HMPO, Liverpool

Better late than never.

"Dear Mr Yorky,

Thank you for your email of 29 January about your complaint.

After reviewing the receipt you enclosed, I have authorised the following refunds:
  • £7.37 (300.00 Thai Baht) for your postage costs
  • £2.95 for your taxi fare
Please note the above amounts are based on today’s exchange rate, as we are unable to process payments in foreign currency.

Our finance department will be in touch with you directly to arrange your total refund of £10.32.

It is standard procedure that in instances where an application must be submitted through a Visa Application Centre (VAC); the new passport is always delivered to the VAC and collection must be arranged upon delivery.

I understand in order to collect the passport you will incur costs; therefore if you would like us to consider reimbursing said costs, simply provide proof as per the previous costs you incurred and this will be fully considered.

Please do not reply to this email as this is a no-reply mailbox and emails are not monitored. For contact information regarding a new or closed complaint, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/passport-advice-line

Further information about our complaints process or if you remain dissatisfied with our response, the next stages of our complaint process can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office/about/complaints-procedure

Kind Regards

Mr S Rafferty
Complaints Team
His Majesty’s Passport Office
www.gov.uk/hm-passport-office"
 
Yorky said:
I have asked the HMPO help line (a definite misnomer if ever I've heard one) what will happen to the passport(s) if VFS/VAC return them to HMPO, Liverpool? Their answer: you'll need to ask VFS/VAC, Bangkok that?

View attachment 59331
Click to expand...

Response from VFS/VAC, Bangkok, when asked the same question (again) was "HMPO, Liverpool will advise you when the passport(s) are returned".
 
Yorky said:
Better late than never.

"Dear Mr Yorky,

Thank you for your email of 29 January about your complaint.

After reviewing the receipt you enclosed, I have authorised the following refunds:
  • £7.37 (300.00 Thai Baht) for your postage costs
  • £2.95 for your taxi fare
Please note the above amounts are based on today’s exchange rate, as we are unable to process payments in foreign currency.

Our finance department will be in touch with you directly to arrange your total refund of £10.32.

It is standard procedure that in instances where an application must be submitted through a Visa Application Centre (VAC); the new passport is always delivered to the VAC and collection must be arranged upon delivery.

I understand in order to collect the passport you will incur costs; therefore if you would like us to consider reimbursing said costs, simply provide proof as per the previous costs you incurred and this will be fully considered.

Please do not reply to this email as this is a no-reply mailbox and emails are not monitored. For contact information regarding a new or closed complaint, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/passport-advice-line

Further information about our complaints process or if you remain dissatisfied with our response, the next stages of our complaint process can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office/about/complaints-procedure

Kind Regards

Mr S Rafferty
Complaints Team
His Majesty’s Passport Office
www.gov.uk/hm-passport-office"
Click to expand...
Think your best bet is to arrange for someone to collect, pay them, get a bill and then send to HMPO. If they then refuse to pay, you send the current letter and bill to the Ombudsman
 
Prakhonchai Nick said:
Think your best bet is to arrange for someone to collect, pay them, get a bill and then send to HMPO. If they then refuse to pay, you send the current letter and bill to the Ombudsman
Click to expand...

My plan is to arrange for an agent to collect the passports and provide me with a receipt.

However, prior to that I must receive an assurance from both HMPO, Liverpool and VFS/VAC, Bangkok that the passports will not be returned to Liverpool on 7th/8th February 2023 (nor any other date until this matter is resolved). In addition, I shall not be providing the agent with a "document checklist" as I've no idea what this is, nor will the agent be presenting my old passport (with the error) for cancellation by VFS/VAC. I have been instructed to return said passport to HMPO, Liverpool for cancellation after details have been transferred to my replacement passport (within three months) which I have agreed to do. The agent will have a signed authorisation from me to collect the passport on my behalf.

I'm bouncing ideas off you @Prakhonchai Nick!
 
