HM Online Passport Renewal -Payments Declined Messages

HUMBUG

Very p*ssed off today!!! 
Spent hours trying to get an acceptable digital passport photo using my home camera but finally sorted out the shadow problem which I know will cause a rejection.  Then completed all the online passport renewal questions and finally  pressed the last button to make my payment but, as per norm, something goes wrong.  The ' authentication'  check happens between my hsbc bank and it says 'successful'  but then a message pops up from the HM site saying 'payment declined'  and to either re-enter the details or use a new card . So thinking I made a mistake I used my card again , and  got the same problem. 
Now I'm anxious that I've paid twice and that my 1st payment did go through fearing that the pop up 'declined' message from HM is a bug.  But I  haven't received any reference number emailed to me which usually happens when you've successfully completed the process .  
Then checked  my bank account to find out if I've got any 'pending payments '  waiting to be processed (couldn't see anything but maybe it takes a day to show up).
Wasting hours now just because of some crappy HM website authentication bugs between them and hsbc  - feeling so damn angry I want to rip into someone big time.
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I felt so angry I've emailed the senior manager for the passport office 'Ms Abi Tierney'

Dear Ms Tierney

Please refer this to one of your senior managers as I wish to make a formal complaint about your online system for renewing passports.
I spent several hours today to provide an acceptable photo to be used in your online process. Everything seemed fine and I was gleefully completing all the questions and finally pressed the very last button to make the payment .
Then of course it all goes horribly wrong as per norm .
1. My payment goes through some authentication check with my HSBC bank
2. I get a message popping up saying the authentication check was 'SUCCESSFUL'
3. I then get a HM website pop up message saying 'Payment Declined ' and to repeat the same process or try a new card .
4. I repeat the process thinking I must have entered some details wrong and get the same issues point 2 and 3  above.
Now fearing the worst that I have paid twice and that your 'payment declined ' message is some 'bug', I then have to check my HSBC bank account to try and confirm what has actually happened . So far I cannot see any pending payments but there might be a delay in them showing up on my bank account.
So can you imagine how angry I am starting to feel about your online process and the amount of time and anxiety that 'last pressing of the button' has caused me?
Can you imagine how angry I am going to be with whoever answers your 0300 200 3601 number on Monday morning (if I ever get through) . And if I am kept waiting for many minutes on the phone , can you imagine how even more angry I will become?

Now to prevent me being very irate with your people , I want you , yes 'YOU' to take ownership of my issue and ensure one of your senior customer service managers provide me with a detailed explanation of what has gone wrong and how you are going to fix it. I would prefer you did so in writing because that will make me feel a lot better to know you have wasted lots of time (just like I have).

Further , if you have debited my account twice in error then I want that payment repaid immediately back into my bank account and compensation of £50 for my wasted time due to your failing online website processes.

NoodleDoodleMan

"Then of course it all goes horribly wrong as per norm"

How do you come to the conclusion that this the norm ?

My wife and I renewed our passports online with no issues, which I expect is the experience of most applicants.

Incidentally, I would delete the angry calls bit, always counter productive.

Hasbeen

HUMBUG said:

Very p*ssed off today!!! 
Spent hours trying to get an acceptable digital passport photo using my home camera but finally sorted out the shadow problem which I know will cause a rejection.  Then completed all the online passport renewal questions and finally  pressed the last button to make my payment but, as per norm, something goes wrong.  The ' authentication'  check happens between my hsbc bank and it says 'successful'  but then a message pops up from the HM site saying 'payment declined'  and to either re-enter the details or use a new card . So thinking I made a mistake I used my card again , and  got the same problem. 
Now I'm anxious that I've paid twice and that my 1st payment did go through fearing that the pop up 'declined' message from HM is a bug.  But I  haven't received any reference number emailed to me which usually happens when you've successfully completed the process .  
Then checked  my bank account to find out if I've got any 'pending payments '  waiting to be processed (couldn't see anything but maybe it takes a day to show up).
Wasting hours now just because of some crappy HM website authentication bugs between them and hsbc  - feeling so damn angry I want to rip into someone big time.
----------------
I felt so angry I've emailed the senior manager for the passport office 'Ms Abi Tierney'

