Passport Renewal nightmare

Mikec77

I have been duped into believing that passport.uk.com was in fact the 'real' passport online service.
My family needs new passports ( a once in 10 year transaction) so I searched Google for 'UK Passport Renewal' and found this site which looks like the online site for renewal of passports.
With hindsight, I look stupid, but given that this transaction happens only once in 10 years, I'm not familiar with the latest UK Gov. processes .
Thus I simply pressed the button that says 'Apply for a Passport online now' and completed all three renewal requests, one for each of the family.
Now after paying a total of £268.50 I received a letter from the 'real' passport office who informed me that the fees charged by this company do not include the cost of renewing a passport. Passport.uk.com simply fill in the forms and post back to you for signing . I have been completely fooled by this, in my opinion a complete fraud, the letter containing the forms sent to me contained a pre addressed envelope to the UK Passport Office in Cardiff.
The words on the current website (which I don't recall seeing in Dec when I made the application) are below.

• Apply for, update, renew or replace your passport online using our check and send service. Our online service provides a checking and application service, taking the stress out of your passport application.

Whats this all about? ( I have no idea what a 'checking service' is ) This tells me that I'm in the right place to renew a passport and anyway It does not say that the cost of renewing the passport is not included in the fee charged.
Today I have tried to contact them but its difficult and they use premium rate telephone lines.
I have now written to them and asked for a refund.
I also wrote to my MP as I think this is a big issue.
Watch this space..

Slowhand

Nah....not for real!

McKneff

You have nt been duped, it is actually a legitimate business.
Unfotuntately, you just haven't read it properly.


Nothing much you can do.


There are companies who take money to get you an EHIC card but these are also free to get yourself.

maninthestreet

"
We are not connected to or affiliated with the IPS, HM Passport Office or any other official Government body. We offer a review and submission service for United Kingdom passport applications for a small processing fee. You can apply independently and at no cost for this by visiting the official website. Please read our Terms of Service before using this website."

paddyrg

I do have a little sympathy as these companies do rely on consumer confusion, however the landing page you linked to states many times, in many ways that they are not the government site, that you could go to the post office for a similar service, that you could go direct to IPS and even provide a link to them. They seem to go out of their way to give anyone who reads the site alternatives.

Slowhand

Go for it...you got what you agreed to.

Hasbeen

Its legitimate, but can fool the unwary, sorry!


Hope you can get refund but it depends on goodwill


Linky


Linky

DCFC79

Mikec77 wrote: »

I have been duped into believing that passport.uk.com was in fact the 'real' passport online service.
My family needs new passports ( a once in 10 year transaction) so I searched Google for 'UK Passport Renewal' and found this site which looks like the online site for renewal of passports.
With hindsight, I look stupid, but given that this transaction happens only once in 10 years, I'm not familiar with the latest UK Gov. processes .
Thus I simply pressed the button that says 'Apply for a Passport online now' and completed all three renewal requests, one for each of the family.
Now after paying a total of £268.50 I received a letter from the 'real' passport office who informed me that the fees charged by this company do not include the cost of renewing a passport. Passport.uk.com simply fill in the forms and post back to you for signing . I have been completely fooled by this, in my opinion a complete fraud, the letter containing the forms sent to me contained a pre addressed envelope to the UK Passport Office in Cardiff.
The words on the current website (which I don't recall seeing in Dec when I made the application) are below.

• Apply for, update, renew or replace your passport online using our check and send service. Our online service provides a checking and application service, taking the stress out of your passport application.

Whats this all about? ( I have no idea what a 'checking service' is ) This tells me that I'm in the right place to renew a passport and anyway It does not say that the cost of renewing the passport is not included in the fee charged.
Today I have tried to contact them but its difficult and they use premium rate telephone lines.
I have now written to them and asked for a refund.
I also wrote to my MP as I think this is a big issue.
Watch this space..

The term checking service is just that, they check the application for you (the post office can do this for free or a small fee of which I cant remember as its been a while since I renewed mine ). The site and the others are legit, they provide a service which is to check the applications. Not sure how you get a refund but it might require writing to them requesting a refund.

It does say on the site " This service is not affiliated with the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) or any other government body " not sure how else it could be worded to say they aren't afilliated with the IPS.

People just need to read what they are paying for.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Yawn, here we go again

wealdroam

Mikec77 wrote: »

The words on the current website (which I don't recall seeing in Dec when I made the application) are below.

• Apply for, update, renew or replace your passport online using our check and send service. Our online service provides a checking and application service, taking the stress out of your passport application.

The layout of their homepage was different in some respects on 5th September 2013, see here, but those words you quote were there then.