Dad who flew to Hungary to collect passport after ‘postal delay’ fuming after given book of stamps as compensation

A dad who flew to Hungary to collect a passport after a ‘postal delay’ is fuming after he was offered eight stamps in compensation. Attila Cseke, 50, cancelled his daughter Liah’s passport when it hadn’t arrived ten days after his son Mate’s – even though they were posted on the same day.

He applied for a new passport but feared it wouldn’t reach their home in time for their holiday three weeks later. So he spent over £300 on an overnight trip to Hungary to collect the document.

He asked Royal Mail for compensation but was only given a book of eight first-class stamps – because the original passport arrived the day after it was cancelled. While it was no longer valid – because he had cancelled it – he said he was told it was classed as delayed, but not lost, according to postal rules.

Attila, from St Andrews, Scotland, said: “They are just not considering the human element of this at all. The whole thing was very distressing.

“It was shocking to see how a big company can approach a situation like this. I’ve worked in hospitality for years – it’s really important to remember you’re dealing with a person, not just a case number.

“They said they’d followed the process, but I feel this just ridicules the customer.” Attila sent off passport application forms for Mate, 17, and Liah, 14, in early May.

The dad, the kids, and his wife Anita, 50, were flying to Gran Canaria on July 12 for a holiday celebration of their 50th birthdays and 15th wedding anniversary. The children’s Hungarian passports needed renewing, so Attila applied through the Hungarian consulate.

The documents are sent to an authority in Hungary before being posted to the UK. They were posted to the family from an office in Edinburgh via the second-class-signed-for service on June 7.

Mate’s arrived two days later, but there was no sign of Liah’s. Attila made calls to Royal Mail and the Hungarian Consulate on June 12, but the passport couldn’t be traced, he said.

He cancelled the passport, presuming it was lost, on June 19, and made a new application. To his dismay the now cancelled and invalid document arrived at the family home on June 20.

Convinced the new passport wouldn’t arrive in time for the trip, he took time off work and paid £300 to travel to Hungary to collect it, on July 4. He asked Royal Mail for compensation, and was disappointed to be given just a book of eight first class stamps.

He said: “We were in a very bad situation. No-one could see where the passport was. The consulate said to cancel the passport and apply again, and said it would be quicker to collect it from Hungary.

“It was a difficult decision but felt like the only thing to do. It was an immense relief to get the passport but the stress, expense and time involved really hit us as a family.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are sorry for the inconvenience the delay in the delivery of the passport undoubtedly caused the customer. Their complaint was escalated to the Postal Review Panel which re-assessed the facts of the complaint and decided on the due compensation.

“The customer has been provided with further details to appeal this decision.” It’s understood Attila was initially offered a refund of postage.

But, upon review, it was decided the compensation should be eight first class stamps.