Check and Send experience

[insomniac]

Hi,

I used the Check and Send service, but I was horrified just how bad the service was. To say that the post office employee was clueless is a euphemism.

She insisted that I include my cancelled passports (I have two old passports that ran out of pages, their corners were snipped and stamped cancelled but returned to me because they had valid visas). I told her that the passport guidance booklet says in black and white only uncancelled passports are to be included.

She said that I should ignore what's in the booklet, that she's trained for this and this my passport application will most probably be delayed.

Anyone else had a similar experience?

[need_a_tier1]

Similar experience reported by another member here:

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?p=798449

I also applied recently and was not asked to include my cancelled passport. Although, I took both passports(valid and cancelled) to avoid problems at the post office desk.

[need_a_tier1]

However, the PO staff were clueless about another point.

I applied for 48 page jumbo passport and when they were trying to add the £3 secure delivery fee for return of documents. It would not come on their system. After trying for a few mins and calling supervisor(who was equally puzzled) I was told that you are lucky that the system isn't charging you £3 for secure delivery.

However, the information from IPS on the website clearly says:

There’s no extra charge for returning documents by Secure Delivery if you:
- renew an adult passport and have applied for a 48-page jumbo passport

Source: https://www.gov.uk/passport-fees

[Plum70]

However, the information from IPS on the website clearly says:

There’s no extra charge for returning documents by Secure Delivery if you:
- renew an adult passport and have applied for a 48-page jumbo passport

Source: https://www.gov.uk/passport-fees

Note the bolded verb which implies that the applicant already holds a British passport. I imagine that you were not renewing but applying for a first British passport?

If so I would imagine that the £3 SD charge should've applied.

Maybe you were lucky or maybe I have misinterpreted the text.

[Jambo]

Wow! 48 pages passport. I find it difficult to fill 2 pages in the passport. No one stamps the passport any more. Luckily there are still a countries in the world that require a visa from British citizens.

[destiniation_london]

I think there are many countries which issues Visa on arrival to UK citizens, but am not sure if its a document or does it get actually stamped on passport?

[Plum70]

Perhaps numerous trips are lined up warranting a chunky passport.

While stamps/visas can be a tad inconveniencing if one is super-frequent flyer, they are a good reminder of one's journeys and can hold good memories. Mine does for me as well as my husband on his past visits to east, west and southern Africa and the UK back in the days when EU passports were still stamped.

[need_a_tier1]

Well, at the end it was only 10 quid extra (considering they didn't charge the £3 secure delivery fee) -

£84.25(32 pages, £3 secure delivery) vs £94.25 (48 pages, £0 secure delivery fee).

AFAIK, Indian immigration still stamp the EU passports, so spending 10 quid more now seemed wise rather than renewing the passport later. I may be wrong, but went for it anyway.