@ChrisJWilson i can understand you having to send the old one back - though that must be a new thing because somewhere in a storage container I have old out of date passports.

The hidden charges thing is annoying - BUT the 5 or 8 weeks isn't quite my point - just highlighting that in the USA

1) they clearly can't do it already and
2) if you do use it - it is slower than the old physical approach

My passport remains UK - and pretty sure last renewal was when I as in the UK and went into a Post Office. (NO idea when that was - but definitely less than ten years ago!)