‘Panic took over’: Traveler wanting passport quickly regrets steps she took

CHARLOTTE — “I made a promise to my grandson when he started college. If he graduated, I would be there,” Janice Brathwaite said.

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And that time came, Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke reported.

Brathwaite’s grandson was about to cross the stage at the University of Kentucky, so she booked a flight from Boston.

She didn’t have her Real ID yet, but she had her passport, or so she thought.

“I looked at it and I was like, ‘Oh, my God. It’s expired,’” she said.

It usually takes four to six weeks to renew a passport. Brathwaite’s trip was only three weeks away.

She went online and found PassportsandVisas.com. The site claims it can renew your passport in just four business days for $499. Brathwaite took a chance.

“I’m pretty good doing my due diligence when it comes to things like this. But this was a case where, you know, kind of panic took over. And all of that went out the window,” she said.

Paula Fleming, with the Better Business Bureau, worries about travelers not getting what they paid for and “providing your Social Security number, your date of birth, all the personal information, leaves you vulnerable to potential identity theft.”

Brathwaite did get her passport, but it was too late. She was already in line at the airport when it arrived. It took about three weeks instead of four days.

However, there was a happy ending.

She still made it to her grandson’s graduation thanks to her driver’s license and some very understanding TSA agents.

“I was really very lucky. I consider myself, very lucky,” she said.

Channel 9’s sister station in Boston called the number on the PassportandVisas.com website to ask about Brathwaite’s case. A woman who answered asked them to submit an email. They did and followed up three times. The company’s site says to expect a response within an hour. At last check, weeks later, they were still waiting.

The U.S. State Department says the only site you should use to apply for or renew a passport is MyTravel.State.gov. That way you’re going directly to the source.

Again, it typically takes four to six weeks to get a passport. You may be able to get it within two weeks, but you’ll need to go to a passport center in person.

According to the State Department’s website, Charlotte doesn’t have one, but one is coming soon. So, for now, Stoogenke found the two closest: Atlanta and Charleston.

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