The Student Room Group

Student finance... Such a joke.

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pair of losers who cock up and blame anyone but themselves.
As posted elsewhere only a moron thinks there will be a 2 week turnaround just when everyone starts applying!
Laugh at the idiots everyone!

Enjoy holidaying in Blackpool loser.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 81
Original post by hypocriticaljap
pair of losers who cock up and blame anyone but themselves.
As posted elsewhere only a moron thinks there will be a 2 week turnaround just when everyone starts applying!
Laugh at the idiots everyone!

Enjoy holidaying in Blackpool loser.


Haha at least I don't try to boost up my low self-confidence by insulting people online. But if that makes you feel better, then go ahead =) If you said this to my face then maybe I would care, but otherwise, you're nothing.
Goodnight x
Reply 82
If you read the statement properly, usually does not equal guaranteed. If you choose to send it at the peak processing time, then you only have yourselves to blame.

If you'd acted as you are now to me in my time of assessing, I would have make it as difficult as possible for you to get the support you wanted. Amazing what you can find to reject evidence on if you look hard enough.
Original post by zammie1603
For me it's about 14hours altogether (7hrs getting there by coach, 7hours coming back - checked on national express website, could be wrong). & I'm not planning on using the train, it's going to cost me minimum 180pounds! & I haven't got all that money saved up :frown:, I hope someone can drive me there but doubt it!
THEY ARE SO ****ING UNRELIABLE! Why the hell do they even need such important documents and even those ORIGINAL ONES! ****sake! & everywhere: on their website, on their stupid facebook site, people are having problems and they keep saying that 'passports will be sent back within 14days'. I think they shouldn't guarantee passports within 2weeks if they can't manage it. Hmm, Tuesday can't do, have two exams =/
I don't have a clue what to do now! :frown:
Deffo ringing the Darlington office on Monday and I swear, I won't hang up until I have my tracking ID. Apparently, on facebook, some girl had the same problem as us and because they 'couldn't find her address on the database', they sent it off to her Romanian address by Air Mail - & I know it's a ****ing lie!! :angry:


It is a criminal offence to make a copy of a passport. This is why you have to send the original.

If anyone guaranteed you would get it then this was not the fault of SF it is a bad employee as they should not have said that.

They can be bad but you have to accept some responsibility, even if I thought I might get it back on time I would not send it off if there were other options to verify identity available that would eliminate risk - and there are. And then the lateness as well.

I hope they get it sorted and you get it back quickly. I take it they actually have it? If they have sent it but it is lost you will have to claim via Royal Mail insurance. You could even make the case that they should pay for the fast track service to get a replacement. It is costly, and the standard service could leave you waiting a while.

Good luck.
Original post by Taiko
If you read the statement properly, usually does not equal guaranteed. If you choose to send it at the peak processing time, then you only have yourselves to blame.

If you'd acted as you are now to me in my time of assessing, I would have make it as difficult as possible for you to get the support you wanted. Amazing what you can find to reject evidence on if you look hard enough.


Lets hope you never get a job like this then, there's already too many idiots in jobs like this without ones like you as well
Reply 85
Original post by Taiko
If you read the statement properly, usually does not equal guaranteed. If you choose to send it at the peak processing time, then you only have yourselves to blame.

If you'd acted as you are now to me in my time of assessing, I would have make it as difficult as possible for you to get the support you wanted. Amazing what you can find to reject evidence on if you look hard enough.


If SF claims to have processed and sent off my passport via Next Day special delivery on the 14th of June which is pretty much a week ago, yet they CANNOT provide me with a tracking number for that parcel then it's not my *** fault.
I spoke to an honest employee yesterday who actually admitted that despite claiming to have sent it off they didn't really. She said it looks like my passport is just lost somwhere in the Darlington office. How is that not just unprofessional.
Reply 86
Original post by hypocriticaljap
It is amazing how often people blame SFE for their mistakes due to not doing their homework.

Everything you need to know is on here

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/index.htm

and yes, you will need to resubmit your birth certificate with the form.


