Lost Passports (Courtesy of the Royal Mail)

[Guest MKII]

Yep, you can use a drivers licence as valid ID for domestic flights in the UK (e.g. Aberdeen to London) but not for any flight that goes abroad - you need a passport for that.

If it was sent recorded delivery and Royal Mail can't re-deliver it within a few days (it may even be two days - I can't recall) then the letter gets sent back to the originating address. So it shouldn't get lost - that's the point of recorded delivery. Not only that, but whomever sent the letter in the first place (the Passport office?) should also have the tracking ID for the letter - so you could maybe get it from them.

If you know which Royal Mail depot this letter is sitting at then I really can't see why you can't go to the depot itself, bring some proof of your name and address (e.g. drivers licence) and explain the situation and get them to hand it over.

Just like to add...

From the date of a notice left being put through your door, an item will remain at the office for 7 days, if no one comes to collect the item it is is then returned to the sender... via Belfast!

If Wax recieved a notice left, even without the tracking code sticker, it stills means that they have an item there for him to collect. It's a simple case of going there with the notice left, some id and politely asking them to look through the recorded items which are from your postcode area. If you can get the code from the sender then there really isn't a problem.

Sending something as important as a passport through anything other than Special Delivery is insanity though. o_O

[Marillionboy]

That's absolutely appalling, I really feel for you, not that that is much use to you. I hope the Glasgow option works out for you.

On the subject of Royal Mail though, it has dawned on me now that the more incompetent they are the richer it makes them, because people now frequently send anything even remotely important by recorded delivery as they have so little faith in standard mail. If the service was first rate people wouldn't do this and they'd make less money, the bastards!

I even have to send family birthday cards recorded delivery now because I have had so much grief over the years for forgetting when in fact they've just not been delivered, which sounds trivial but to elderley parents and young neices and nephews can be quite hurtful if they feel you haven't bothered.

[ash.]

That's absolutely appalling, I really feel for you, not that that is much use to you. I hope the Glasgow option works out for you.

On the subject of Royal Mail though, it has dawned on me now that the more incompetent they are the richer it makes them, because people now frequently send anything even remotely important by recorded delivery as they have so little faith in standard mail. If the service was first rate people wouldn't do this and they'd make less money, the bastards!

I even have to send family birthday cards recorded delivery now because I have had so much grief over the years for forgetting when in fact they've just not been delivered, which sounds trivial but to elderley parents and young neices and nephews can be quite hurtful if they feel you haven't bothered.

yep,same here, i pay for nearly everything recorded now, my grandads card went missing in the post last year and he got upset cause he thought i didnt remember. even though i phoned on the day to ask if he got it etc. royal mail is a nightmare.

[Cloud]

Not strictly so.

If you paid by credit card & it is still valid, they will use that. However, if it is no longer valid or someone else paid (had one hell of a time when my US-citizen cousin decided to take an unplanned side-trip when she was here last year & tried to book a flight!), you may be asked for further ID. Here is the list from their website:

Which of course dosen't get round the issue that none of that lot is atually legal ID in the UK anyway!

That's pretty surprising, BA have always made a pretty big fuss out of not requiring ID from their travellers on domestic flights - if anything, it's because businessmen don't want to be bothered by having to take a travel document.

I'm pretty sure BMI also don't require ID from domestic travellers, though they might do for certain fares (those tiny fares, for example) - but when I travelled with them, I don't think I actually showed anyone any sort of ID at all (used the ticket machines).

It is also worth remembering that Ryanair are notorious for insisting on passports only, even where it may well be illegal to do so. Easy Jet can be awkward as well but that seems to be more dependant on the attitudes on individual desks concerned. The current climate seems to let them get away with it whatever.

They can set their own rules though, and it's fair enough in the low cost airline industry as their model relies on some sort of ID to prove who's travelling. Ryanair's problems with ID seem to stem from lack of training more than anything, though.

[Guest MKII]

That's absolutely appalling, I really feel for you, not that that is much use to you. I hope the Glasgow option works out for you.

On the subject of Royal Mail though, it has dawned on me now that the more incompetent they are the richer it makes them, because people now frequently send anything even remotely important by recorded delivery as they have so little faith in standard mail. If the service was first rate people wouldn't do this and they'd make less money, the bastards!

I even have to send family birthday cards recorded delivery now because I have had so much grief over the years for forgetting when in fact they've just not been delivered, which sounds trivial but to elderley parents and young neices and nephews can be quite hurtful if they feel you haven't bothered.

The majority of Royal Mail employees do their job well, but of course there are those who dont give a shit about the items they are handling or there are thieves etc. This goes for so many jobs and other courier type services.

