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Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
29 Posts
niptuckfan
2008-11-18 13:50:00
We sent our passports, visa form and bankers draft by next day special delivery on Wed...it arrived at Edinburgh sorting office on Thursday morning and has not been seen since. :( ..i have registered a complaint with RM and have to phone them in 48hrs to see if they have found it!!! i am raging....paid a small fortune to ensure this was safe and they have lost it....we fly to Goa on 28th December....will we have time to get new passports and visas for us all before then? i have been looking on the passport website and your not allow to apply for the fast track day ones if your passport is lost so would have to send by mail!!!! also not sure as to what cover we would get from RM....i am constantly trying to get someone at the embasy just incase it has been deliverred and not signed for but they never answer the phone or emails....not happy with RM and the embassys customer service at all! :cry :cry
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Polly50
2008-11-18 14:00:40
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
OMG!!!!!! What a nightmare. I think that is everyone's worst fear when sending off for visas, it certainly was mine. Did you take a copy of your passport?, or at least make a note of your passport number, that might make it a bit easier to get a replacement. We once had a situation where our passports were in the postbox and someone set fire to it. Royal Mail paid for new passports and all other documents enclosed ie birth certificates, marriage certificate. I really hope they find it for you.
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niptuckfan
2008-11-18 14:31:18
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
no didnt take a note of the number but i think we had to put it on the form we filled out online so can retrieve it.....have phoned the passport people and as it is probably lost we cant use the same day service we have to phone for an appintment, go to appointment and then they send it within a week (by royal mail!!!!) then we will have to do the visa application all over again...cant trust the mail so will have to travel 2 (over 200miles) each way to apply then pick up our passport with the visa....im still fuming over this...im giving them the 48hours and if they havent found by then then will be requesting the passport interview....will cost us to travel to glasgow (over 200 miles) to apply for passport and as there are 6 of us cant go in car....i just want to cry :cry
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janefulton
2008-11-18 14:53:12
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
what a shambles!

why dont you just try to get duplicate passports as soon as possible and then get an agent to get the visas processed for you, then once you have your new passports and your visas then kick *ss with those that need it, dont let it spoil your holiday or the run up to it.
Jane
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niptuckfan
2008-11-18 15:19:11
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
janefulton - what do you mean get an agent? we applied online printed everything and sent with the passports and money via this website - http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/ - how do i get an agent....i feel so stressed and its already playing on me that this will cost us all in the region of £300 - replacement passport, visa fees, 3x travel for each of us....its a big portion of our spending money all for royal mails incompetence!
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Feelthevibe
2008-11-18 15:34:22
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
I think you are insured up to £500 on Special delivery Items
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janefulton
2008-11-18 16:57:15
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
after the fiasco last year, there were several agents appointed who would actually go to the embassys, stand in the queue and get your visas for you, i know you would still have to rely on royal mail to get them back

it was only a suggestion cant think of anything else to suggest
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lester
2008-11-18 17:26:38
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
I used a commercial passport and visa service to get my Indian tourist visa just a week ago. I did this because I was worried about what I had read here about the online service offered by vfs global. I had one go at it and the process froze half way through. True, it was more expensive. It was with Benmar Passort Service and the whole thing cost about £80. I got the passport back in 6 days. Of course, there is still no avoiding the Royal Mail.
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angieh
2008-11-18 20:06:11
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
hi niptuck....we have just applied for our visa through an agent.....it was an indian travel shop and we took in our passports,he filled out the forms for us and we gave him the visa fee plus £30 for him to go to birmingham for the visas....it takes about 2-3 weeks and is worth paying the extra money to save the hassle. when we booked our holiday, the travel agent told us about this agent so maybe if you try some travel agents they may be able to find an agent close to you.

good luck with it

angie xx
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sydney
2008-11-18 21:37:55
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
Angie, for a £30 fee I think I would expect my visa back way before 2 - 3 weeks.

When we used a visa service last year, our passports were back with us within 10 days (including weekend).

Sheila.
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Lynndan
2008-11-19 05:14:08
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
I paid £30 and they were back in 7 days, but i'm sure thats no comfort to the poor people who have lost thier passports
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ssharonuk
2008-11-19 10:02:10
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
for anyone who lives near leicester theres a Travel shop down belgrave rd that charges £10 to get your visas takes about 7 days
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billy b
2008-11-19 10:43:48
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
I cannot bring myself to using Royal Mail to send documents like passports because the risk is too great, i go along to an Indian charity here in Leicester who do everything for me for a donation of £10 and takes around a week.
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chilly
2008-11-20 18:57:05
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
terrible news niptuckfan, what a nightmare situation
chilly
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sydney
2008-11-21 09:37:50
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
How can they lose a Special Delivery envelope when it has arrived at their depot? You can understand ordinary mail being lost but I thought that Special Delivery mail was always treated differently. Whenever anyone has sent me something in a S.D.E., a postman responsible for Special Delivery post only always delivers it.
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Miccie
2008-11-21 13:08:10
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
I also understood that Special Delivery items travelled separately from normal mail. However recorded delivery go in with the normal mail and therefore you can understand that they sometimes go missing. Have you had any further news Niptuckfan?
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imho
2008-11-21 13:31:23
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
The problem is you pay for SDE return but they send it in registered or recorded post which is cheaper for them .
I would never post mine to Birmingham as they dont seem to even open them for 2 weeks.I would take it in and pick it up.
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Miccie
2008-11-21 16:39:37
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
The best way around that IMHO is to send in your SDE with your application, that way you are sure to have them returned via Special Delivery. For the last 8 years that is how I have done the application and have never had a problem.
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imho
2008-11-21 18:31:22
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
Miccie thats what i did and posted it to London.But the Birmingham office doesnt seem to be working as good as the London office.
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Gemma33
2008-11-22 22:24:04
Re: Royal mail have lost our passports!!!!!
I cannot bring myself to using Royal Mail to send documents like passports because the risk is too great

Me neither Billy.
Just over 3 years ago Royal Mail "lost" my passport, this all came to light on a Friday and I was travelling abroad the following Wednesday. Luckily I got it all sorted out, but I would never take the chance again.
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