Difficulties using VFS e-mail address for British passport application

[sicky]

I am trying to use the VFS service to make an appointment to renew my British passport.  I e-mailed the address ([email protected]) but it replies with a new message, entitled 'Thank you for your message', saying that I need to give three dates and times -- which I've already done in my message.  I don't follow whether this message I'm receiving is a rejection of my message.  The content seems rather wrong.  Can any others please confirm if their experiences are the same with this and if I'm using the correct approach?  Thanks very much.

 

Thank you for your email.

This is an automated response.

This email address is ONLY for booking an appointment to submit a passport application. You’ll need to schedule an appointment by email. Include your first name and last name and 3 alternative dates and times from 8:30 to 16:00, Monday to Friday except public holidays (Bangkok time). You will receive an email confirming your appointment.

[sicky]

Just for the benefit of others, I can confirm that VFS replied 1 hour after I submitted the message to [email protected], with an accompanying letter back to me which confirmed one of my suggested times - or at least very close to it anyway.  Good luck.

[Scott]

Off-topic post reported and removed.  

[OJAS]

22 hours ago, sicky said:

Just for the benefit of others, I can confirm that VFS replied 1 hour after I submitted the message to [email protected], with an accompanying letter back to me which confirmed one of my suggested times - or at least very close to it anyway.  Good luck.

Ah, you've just "savoured" but 1 of the very many "joys" of the dreaded "With-It Tower Passport Renewal Experience"!

 

The best of luck with your dealings with the With-It Tower Mob in due course...

[Jip99]

2 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Ah, you've just "savoured" but 1 of the very many "joys" of the dreaded "With-It Tower Passport Renewal Experience"!

 

The best of luck with your dealings with the With-It Tower Mob in due course...

 

 

Nothing wrong with VfS, they are pretty good at what they do.

 

 

You just need to understand what their role is and what the HMPO requirements are.

[OJAS]

2 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

Nothing wrong with VfS, they are pretty good at what they do.

 

 

You just need to understand what their role is and what the HMPO requirements are.

Would be better if we didn't have to deal with them at all and instead were able to submit our applications by courier/post direct and have our new passports directly couriered to us, as was the case up until 2014.

 

What gets my goat is that HMPO have never attempted to justify why those of us living out in the sticks are now required to make a couple of arduous trips to Bangkok at passport renewal time. What magically changed 3-4 years ago as to cause HMPO to impose this totally unreasonable burden on us, I wonder?

[Jip99]

16 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Would be better if we didn't have to deal with them at all and instead were able to submit our applications by courier/post direct and have our new passports directly couriered to us, as was the case up until 2014.

 

What gets my goat is that HMPO have never attempted to justify why those of us living out in the sticks are now required to make a couple of arduous trips to Bangkok at passport renewal time. What magically changed 3-4 years ago as to cause HMPO to impose this totally unreasonable burden on us, I wonder?

 

 

Agree with the the underlying sentiment but it is hard to fault VfS for their role,

 

Of course, you don't have to make the arduous trip to Bangkok (twice). There is a cost but you can use a third party if you really want to avoid traveling.

[sandyf]

21 hours ago, OJAS said:

What magically changed 3-4 years ago as to cause HMPO to impose this totally unreasonable burden on us, I wonder?

Overseas passports were moved from the Foreign Office to the Home Office(Teresa May)

[OJAS]

40 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Overseas passports were moved from the Foreign Office to the Home Office(Teresa May)

Indeed - and I suspect that this lies at the heart of the problem, as I see things.

 

I wonder whether, once they had taken over the passport renewal reins here, HMPO threw their hands up in horror at the procedures followed by the Foreign Office - and, consistent with an apparently paranoiac obsession with security, abruptly inflicted the present arrangements on us 3 years ago. But this is, of course, pure speculation on my part in the absence of any clarification or meaningful explanation on HMPO's part.

 

I would not have any objection in principle to having to make a couple of difficult trips to Bangkok (or have these trips undertaken on my behalf) at passport renewal time if HMPO's rationale for making the change was based on actual tangible evidence of widespread passport abuse which was directly attributable to the Foreign Office procedures, as opposed to some paranoiac perception of the risk based on a knee-jerk reaction made in panic.

 

But, of course, I doubt whether HMPO would be prepared to criticise their Foreign Office colleagues in public - which is what might well be the consequence of some full explanation in this particular instance. So, instead, the Government as a whole closes ranks by adopting a "least said soonest mended" approach aimed at "saving face" Thai style.

 

In practice, the changes made 3 years ago have, of course, proved increasingly radical the further away we live from Bangkok. Unfortunately, it would appear that, to quote the Foreign Secretary recently, we can all "go whistle" for a meaningful explanation - which, I reiterate, is totally unsatisfactory IMHO.

Edited September 9, 2017 by OJAS

[sandyf]

3 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Indeed - and I suspect that this lies at the heart of the problem, as I see things.

