Need a passport fast? Watchdog questions courier companies' promises

SALT LAKE CITY — Whether it is an election document or that vacation you booked before checking the expiration date, sometimes you need a passport. And sometimes, you need it yesterday.

Google "passport fast," and you will find no shortage of companies promising help. But consumer watchdog Truth in Advertising said that is where travelers need to slow down.

Its investigation looked at 141 active passport couriers registered with the State Department and found that 120 — about 85% — used what it considers deceptive marketing.

"This isn't a niche scam," said Laura Smith, Truth in Advertising's legal director. "Roughly 85% of active registered couriers are using at least one type of deceptive tactic, which tells us this is how the industry has learned to compete, not the behavior of a few bad actors."

Smith said the allegations fall largely into three buckets: looking more government-official than they really are, promising speed they cannot actually control, and advertising prices that can grow once fees are added.

Smith said overpromising ads prey on people under deadline who might not have time to parse through fine print.

"People needing expedited passports are typically under time pressure. They have a trip booked, a family emergency, an important event (or) a deadline they can't move," she said.

The Federal Trade Commission has been warning that some companies charge extra fees to submit your application and pick up your passport if you're busy or need help, but you won't get your passport faster than if you applied on your own without the extra cost. And the State Department said using a courier will not get the government to process your passport faster than if you go directly to a passport agency yourself.

Truth in Advertising said it is time for action to be taken against companies that promise otherwise.

Truth in Advertising spelled out its deceptive marketing allegations in letters to those 120 companies. The letters requested that the companies review their marketing practices for compliance with applicable laws.

One of the couriers named by Truth in Advertising is based in Utah. Its CEO responded to Get Gephardt's request for comment, writing, "I have never heard of (Truth in Advertising), nor received a letter. We have been in business since 1982 expediting passports and visas."

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