Royal Mail really makes it's money from junk mail, especially the un-addressed door to door stuff! This is why they are trying to get us(the people on the street) to start delivering even more of that crap!!! o_O

[Guest Jake Wifebeater]

royal mail is a nightmare.

Have to disagree, I've found them spot on in all my years of posting out packages and letters. My last one got to Spain within 3 days of taking it to the PO and maybe 3 things at the most have got lost in the post in 16 years. That's good going.

Doesn't help Wax, though.

[Wax]

The India High Commision recommended it go by Recorded Delivery, so that's what we did. And we've been everywhere from Altens to phoning Customer Service (Quote: We're in Plymouth, nothing we can do. Thanks), to phoning numbers in Aberdeen.

We've been unlucky twice. Unlucky the postie decided not to write the ID number and correct date, and unlucky that it's been misplaced at the sorting office. Or does any of that have anything to do with luck?

I feel for the likes of MKII, who seems to be one of those employees who has to put up with constant criticism and bad press of his organisation.

It's just a pain that as well as travel costs to Glasgow (Passport Office) and Edinburgh (India HC), then the emergency fees for a new passport and visa, we're going to be 300 or so out of pocket and all the Royal Mail offer is 30-odd compensation for Recorded Delivery. Or if we can't get any of this sorted in 5 working days, then that's 2 flights from Aberdeen to London, 2 from London to Bombay and 2 from Bombay to Goa. Yeah, 30 should cover it!

I'll just have to start annoying a few people first thing tomorrow morning and see how we get on. It's a sad state of affairs when it's not manners that get you anywhere, but being a complete annoying prick to people in their place of work. I'd rather do the former, but as a last resort I'll have to take up the latter!

[Guest MKII]

The India High Commision recommended it go by Recorded Delivery, so that's what we did. And we've been everywhere from Altens to phoning Customer Service (Quote: We're in Plymouth, nothing we can do. Thanks), to phoning numbers in Aberdeen.

We've been unlucky twice. Unlucky the postie decided not to write the ID number and correct date, and unlucky that it's been misplaced at the sorting office. Or does any of that have anything to do with luck?

I feel for the likes of MKII, who seems to be one of those employees who has to put up with constant criticism and bad press of his organisation.

It's just a pain that as well as travel costs to Glasgow (Passport Office) and Edinburgh (India HC), then the emergency fees for a new passport and visa, we're going to be 300 or so out of pocket and all the Royal Mail offer is 30-odd compensation for Recorded Delivery. Or if we can't get any of this sorted in 5 working days, then that's 2 flights from Aberdeen to London, 2 from London to Bombay and 2 from Bombay to Goa. Yeah, 30 should cover it!

I'll just have to start annoying a few people first thing tomorrow morning and see how we get on. It's a sad state of affairs when it's not manners that get you anywhere, but being a complete annoying prick to people in their place of work. I'd rather do the former, but as a last resort I'll have to take up the latter!

Oh, have they already had a look for the notioce left items for your postal area in the callers office?

[DrinkDrankPunk]

i had the exact same happen to me!

my passport was sent by my parents from aberdeen to my flat in edinburgh about this time last year and it got lost.

had the biggest stress of my life trying to get it back without having to tell the mother.

after numerous phonecalls i was simply told that there was nothing that they could do. they cant just make things magically appear.

i was amased when they called me after the new year when it appeared in a sorting office in belfast.

Ive never had any trouble with them in the past except this one incident and have to say that they do a great job, and im sure that these things dont happen often.

just happy my mother didnt have to find out until it was safely in my hands.

Bob

[Bobby]

i had the exact same happen to me!

my passport was sent by my parents from aberdeen to my flat in edinburgh about this time last year and it got lost.

had the biggest stress of my life trying to get it back without having to tell the mother.

after numerous phonecalls i was simply told that there was nothing that they could do. they cant just make things magically appear.

i was amased when they called me after the new year when it appeared in a sorting office in belfast.

Ive never had any trouble with them in the past except this one incident and have to say that they do a great job, and im sure that these things dont happen often.

just happy my mother didnt have to find out until it was safely in my hands.

Bob

hahahahaha, i can imagine this scenario only too well. your mother would not have been impressed, and i shudder to think what your dad would have done..

[Wax]

Oh, have they already had a look for the notioce left items for your postal area in the callers office?

Do you mean the sorting office in Altens? Yeah, been there, I'm going back tomorrow early morning. Tried phoning for about an hour and a half on Saturday - it was either engaged or when I used ring-back, the phone just rang and rang.