 

I wonder whether, once they had taken over the passport renewal reins here, HMPO threw their hands up in horror at the procedures followed by the Foreign Office - and, consistent with an apparently paranoiac obsession with security, abruptly inflicted the present arrangements on us 3 years ago. But this is, of course, pure speculation on my part in the absence of any clarification or meaningful explanation on HMPO's part.

 

I would not have any objection in principle to having to make a couple of difficult trips to Bangkok (or have these trips undertaken on my behalf) at passport renewal time if HMPO's rationale for making the change was based on actual tangible evidence of widespread passport abuse which was directly attributable to the Foreign Office procedures, as opposed to some paranoiac perception of the risk based on a knee-jerk reaction made in panic.

 

But, of course, I doubt whether HMPO would be prepared to criticise their Foreign Office colleagues in public - which is what might well be the consequence of some full explanation in this particular instance. So, instead, the Government as a whole closes ranks by adopting a "least said soonest mended" approach aimed at "saving face" Thai style.

 

In practice, the changes made 3 years ago have, of course, proved increasingly radical the further away we live from Bangkok. Unfortunately, it would appear that, to quote the Foreign Secretary recently, we can all "go whistle" for a meaningful explanation - which, I reiterate, is totally unsatisfactory IMHO.

I got caught up in the fiasco. After several panic emails my passport came back just short of 11 weeks after application, 3 days before I became an illegal immigrant. I had to apply for a marriage extension to get the 30 day under consideration and immigration told me that if no new passport not to bother going back.

[alanrchase]

My sister lives in the USA and renewed her passport online. My question would be why that option is unavailable here. Passports are processed by the same department.

[OJAS]

1 minute ago, alanrchase said:

My sister lives in the USA and renewed her passport online. My question would be why that option is unavailable here. Passports are processed by the same department.

A question which I have attempted to tease an answer to from HMPO, but which merely resulted in my bashing my head against a brick wall.

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

My sister lives in the USA and renewed her passport online. My question would be why that option is unavailable here. Passports are processed by the same department.

 

1 minute ago, OJAS said:

A question which I have attempted to tease an answer to from HMPO, but which merely resulted in my bashing my head against a brick wall.

That was answered in the long topic about the change years ago. It is because you are required to have your passport available to show at all times here.

The online option requires you to send your old passport with the application for a new one.

You folks from UK got spoiled when you could do your application by courier before. Many others like myself have to make a trip to Bangkok to do the application for our passports.

[OJAS]

15 minutes ago, sandyf said:

I got caught up in the fiasco. After several panic emails my passport came back just short of 11 weeks after application, 3 days before I became an illegal immigrant. I had to apply for a marriage extension to get the 30 day under consideration and immigration told me that if no new passport not to bother going back.

The fiasco to which you refer was the one arising from excessive delays across the board in issuing new passports on account of HMPO being overwhelmed following the transfer of responsibilities from the FO - which was not, of course, confined to passport renewal applicants living in Thailand.

 

The fiasco to which I am referring was the new requirement introduced at the same time specifically for passport renewal applicants living in Thailand to have to make (or arrange) 2 physical trips to Bangkok - instead of being able to post/courier their applications direct to Hong Kong (or the UK) and have their new passport directly couriered to them from the UK, as was possible under previous FO procedures.

Edited September 9, 2017 by OJAS

[sandyf]

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

The fiasco to which you refer was the one arising from excessive delays across the board in issuing new passports on account of HMPO being overwhelmed following the transfer of responsibilities from the FO - which was not, of course, confined to passport renewal applicants living in Thailand.

 

The fiasco to which I am referring was the new requirement introduced at the same time specifically for passport renewal applicants living in Thailand to have to make (or arrange) 2 physical trips to Bangkok - instead of being able to post/courier their applications direct to Hong Kong (or the UK) and have their new passport directly couriered to them from the UK, as was possible under previous FO procedures.

All part and parcel of the same thing, once the Home Office got involved they made VFS their agent. I had to go through the British Embassy, VFS didn't want to know.

It is a bit of a worry that the person that thought the changes would be an improvement is now trying to fry bigger fish.

[blackcab]

On 9/7/2017 at 1:15 PM, sicky said:

Just for the benefit of others, I can confirm that VFS replied 1 hour after I submitted the message to [email protected], with an accompanying letter back to me which confirmed one of my suggested times - or at least very close to it anyway.  Good luck.

 

On 9/8/2017 at 0:00 PM, OJAS said:

Ah, you've just "savoured" but 1 of the very many "joys" of the dreaded "With-It Tower Passport Renewal Experience"!

 

The best of luck with your dealings with the With-It Tower Mob in due course...

 

I agree with OJAS. A one hour email response time is excellent.

 

Congratulations VFS for doing a good job.

[OJAS]

On 9/10/2017 at 0:07 PM, blackcab said:

I agree with OJAS. A one hour email response time is excellent.

 

Congratulations VFS for doing a good job.

Thank you so much for this graphic demonstration of your complete inability to grasp or even understand irony.