POST OFFICE ... Passport rip-off

Bossyboots

You have to know the person for two years and believe me they do make checks, random or otherwise. If they get a run of people who passports have all been counter-signed by the same person/company, they will investigate and of course if you haven't known them for two years you will be charged with deception.

sexy_fufu

Oh and OP kids passports last for 10 years you have to send them back at 5 years with a new pic and they will then send you the other 5 years back free of charge :-)

Noozan

coupon_king wrote:

I need to get my kids a passport as the are no longer valid on mine .... so am having to pay £25 each ( only lasts 5 years ) + £3 for photos each

So I take forms to the post office where I have been known for over 20 years by the post mistress to ask her if she would kindly countersign them to confirm who my children are ( would take all of 2 mins ) ....... But she informs me that Head Office have said she must now charge .... £5 for EACH .......... This is absolutely DISGRACEFUL and I am totally disgusted ....needless to say I will be finding an alternative method !

Could you get your kids' teacher to countersign them?

Poppy9

Why not just ask a neighbour. Thats what we do.

gk172

I got our health visitor to sign them and she didnt charge, as we looked to our doctor who wanted to charge so when we went into the h.v and asked her she said sure no bother as she had known me and the kids for years.

NAR

Poppy9 wrote:

Why not just ask a neighbour. Thats what we do.

I probably sign over a dozen every year and the Passport Office has checked with me at least one in four of them. So they do check up, so it is stupid to take a chance by not having the form properly countersigned.

Poppy9

But its not taking a chance. We are all either public/civil servants , teachers or professionally qualified (albiet some are retired). I have only had one check up and was told they were fine as they could see we lived on the same street and they could access records relating to the neighbour. I was more worried it was like big brother myself.

What I mean is look closer to home for someone to sign for you. You must have a neighbour who falls into one of the categories. A school cleaner, road sweeper etc are all public servants. A lowly junior clerk in say the NHS is a civil servant.

coffeeandfags

Do you use a local library? We got the head librarian to sign for me and the kids

Spendless

sexy_fufu wrote:

Oh and OP kids passports last for 10 years you have to send them back at 5 years with a new pic and they will then send you the other 5 years back free of charge :-)

Do they? My son had his first passport as a baby.

It lasted for 5 years and ran out this year and we had to pay for a new one for him.

Addy

Spendless wrote:

Do they? My son had his first passport as a baby.

It lasted for 5 years and ran out this year and we had to pay for a new one for him.

My five year olds' expires in April this year, I assumed I'd have to pay a renewal fee for a new one too.