OK, Thanks I'll Defo Do That - I'd Have Done It 2day But Their Website Is Down For maintenance!
BTW Does anyone know the deadline?

Thanks
Majid :smile:
Reply 87
Original post by mabrookes
It is a criminal offence to make a copy of a passport. This is why you have to send the original.

If anyone guaranteed you would get it then this was not the fault of SF it is a bad employee as they should not have said that.

They can be bad but you have to accept some responsibility, even if I thought I might get it back on time I would not send it off if there were other options to verify identity available that would eliminate risk - and there are. And then the lateness as well.

I hope they get it sorted and you get it back quickly. I take it they actually have it? If they have sent it but it is lost you will have to claim via Royal Mail insurance. You could even make the case that they should pay for the fast track service to get a replacement. It is costly, and the standard service could leave you waiting a while.

Good luck.


Thanks, like I said before for almost a week they were claiming that they have sent it off via next day Special Delivery and they blamed it all on Royal Mail yet they couldn't provide me with a tracking number for that parcel. ;x
Only yesterday I spoke to an honest advisor who after looking up my application just went 'Oh my god... I don't think you will get it back for a while...'. She said that despite claiming to have returned it on the 14/06 they most probably haven't really, because otherwise they would have a tracking number.
She said it probably got stuck somwhere in the Darlington office and suggested it would be quickest and best for me if I went there myself (which I'm going to do on Tuesday).
Reply 88
Original post by Snow841
Thanks, like I said before for almost a week they were claiming that they have sent it off via next day Special Delivery and they blamed it all on Royal Mail yet they couldn't provide me with a tracking number for that parcel. ;x
Only yesterday I spoke to an honest advisor who after looking up my application just went 'Oh my god... I don't think you will get it back for a while...'. She said that despite claiming to have returned it on the 14/06 they most probably haven't really, because otherwise they would have a tracking number.
She said it probably got stuck somwhere in the Darlington office and suggested it would be quickest and best for me if I went there myself (which I'm going to do on Tuesday).


How will you get there?
I think I should go too lol
Reply 89
Original post by zammie1603
How will you get there?
I think I should go too lol


Train. 6 hours each way, 78 quid off peak return.
Reply 90
Original post by mkhan9035
OK, Thanks I'll Defo Do That - I'd Have Done It 2day But Their Website Is Down For maintenance!
BTW Does anyone know the deadline?

Thanks
Majid :smile:


Are you serious? The 'deadline' was 31st May.
I think honestly the best thing for you to do to save lots of stress especially around your exams is to buy a new passport, tell student finance to forget that passport you have sent them, go on holiday, and then send them that passport when you get back. If that's possible.

On a side note, has anyone had any difficulties speaking to an advisor? Yesterday I was told the systems are updating and to ring back the next day , so I rang up today and apparently they upload information on a Sunday so the systems are down whilst they do that... Hopefully they should be open tomorrow.
Reply 92
Original post by insignificant
I think honestly the best thing for you to do to save lots of stress especially around your exams is to buy a new passport, tell student finance to forget that passport you have sent them, go on holiday, and then send them that passport when you get back. If that's possible.

On a side note, has anyone had any difficulties speaking to an advisor? Yesterday I was told the systems are updating and to ring back the next day , so I rang up today and apparently they upload information on a Sunday so the systems are down whilst they do that... Hopefully they should be open tomorrow.


Yes I've been having difficulties contacting them since Friday. Their systems are up and down, they have apparently been updating since Friday. My advise is keep calling cause it may be up any time. Basically on Friday I called and I was told 5 times 'don't bother calling back today', but I kept calling and suddenly their systems were up again. Saturday morning they were down, then in the afternoon they were ok for about an hour. Just keep trying you might be lucky.
Reply 93
Original post by mabrookes
Lets hope you never get a job like this then, there's already too many idiots in jobs like this without ones like you as well


Wow, you really don't have a clue do you. Takio has been the most helpful person on these forums when it comes to student finance. Often correcting the false information that the student finance helpline provides to students.

