I saw this in last weeks Costa Blanca news online..http://www.costablanca-news.com/news/last.htm scroll down.
British pensioner pays but can’t get refund By Tom Cain
Costa Blanca News reader Audrey German from Benitachell has found to her dismay that the new passport she applied and paid for should have been issued free.
Mrs German told CBN that when she applied for her new passport there was nothing on the form that indicated it was free to anyone born on or before September 2, 1929.
She added that the only way to pay for the passport is by credit card but again the form does not stipulate how much would be charged.
After making her application and receiving her passport inside three weeks, Mrs German was shocked to find out that she needn’t have paid at all.
“If it was a small amount I wouldn’t be bothered, but with the passport now costing around 200 euros and being a pensioner, I would certainly appreciate the refund,” said Audrey.
She contacted the British consulate in Alicante but was informed that she needed to talk direct to Madrid.
On contacting Madrid she was told to ring another number, which turned out to be a service run by a company called ABTRAN that operates a call centre in Ireland charging 1.09 euros per minute.
Needless to say she got no joy on how to get her money refunded and has had to send a letter to the Embassy in Madrid in the hope that someone there will read it and act accordingly.
Costa Blanca News reminds readers that the Home Office announced on May 19, 2004, that in recognition of their efforts during World War II, all British citizens born on or before September 2, 1929 are eligible for gratis passports.
This message was last edited by morerosado on 6/29/2007.