as for the passport they send a email to you that it has been processed and UPS sent a voicemail on the day it was to arrive stating that a truck will deliver at about so and so time if no one is home they will return at a later time.
Didn't happen. No email. No voicemail. First I knew was Puerto Plata Express calling me this afternoon to say they had the envelope in their office. The UPS 'delivery' person had not visited my home to deliver (BushBaby was in all this morning & I was in this afternoon, plus the no attempt at delivery was confirmed by Edwin at PP Express).
I'm just so pleased that I called in to PP Express 3 days ago & alerted them to the situation. They have been excellent. Can't say the same for UPS & certainly can't say the same for UK Passport people in Washington. My email address & tel. no. were on the application yet I heard nothing from them at all. No email with tracking number, no email saying it had been processed.
In case anyone is interested & can use the info the timeline was as follows:
January 26th. Application sent off via UPS at PP Express office.
January 28th. UPS tracking confirmed receipt, signed for by Mike the Guard
at Washington Passport Office.
Then nothing until
5th March Phone call from PP Express office.
The UPS envelope sending new passport was dated 26th. Feb. (a week ago). I have now checked the tracking number on the envelope and it did set out on 26th. Feb but didn't start moving until 3rd March: it then fluffed around a few places in the US before arriving in SD yesterday and Santiago this morning. Subsequently delivered to PP Express lunchtime today. Journey starts at the bottom of this list:
SANTIAGO, DO 03/05/2010 8:01 A.M. DESTINATION SCAN
SANTO DOMINGO, DO 03/04/2010 12:49 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
MIAMI, FL, US 03/04/2010 9:27 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
03/04/2010 7:01 A.M. EXPORT SCAN
03/04/2010 5:41 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
LOUISVILLE, KY, US 03/04/2010 3:35 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
03/04/2010 12:02 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
LINTHICUM, MD, US 03/03/2010 10:26 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
03/03/2010 9:26 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
LANDOVER, MD, US 03/03/2010 8:55 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
03/03/2010 8:05 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN
US 02/26/2010 9:13 A.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED
UPS in the DR was speedy enough although I don't understand why UPS in the US received the packet on Friday but did nothing with it for 5 days until the following Wednesday. The UPS envelope is marked (printed) Extremely Urgent :cheeky:.
So if I were to rate them: UK Passport Office in Washington - poor performance, they could have emailed to say it was on its way. UPS in the US - poor performance - they appear to have sat on it for 5 days. UPS in the DR - so-so performance, they were quick enough once it got here, but didn't attempt to deliver, nor did they call me. Puerto Plata Express office (UPS agent in PP) - excellent performance. They listened to the story last Tuesday (this was Juan), took my details, pinned the paper in an obvious place in the office for the other shift and then called today (other shift, Edwin, so the paper worked) as soon as it arrived with them.
So...........if anyone HAS received an email from Passport Office in Washington advising that your passport has been processed & giving you the Tracking Number, please post the address whence that email came. Thank you.