[Guest NULL]

Do you mean the sorting office in Altens? Yeah, been there, I'm going back tomorrow early morning. Tried phoning for about an hour and a half on Saturday - it was either engaged or when I used ring-back, the phone just rang and rang.

there is 1 beside berryden too

[Swingin' Ryan]

I reckon the tattoo thing would work... Even if it was henna, could they say anything?

Yeh... I reckon if you tried to get through Passport control with a henna tattoo of your passport they could probably legally stop you. I'm not 100% sure though.

Cough...

[Guest MKII]

there is 1 beside berryden too

There are a few in Aberdeen, each office covers specific poste code areas.

[ash.]

Have to disagree, I've found them spot on in all my years of posting out packages and letters. My last one got to Spain within 3 days of taking it to the PO and maybe 3 things at the most have got lost in the post in 16 years. That's good going.

Doesn't help Wax, though.

i do a lot of online buying/selling and the number of parcels that have gone missing or turned up damaged is unreal. (a letter of mine turned up visibly opened by someone and with most of the contents removed the other week, i was tempted to phone and complain but i didnt want to get anyone in trouble). at my old address my postie was dumping the mail at one point i suspect, no one in my block got any letters for over a week even though we were all waiting on post. i phoned up on that occasion and was told they would look into it and get back to me. i never heard any more but everyones mail started turning up again a few mornings later, hmmm. my other rant about my old postie is he used to prewrite the labels saying they couldnt deliver cause i was out and chuck it through the door without even knocking, caught him red handed once. i'd have thought it would be more effort to do that. maybe my morning face was just too much for him...

i'm probably just jinxed though. i know the majority of workers are excellent. at least 95% of my mail turns up okay, i just moan more than i praise.

[Guest Jake Wifebeater]

Sounds like you had a right cunt of a postie, bet he never got his Christmas tenner.

I'm lucky, my new postie knocked on my door specifically to tell me I had the most interesting mail on his whole round. I'd bought something on Ebay from the Catholic Church in America for a resident at work, and it arrived on the same day as a blatantly obvious porn catalogue (which was unsolicited, honest!). He must have thought I was a sexually-tormented Catholic or something. Anyway, he leaves packages at my flat door if I'm not in, no more "Aarrgghh!" when I come home to one of their "You were out" cards. Lovely.

[Guest MKII]

How did you get on today?

? - ?

[Wax]

Not much luck. I spoke to the sorting office in London that wil receive the letter and redistribute to India House. They haven't received it yet and won't know until tomorrow. If the return address is illegible, then it could even end up in Belfast to get destroyed or redelivered to us in 4 months or so. My girlfriend is going back down to Glasgow tomorrow morning to get a new passport and then onto Edinburgh to get a new visa. All in all, this will cost us another 250 or so.

I'll phone the WC London sorting office tomorrow morning to check if they have it yet, but I'll do that while my gf's on the train just to keep all bases open.

Other than the extra financial cost, we should be good to get everything sorted by Friday. Well fucking need this holiday now!

I would say lessons learnt but aside from human error and the postie not follwing procedure, there's absolutely nothing we could have done to change this. One thing though - next time Special Delivery.

I'll resurface this thread in 4 months time, when the old passport gets returned to us via Belfast, Thailand, Greenland and Canada!

[Wax]

Plus, cheers MKII for the help.

[Chris]

a letter of mine turned up visibly opened by someone and with most of the contents removed the other week, i was tempted to phone and complain but i didnt want to get anyone in trouble

Fuck that.

If your mail is turning up opened and with things missing then someone deserves to get into trouble. Report it.

[das boot]

report it dynamite, one postie was doing it a few years ago not one customer reported it, the bosses knew someone was theiving but not sure who and they wrongly pointed the finger at 2 employees until they got the right one, help us weed these bastards out by reporting it please,

ps recorded delivery is shit always use the special delivery option for things like passports and money

[Wax]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

[shaun]

i do a lot of online buying/selling and the number of parcels that have gone missing or turned up damaged is unreal. (a letter of mine turned up visibly opened by someone and with most of the contents removed the other week, i was tempted to phone and complain but i didnt want to get anyone in trouble).

do we have the same postie? i'm convinced my postie is dumping mail. i never recieve anything i'm supposed to.

[ash.]

do we have the same postie? i'm convinced my postie is dumping mail. i never recieve anything i'm supposed to.

we probably do seeing as you're so close. and ditto, a lot of my mail goes missing. hmmm.

[Hog]

. We have an appointment for Monday morning. The girl on the phone said it all depends on the examining officer and if he's in a good mood then the application might go through faster. Is that official policy is it? Why are there so many tossers in jobs like these?

?

Fuck that, the officer should just do his/her job. Who gives a fuck about what mood they are in. Probably a failed policeman/woman