Lorna at Vicenza

Like the truly obsessed woman I have become, I rang the help line again this evening just before it closed for the weekend..... just to see if any changes had happened.

Nice lady said "how can you expect anything after an email this morning? They have 72 hours to reply to you."

'Okay' I said, 'but what about the urgency email that was sent on Tuesday morning? I have heard nothing since then.'

Anyway - she tracked my progress and said that passport has indeed been printed and quality controlled.

So much for the idiot that told me "it takes two weeks to make a passport you know." Today it took less than 12 hours - no explanation as to why mine has been sitting there for weeks.


By all accounts it will be given to TNT Traco on Monday morning. I have checked their tracking service and I'm not on it yet.

It WILL arrive before Thursday. It better! I will be keeping a close eye on TNT and calling them if I think anything is not moving fast enough.

Thanks for all your concerns and crossed fingers.

Margaret M

Some good news at last Lorna. I will still be returning to the UK every 10 years, just to renew my Passport.

angeli

Phew, a sort of result, have dug tea-pot out of bin and cleaned it up...like Alladins lamp, hopefully genie will do his stuff....still have good vibes...Lorna, we're all rooting for you

Lorna at Vicenza

Yeah me too - never again will i ever use this errmmm service

Yeah - a result of sorts - like OH said "not a proper result until I have it in my hands." The oh so ever practical.
He's right though ........................... for once

angeli

He's Italian...
Knew it would be 'touch and go' but there is hope.....
Hazy crystal ball a clearing now...must have been some sort of a blip
Just about to open a bottle, hope you have one in the fridge or a cupboard or somewhere.....enjoy my friend x

indiebird

It's not in your hands yet you know..... keeping !!!!!!

angeli

but there is a glimmer of hope.....so:fingerscrossed......
Indie, we must think positive

TestaRossa

I think 6monthshere6monthsthere needs to read this thread....Can someone direct him/her over??!

Patty

Am SO crossing my fingers and legs (and eyes ) for you Lorna

DO you think its possible to renew a passport before it expires - in other words - so as not to go through this palaver, if a passport expires say in January/Feb but you're not visiting the UK before next summer - do you reckon its possible to do it this summer instead or wont they let you ?

Margaret M

I renewed mine in Durham, as I said, but they will only carry 9 (I think) months over, so I lost two months. Worth it thought, I couldn't handle this stress.

TestaRossa

What Margaret says. But if you aren't travelling until next summer I would wait until autumn to renew then you SHOULD get it done quicker. Antonia's actually only took 3 weeks start to finish in Feb but at the time it seemed like an age as, like Lorna, I'd banked on getting it back in a lot less. I'm assuming Lorna's has taken so long because of the usual summer rush for passports - it's the same in the UK in summer, everyone suddenly remembers they need it to travel and everyone applies at the same time, however they have check and send and the one day service in place now to get around that....Like someone - Margaret? - pointed out, how the heck do you get to Paris to pick up your passport if they have it at the embassy and how can you be expected to travel from here or Israel (!) to Paris to renew your passport?! Pathetic...

Pecora Nera

This is the head honcho in paris....

Graeme Wise
Consul-General, Paris and Consular Regional
Director for Western Europe

Cant find an e mail for him. Bottle of grappa to the first person who can.

This is the guy that deserves a snotty letter from Lorna.


Pete

TestaRossa

Won't he go now theres a new gov or is he new?

dmu

Hi,
I think the people in the Consular Department are non-political.
It's the Ambassador who's nominated by the Government.

TestaRossa

Ah, really? I think the one in Florence is an honorary consul - is that different?? Btw, if we were Yanks we could go to our local Consuls, not embassies even, and get our passports renewed there...