Applying for Passport? - Check & Send

DaleTheWhale · 7 Mar 2013 at 10:35

Hi,

Quick question really about the whole process. I needed to renew my child passport from years ago to a more recent Adult Passport for security clearance. I filled out the forms sent to me, already half filled in.

I opted to pay by card and printed off the form for debit/credit card payments to be made and filled out my details for that, putting that I'll pay £81.25 for the check & send process through the post office as well. Now, here's the dillemma, my mom brought it down to the post office for me as I'm at work as I presume they did the checks on the forms.

However, they charged me £5.90 for special delivery? I thought this would be covered in the £81.25 as it's £72.50 for me to send off for the passport myself? So have I double paid for postage, an extra £10 hardly seems right for him to look and see if I have everything I need & then to charge me an extra £5.90 for the postage?

TL;DR - Have I paid too much £81.25 + £5.90 for delivery using check and send?

tom_e · 7 Mar 2013 at 10:53

https://www.gov.uk/how-the-post-office-check-and-send-service-works it appears the SD cost is included so you have indeed paid too much.

DaleTheWhale · 7 Mar 2013 at 11:02

/Fantastic, I knew it wouldn't have been the extra £5.90. Is there anyway I could get this back, or just argue my case saturday morning and say they have over-charged me?

tom_e · 7 Mar 2013 at 11:04

Just go in with your receipt be nice about it and I can't see there being an issue with them refunding you.

DaleTheWhale · 7 Mar 2013 at 11:07

Mother's going back in later on, I'll warn her to be nice!
Tis nothing but hassell getting a passport sorted out.

MickeyFinns · 7 Mar 2013 at 11:31

It's possible you overpaid but they also give you the option of whether you would like it posted back SD or regular so there is a chance your Mother paid for that?

I just replaced a damaged passport and did check and send, at the counter they asked if I wanted it posted back SD but I said I was happy with regular, thus paying just £81.25.

Scougar · 7 Mar 2013 at 11:59

One thing that caught a relative out recently, if you have a counter signer, make sure their passport is valid (i.e. not run out!)

DaleTheWhale · 7 Mar 2013 at 14:52

MickeyFinns said:
It's possible you overpaid but they also give you the option of whether you would like it posted back SD or regular so there is a chance your Mother paid for that?

I just replaced a damaged passport and did check and send, at the counter they asked if I wanted it posted back SD but I said I was happy with regular, thus paying just £81.25.

I think this may be the issue, I think she has asked for SD on the return as well which I'd rather not pay for. Ah well, it's not even if I'm going to be using it to go on holiday with!

Scougar said:
One thing that caught a relative out recently, if you have a counter signer, make sure their passport is valid (i.e. not run out!)

Made sure of this last night, the passport they have is valid.

MrMoonX · 7 Mar 2013 at 15:56

sort your own passport instead of getting mummy to do it for you perhaps?

DaleTheWhale · 7 Mar 2013 at 16:07

I'm at work, so canny do such things and needed it done before Friday.

I pay board so mehhh!

arknor · 7 Mar 2013 at 16:11

tom_e said:
Just go in with your receipt be nice about it and I can't see there being an issue with them refunding you.

you can even email them and get a refund I did when they told me my passport picture wouldn't get accepted and my 1981 birth certificate would'nt be accepted even though it says in the damn guide birth certificates from that time dont need to be full ones because you didn't get full ones back then

~Mike~ · 7 Mar 2013 at 16:16

I renewed my passport recently, didn't bother with the Post Office check & send, sent the application 2nd Class recorded and had my new passport 12 days later. Very quick service.

~Mike~ · 7 Mar 2013 at 16:17

ThaReaperGuy said:
I think this may be the issue, I think she has asked for SD on the return as well which I'd rather not pay for. Ah well, it's not even if I'm going to be using it to go on holiday with!

Made sure of this last night, the passport they have is valid.

Your new passport will be sent to you by a courier.

Gammawolf · 7 Mar 2013 at 16:39

ThaReaperGuy said:
Mother's going back in later on, I'll warn her to be nice!
Tis nothing but hassell getting a passport sorted out.

Heh, being triple nationality I have 3 that I need to keep on top of

Jooma · 7 Mar 2013 at 16:57

Mike306 said:
Your new passport will be sent to you by a courier.

even though I paid SD for the return of a passport, it was delivered by courier - or I should say, shoved through the letterbox on a Sunday afternoon, didn't sign for it or anything.

MickeyFinns · 7 Mar 2013 at 17:03

Gammawolf said:
Heh, being triple nationality I have 3 that I need to keep on top of

Has it's benefits though! Can use different ones for countries that don't get along, I have to keep replacing mine.

ThundyCat · 7 Mar 2013 at 17:57

MickeyFinns said:
It's possible you overpaid but they also give you the option of whether you would like it posted back SD or regular so there is a chance your Mother paid for that?

I just replaced a damaged passport and did check and send, at the counter they asked if I wanted it posted back SD but I said I was happy with regular, thus paying just £81.25.

I'm fairly confident passports don't get returned to you via the Royal Mail. Courier I believe.

MickeyFinns · 7 Mar 2013 at 17:58

ThundyCat said:
I'm fairly confident passports don't get returned to you via the Royal Mail. Courier I believe.

They returned both my new and old passports in two separate envelopes stamped as Royal Mail?