What do you mean my head is too small? (Identity and Passport Service)

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Identity and Passport Service
Date:	29/01/09 (341 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: In theory a good service

Disadvantages: Overly Fussy or an Isolated Incident?

This review relates to the passport 'Check and Send' service which is available at 2,500 Post Office branches.

As i'm going on an trip around Europe in April, I thought it was best to renew my passport (which ran out last year) as soon as possible - as there can often be complications when dealing with such an important document.

You can fill out the relevant forms and simply pop them in the post - but I decided that I wanted peace of mind, and therefore chose to use the Post Office's 'Check and Send' service which costs £6.85. I didn't want a situation where I sent off the documents, only to have them sent back to me because of an error on my part.

I did everything I could do at home, filled out my details, and took the photographs myself as I have all the neccessary studio equipment. When taking the pictures, I followed the EXACT directions in the 'How to Fill in your passport application form' booklet which is free in the Post Office. Now, the criteria for passport photos is quite specific, and even goes as far as telling you how big your head has to be in the printed picture (...at least 29mm, and no more than 34mm in height, for those of you who are interested). The complete photo must be exactly 45mm high by 35mm wide, and the background should be slightly cream or grey rather than pure white.

Having adhered to the criteria, I set off to the Post Office with my forms in hand, hoping I had filled in everything correctly. I handed over my documents to the woman serving who began scrutinizing the photos I had taken. I became a little concerned when she produced a magnifying glass and was staring at my picture for two or three minutes. "You're too far away... you'll need to take these again", she claimed. I knew that I wasn't too far away, and decided to do a little experiment. I accepted her claim, and told her I would go and take them again.

However...
I waited an hour or so, and brought my forms back, along with the same photos to a different person serving. Guess what?... the pictures were apparently fine. The rest of the documents were checked, and sent, and I received my new passport two days later.

So what's the moral of the story? well, if you want to use the check and send service, be aware that an overly fussy Post Office employee can make the whole thing a slow process. Now, of course, the person serving may have felt that they were operating in my best interest - however, it was annoying since I followed the exact criteria with the photos. Consistency is all I ask for.

Summary: Peace of Mind