LizBeth

My USC husband took his teenage sons to get their US passports renewed at the embassy in London on 28th October. As of 14th December they have not been delivered. His sons' address (different to ours) was provided, so we have been chasing them for news of a delivery for some time, hence the time period.

The embassy's website says to allow 15 working days for delivery; he e-mailed a few days ago and they say the case was closed on 10th November, so the passports should have been posted a day after that.

My husband used a Special Delivery envelope, purchased from the Post Office, but cannot recall noting down the 13 character reference number required to trace the package, which presumably is on the proof of delivery receipt that embassy / courier staff would have had.

Before I write to Royal Mail, do we have any further recourse with the Embassy to make sure the package was posted? There is a passport-related e-mail address to write to, but otherwise it's the general helpline which, from previous experience, costs a lot with very little advice given.

The situation is compounded (if we were to contact Royal Mail) as we did not post the package - someone at the embassy did - so aside from his Post Office receipt to show he bought the envelope in the first place, we cannot trace its whereabouts any further.

What to do?

Rete

I would definitely be concerned. You are residing in Florida and your husband resides and his sons reside in the UK if I read your post correctly so finding a solution to this problem is definitely one that you husband has to undertake. I would say that a visit to the US Consulate in London is in order since he does not have the tracking number for the parcels and can do nothing through the Royal Post.

One thought is that if there is a US address on the passport then perhaps they might have inadvertently mailed them to that address in the US. A long shot but one worth exploring.

If the US Consulate tells him that the passports were indeed issued and dispatched on or around November 10th, then he, or rather the boys, will have to file for new passports after declaring the others lost or stolen.

LizBeth

Thanks for the reply. To clarify: we are in the UK at present. His sons are UK-based so Dad took them to get their adult passports. He wrote their UK address on the envelope. I am concerned they are on the floor in a sorting office somewhere, or that the embassy did not originally mail them.

Another trip means gathering the family together again, no mean feat

Jerseygirl

With all the trouble the Royal Mail has been having recently I wouldn't be at all surprised. Your husband needs to contact the US Embassy...at least he should then be able to find out if they have been issued and if so when.

Rete

Are the boys living with their mother? If so, would mom have squirreled away the passports out of meanness?

nethead

I thought if you used the special delivery envelope you had to pay, and it needed to be signed for at the mailing address? When we did this for our kids passports you did anyway...

chartreuse

If he can find the till receipt that he got when he bought the envelope, the number should be on that.

LizBeth

Ha ha, we did consider that their mother may have said nothing, but she claimed they haven't arrived and she did conduct a search of the paperwork for any slip they may have been issued at the embassy (or so she says). And there's nothing on the purchase receipt for a reference number; I checked.

Nethead: you do need to sign, but they haven't been delivered...

Thanks for the replies. A grovelling e-mail has been sent to the embassy to request confirmation of mailing. After that, we appeal to Royal Mail.