‘Expedited’ RushMyPassport Services No Faster than Applications Submitted to State Dept., Class Action Lawsuit Says

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A proposed class action lawsuit claims that RushMyPassport’s supposedly expedited passport application services are no faster than passport applications submitted to the United States Department of State.

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The 16-page false advertising lawsuit alleges that RushMyPassport, self-described as the largest and most convenient passport service in the U.S., has misrepresented that its services are a “fast, convenient way” to save time on passport applications for travelers on “tight” timelines.

The suit claims that consumers who submit passport applications through RushMyPassport, which markets and sells its services nationwide through FedEx, AARP and AAA, receive their passports no faster than consumers who applied directly to the Department of State, despite paying more for the apparently expedited service.

The filing says that RushMyPassport offers several tiers of purportedly faster passport services, with application processing times advertised as ranging from one business day to six weeks. Per the case, RushMyPassport charges premium prices, ranging from $119 to $740, in addition to a passport application fee owed to the Department of State, for its services.

However, the filing highlights that consumers can already request expedited passport services through the Department of State, and in cases of a life-or-death emergency, the government can process an application in less than 14 days, the lawsuit states.

The federal government also offers “urgent” passport services for those who need to travel in less than two to three weeks, and “expedited” services to accelerate the process for travelers who need their passport in less than six weeks, the filing says.

Notably, expedited passport services through the Department of State incur a one-time $60 fee on top of the baseline application fee of $130, the suit notes. Should a consumer choose the fastest shipping option of one to three business days, their total cost would be only $212.05, the case states.

Moreover, the complaint says passport forms are freely and publicly available on the Department of State website.

Despite RushMyPassport’s promise that it will “expedite the delivery of your passport,” the false advertising lawsuit contends that the company charges consumers hundreds for services that do not result in the receipt of their passport any sooner than had they applied directly to the State Department.

The lawsuit says that consumer complaints on sites like Trustpilot clearly convey “surprise and disappointment” with the defendant’s purportedly expedited service.

“Consumers are willing to pay a price premium for expedited passport services,” the complaint reads. “They are also induced to make purchases that they otherwise would not have, but for the belief that the [passport] services would allow them to receive their passport faster than if they applied directly through the Department of State.”

The RushMyPassport class action lawsuit looks to cover all individuals who purchased passport services from the company in the state of New York within the applicable statute of limitations period.

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