Passport office rip-off

Brominho

Hi there, new to the forum.
Just after some advice. I recently renewed my regular adult passport. Having applied online, I was charged £32.50 (I assumed as an admin fee, which is part of the £72.50 fee I expected to pay).
But when I then had to fill in a paper form and send it in with my photo and payment details, I was debited the full £72.50 on top of the original fee.
Can someone explain whether I have indeed been charged the admin fee twice and can I claim it back without calling their £1.53/minute rip-off phone line?
Thanks

luci

Do you have a link to the site you used?

It sounds like you have used an online "agent" rather than going directly to the official Passport Office site. This is not a rip off by the Passport Office as it has nothing to do with them.

Meadows

There is not a separate admin fee! Did you use a third party site to pass the passport renewal through?
You really have to check you are using a direct site and not a third party site that charges you to use the service (like these example! http://www.uk-passport.net/index.html http://www.passport.uk.com/index.php).

or by using the Post office check & send for a small fee.


Official passport site - https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport

Archergirl

Yes I think this is what has happened. You used the wrong site, not 'a rip off' at all sorry.
You should have just gone to the post office, got a form, had a picture taken and sent it off.
No need for 'check and send' they charge you for this, all you need to do is read it twice, fill it in once.

peachyprice

Brominho wrote: »

Hi there, new to the forum.
Just after some advice. I recently renewed my regular adult passport. Having applied online, I was charged £32.50 (I assumed as an admin fee, which is part of the £72.50 fee I expected to pay).
But when I then had to fill in a paper form and send it in with my photo and payment details, I was debited the full £72.50 on top of the original fee.
Can someone explain whether I have indeed been charged the admin fee twice and can I claim it back without calling their £1.53/minute rip-off phone line?
Thanks

I would imagine you have been charged £32.50 because you haven't gone through the official website. The official one doesn't charge a penny.

photome

peachyprice wrote: »

I would imagine you have been charged £32.50 because you haven't gone through the official website. The official one doesn't charge a penny.

only 7250 of them but i know what you mean.

Op you have probably guessed you havent been ripped off by the passport office.

agrinnall

When I google UK passport the first three results are agencies who I guess will charge a fee, with the fourth one being the gov.uk site which will tell you how to get it without a fee. It's a medium-expensive lesson on evaluating results before deciding which one to go with.

Pollycat

Discussed here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4380089

This particular company have recently changed their website to make it very clear that they are providing - and charging for - a 'value-added' service and even provide a link to the IPS website where you can apply and just pay the Governent-levied fee.

They do offer to refund so OP - if you have used UK-passport.net check out their T&Cs or the T&Cs of whichever company you used to see if you can get a refund.

But you may be too late for that.