Passport Office Lost My Documents

EverAndy

Me and my wife applied online for our first adult passport. We sent the documents by special delivery on 22/02/2019 and confirmed it was delivered the following day.

We kept checking the application tracker but after a few dayd it still said send documents. We kept calling the passport office and they kept telling us to call back in a few days.

Today we called and they said they transfered the documents to another office but the other office never received them which means they are lost.

We are due to go on holiday at the end of April and was already cutting it time wise (we applied late as our marriage certificate needed to be sent for proof of my wife's change of surname but we noticed her maiden name was spelt incorrectly so we was waiting 12 weeks for that to be corrected before we could apply for passports).

Where do we stand? Is there any advice you can offer as we're not quite sure what we can do next and I don't think we can afford to pay £170 for the 5 certificates that we sent (£35 each).

Thank you.

Voyager2002

Firstly, make sure that the passport office know your travel plans and ask them what they can do. This is an extremely unusual situation and their management would be keen to solve the problem without embarrassing publicity.


Secondly, you could write to your MP and ask if the issue could be referred to the Parliamentary Ombudsman (an official who deal with customer problems with any government agency).

POPPYOSCAR

When they said they were lost what did they say next and what did you say?

EverAndy

It was my wife that spoke to them. They said the documents were sent to another office but the other office has not received them. They said they will look thoroughly for them and asked that we call back on Friday 8th March.

POPPYOSCAR

And did you ask what will happen if they cannot find them by then and ask for reassurance that you will get your passports in time?

EverAndy

She didn't. That's why I will be ringing them myself.

EverAndy

Spoke to them again today. They've said they will continue to look for them. If they are not found we will need to buy new certificates and send the receipts for them to reimburse. But now I worry that they will loose them too and we won't get reimbursed.

POPPYOSCAR

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/118579/documents-lost-damaged.pdf

According to this you can insist they do it.

"If the customer refuses, explain to them that it may take sometime to get a
replacement document as we dependent on the good will of the issuing
authority.
If the customer insists that IPS should replace his/her document, forward the
query to the Regional Customer Service Team (see below) for action. The
customer service team should then contact the relevant authority to make the
necessary arrangements on behalf of the customer for a replacement"

POPPYOSCAR

Do you realise that as it is your first adult passport you will more than likely have to attend an interview at the nearest passport office?

anna_1977

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Do you realise that as it is your first adult passport you will more than likely have to attend an interview at the nearest passport office?

just out of curiosity does that count if renewing a child passport and they are now an adult?

EverAndy

Yes I'm aware I will have to attend an interview