Some people on here do have genuine complaints but I can't believe to the overreaction to a passport not being returned within two weeks at their most busiest time of year.
Reply 94
Original post by flipshot
Wow, you really don't have a clue do you. Takio has been the most helpful person on these forums when it comes to student finance. Often correcting the false information that the student finance helpline provides to students.

Some people on here do have genuine complaints but I can't believe to the overreaction to a passport not being returned within two weeks at their most busiest time of year.


Oh sure but what about SF claiming that they have sent the passport off on the 14th of June via Next day Special Delivery and not being able to give me a tracking number for it? After a week some honest woman said openly that it's so rare this happens and that probably my passport just got stuck somwhere in the Darlington office, and if I want it on time, the best way is if I go there myself which I'm going to do Tuesday, even though it's gonna take 12 hours and cost 80 quid.
Reply 95
SFE do not return documents by special/recorded delivery to my knowledge, unless there is a pre-paid envelope from the student in there. There may have been an internal policy change since my time assessing at local authority level, but as far as I know it's just standard post.
Reply 96
Original post by Snow841
Oh sure but what about SF claiming that they have sent the passport off on the 14th of June via Next day Special Delivery and not being able to give me a tracking number for it? After a week some honest woman said openly that it's so rare this happens and that probably my passport just got stuck somwhere in the Darlington office, and if I want it on time, the best way is if I go there myself which I'm going to do Tuesday, even though it's gonna take 12 hours and cost 80 quid.


The website states they only send it back special delivery if you include a pre paid envelope. If you did this then you would already know the tracking number:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Gettingstarted/DG_189518
If you enclose a pre-paid ‘Special Delivery’ envelope when you send in your evidence, Student Finance England will use this service to return your evidence.


I don't think they have actually lied to you, they have probably just got confused. It could be that your evidence was processed on 14th June and the call centre staff assumed it would have been sent out the same day. As the call centre is miles from where everything gets processed its probably hard for them to get a sense of how long things are taking.
Reply 97
Original post by Taiko
SFE do not return documents by special/recorded delivery to my knowledge, unless there is a pre-paid envelope from the student in there. There may have been an internal policy change since my time assessing at local authority level, but as far as I know it's just standard post.


Nah, I spoke to a lot of advisors last week, they all said different things but one thing they all agreed on is that they DEFINETLY did send it via next day Special Delivery. I made sure many times and they confirmed. They say they always do it if it's important documents such as original passports.
The woman I spoke to yesterday seemed surprised herself that I didn't get it back yet. She said 'best thing is go Darlington yourself, if you can'. I will and then it will be sorted. I'm just wondering if they will require me to bring any ID to receive my passport? I can't imagine they wouldn't, they surely wouldn't just give out a passport to anyone who comes and claims it.
Reply 98
Original post by flipshot
The website states they only send it back special delivery if you include a pre paid envelope. If you did this then you would already know the tracking number:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Gettingstarted/DG_189518


I don't think they have actually lied to you, they have probably just got confused. It could be that your evidence was processed on 14th June and the call centre staff assumed it would have been sent out the same day. As the call centre is miles from where everything gets processed its probably hard for them to get a sense of how long things are taking.


Well like I said, I spoke to many advisors last week, they all had different stories but one thing they all agreed on was that my passport would definetly be send off via next day special delivery since it's such an an important document.

And yes you're completely right, the woman yesterday said exactly the same thing - it got processed on the 14th and they assumed it would have been sent off on the 14th. But because people responsible for processing evidence are in a different department than people responsible for sending it out, it probably just got stuck somwhere in between. The advisor was surprised I didn't get it yet, she said it might take ages to process it, but once it's processed it shouldn't take this long.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 99
I'd recommend just buying a new passport, paying for it. Then put in a claim for student finance to reimburse you for the price of your passport, they're absolutely useless don't wanna put a downer on it but you'll probably get to their office and they won't be able to find your passport anyway. :frown: SF are absolutely diabolical.

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