Passport expediting is not cheap. It will cost you extra to get the application processed and your travel document delivered to you in a hurry. But beware of passport expediters that charge exorbitant fees.
Now, there is nothing wrong with a company that expedites passports and visas charging a fee. Expediters can get your passport returned to you in as little as one business day. If you apply for expedited services directly with the United States Department of States Passport Services you will have to wait two to three weeks for your travel document to arrive.
The problem is not that expediters charge a fee. They are providing a service. The problem is that some companies charge fees that are more than double the price of the majority of companies.
Such expediting services are doing nothing more than taking advantage of travelers who find themselves in need of obtaining a passport in a very brief period of time, often due to a business or family emergency. The fact that the traveler is in a rush means he or she probably doesn't have the time to comparison shop in order to find the best price.
What is an exorbitant fee? Let's take what most refer to as “Emergency Services” as an example. This means that your passport application would be processed in 1 to 2 business days. While the majority of expediters charge between $169 and $199 for this service, we found others that charge as much as $399.
One of the companies that charges $399 for emergency services even had the audacity to write “Lowest Price Anywhere!” on their website. This same company charges $229 for 7-10 day expediting. You can find the same service with excellent customer care for $59 at other expediters.
What can do to avoid paying such outrageous prices? If you do find yourself in a situation in which you absolutely must expedite your passport, the best thing you can do is to compare the prices of at least three expediters. You can do this online. It really doesn't take much time and it could save you hundreds of dollars.
Visit U.S. Passport Service Guide for more Passport Expediting Secrets.
Published by William Manor on August 25, 2007 10:23 PM
