UK Passport renewal

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Nomoss · #21 Post by **Nomoss** » Sat May 27, 2023 12:33 pm

I'm losing count of the times I have called Customer Services, but my Passport is still in Toulouse, waiting for me to collect, and no-one seems to know how to get it to me at home. Tracking is below.
I'm not about to spend a day and the petrol driving to Toulouse and back to collect something I paid through the nose to be delivered.

In desperation I used the Help form on the Passport Office site to contact them yesterday and seconds later got the following reply, which must have been automated as there wasn't time to read what I wrote:
"Dear Mr Nomoss,
Thank you for your email regarding delivery of your passport.
Unfortunately, we are unable to assist you will need to contact DHL for further assistance.
Regards, His Majesty’s Passport Office"

It seems there must be a chronic problem for such a response to be automatic.

After the holiday is over I will try their Complaint form to complain about their response.

23.05.26 DHL Tracking.jpg

Mangetout · #22 Post by **Mangetout** » Sat May 27, 2023 2:18 pm

You're getting the same run around that I had. It's so frustrating you feel like strangling someone. You'll get there in the end. Take a deep breath. Good luck, and thank God we only have to do it once every 10 years

ajm · #23 Post by **ajm** » Sat May 27, 2023 3:01 pm

Mangetout wrote: ↑Sat May 27, 2023 2:18 pm You're getting the same run around that I had. It's so frustrating you feel like strangling someone. You'll get there in the end. Take a deep breath. Good luck, and thank God we only have to do it once every 10 years

Where did you have to go to collect yours?

Mangetout · #24 Post by **Mangetout** » Sat May 27, 2023 3:10 pm

I didn't. Eventually it was just left in my letter box but it took 3 weeks of back and forth with them saying they couldn't find me despite having delivered to the same address with my late husband's passport.

Nomoss · #25 Post by **Nomoss** » Sat May 27, 2023 4:24 pm

I think they have people to take the flak, mutter sympathetically in response to customers' problems and do nothing, in the hope that their "system" - for want of a better word, will eventually sort things out.

I worked briefly for a government department in offices which the public could visit (long ago,of course).
One of us junior employees was usually sent out to face whoever rang the bell, with instructions to do more or less the same.

Customers are regarded simply as a nuisance by employees of large organisations, and from the tone of my reply from them, this includes the Passport Office.

Mangetout · #26 Post by **Mangetout** » Sat May 27, 2023 4:57 pm

I briefly worked for the Dept of Social Security. And I mean briefly. It was awful. As the youngest little girl they had available I was used to deflect the flak which ranged from shouting, tears, vomit (when they were drunk) and pleading. Those behind the scenes had absolutely no intention of taking any notice of anyone, let alone consider them customers.

Nomoss · #27 Post by **Nomoss** » Wed May 31, 2023 3:48 pm

On Sunday May 28 I sent this message via DHL France Reclamation
Mon colis contenant un document important et urgent est à Toulouse, à 120 km de chez moi, depuis le 25 mai, malgré que j'ai demandé à plusieurs reprises à votre Service Clients de me le livrer. VEUILLEZ ACCÉLÉRER CE PAQUET IMMÉDIATEMENT. Un client très mécontent.

I received a call on Tuesday morning, May 30, from Liam, who said he would sort it out.

This morning, May 31, tracking showed the package out for delivery from Toulouse at 0715, and my Passport arrived at the house just on 3 pm.

Liam was the fourth DHL representative I spoke with, from which I am tempted to infer that 75% of them are incompetent.

Mangetout · #28 Post by **Mangetout** » Wed May 31, 2023 8:01 pm

Well done Nomoss. I find that loosing it completely works in France. We Brits are too tolerant.

Nomoss · #29 Post by **Nomoss** » Sat Jun 03, 2023 10:32 am

Error - see my next post.

Nomoss · #30 Post by **Nomoss** » Sat Jun 03, 2023 10:44 am

I just received a text message from DHL re. delivery of my old passport, and with hindsight I realise what went wrong before.
The message is "Livraison prévue le 06 juin 2023. Pour récuperer en point de retrait ou autres options de livraison" followed by a link.

I took this to mean I had to go to that site to choose the method of delivery, but when I did so the only option was to collect from Narbonne.
All other options were greyed out, so I stupidly clicked to confirm this, causing a problem which three customer service people couldn't solve and presumably gave up on.

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