UK Passport Signature mistake

[johnbarry]

Thanks for the links Ed & Richard

It’s the part that they must have known me (personaly) for at least 2 years.

I spoke to my local MP a couple of years ago, but he doesn’t know me personaly.

My local pharmasist sometimes smiles at me, but she doesn’t know me personaly.

I know a fireman who knows me personaly, bit isn’t an officer.

My teachers probably no longer work at the school I went to 38 years ago.

I know a nurse but not an RGN or RMN

I once met a Justice Of the peace.

My mate was a copper, but no more.

I use boots opticions for a few years, but only talk about glasses.

I have banked with the same for over 20 years, I couldn’t say who is the manager.

My dad worked for an insurance agency, can’t use family, he no loger alive.

There is a salvation army down town, I once popped in for a cuppa.

I once had my name in the paper, but don’t know the journalist.

I used a dentis a couple of years ago, he no longer work there.

I don’t drink so I don’t know a licansee.

I might meet a funeral director one day.

I use the same post office each time I always say hello.

I have flown but never met the pilot.

I had a letter off a councillor the other day with my name on, she must know me I never told her my name.

I once knew a social worker.

And so on.

While searching I did come across something that said a friend could sign as long as they have a valid passport, can’t now find it.

Cheers
John

[The Duke]

We (i)  had to renew 7 two years ago, not cheap. The post office has a service that double checks all is well or not. Luckilly as i drink with our local post office owner he done all mine for a pint, and in his own time. But i think its a fiver usually.

I’d defo recommend getting the local po to check it. I know two of ours had errors he found. So saved a lot of time him finding them than the passport office.

My SiL a solicitor signed the pics, though i can’t recall if thats fully allowed as she is related, but given we have different names all went through fine.

[Ed P]

I think you are all reading too much into the ‘personally’ thing. It basically means a person who can recognise you on sight and knows your name, and you have both known each other by name for at least two years. Personally does not mean a ‘friend’.

The legal definition is: “someone who acknowledges a person’s identity and can recognise that person.”

[Richard]

Ed P wrote:

I think you are all reading too much into the ‘personally’ thing. It basically means a person who can recognise you on sight and knows your name, and you have both known each other by name for at least two years. Personally does not mean a ‘friend’. The legal definition is: “someone who acknowledges a person’s identity and can recognise that person.”

I hope and trust that you are right since he has done such things before, but these days you can get so many jobsworths rocking otherwise steady boats that you can take nothing on trust these days. After my collecting prescriptions for double digits years in almost industrial quantities the pharmacist is almost on first terms with me.

[Ed P]

I quoted a verifiable legal definition of ‘personally known’. However here is what the Government says:

“A countersignatory must be a professional person or a person of similar standing, who enjoys a good reputation in the community, possesses credentials that can be checked, who would have something to lose by wrongly countersigning an application. The countersignatory must have also known the applicant for at least two years and hold a current British or Irish Passport. In addition IPS must be able to contact the countersignatory if necessary.”

I would recommend that John asks his pharmacist if she would be willing to sign. She can only say no!

[johnbarry]

Thanks Ed

I see it means(on your link) somone who has known me for 2 years (my girlfiends daughter)

Who has a valid passport (my girlfiends daughter)

Maybe

Cheers
John

[Richard]

John,

It may well be that this thread has alarmed you, (and me) to a greater extent than necessary. As I said I have used my pharmacist in the past and he is set up with all the stamps to make it as official as possible. So I say ‘go for it’ and I am now pretty certain that all will be well.

[Bob Williams]

I would be OK with a Pharmacists’ siggy, as SWMBO and I socialise with our good friends the local Co Op pharmacist and her husband, known them 18 years now.

We don’t get any discounts though, but our prescriptions are sent to the door through their delivery service and she phones first to make sure we are in.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[johnbarry]

When I phone for a takeaway (delivery), she knows where I live without me saying.

I need to collect prescriptions this week I could ask the pharmacist.

First though I have been advised by HMPO to telephone them.

“Due to the nature of this issue you will need to ring the passport Adviceline.”

 

Cheers
John

[Richard]

Bob, the high street pharmacists are facing a bit of a battle with the semi wholesale ‘meds by post’ lot so many of them are as keen as mustard to retain their customer base. It frankly disturbs me that one day I might go to the quack, get told I need some medicine and then have to wait for the post to turn up some days later because the chemist has closed.