Yorky said:
My plan is to arrange for an agent to collect the passports and provide me with a receipt.

.............................................
I'm bouncing ideas off you @Prakhonchai Nick!
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Yorky is clearly hoping that I can assist in the collection of his passports. I have an agent in Bangkok who I use to submit passport applications to VFS, and to collect the new ones upon their return. She is a simple hotel worker, with limited English, but is quite capable of performing the required simple task when supplied with all the requisite documents.

Whoever collects Yorky's passports will have nothing more than a Letter of Authority. No document check list, no receipt and no passport for cancellation, all items on the VFS tick box list needed to be in order for them to hand over the passports.

Our agent, or indeed any agent, would need to fully understand whats happened over the months past and why the required documents are not available. They would need to somehow ensure VFS understood the position, and that it would be fully in order for them to hand over the passports

I don't believe our girl could understand what was needed and why, with her limited English, nor would she be in a position to argue with and convince VFS all was in order. I doubt there are many agents who could satisfactorily achieve this task and walk away with the passports.

Almost certainly HMPO would need to provide clear instructions to VFS to merely hand over the passports to a named agent on production of a Letter of Authority. I really do not envisage this happening.

In my opinion,Yorky will either need to abandon all hope of receiving his passports from VFS, or go to Bangkok himself and try and convince VFS to hand them over.

Sorry @Yorky cannot help.
 
Oh what a tangled web we weave, that cannot be untangled by anyone else but the weaver. You indeed weaved this one @Yorky.
Just keep whispering the sacred mantra. "I am in the right and I will win. " . Its the win part I doubt. :anguished:
 
The sheer stupidity of this with regard to VFS refusing to post/courier the passport, is that they always return Thai passports with a UK Visa stamp in, to Thai citizens, by EMS post.

I understand that with normal passport renewals, they cannot post since the old passport needs to be produced and cancelled before the new one is handed over. But in this case it is simply a matter of providing a new passport, and HMPO Liverpool should have instructed accordingly. Seems thay have instructed sweet bugger all!
 
Prakhonchai Nick said:
Whoever collects Yorky's passports will have nothing more than a Letter of Authority. No document check list, no receipt and no passport for cancellation, all items on the VFS tick box list needed to be in order for them to hand over the passports.
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Thanks for your input Nick.

Could you possibly assist me in explaining what the "document check list" is. I have no such document.

Cheers
 
Yorky said:
Thanks for your input Nick.

Could you possibly assist me in explaining what the "document check list" is. I have no such document.

Cheers
Click to expand...
I have never personally submited or collected a passport from VFS, and as such have no first hand experience of procedures.

However on the letter sent by EMS advising collection of new passport, the following is stated.

If a third-party representative will be collecting the passport on your behalf, they will be required to bring the following with them when collecting:
· The document receipt checklist
· The previous passport for cancellation
· A copy of the ID/passport of the person who authorized
· A signed letter giving the third-party authorization from you stating their name and that you are content for them to collect the passport on your behalf.

In your case the first 2 items would be missing.
 
My response to help@HMPO this morning (copied to VFS/VAC, Bangkok; HMPO, Liverpool (8); Justin Madders, MP; consular.replies)

"Dear Sirs,

I refer to yesterday's email from Mr S Rafferty (HMPO Complaints Team) Ref: POGR/514423/23 in particular "I understand in order to collect the passport you will incur costs; therefore if you would like us to consider reimbursing said costs, simply provide proof as per the previous costs you incurred and this will be fully considered.”

I have previously contacted an agent who is prepared to collect the passport from VFS/VAC, Bangkok for the sum of ฿5,000.00, which, of course, I shall seek to recover.

However, prior to instructing said agent to collect the passports (replacement and old cancelled passport) I shall require written and signed assurances from both HMPO, Liverpool and VFS/VAC, Bangkok that the documents will not be returned to Liverpool on 7th/8th February 2023 (nor any future date until this matter is concluded).

