Passport renewal -- possible screw-up
 

I sent my passport for renewal back in May. I paid extra for expedited service and priority mail. I checked the website this morning and it indicated my passport was shipped yesterday. HOORAY, or so I thought. I clicked the link for the tracking, and what came up was a package that was delivered to an address in Virginia over a year ago. Needless to say, nobody is answering the phone at the passport office on a Saturday, and I'll be very hard pressed to get someone to answer on Monday. I'm hoping and praying they put the wrong tracking # on the website instead of sending my passport to Virginia.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I’m sure it’s the wrong tracking number, but I don’t blame you for being worried. I would be too. Monday can’t come soon enough for you I’m sure!

I guess you didn't get an email about it? Maybe in the spam folder?

Did you try checking it again? Maybe it is a computer glitch that will resolve itself tomorrow.
U.S. Passport Application Status (state.gov)

glitch, like they turned something off over the weekend or god knows what, maybe system maintenance

I did check again, nothing has changed. I'll check again tomorrow morning and call Monday.

If they indeed mailed it priority, you'll have the passport by Monday.

There have been a lot of issues with mail delivery around here. I don't think the storms helped either.

That's if they sent it to the right address.

They just had a segment on Good Morning America today about how backed up the passport offices are. In certain areas they have opened centers where people can apply and submit the applications. Of course the centers got over loaded immediately and couldn't handle the crowds.
Glad I renewed during Covid when no one was traveling.

Good luck P_M. I hope it works out for you.

I discovered they are open for a few hours on weekends. I just called and the wait time is over 1.5 hours, and they don't offer call back service. We have plans today so I can't hold that long. I'll try again tomorrow and hold as long as it takes.

What is the point in calling? They just have the same information that you can look up on line.

I want to know where they sent it. Neither the website nor the tracking number tells me that.

The phone line didn't help me when I needed it. After an infinite hold, I got a recording that said to use the website and goodbye. The website said my passport was in process but said there was no information about my wife's for a month. Then they both arrived in the mail. You are better off meditating than waiting on hold for a frustration.

I hate being in this type of situation so I look for any type of help I can get. I don't think it would hurt to report a technical issue as this is what I would call it. They are being a bit difficult as it won't let me copy and paste the link correctly as the link doesn't take you to the form. I found it on the State Department website under US Passports>Track My Renewal Application>My Passport was Mailed but I have not received it>National Passport Information Center (click the link) >Website Issues (at the bottom is a link) It will bring you to the form to fill out. It clearly says one option to select is either information is unclear, incorrect or missing.

Good luck!

By some miracle I managed to get someone on the phone after a mere 2 hour, 15 minute hold. I told the guy that my confirmation number indicates a delivery last year to Virginia (not where I live). He told me with great confidence that can't be the right confimation number. Well DUH, as if I never thought of that, but I didn't say that in my out loud voice.

I went on to ask this clown if he would check my application and tell me the address to where the passport was sent. He asked for my travel date and I told him it was in September. Bozo then tells me that it is against their protocol to look at my application until 2 weeks before my travel date.

WHAT????

I informed Bozo that I paid about $80 extra for expedited service and priority mail and all I need is for him to tell me where it was sent. If a a mistake has been made, I want to start the process of correcting it now. He stuck by his guns and told me they won't look at it until 2 weeks before my travel date. I told him this is insane!! What was the point of paying additional fees if I still have to wait until 2 weeks before my travel date to get any information? Why can't they just look at my application and tell me what I need to know? He wasted more time arguing with me than it would have taken to look up what I need. My blood was boiling so after about 10 more minutes of arguing I hung up on Bozo.

I'm going to call again tomorrow. I will demand to speak with a manager, and if all else fails I will involve my congressman. Either that or I will lie and claim I'm traveling next week.

Stay tuned....

I am so sorry. I would be livid. They are so sly as I found a customer service survey as I love filling out surveys and again, it wouldn’t let me copy and paste so seeing if this works https://tinyurl.com/42dfffn4. People tell why bother but if I don’t say anything, nothing has the potential to be fixed.

Oh WOW P_M.
How rude! Too bad you didn't ask for a manager right then, although it might not have done any good. How can people be so unaccommodating.

You're right schmerl, after I hung up I realized how foolish I was not to ask for a manager immediately. I was so angry and frustrated for wasting so much time and receiving no help, I just needed to get away from the situation. I won't make that mistake again.

you could book refundable international tickets in the next 2 weeks to get it quickly. then cancel the tickets....

(they will ask for proof that you are traveling in the next 2 weeks.)

That's a great idea surfmom, better than my idea to lie about it. I might do that in the days to come.

You also could “plan a trip” to Canada by car next week.
The no cost way.

UPDATE:

I was planning to call later this afternoon as the robot says it's best to call later in the day. BUT, I just checked the mail and guess what arrived?? :) I have never been so thrilled to receive a new passport in my life.

I'm still surprised the passport agency gave me the wrong confirmation number, it would have been better for me to have no confirmation number. But I forgive them now. I'm not so quick to forgive Bozo for not taking a minute of his day to put my mind at ease, but I will forgive him eventually.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend the rest of the day admiring my beautiful new passport.

WOOHOO!!!!

Karen, he was not a bozo.

mlgb was right in her post above

glad you got your new passport

So it was OK for him to tell me that if it's lost, I have to wait until 2 weeks before my travel date in September to find out what's wrong?

If you paid the expedite fee and the priority mail fee, would you have been satisfied with that answer?

