Jerseygirl

That's not entirely true...you could say goodbye if you wanted to...but do you really want to? I know I don't...at the end of the day I'm a Brit through and through...and proud of it.

Live in the here and now...not the maybe. Like it or not there is a price to be paid for the flexibilty...freedom of choice or whatever you want to call it.

Sally Redux

Are you drunk?

Sally Redux

Are you drunk?

Jerseygirl

Is that a 'As Seen On TV' cure?

Sally Redux

Jerseygirl

Thought so.

Sally Redux

I totally agree with you as well

Jerseygirl

I agree with me as well.

Sally Redux

Tha makes three of us

JAJ

With respect, that really doesn't answer why the price in the UK includes a standard rate phone helpline while the price of a passport issued by the FCO does not.

One option, and it would probably cause less annoyance to applicants, would be to add GBP5 or 10 to the headline price of the passport and provide a standard rate phone service. It would also help if forms and notes weren't confusing and if more information was needed on an application then it was asked for specifically instead of the whole application sent back (many reports on this forum).

I know you're not responsible for the passport process ...

Kate2112

Hi Dean,

Having read through subsequent contributions I wanted to make it absolutely clear that I do not feel that the UK "owes me" through taxes I've paid while I lived in the UK
I really would be interested in the response you had previously made.

$2.50 is IMO a ridiculously high amount to pay for a service that can offer no specific information regarding your enquiry. Another poster has suggested a VM line where an auto service could be used to leave your name/names, DOB or other signifier(s) - contact number - specific enquiry.
I realise that paying bubkas to an outsourced company, using premium rates to discourage use and lack of specific sourcing for enquiries, is a money saver but it really doesnt strike me as playing the game.

I have put the cart before the horse here because you still havent posted your explanation - I would still be interested and do understand that you probably arent authorised to give an explanation of the real reasoning behind these costs. But hey you said you had! so I wait again with bated breath.

British Consul

Kate,

Thanks. I'll try and keep this explanation short. The Foreign Office outsources the Passport Information Line to a "service delivery partner", which was previously Abtran, but is now Careline Services. Under the new agreement with Careline, they operate a service centre in Scotland and provide a UK telephone number for passport enquiries. Callers give their credit card number at the beginning of the call and are charged 69p per minute to speak with a passport information agent. The same rate applies to callers from all over the globe, the only difference is the rate the caller pays on their phone bill to call the UK. Careline can also provide alternative means to for those who don't have a credit card, or who don't wish to pay by credit card, or can't call the UK directly. In the US, they have opted to introduce a 1-900 number which charges a rate of $2.50 a minute but which is billed to the callers phone bill. I understand from Careline that they are using the cheapest rate available for a 1-900 number.

None of the revenue generated from the 69p a minute or the $2.50 a minute number goes to the Foreign Office. It is retained by Careline Services and pays for the operation of the service centre.

The Foreign Office does provide, free of charge, all of the information needed to apply for a passport on UKinUSA.fco.gov.uk. Careline staff use the information on the website to provide answers to callers, they don't have any other information available to them. However, they can send urgent enquiries to the Foreign Office UK Passport Service Centres when they have determined there is a need to do so.

So, to answer another point made in the thread, we could include the cost of calling the Passport Information Line in the price of a passport issued overseas, but it would be much more than the $10 suggested, and why should all passport holders have to pay for information that is already available free on-line? Isn't it better that those who feel they have a need to call the number pay for the service?

I mentioned this in previous threads, but the Identity and Passport Service will assume control of the overseas passport operation from 2011. We're not sure what this will mean for the passport operation yet as the detail is still being worked on, but it is likely that passports will be printed in the UK. I'm not sure what will happen to the Passport Information Helpline but it could, perhaps, mean the end of the premium rate line.

Hope this helps.

Dean

tony126

Is there a set time to renew your passport after it has expired, or can it be renewed any time?

franc111s

OK, I guess we can send the old UK passports to the UK and have them processed there and sent to my sister who sends then on to me. This might save over $150 for 4.

Next question. Since i only Use the UK passport to ENTER the UK, why can't I enter the UK on the expired on. i.e. use my USA passport for all travel until I get to the other side and use to expired one to show them who I am (and skip the Queue). They can't kick me out, I'm British . Of course I can just enter the UK on my USA one and show them my expired UK one when they ask why I'm visiting and I can tell them, it's because I'm visiting family the expired UK passport should be enough proof they shouldn't give a hoot!

Jerseygirl

You can use your US PP to enter and leave the UK...you don't have to use a UK PP because you are visiting. The only time you really need to enter using a UK PP is if you are taking up UK residency.