John, check with your chemist before you try to ring the passport lot so you have your ducks lined up first.

[johnbarry]

I telephone HMPO

They said I don’t need countersignature, I was to send 2 photos (no sig on back required). Put a letter in explaining, with my application ref number. Send to the Liverpool office and I should then be issued with the passport.

I only wish they would tell this to the Computer / online email /online applications.

Cheers
John

[Richard]

I take that as slightly good news, at least they had a human who could deal with the exceptions and give you advice. With automated systems you can usually only code for so many actions, after that it becomes too messy to code for too many one time exceptions.

[Bob Williams]

Richard we have 3 Pharmacies in Louth (and 3 Surgery dispensaries) two delivery services. It’s a Georgian market town and very resistant to the 21st century. In fact. some of it struggles to get out of the 19th! But we get to know every shop and every assistant. Such as our Co Op pharmacy friend: the 3 assistants and 2 professional Pharmacists all know our names and addresses.

It’s a lovely town with great people, a close community. A couple of years ago, some Grimsby barmpots on a motorbike tried to rob a local jewellers. By the time they came out with some stuff, the bike had been trashed by locals and they were on foot. One of them was held down to wait for the Police. The other had a baseball bat and a knife, was tracked all over town by locals telling the Police where he was, on mobiles. The Police helicopter tracked him and he was caught. That was all over local papers including Grimsby: in the Grimsby Telegraph the Mayor of Louth spoke a piece saying ‘If you come here to rob in Louth, the locals will stop you. Stay in Grimsby.’

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

Bob, we currently have two pharmacies almost opposite each other and two banks for the moment. One pharmacy does offer a delivery service I understand. The lot who have been pushing their dubious service have no discernable geographical base but are angling to have electronic prescriptions sent to them for postal dispatch. There would be no personal tough at all – much like the banks these days. To be a little bit fair to the banks one branch I am ‘based at’ is 200 or more miles away and another is about 40 miles away. I cannot remember the last time I visited either of them, though I have visited other branches of both, just not very often.

It was good the action was taken against the visiting slime balls, we do not have much in the village/town that is worth raiding, though one shop was done at some ungodly hour for cigarettes. As is usual with such cases the damage cost more than the worth of the goods taken.

[The Duke]

I wouldn’t trust an electric delivery service. My wife has a bag full, like carrier bag size, of crap every week. And 3 out of 4 weeks there is at least one mistake.

Ours do offer delivery, but i pick it up every Friday so i can check it out and sort it out in one go. And its usually the Dr fault, usually failing  to fax (yes fax) over one of the many prescription slips.

[Bob Williams]

Our Surgery dispensary is the worst-organised place I know. I have to collect my Stoma pouch stuff from there and they have missed ordering them EIGHT times since I had the stoma. And it is the dispensary’s fault: they tried blaming the company providing them, but I got their phone number, did some detective work and found out who was really at fault. It took an official NHS Complaint before they began to get their act together. The only decent member of staff is the “Assistant Head” of dispensary, but she is not there every day, she has left a note to say that all our prescriptions will be handled by her. Why a staff of 6 needs a Head and an Assistant Head, is a mystery.

Richard I have one bank and it is 2½ miles away in Louth. TSB Louth is great for us: the branch manager is one of the cashiers when it gets busy and he addresses us by name now.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Ed P]

Just to get back to the subject of HMPO, on-line renewal is extremely efficient. I filled the form in on Saturday and sent off my old passport on Monday. I received an email yesterday to say my new passport is in the post!

[johnbarry]

It was like that with my application (it said 3 weeks) I had it within a week.

When you get it don’t error with the signature, or then the problem starts.

It has now cost me £150 + post, got to pay it back now.

Cheers
John

[Bob Williams]

Ed is right, it is efficient: up to a point. I just did mine, based on a photo from a recognised shop, with a coded photo. Easy=peasy! Tried to apply for SWMBO. Same shop, coded pic’s taken at same time in same place, same position: photo refused as “There are reflections in your  photo.” Now I have to take my missus back for another pic, which went down like a lead balloon until I promised her a hairdo on the same day. I think it may be that her face is pale because we are not getting out as much, whilst she recovers from the HipOp.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Ed P]

“There are reflections in your  photo.”

Spectacles? Best not to wear them as even ‘non-reflective’ lenses often cause issues. Jewellery is often the other problem area for females as the digital pic includes the upper quarter of the body.

[Author]

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