Damaged Passport Disaster

HillsandDales

We arrived at the Singapore Airlines desk for our trip of a lifetime to SE Asia and were refused boarding because my husband‘s passport had a slight tear on one of the pages. Our Saga insurance (not open at weekends!) says that we are only entitled to a maximum of £750 in compensation for the denied boarding, and nothing at all for the £16,000 that the planned 4 week, multi-centre escorted trip cost. Needless to say we are devastated and our travel agent and even the insurance company have never encountered such a thing before and so don’t really know how to advise us.  

Getting a replacement passport entails making an appointment at one of the main passport offices a minimum of 48 hours later, going to the appointment, then waiting for the new passport to arrive at home 7 days later and 120 miles from the office where the appointment takes place. Half our trip will be over by then, even if we could rejoin the very rural route. 

Firstly, please check your passports carefully!  Damage must have occurred within the three days before travel and you have the impossible task of proving that to be the case.
Secondly, has anybody had experience of challenging such rules? Where would we start? Any useful advice welcomed.  

la531983

No you cant challenge it. The problem is if the airline accept you to travel, and you get to your destination, you are not guaranteed entry if your paperwork is damaged and then the airline is on the hook for the return journey you have to go on immediately.

Also its immaterial when the damage occurred, if its damaged its damaged as far as airlines/immigration are concerned.

People will get refused boarding for poor quality documentation all the time so a bit surprised that a major insurance company has never come across it before. Seen many a compo face in the press.

XRS200

There used to be a same day service for passports 

michael1234

Very sorry to hear that. How long was the tear? Would a "tear" of less than 5mm count as damage too I wonder?

As an aside, would it be better if the UK government simply published a website that anybody could use to verify a passport? It would be impossible to forge and passports could be issued instantly. A bit like the current MOT system where you just get a bit of paper with some numbers - verification is done online.

marcia_

michael1234 said:

Very sorry to hear that. How long was the tear? Would a "tear" of less than 5mm count as damage too I wonder?

As an aside, would it be better if the UK government simply published a website that anybody could use to verify a passport? It would be impossible to forge and passports could be issued instantly. A bit like the current MOT system where you just get a bit of paper with some numbers - verification is done online.

 wouldn't it be wonderful hence digital ID 

Ayr_Rage

I am surprised that your insurer is paying you anything as having the correct travel documents and visas is always down to the person travelling and the lack of correct paperwork is not an insurable event.

Isthisforreal99

michael1234 said:

Very sorry to hear that. How long was the tear? Would a "tear" of less than 5mm count as damage too I wonder?

As an aside, would it be better if the UK government simply published a website that anybody could use to verify a passport? It would be impossible to forge and passports could be issued instantly. A bit like the current MOT system where you just get a bit of paper with some numbers - verification is done online.

And how does that work when entering/exiting a foreign country? 

marcia_

XRS200 said:

There used to be a same day service for passports 

There is https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently

Blackbriar_040

My Passport expired in August, when I was looking into getting it replaced, I had options of,

A. Standard Application - 3 Weeks,  £94.50 (possibly a lot quicker, if their not busy!)
B. 1- Week, Fast Track,  £178
C. 1-Day Premium,  £222 (Book timeslot online, attend, collect in 4 hours!)

Not sure if every UK Passport office, offers the same day service, but should be easy to find out!

Incidentally, I always used one of those cheap plastic, mini envelope type wallets to store my passport, keeps them looking like new!  

 

michael1234

Isthisforreal99 said:

michael1234 said:

Very sorry to hear that. How long was the tear? Would a "tear" of less than 5mm count as damage too I wonder?

As an aside, would it be better if the UK government simply published a website that anybody could use to verify a passport? It would be impossible to forge and passports could be issued instantly. A bit like the current MOT system where you just get a bit of paper with some numbers - verification is done online.

And how does that work when entering/exiting a foreign country? 

Some countries already go to government websites for certain things. I've had my car log book checked abroad before now.

So how would they do it? Just go to www.gov.uk/whatever and enter the passport details including plenty that would only be known to the passport holder. Then view the online passport. 

Mands

XRS200 said:

There used to be a same day service for passports 

There still is, but appointments can only be booked 48 hours ahead of time.

So if you go online at 1000 on a Monday morning you might be offered a 1000 Wednesday appointment which will have the passport in your hands at 1400 on Wednesday.

If the OP needed visas they will be tied to the old passport, and unlikely to be transferable, so that complicates the issue further.