Praise for Passport Office

Good_Heavens

Hi 

I realise the government has been in for a lot of criticism lately,  however I think one particular department must be praised for it performance recently. I applied for my passport renewal on  a recent Bank Holiday  Monday,  sent  my old passport, as requested on Tuesday afternoon, following excellent communication about how my application was progressing, I received my new passport on Friday morning.

Well done the Passport Office.

Regards 

South Wales.

poppystar

Brilliant! Did you send the old passport by first class or recorded or registered? 

diystarter7

Hi

Many thanks for sharing the good news with us, appreciated. This will give hope to those waiting.

dc_scotland

I had a similar experience in December.  I renewed my passport online on a Sunday evening.  The processing time was said to be up to 10 weeks and would only start when I sent my old passport back to them.  I sent that next day "Signed For" delivery.  Around 5 days later they confirmed the application was now being processed, then a few days later my new passport was received.   In all it was around 10 days, rather than being closer to 10 weeks as I had expected.  The old passport came back to me around 2 weeks later.

daveyjp

Looks like things aren't much different to last May when I renewed a passport.

AlexMac

I agree; we used our local Post Office digital service; they take a Pic, fiddle about online and forward the old passport to the Passport Office for a reasonable fee.  Acknowledged within a day or two, printed and passed to their courier a very few days later.  Then it went a bit pear shaped, in that TNT (yes TNT- those friendly couriers who the Press Baron Murdoch used to break the Print strike in the 1980's for those lefties out there with long memories) sent us emailed delivery promises on four consecutive days without explaining whether we'd have to be in to sign for it!  Then just stuck it through the letterbox anyway.

But still good service from the PO... and the PO!  Albeit not from TNT?

CKhalvashi

Great to hear!

Passports in the last few years have been very hit and miss but success stories are always good!

Doshwaster

I ordered a replacement passport last November after losing mine (my own stupid fault). I was very impressed with the ease of the online application process, the frequent updates on the process and the delivery was the following week,

Just a shame that I lost my nice burgundy one which still at 7 years left on it and got a blue/black one as a replacement.

mr_stripey

I sent my passport back last Friday. It arrived at the passport office on Monday
Had a text today saying passport has been printed and will be despatched today

Pretty quick turnaround time

poppystar

I’m hoping for success that quickly. I applied online yesterday and posted old passport off. Just a couple of snags as there was an automated check problem with the difference between me and background - consulted the photo shop and they said to go ahead as it was ICAO (?!) checked on their system ok. Worrying but fingers crossed. Then the woman in the post office said that I should sent it special delivery not signed for…but it was up to me (she gave no reason other than it wouldn’t be mixed with normal post). I stuck with signed for but having slight panic now as she wrote ‘CA’ on the receipt before she gave it to me  and said “ that is so if it gets lost everyone will be able to see I advised you to use special delivery” - oh no she didn’t - she just explained what the difference was! Hardly inspires confidence in them but has left me doubting my own decision🙄.

Update 20/1: Confirmation this morning that old passport received, relief! 

mr_stripey

mr_stripey said:

I sent my passport back last Friday. It arrived at the passport office on Monday
Had a text today saying passport has been printed and will be despatched today

Pretty quick turnaround time

update on my passport - just arrived right now, delivered by DHL

TImeline was:

Thurs 12th Jan - had photo taken by local photographer and applied for renenwal online
Fri 13th Jan - posted old passport back
Mon 16th Jan - passport arrived at Corby office
Tue 17th Jan - had email saying passport was appoved
Wed 18th Jan - had email saying passport printed
Thu 19th Jan - had email saying passport would be despatched soon
Fri 20th Jan - passport arrived hand delivred by DHL