Lost passport, due to fly to China tomorrow

Delatierra · Post by **Delatierra** » 06 Sep 2016, 19:26

Hi

My passport was sent Royal Mail special delivery guaranteed. An attempt was made to deliver it on Saturday, a card was left, box ticked 'being held at your local office...' I went there at 9am today to be told they couldn't find it, the postman is on holiday for 2 weeks but they would try to contact him to find out where he'd put it.
The manager said he'd call me 2 hours later and said they would find it.
I went back to the office around midday to be told the manager was dealing with it and he'd call me back.
He called me back at 2pm to tell me they couldn't find it, the postman is on holiday 'out of the country' and no one can contact him. He apologised said 'it's an awful situation' but there was nothing he could do. I explained I was going to China the following day.
At 5 I made a last attempt to go down there. Again, same story, the postman is on holiday, we can't contact him, his bag is in his locker and we don't have the key. He's away for 2 weeks.
So, now I have no passport I can't go to China tomorrow, it was supposed to be a 3 week trip for work, then a 4 week holiday travelling around.
My question is, what should I do? This situation just seems inconceivable to me. You buy this level of service to be told 'the postman is on holiday so we don't know where it is?'
I've lost the work, my income, the company I work for have lost a fortune, it was due to be a 3 week working tour, including booked hotels, flights etc. It has damaged the reputation of the company in China.
As for me, everything is just a blur. How can they do this? Staff weren't in the least bothered, maybe passports go missing all the time.......
Just getting the money for a replacement passport is nowhere near enough in this instance. I had 9 years left on it, and a visa for China for 12 months.
Does this happen a lot? Should I go to the media? Guardian money etc.....
I'm beyond furious really, just still in shock.
Any advice and/or help much appreciated

Thanks

Post by **Judgee** » 06 Sep 2016, 20:11

Why did you not go to collect it yesterday as it was obviously very important? Just as waiting in for it on Saturday may have been the smarter option for the very same reason, you must have known it was coming surely? You have now left it very late to do anything. At least if you'd have gone to get it on Monday you may have been able to get an emergency replacement by going up to the passport office in person earlier today.

Your best bet would be to contact the passport office and see if they can suggest anything, maybe a temporary passport. Then if that's possible contact the airline they may be sympathetic and put you on a later flight?

Unfortunately these things happen. Not often, but sometimes and I can assure no one would have done it intentionally. RM deal with thousands of Special delivery items every day and it's rare for them to disappear completely. Not much comfort but getting angry at RM will not get you to China. Focus on a solution and worry about punishing RM when you get back it will still be here!

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 06 Sep 2016, 20:27

What's the last entry on the tracking?

Delatierra · Post by **Delatierra** » 06 Sep 2016, 22:14

Judgee

I was working away until 6pm on Monday. There were people in my flat on Saturday, I asked them to listen for the postman. They didn't hear him knock - this has happened before.
Trying to collect it yesterday would have been exactly the same story anyway; "postman on holiday for 2 weeks, we can't contact him to ask him where it is" (and this really beggars belief).
I can't get another passport for a week, and then I'd need to get a new China visa. The trip is off due to an incompetent postman. I am on this forum to get some justice for what has happened. It is all RM's fault. Completely and utterly. Don't try to blame me for 'not waiting in on Saturday' (there were people in), or not collecting it on Monday.
This was a guaranteed special delivery.
So you think it'll turn up in 2 weeks when the postman gets back from his holiday? Really?

Spacepheonix - last tracking was 'tried to deliver on Saturday' - postman didn't add anything else, delivery office don't have a clue where it is. They are saying he may not have emptied his bag, letter might be in his locker, they don't have a key, he's away for 2 weeks. Unbelievable.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 07 Sep 2016, 06:38

Delatierra wrote:Spacepheonix - last tracking was 'tried to deliver on Saturday' - postman didn't add anything else, delivery office don't have a clue where it is. They are saying he may not have emptied his bag, letter might be in his locker, they don't have a key, he's away for 2 weeks. Unbelievable.

There should be a button on the tracking page that you can click on to bring up a more detailed tracking

Post by **Judgee** » 07 Sep 2016, 16:02

Delatierra wrote:Judgee

I was working away until 6pm on Monday. There were people in my flat on Saturday, I asked them to listen for the postman. They didn't hear him knock - this has happened before.
Trying to collect it yesterday would have been exactly the same story anyway; "postman on holiday for 2 weeks, we can't contact him to ask him where it is" (and this really beggars belief).
I can't get another passport for a week, and then I'd need to get a new China visa. The trip is off due to an incompetent postman. I am on this forum to get some justice for what has happened. It is all RM's fault. Completely and utterly. Don't try to blame me for 'not waiting in on Saturday' (there were people in), or not collecting it on Monday.
This was a guaranteed special delivery.
So you think it'll turn up in 2 weeks when the postman gets back from his holiday? Really?

Spacepheonix - last tracking was 'tried to deliver on Saturday' - postman didn't add anything else, delivery office don't have a clue where it is. They are saying he may not have emptied his bag, letter might be in his locker, they don't have a key, he's away for 2 weeks. Unbelievable.

Well if the people in didn't hear him knock and this has happened before perhaps you should invest in a new door bell or louder knocker.

Trying to collect it the day before would not be the same. First off, the postman who was off may still have been contactable if they hadn't left the country/gone away yet. I'm sure when they say they can't contact him they mean he's not answering, not that they won't try contacting him. Not sure why you find this "beggars belief" not everyone wants to run up a large phone bill taking their phone on holiday. Secondly it would have given you an extra day to sort things out.

I'm not blaming you, just asking you to consider that perhaps if you had been in on Saturday when it was "guaranteed delivery" and a "delivery" was attempted, perhaps you wouldn't be in this mess right now. RM kept up their side of the deal, you were not there, your flat mates are as much to blame as anyone. You asked them to look out for it, they did not!

As for me saying it will still be there when you get back I meant the Royal Mail, not your passport. RM will still be there and you can carry on blaming everybody but yourself then.

Think your postman incompetent if you so wish however it could just as easily got mislaid in the callers office and your postman totally innocent.

All of this could have been avoided if someone was in to receive it when you ask for it to be delivered in the first place!

Tman · Post by **Tman** » 07 Sep 2016, 17:24

You did cut it a bit fine, didn't you? Things often go awry but if you'd left a little slack then chances are it could have been avoided.
That said, you should've told the "manager" that you'll be back at five (or whenever) with the local paper/ radio station/ whatever and there's going to be a sh*t-storm for RM if it's not found. It's in that building somewhere.
People's faces in the local rag with stories of incompetence attached usually focuses minds wonderfully.

Post by **tractorboy2** » 08 Sep 2016, 06:03

What I don't understand about this , the passport has 9 years left on it , so how come it wasn't in the OP possession already and negating the need for it to be
sent to him/her in the first place.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 08 Sep 2016, 06:50

tractorboy2 wrote:What I don't understand about this , the passport has 9 years left on it , so how come it wasn't in the OP possession already and negating the need for it to be
sent to him/her in the first place.

It probably has to be sent to the Chinese Embassy to get a visa