Thanks Snoopy5 for sharing your story.
I am experiencing stress with my son’s passport renewal too. There has been 10 weeks since I submitted the application, following I sent off the old passport to Bootle passport office with recorded delivery. I waited 3-4 weeks but no updates on tracking system that they had received my documents. At week 5 I started calling passport helpline but all I got was to tell them my details and wait for a call back. I had some calls back but again they transferred me around to another operator and another call back. This could be never ending, as the progress team is always unreachable. By today at week 10 the tracking system still shows “send your old passport and my application will be withdrawn after 90 days as no passport received. I have proof of the old pasport was received and signed by Passport office, I wrote the letter to show them too, but nothing has been touched and no reply so far.