British Passport Office Farce

[Tofer]

This is a warning to all Brits requiring a passport renewal, HMPO in UK is simply not functioning, and the British Embassy in Bangkok no longer issue passports directly. People in the UK are having to cancel holidays because they cannot get a passport.

 

I applied digitally for my wife and son, with the promise of a 4 week turnaround, and got an acknowledgement of documents received 15 & 17/03/22, for a straight forward renewal of pre-existing British passports. HMPO's acknowledgement is sent out as an email message, and there is a tracking facility showing the application history, with the dates recorded of the documents received, but I was still constantly receiving automated messages requesting we send the documents, noting that if already sent to ignore that message.

 

Since no new information was requested, I did just that, ignored their automated / repetitive messages. I then receive a message stating if they do not receive the documents for my wife & son before a date 5 days hence, they will withdraw the application, and you lose your advance payment. Despite my online messages, acknowledged received instantly, confirming that they have logged their receipt of documents on the tracking facility, they still went ahead and withdrew the applications, presumably as an excuse so they would not be seen to have failed to achieve their target turnaround date. Pathetic, how hard can it be to issue a straight forward renewal of a pre-existing passport.

 

Replies to communication on HMPO's online messaging facility, are usually a 'tick box' response of a selected extract from the generic rules, and do not answer your specific application query, presumably again to keep to their 72 hour promised response time.

 

A renewal application for myself is being questioned as a second passport, but I have had this facility since 1980, including repeated renewals without question. I spent 2 hours on a phone call before being disconnected after finally getting through to, and being placed on hold by, the person I needed to speak to. I've sent them all the information they requested, explanation letter for reasons requiring a second passport and a colour copy of my current passport.

 

I sent them an email and electronic message offering practical solutions to their desire to terminate my second passport facility, which has been replied to as a simple acknowledgement, and noting an examiner will have to consider the options, but they threw in an indeterminate comment of "send a covering letter". Very odd, since they have already acknowledged my email and it's message in their same message. I suspect this is yet another potential opportunity for them to withdraw the application for none receipt of documents.

 

It would appear they are spending the majority of their time covering their backsides, to ensure they meet their performance targets, without actually producing the goods. Obviously the Covid solution of working from home is not working!

 

I've now reached the point where I consider it probably necessary to start making formal complaints, in the hope some senior manager will force a solution.

[samtam]

10 minutes ago, Tofer said:

I applied digitally for my wife and son, with the promise of a 4 week turnaround, and got an acknowledgement of documents received 15 & 17/03/22, for a straight forward renewal of pre-existing British passports. HMPO's acknowledgement is sent out as an email message, and there is a tracking facility showing the application history, with the dates recorded of the documents received, but I was still constantly receiving automated messages requesting we send the documents, noting that if already sent to ignore that message.

I presume you're in UK if you applied digitally, as that facility is not available here in Thailand, AFAIK.

The system for Thailand applications is different, although the turnaround is apparently still 3-4 months, (website says 11 weeks).

[CharlieH]

Topic already runn8ng on this.....

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