Are Passport Expediting Services Legitimate?
Passport expediting services can speed up the process of getting a
passport, often reducing turnaround time to a few days. In emergency
situations, you could
potentially have the passport within 24 hours though. as we have said, there are never any guarantees of acceptance by the passport agency.
For a fee, these companies deliver passport applications and supporting documents from frantic applicants to a
regional passport agency.
The U.S. government handles passport applications much faster at these
agencies, resulting in a quicker turnaround (applications are processed
within 2 weeks). That in turn is a massive time saver for busy
consumers.
However, passport expeditors are not government contractors or in any
way representatives of the U.S. Department of State. They just work
closely with the regional agencies on a regular basis. Some couriers
are registered with agencies, but not all.
Many consumers are only just now learning about these services. Because of that, you may
treat them with a heavy dose of skepticism. In the age of the Internet, it's only natural to wonder if a company is legitimate and can deliver on its promises.
Rest assured, passport expediting is a legitimate service industry. Media giants including the
Wall Street Journal,
L.A.Times,
USA Today and
INC.com, have all written about these companies that provide an important service, and in some cases put those services to the test.
As in most industries, you might encounter a shady service that
claims to deliver more than it actually can to win your business. You
need to learn how to identify those companies and then avoid them! Most
people will do some research online before the buy anything and you
certainly should do the same before choosing a passport expeditor.
Scathing Reviews of Expeditors Typically Fall into Two Categories:
1. Those who submitted their own passport applications at regional centers.
Frequently, this complaint comes from an individual who applied
for a passport at a regional center with no assistance. Their logic is
"you can do this yourself. A courier isn't necessary, it's just more
money, and therefore a scam."
As we have said, you can apply for an expedited passport
yourself. However, you still need to make an appointment, travel to the
regional center, and provide all of the necessary documentation. Not
everyone lives close enough to travel; some might not have time off to
make the trip. And if you're not sure what sort of documentation you
need and want to be sure you get it absolutely right, a courier service
can reduce the stress load.
2. Those who used a passport expeditor but did not receive their passports within the time requested.
It's unfortunate, but as we have said, only the U.S. government can
approve a passport request. Expediting services save you stress and
hassle, but they can't override decisions made by the passport agency.
Most often, delays happen because the State Department has determined
that you need to submit additional documentation to prove your
citizenship, identity, or a name change. The submission of unacceptable
documents and photos are another big reason for delays.
The ability for a passport courier to get your travel document
within the time you request depends in large part on whether or not you
submit the proper application form and documents. Of course,
experienced expediting services will do everything possible to guide
you through the application process to significantly reduce the risk of
delays.
As in any industry, you may stumble upon an expediting company
that uses questionable methods in order to scam nervous travelers out
of their money and which doesn't deliver on its promises. However,
these are few and far between, and such businesses usually do not last
long. The vast
majority of passport expeditors are legitimate companies that fulfill their commitment to their clients.
That leads us to the next important question. Who can I trust?
Visit
How Can I Identify a Reliable Passport Expeditor? for a list of criteria you can use to find a trustworthy expeditor and avoid falling prey to a scam.
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