I shall also require confirmation that the agent will be permitted to collect the passport with only a signed letter of authorisation from myself. The agent will not have a “document check list” (because I am unaware of what this is) nor the original of the incorrectly issued passport (***********) as I have been instructed to return this to HMPO, Liverpool for cancellation after the required Thai Immigration details have been transferred.

When I receive the information above I shall instruct the agent accordingly.

I note that VFS/VAC have not yet scanned the replacement passport as requested.

Regards,"

[Edit: I copy the correspondence to Justin Madders, MP and consular.replies just to annoy them because they refuse to help].
 
From help@customerservice.hmpo.gov.uk - 3:59 PM (01:02:2023)

"Dear Mr Yorky,

Thankyou for your email.

I have escalated your email to the relevant department who will contact you.

Regards,
His Majesty’s Passport Office"

Cambridge dictionary - escalate - to become or make something become greater or more serious.

Cambridge dictionary -relevant department - no definition found.
 
Dear Sirs,

I have today received this notification from the HMPO complaints team (Helena at noreplyCSMT@hmpo.gov.uk).

"Your complaint has been logged under reference POGR/0521447/23and has been passed to our investigation team for review.

We aim to respond to complaints with an estimated timescale of 10 working days. However, we are currently experiencing a high volume of contact and therefore our response to your complaint may take longer than usual."

Of course the response will now be past VFS/VAC, Bangkok's alleged deadline of 7th/8th February 2023 for return of the replacement passport to HMPO, Liverpool. Should VFS/VAC, Bangkok carry out their threat then the complaint will no longer be valid.

I really cannot understand the reluctance of VFS/VAC, Bangkok to courier the replacement passport (and the cancelled original) to my home address. Other than they can't (which is ridiculous) they have not advised me of a reason for not being willing to courier the passports to me. It's bordering on stupidity to continue employing resources and money to tasks that are completely unnecessary.

This farce started in March 2022 and is now approaching a full year for such a simple task as replacing a passport which was produced and issued with an error.

I am utterly dismayed.

Regards
 
"Dear Mr Yorky,

Thank you for your email enquiry regarding your complaint.

I can confirm that I have passed your most recent email to the relevant team dealing with your complaint.

You should receive further contact within the next 10 working days.

Regards,

His Majesty’s Passport Office"

Flogging dead horse.gif​
 
Curious @Yorky , how long was it after you received the passport with your 'Middle Name' spelled incorrectly that the HMPO were duly notified...weeks, months ?

Did you receive that 'incorrect' passport by bonded courier in Surin or was it picked up by you or an associated agent on your behalf in Bangkok ?
 
Coffee said:
Curious @Yorky , how long was it after you received the passport with your 'Middle Name' spelled incorrectly that the HMPO were duly notified...weeks, months ?

Did you receive that 'incorrect' passport by bonded courier in Surin or was it picked up by you or an associated agent on your behalf in Bangkok ?
Click to expand...

The passport was issued in November 2019 and was collected by an agent on my behalf. However, that is totally irrelevant. The incorrect passport was prepared by HMPO, Liverpool (with out any checks), it was then issued by HMPO, Liverpool to VFS/VAC, Bangkok (without any Quality Control checks) and then issued by VFS/VAC, Bangkok (without Quality Control or checks).

HMPO, Liverpool have admitted that they were at fault and have issued a replacement passport free of charge (and agreed to pay for postage and the collection of the replacement passport from Bangkok.

So what is your point?

What is a bonded courier?
 
Yorky said:
The passport was issued in November 2019 and was collected by an agent on my behalf.

So what is your point?
Click to expand...

My point is that you accepted the passport as being correct for what period of time...more than a year ?
Did you utilize the passport for any official business...(of course).

Sure HMPO accepts responsibility. I'm surprised they do not request the receiver to thoroughly check that the information is indeed correct prior to signing ones name on the dotted line.

Good luck moving forward on your reimbursements/ compensation or whatever.

Cheers - happy hour. :)
 
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