Royal mail special delivery/FCO have lost my document

Dreamscometrue

Hello Everyone,

I'm feeling a little annoyed at the moment. I sent 3 documents by Special Delivery to The Foreign & Commonwealth Office in Milton Keynes. They've sent them back to me as they said that I hadn't included the payment (I had, I'd paid online). The documents were posted back to me in the ordinary post minus my birth certificate. The envelope I received didn't appear to have been tampered with. I've spent a good half an hour on the phone to The Foreign & Commonwealth Office and spoke directly to the person handling my case. They've assured me that they do not have my birth certificate and that they place applications with their documents in a plastic wallet the moment they are received ensuring that nothing goes astray. I've just arranged to get another birth certificate from the local registry office. I can only presume that RM have stolen my birth certificate. Any thoughts? Similar stories?

Thanks for reading.

vuvuzela

Why would you assume that ? If the package wasn't tampered with, then I would assume FCO have just lost it, regardless of how good they say their procedures are...
You must have seen Watchdog recently with all the reports about the DVLA - at the start they said they made zero mistakes as well...

Dreamscometrue

vuvuzela wrote: »

Why would you assume that ? If the package wasn't tampered with, then I would assume FCO have just lost it, regardless of how good they say their procedures are...
You must have seen Watchdog recently with all the reports about the DVLA - at the start they said they made zero mistakes as well...

Yes, you are right. The lady on the phone sounded so adamant and friendly that I'd like to believe it wasn't the FCO. Well it was one or the other!

preable

It will have been the FCO

Dreamscometrue

Once I receive my new birth certificate all 3 documents will need to go back to the FCO. It's out of my way and I don't have a car but, I'm wondering if I take the documents to them personally whether I could get them to sign something stating that they've received all 3 documents. I'd then go to collect these when they're ready. I really don't want to go there in person as it will probably be an 8 hour round trip each time and an expensive fair but, what can I do?

Dreamscometrue

I explained this to the Post Office yesterday and they were horrified. I am going to ask them to investigate this as I'm annoyed that priceless documents can go missing and the response is "sorry, there's nothing I can do". If they write back and say it definitely wasn't them but was the FCO that's fine, I just want one of them to take responsibility.

cybergibbons

Dreamscometrue wrote: »

I explained this to the Post Office yesterday and they were horrified. I am going to ask them to investigate this as I'm annoyed that priceless documents can go missing and the response is "sorry, there's nothing I can do". If they write back and say it definitely wasn't them but was the FCO that's fine, I just want one of them to take responsibility.

Priceless? As in cost almost nothing and are easy to obtain copies of?

Dreamscometrue

The FCO legalise a range of documents and depending on what goes missing it could take months to get a replacement.
The birth certificate costs only £9 but it will take around 10 days to get here. The certificate of non impediment cost £35 but I had to wait a month to collect this document. Once the documents are legalized they will be translated into Spanish at a cost of £72 handling fee per English document plus a cost of £72 handling fee per Spanish document plus £15 for each translation. The total for the 3 documents will amount to somewhere in the region of £530 and several months of waiting. For me, this is priceless, without the documents my wedding will not go ahead.

cybergibbons

Dreamscometrue wrote: »

The FCO legalise a range of documents and depending on what goes missing it could take months to get a replacement.
The birth certificate costs only £9 but it will take around 10 days to get here. The certificate of non impediment cost £35 but I had to wait a month to collect this document. Once the documents are legalized they will be translated into Spanish at a cost of £72 handling fee per English document plus a cost of £72 handling fee per Spanish document plus £15 for each translation. The total for the 3 documents will amount to somewhere in the region of £530 and several months of waiting. For me, this is priceless, without the documents my wedding will not go ahead.

You can see how, with your original story (which was simply a missing birth certificate), using the phrase "priceless documents" simply cheapens your complaint?

cyberbob

If the envelope wasn't tampered with your argument is with the FCO. I'm confused why you titled this Royal mail special delivery. As you had no problem with this service when you sent the documents.

devildog

I had problems with Royal Mail special delivery last year. DD was applying to Student Finance and they wanted to see her passport, sent it up, went online the next day to track it-not signed for, went on the following day and it stated that it had been re-directed(?)
Checked everyday for approx two weeks(never signed for at other end) and hey presto it turned up back at our front door via postman!! It had never been signed for at other end so I didn't know if Student Finance had seen it or not (later ascertained that they had seen it)
Complaint went in to Post office and they refunded the cost of 'Special delivery', nothing more!
Also had a problem last year when something was posted to arrive next day(it took 3 weeks!!)