P_M I am serious. Please consider filling out that survey. While I am glad you received your passport, the customer service rep still should have looked into the wrong information the website was providing to you. Even if the person couldn’t do anything then why have a customer service phone number?

I worked the phone lines at a health insurance company. I left after a year and half as all I got was yelled at with no power to fix anything. Sure they could have given me more access to help but the company refused. I felt so powerless but could still log complaints.

Thank you for the reminder sassy, I just filled it out.

I don't understand how some people can think there was nothing wrong with such customer service and that I was the bad guy, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

So where is it? Do you know yet?

Good morning Gretchen. I know this thread is a bit long but please see post #21 for the mega happy news.

Oh Happy day! I was wondering if you could see where the passport had traveled by the outside envelope? The confirmation was just an incorrect number? SO how long did it take to get renewed?

Great news P_M. So glad your passport arrived.

Jothebear, I don't know where it's been, I just know it's here now. It took 7 weeks with expedited service and priority mail. The root of my grief was the bad confirmation number, indicating the wrong address.

Yahoo!!!!!!!

Good news!! Whew!

That 2 hour, 15 minute hold was a clue that they have a poor customer service system. It means that they don't want us to call them and we are unlikely to get what we want.

>> He told me with great confidence that can't be the right confimation number.
Of course, he had to figure out what the problem was and maybe that is why you exercised restraint. For all we know, the rep might have said it was the correct confimation number for that application ID or pp# or whatever. But, he confirmed it was wrong. The question would then be: what is the correct confimation number?

>> He wasted more time arguing with me ...
I read that as you wasted more time arguing with him. He was unable to put your mind at ease because he didn't want to lose his job by not following the rules. Sounds like those reps are experiencing what sassy27 described. Probably including hang-ups - as if the customer wanted to punish the rep.

>> I will forgive him eventually

Well, that's good. Good for you. I would have taken longer to forgive "them", though that kinda does sound right considering that "them" is the system, the system that caused that rep to fail.

Reminds me of years ago when people would bash USAir on the Air Travel forum and elsewhere. I always felt that the people (FAs, GAs, etc) working for USAir were really good but the company just did not provide the means for those people to succeed.

I think his information was incorrect. I don't believe he would have lost his job by looking it up, nor do I believe that if a passport is misdirected, they refuse to look into it until 2 weeks before a travel date. If a passport were lost, it would be imperative to report that immediately so nobody else can use it. But according to him, there's nothing they will do until 2 weeks before my travel date. It makes no sense, and I believe a more knowledgeable or sensible person would have helped.

As for your ridiculous comparison to bad service from the airlines, at least we can take our business elsewhere. Such is not the case with the passport agency.

I was wrong when I predicted you'd get it by Monday. But Tuesday wasn't too bad. And you got a human answering you, although in truth he had no answers. Life goes on.

I agree. AJP. I have 2 more trips planned this year and now I don't have to worry about this anymore.

This is from their FAQs:

“Help! What Should I Do If:

My passport was "Mailed" but I have not received it.

If you have waited over two weeks since the date we updated your application status to "Mailed" and you have not received your passport, contact the National Passport Information Center. Customer service representatives will help you complete a special form (known as the DS-86 form) which is a signed statement that you didn't receive your U.S. passport.

You have 90 days from the date your passport was issued to complete the DS-86 form. After 90 days, you must reapply and pay all fees.”

So per the information you received when calling customer service was wrong. It does not say to wait 2 weeks prior to your travel. It’s 2 weeks after it was mailed to you. So I agree P_M you have every right to complain. You received wrong information twice and they should be notified of it.

I was very honest at my job and was told I shouldn’t be. Why not? I thought customer service was to help. We were graded on how many calls we took not the quality and that is simply wrong especially now, when there are so many issues with the US Dept of State. Why tick people off more? That is what happened in this situation.

Thank you sassy. Although it ended well for me this could help someone else.

I agree 100%. People love to top old threads so I will close with something else I found, that may be of help if anyone else finds themselves in this same situation and worse, traveling in a few days. Courtesy of Reddit:

“Passport mailed to incorrect address - Locator 79 5/20: Application filed (expedited)

5/27: Application received at agency

6/23: Delivered to incorrect address

6/24: USPS attempted to retrieve, Resident returned to sender

6/28: Arrived at Houston passport facility

6/28: Contacted TX Senator John Cornyn’s office

7/04: Emailed DS86 form to Senator’s office

7/05: Form forwarded to Houston passport agency

7/06:

• 8am Contacted passport info line, told no appts available, can’t do walk ups. Only option to mail DS86 form
  
• 9:11am Contacted Senator’s office
  
• 10:34am emailed [email protected]. received auto reply.
  
• 4:52pm messaged US Dept of State Consular Affairs FB page, received auto reply.
  

7/07:

• 7am Called passport info line, one appt available in LA
  
• 9am Received confirmation passport will be reissued and overnighted per Senator’s office
  
• pending tracking # and passport in hand
  

7/09: flight departure 6:35am

ADVICE

• Call 877 passport line as soon as they open (7am cst) Reps and supervisors have no authority outside of scheduling appointments.
  
• US Dept of State phone directory (printed 2017) has some active phone numbers for agencies. The 2022 edition taken from their website lists “N/A” for all agencies
  
• Houston 79 locator does not have a phone number. Currently they are appt only. They have guards on duty at the building.
  
• Passports are printed until 3pm at agencies
  
• If you have to cancel/reschedule flights speak to airline supervisors, explain reason is due to passport and error delays. Depending on airline policy they may wave fees.
  

Good luck!”