[Rhapsody-NS27]

Didn't see this posted here on SN yet. I just saw it on another forum.

Documentation renewal fee of $26 starting in Nov 2014.

http://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/news/renewal.pdf

I figure it was bound to happen eventually.

 

[JimsCAL]

I figure it was bound to happen eventually.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[mbianka]

Time to open up the wallet again.

 

[Delezynski]

I JUST got an email from our mail forwarding service stating the same.
Drat!!! That's dinner out for the two of us.

Greg

 

[chuck53]

I'm surprised it has been free all these years.

 

[capta]

Somehow the person who does this for us each year, missed it this year and you DON'T want that to happen very often. Re-Issuance fee; us$81.00! Blood sucking ***************** scum!
Now that we're paying, how about we get them to issue a 5 year document?

 

[Minnewaska]

The bureaucracy is horrible. How about a simple online system that requires virtually no overhead for the USCG. If you file by paper, then you pay a fee. For goodness sakes, a kid could write and app for that in a weekend.

I abhor the inefficiency of our government. In every other walk of life, we are required to do more with less every year. Uncle Sam only knows how to do more with more.

 

[SVAuspicious]

It is my understanding that both online renewal and multi-year terms are in work at USCG. Apparently the issue with online renewal is integration with existing back-office systems. Multi-year terms require changes in regulation and legislation that are underway. There are also policy decisions to make (which vessel types would be eligible for multi-year terms?).

 

[Group9]

Somehow the person who does this for us each year, missed it this year and you DON'T want that to happen very often. Re-Issuance fee; us$81.00! Blood sucking ***************** scum!
Now that we're paying, how about we get them to issue a 5 year document?

That happened to me one year. Not fun to pay that for something I could have had for free.

 

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Uncle Sam only knows how to do more with more.

I've been hearing over the past 16yrs with the military, "we're going to be a paperless Army"...

I've yet to see the volume of paper used to go down. Actually, for some things, it has gone up.

 

[Multihullgirl]

Doing this yourself, and online, isn't rocket surgery:

http://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/instr/inst renewal.pdf

I got the PDF form, filled it out, and emailed it to the suggested address. I received an email confirmation of receipt and then in about 2wk received a paper copy of documentation renewal.

 

[zeehag]

problem with this renewal manner is not experienced by those of you in usa.
it is much more difficult to do this while out of country.
some places the snail mail is not preferred way of communication, and is most inefficient, in some areas being non existent.

 

[capta]

Doing this yourself, and online, isn't rocket surgery:

http://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/instr/inst renewal.pdf
I got the PDF form, filled it out, and emailed it to the suggested address. I received an email confirmation of receipt and then in about 2wk received a paper copy of documentation renewal.

When international mail runs about as fast as a cruising sailboat, a simple 2 week turnaround turns into a several month odyssey. No big thing for you sitting there in the USA (heck you don't even need your document), but every country I've been in prefers the original and can, if they choose, create a lot of hassles for someone with an expired and/or copied document.
Through the mail the renewal notification wouldn't even arrive at the boat before the document expired and if I didn't have someone in the US to receive my mail, I'd be screwed. I guess that's one thing about raising children; they can renew your document for you. A couple of hundred grand plus, to raise a personal secretary! See, I knew there was a reason I put up with those rug rats for all those years.

 

[Group9]

I've been hearing over the past 16yrs with the military, "we're going to be a paperless Army"...

I've yet to see the volume of paper used to go down. Actually, for some things, it has gone up.

I was with the federal government for 21 years. We went "paperless" several times, with actual increases in the amount of paper we generated and had to keep.

If the taxpayers only knew what really went on.

 

[CLOSECALL]

Any former federal employees want to start a thread "Oh if taxpayers only knew what really goes on"?

By the way, I think 26 bucks is pretty cheap. I wish I could register my car that cheaply.

 

[Minnewaska]

......I think 26 bucks is pretty cheap. I wish I could register my car that cheaply.

You've fallen for the oldest trick in the book. This won't hurt, because that hurts more.

 

[Delezynski]

You've fallen for the oldest trick in the book. This won't hurt, because that hurts more.

I am not saying the fee is good or correct, but I DO have to bring up some thoughts here.

I have lived (for extended periods of time) in a few foreign countries. Like 3 years in Iran, 5 years in Mexico and a couple of other places. After doing so, I have to say, each time was a lesson in American appreciation.

I have a completely different take on taxes and fees in the U.S.A.... After coming home from Iran,

I was never so HAPPY to pay my taxes, drive my car and eat the type of food I wanted to instead of what I could get!

Greg

 

[Minnewaska]

..... I was never so HAPPY to pay my taxes, drive my car and eat the type of food I wanted to instead of what I could get!

Again, that will hurt more, this will hurt less. I say, no need to hurt.

There is no reason we can't have everything, and then some, for less. I'm absolutely convinced of it.

 

[aeventyr60]

Last year I tried the on line documentation process for the first time. I was not sure it went through, so I sent a hard copy my snail mail. A few months later when the old snail mail caught up with me, there were two documentation forms. I hope if they are going to charge for the documentation service that at least they could send me a PDF of the documentation form, so I don't have to wait for my mail to catch up with me.

The local authorities were not amused by my 6 months out of date form...

 

[overbored]

is it just me or does it sound wrong to be called a customer of the government, We the People.