Government Web Site Makes Passport Processing Quick, Easy
AURORA, Colo (CBS4) As summer travel season approaches, many people are looking into getting or renewing their passport. One Metro Area woman wants to warn others, don't pay for a service that you can ultimately do yourself.
Ann Wildgen went online to renew her passport.
"There were so many sites for State Department and that kind of thing. I wasn't sure where to go," Wildgen told CBS4.
The proper passport forms are available at travel.state.gov for free. Wildgen ended up on a commercial Web site called Immigration Direct.
"It was such a well-designed site. It appeared to be an official site," she explained.
Immigration Direct is one of many commercial websites that charge a fee to complete the paperwork and promise to expedite your passport approval. Wildgen filled out the forms she was directed to on their website, paid $178, but then decided to take that form to the passport agency at the post office in person. Immigration Direct did not get a chance to process her paperwork because she took the form to the post office herself.
"Then I handed her the form and she said, 'This isn't the form,' " Wildgen recounted.
The correct form for passport renewal is the DS-82. It's available for free at travel.state.gov, at the passport processing office in Aurora, or at any of the 50 other passport locations in the Denver metro area.
Immigration Direct says what Wildgen filled out was a form navigator. She provided information that they then use to fill out the proper government form.
There was also a question about the charges Wildgen paid.
"She said, 'I need a check for $110.' Well the receipt says I've already paid for that, and she goes, 'Oh well, we don't do it online,' " Wildgen explained.
The $178 she paid did not cover the cost of the government processing the passport. Immigration Direct's website says that prices posted are for use of their service. You are paying them to get your form to the State Department for processing.
"If you're right here in the Denver area, you're better off just coming into the agency here," said Sherman Portell, Director of the Colorado Passport Agency.
The Colorado Passport Agency is one of 16 processing centers across the nation. They can process an expedited application in as little as 3 to 4 days. Regular processing takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Immigration Direct has been in business about 10 years. It has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and when Wildgen complained about their service, her money was refunded immediately.
"Just be very careful that you get on an official site," Wildgen said.
"The most important thing is to remember travel.state.gov for any of your information. That will provide you with everything you need," Portell added.
Additional Information:
The Passport Processing Office
3151 South Vaughn Way, Suite 600
Aurora, CO 80014
1-877-487-2778 (to make an appointment)
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- Written for the Web by CBS4 Special Projects Producer Libby Smith
