Description

Complaint Regarding Misleading Services by United Passport: I am writing to file a complaint regarding United Passport, a company I found through a Google search when attempting to renew my child’s passport. The site appeared to be an official or authorized service for passport renewals, and I proceeded under that assumption. I used their service to renew my four-year-old’s passport and paid $180. However, after submitting the application, I received the materials back in the mail—with the photo attached and information filled out—only to learn that child passports CANNOT be renewed online and must instead be processed in person as a new application. At no point during their online process was this restriction made CLEAR. Had I known, I would have completed the government forms myself (a five-minute process), taken a $7 photo at Walgreens, and applied directly at a passport acceptance facility for a fraction of the cost. When I called United Passport, they directed me to fine print in the lower right corner of their website, said it was listed in terms at sign-out and only offered a 20% refund, which I find unacceptable given the misleading presentation of their service (being that it's a renewal service and I did not get a renewal through them!). In my view, United Passport’s practices are deceptive, particularly toward parents unfamiliar with the nuances of passport renewal rules. They profit from providing forms freely available from the U.S. State Department while creating the impression that the process can be completed through them. I am requesting that the BBB review this business’s practices for misleading advertising. Thank you for your attention to this matter.