Has anyone else here experienced a massive delay in Hemel receiving their Special Delivery documents?
I know they're normally marking documents as received within 7 days, recently that has been as low as 5 days.
Mine show as delivered there on the 30th Nov, over 3 weeks ago, and they still aren't showing as received. There's another person on the immigration forums who had their documents 'delivered' on the 28th Nov and theirs haven't been received either.
It feels to me like a bag of mail has gone missing, but I have no way to prove that or get anyone to investigate without knowing there are others in the same position. Please post here if this sounds like you.
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Hemel - missing Special Delivery documents?
ft247 · 22 Dec 2022, 08:44
Replies (33)
Same here – foolishly I sent my daughter’s passport to HH by 1st class not tracked on 6th December – as we renewed 2 passports thro HH in spring, both in about 3 weeks when demand was higher, I assumed things would go quickly but we’re now on 23rd and still nothing on the tracker to say her old passport has been received!! Lots of other stuff posted at the same time was delivered within a couple of days !! As were supposed to go away on 21st Jan and I can’t imagine much will happen over the next two weeks I’m getting a bit twitched !! Doesn’t help as we cant even check in for flights online without her passport !!
Message from HH at 930 this morning (29th) to say documents received and further message less than an hour later saying approved and gone for printing - that's just over 3 weeks since old passport was posted 1st class - hopefully new one should arrive shortly
I sent my sons (from KSA) and was delivered (UPS confirmation and signed for by a Stuart) on 5th December but despite this have no updates on our application.
Interesting JDean, perhaps there is a pile of unopened post somewhere in Hemel. Very concerning if so. You'd think there would just be a queue, first in first out.
A friend has just renewed their passport via Hemel. Old passport delivered (Special Delivery) on the 29th and receipt acknowledged today 3rd January. That's only a two working day delay between receipt and acknowledgement.
Hi there, also in the same boat.
Posted my damaged passport special delivery, signed for by HH on the 14th of December but no update on the tracker as of yet. Getting kind of frustrating as it's like when do I just call it a day and try and cancel to fast-track to avoid waiting what could be potentially forever. Going to call today and mention that a number of us are in the same boat and would like some kind of update please :/
Hi swandive45,
Would you be happy to share some more details from your Special Delivery tracking?
My unacknowledged envelope was scanned as 'delivered' just after 0700 with a name of 'Passport Office'. The signature reads 'DWS' i.e. delivered without signature.
A friend's envelope, which was acknowledged within 2 working days, was scanned around 0945 with a name and proper signature.
The only other thing I can think of is that my envelope contained a lot of supporting documents as it was a non-standard application. Whether a damaged passport enters the same 'complicated' queue is not something I know.
Best of luck.
Hi ft247,
Mine was also DWS delivered quarter to 7am
Guessing its entered the same part of the mail room (if it has haha) that's either been misplaced or just not looked at yet.
Best
Have they updated your case to urgent yet?
They mentioned that at the start of next week it would be considered an urgent case though I'm not sure what that means
Did they do the same for you?
Thanks
Starting to get suspicious of Royal Mail as the tracking goes like this:
Wednesday 14 December 2022
06:44
Delivered and Signed
Home Counties North DO
06:24
Arrived at
Home Counties North DO
04:11
Arrived at
Home Counties North MC
-- Does it really only take 20 minutes from arriving at the DO to being signed for with no signature by the HH passport office? I don't think.
Calling them today to make sure it's actually been delivered lol, will update.
Ok- sorry to spam information but I figure it is probably useful to a few people in the same position.
I called Royal Mail and they said the gps location of where the signature was accepted was roughly 1.5 Miles away from the passport office. (Wtf haha)
They said I could get a full refund of the application if I need to start again as they lost it.
So have now reported it as lost, and if it turns up at HH then no worries they'll continue as normal, but for now they're updating my application to the replacement of a lost passport. Will update
I may try call UPS just to confirm exact delivery location. Passport office said my case has been handed to missing document team, I just want to know where it is, bit worried some random bloke has all my personal information and my wife and sons!
It seems Hemel have now found the envelope, five weeks after it was supposedly delivered.
Whether the blame lies with Royal Mail or HMPO I will never know, but I'm glad the documents haven't been lost, they would have been a pain to replace.
Best of luck all.
How did you discover they'd found it, did you ring or was it just updated?
Hoping it is the same with mine eventually, now 4 weeks and a bit since they received it according to UPS. Maybe some boff in the office put them under his coffee cup and forgot
Having the same issues. Applied online, Old passport sent on 28th November, signed "DWS" at "Passport Office" on the 30th November.
Nothing since, everytime i call passport office they say they'll escalate it. Still nothing, passport tracking page still says "send old passport"
Also having same issue. Sent documents from overseas at the start of December and received no updates from the passport office.
I have called twice but no update. I sent other post on the same date which has all arrived back in the UK now.
Well at least yours was tracked. In my situation, both Royal Mail (says it will let me know when passport office has got it) and the passport tracking service (it says send old passport, despite me sending it on 3rd January) both don’t seem to say if anyone of them have my old passport. Mine was sent on 3rd January by 1st class signed in. Either it’s got lost or it takes such a long time for the passport depot or Royal Mail to update their tracking service. I have no idea what I should do in my situation. Shall I wait for a couple of months until I get my new and old passport back (that’s if I get it back!!) or ring up their hotlines to find out what is going on?
My quote “Well at least yours was tracked” is referencing to C191919’s comment
I submitted my son passport for the first time via post as signed for but till now it’s saying out for delivery.
Pls somebody should share if have similar issue with Hempstead passport office.
I send it on the 6th of December.
Jonathan
After reporting my passport as lost on the 5th, My documents have now been "received"- whether they ever found the parcel or not I'll never know, but notification today to say my application has been approved :)
I suggest reporting your old passport as lost and contacting customer service with your lost number if you've been waiting more than 3 odd weeks, it'll speed it up
I suspect because of the postal strikes on 4 days in December, it has created a huge backlog that I’m still getting post in my home that were sent in December via first and second class mails. This maybe why in my situation and others that the tracking services are not stating delivery to the address or acknowledgment of receiving items.
Thank you deeraz, I called the post office and I was told that my document is not the only one delivered but bulky documents and therefore could not scanned. I called the home office too but no favourable response. I’m in a dilemma at the moment.
Yes I’m also not sure what to do. Just make sure you haven’t booked any trips for overseas until your son gets his new passport. One option for me is maybe just give it a month or two and if nothing has changed, then take action via calling their hotlines and emailing the local MP.
I sent my documents (old passport and marriage certificate to update to married name.) on 3/1/23 and they were delivered at HH on 4/1/23, they were scanned in by HH on 10/1/23.
Recieved an email this morning asking me to send marriage certificate. Rang them up and my application states they've recieved an old passport and 2 birth certificates! Have to wait 48 hours to see if they can find it.
It's like a lottery, some people get quick service, others don't. Perhaps because your enquiry relating to documents gets things done quicker than adult renewal passports.