Dear Ms Tierney

Please refer this to one of your senior managers as I wish to make a formal complaint about your online system for renewing passports.
I spent several hours today to provide an acceptable photo to be used in your online process. Everything seemed fine and I was gleefully completing all the questions and finally pressed the very last button to make the payment .
Then of course it all goes horribly wrong as per norm .
1. My payment goes through some authentication check with my HSBC bank
2. I get a message popping up saying the authentication check was 'SUCCESSFUL'
3. I then get a HM website pop up message saying 'Payment Declined ' and to repeat the same process or try a new card .
4. I repeat the process thinking I must have entered some details wrong and get the same issues point 2 and 3  above.
Now fearing the worst that I have paid twice and that your 'payment declined ' message is some 'bug', I then have to check my HSBC bank account to try and confirm what has actually happened . So far I cannot see any pending payments but there might be a delay in them showing up on my bank account.
So can you imagine how angry I am starting to feel about your online process and the amount of time and anxiety that 'last pressing of the button' has caused me?
Can you imagine how angry I am going to be with whoever answers your 0300 200 3601 number on Monday morning (if I ever get through) . And if I am kept waiting for many minutes on the phone , can you imagine how even more angry I will become?

Now to prevent me being very irate with your people , I want you , yes 'YOU' to take ownership of my issue and ensure one of your senior customer service managers provide me with a detailed explanation of what has gone wrong and how you are going to fix it. I would prefer you did so in writing because that will make me feel a lot better to know you have wasted lots of time (just like I have).

Further , if you have debited my account twice in error then I want that payment repaid immediately back into my bank account and compensation of £50 for my wasted time due to your failing online website processes.

Humbug.

Westin

Frustrating possibly but somewhat of an over reaction.  What are you like in a real crisis?

I really do hope you will have calmed down by tomorrow and that you won’t as you suggest be irate with the poor call handler who picks up the phone when you call.

As for Ms Tierney taking personal ownership and your demand to have a senior manager call you with a detailed explanation, be careful they just don’t mark you down as Loon.  Polite brief feedback of your experience is one thing, you may even get an acknowledgement and an apology.  I don’t think your rant is fully justified. Deep breaths...

NottinghamKnight

I believe they have a very special place to file communications like that.....

gettingtheresometime

NottinghamKnight said:

I believe they have a very special place to file communications like that.....

Is it filed under B or T ?

CardinalWolsey

I wonder whether the OP will provide a full and written apology to Ms Tierney when they discover that the reason the payments failed were wholly within their own control...

longobongo_2

I wonder how their angry phone call went and how long they were kept on hold for?

An update from the OP would be nice. Mayby they're still on hold.

HUMBUG

Some interesting feedback and exactly the response I 'expected/wanted' to see . Some of you are far too passive in your 'assertive' approach especially when you are reigning in how you really feel about  failed web gateway processes between your bank and supplier.  Rather, you should be empathising with the suffering/frustrated end users who feel the brunt of these failures because the supplier has employed some cheap third rate software company to design and test their website processes. And as per norm (because I've experienced this same problem on other websites )  , the most important 'End User Testing' is almost ignored by these companies (just not thorough enough) .  The problem with HM Gov website is that there isn't any competition to make them fix their problems so being 'assertive' in a businesslike way just doesn't  'cut the biscuit' . They'll just plod along until the customer complains , temporarily patch over the problem and discard it in the bin until the next complaint. I can't imagine Ms Tierney would think of me as a 'Loon'  but  maybe ask her senior managers to fix the problem so that she doesn't receive another email like mine.

Frankly , you are a bunch of softies!!!

longobongo_2

So did you get your £50 compensation? Genuinely interested

Neil49

I experienced a similar situation with the Dvla when attempting to process a transaction at a car dealership. They were getting a transaction failed message and at the same time I was getting a message from the TSB asking me to confirm the transaction as genuine. The problem was that I couldn't approve the transaction quickly enough for the Dvla to accept it. 

Fortunately I have a Monzo account which is linked to my phone. When I used my Monzo card to pay I had an instantaneous on screen message asking me to approve the transaction which I did. Problem solved.

I believe this may be the background to the situation you experienced.

The good news is that today is International Gin and Tonic Day! I suggest that you take part.