paid by "visa lawyers" the going rate paid to the immigration officer is £1900.

a few times a month is a very nice "pension"

next time, we will do it the easier way......illegal. Quicker and cheaper . they are a total bunch of corrupt idiots

If you have any proof on this I would report it to either the authorities or the media. The media would love to run with this.

Of course he has no proof, this is the internet and people can spout such drivel with impunity.

Now if he lived where I do, and made accusations such as that, nobody would doubt a word he said.

[sparkythecat]

Mailed my passport renewal application last Tuesday. New passport arrived today just 8 days later and I didn't even bribe anyone.

[Muzzer79]

sparkythecat said:

Mailed my passport renewal application last Tuesday. New passport arrived today just 8 days later and I didn't even bribe anyone.

I applied last Tuesday aswell and note that my online status has now changed to 'despatched' so I should get it any time now too

I'm more chuffed that I'll be able to use electronic entry at UK customs and not spend 45 minutes standing in a queue at Stansted everytime I want to get in to my home country....

Still grates at over 70 quid though.

[Pothole]

So the consensus is that the passport office is not a joke after all? Thought so!

[sparkythecat]

Muzzer79 said:

Still grates at over 70 quid though.

It's only £7.50 a year. You'll probably pay more than that for a brew and a biscuit on the plane

[BrabusMog]

Muzzer79 said:

I applied last Tuesday aswell and note that my online status has now changed to 'despatched' so I should get it any time now too

I'm more chuffed that I'll be able to use electronic entry at UK customs and not spend 45 minutes standing in a queue at Stansted everytime I want to get in to my home country....

Still grates at over 70 quid though.

Due to issues with my passport stated further up this page, my electronic swipe isn't working at the moment. I still go to the E Passport gate and when it doesn't work they just bump you to the front of the old style passport/non EU queue and a quick explanation of why it's fked and I am let through

[SimonV8ster]

I stood in line at LHR just before Xmas, next to me were the new electronic machines. I watched as people walked up, placed their passports face down, got a red light, had a few more goes, looked around for help and were then told to exit and re-enter the booth and start again.

I reckon 8 out of 10 people had problems and probably didn't get through any quicker.

[phumy]

SimonV8ster said:

I stood in line at LHR just before Xmas, next to me were the new electronic machines. I watched as people walked up, placed their passports face down, got a red light, had a few more goes, looked around for help and were then told to exit and re-enter the booth and start again.

I reckon 8 out of 10 people had problems and probably didn't get through any quicker.

Amazing, I use them machines about 6 times per year and have no bother what so ever.. Maybe they were having a bad day when you were there.

[AdeTuono]

phumy said:

SimonV8ster said:

I stood in line at LHR just before Xmas, next to me were the new electronic machines. I watched as people walked up, placed their passports face down, got a red light, had a few more goes, looked around for help and were then told to exit and re-enter the booth and start again.

I reckon 8 out of 10 people had problems and probably didn't get through any quicker.

Amazing, I use them machines about 6 times per year and have no bother what so ever.. Maybe they were having a bad day when you were there.

Nothing but positives from me too. We came through just before Xmas and were in baggage reclaim in less than 2 minutes.

[AndyNetwork]

The requirements for countersigning are a joke - My next door neighbour's son has lost his passport, but needs it renewing quickly, as his girlfriend has arranged a trip to Madrid for his birthday at the end of March.

He was struggling to find someone to counter sign his form/photos and asked me as I am qualified as a software engineer (engineer being specifically mentioned as someone who is elegable to countersign) We phoned the passport office, to make sure, as although I have a software engineering degree, I am not a chartered engineer, or have professional qualifications, just academic qualifications. The passport office's response - I am ok to sign it if my job title contains the words software engineer.

How does that work - whether I am working as a software engineer or not, does not change the qualifications I have!

[98elise]

Puggit said:

I can understand your ire but...

https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applica... makes it clear

Gov web site said:

be able to identify the person applying, eg they’re a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows them professionally)

And doctors are not in the list (but nurses are!).

Luckily in our 3 neighbouring houses we have a councillor, accountant and policeman

Looks like I can sign them as a Director of a Ltd Co (very PH )

I'm only a one man company though.

[karona]

You couldn't make it up!
Six step siblings, living in the UK, learn that their dad, living in Bulgaria, has terminal cancer. He's likely to be comatose within days, and lucky to live until the end of the month.
Three of the siblings have never had passports, so they ask the Passport office to fast-track travel documents so they can see him one last time. Sibling one gets the OK straight away, and books her flights. The other two are told "We need proof your dad's terminally ill"
Friends of the family go on a ten hour mission to badger the hospice into releasing a statement of dad's health. This, naturally, is in Bulgarian, so next stop is a licensed translator, then a Notary, because that's the way things are done out here. The whole document bundle is then faxed to the passport office.

Ten minutes later the family phones us with the decision:
"No! Because the Bulgarian Hospice didn't write the document in English, it's not good enough proof that they need to travel urgently."
"But you gave my sister her passport without proof"
"Oh no we didn't"
"Oh yes you did, this is her number"
"Tough, you're not getting yours"

Way to go, wkers,

[anonymous-user]

karona said:

Three of the siblings have never had passports, so they ask the Passport office to fast-track travel documents so they can see him one last time. Sibling one gets the OK straight away, and books her flights. The other two are told "We need proof your dad's terminally ill"

Maybe, just maybe, siblings two and three fell in to the "random check" bracket where sibling one didn't?
Rocket science it ain't.
As for translation thing, nothing gets you nowhere fast more than the "I haven't got a passport and now it's an emergency" line.
You can thank all those twonks who can't plan their way out of a paperbag for that one and "suddenly", two weeks prior to departure, realise they haven't renewed their passport before jetting off to Ibeefa.

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 20th February 18:45