Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 05-02-2023, 17:40   #1
Registered User
 
phorvati's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rhode Island
Boat: Tayana FD-12
Posts: 1,205
Images: 6
US COD renewal don't fall for trap when renewing

I addition to getting my application for renewal directly from Coast guard in the mail, this year, for the first time I received a letter in a different envelope about a week after the authentic Coast guard letter, with Final Notice to renew. I was convinced that this was the legitimate coast guard renewing instruction, until i got to the payment page. It was 375$ for 5 year recreational. and extra 75$ for certified COD document. what a scam!!!!
this is the website.
https://nvdcrenewal.us/

And i've been renewing for 15 years, every year and still almost fell for it. Renewal is 26$ per year.
They would make 320$ for almost no work. Would charge me 450$ for what should cost 130$.

And honestly if they were not such greedy Fuc*s, as in up-charged it like 50$ or so, I would have paid it not even realizing.

WTF!
phorvati is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-2023, 17:48   #2
Registered User
 
StuM's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,891
Re: US COD renewal don't fall for trap when renewing

This should be a sticky. Someone posts a similar warning about once a year
StuM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2024, 14:42   #3
Registered User
 
DiStefano's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Washington DC
Boat: 2009 Leopard 40 (hull 132)
Posts: 14
Making it obvious: NVDCrenewal is a SCAM

Sadly I fell for it and realized the error only too late. DO NOT USE THEM.
Quote:
Originally Posted by phorvati View Post
I addition to getting my application for renewal directly from Coast guard in the mail, this year, for the first time I received a letter in a different envelope about a week after the authentic Coast guard letter, with Final Notice to renew. I was convinced that this was the legitimate coast guard renewing instruction, until i got to the payment page. It was 375$ for 5 year recreational. and extra 75$ for certified COD document. what a scam!!!!
this is the website.
https://nvdcrenewal.us/

And i've been renewing for 15 years, every year and still almost fell for it. Renewal is 26$ per year.
They would make 320$ for almost no work. Would charge me 450$ for what should cost 130$.

And honestly if they were not such greedy Fuc*s, as in up-charged it like 50$ or so, I would have paid it not even realizing.

WTF!
DiStefano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2024, 15:45   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Santa Cruz
Boat: SAnta Cruz 27
Posts: 7,071
Re: US COD renewal don't fall for trap when renewing

What really pisses me off is when a Google search puts the scam website ahead of the official one, like they do with the California DMV.
donradcliffe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2024, 17:01   #5
Registered User

Join Date: May 2018
Location: Urbanna, VA
Boat: Lagoon 380
Posts: 379
Re: US COD renewal don't fall for trap when renewing

I got one a few weeks ago. Looked very legit until I noticed the website ended in .us. We do not use .us for .gov sites.

Cheyne
Cheyne is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2024, 21:41   #6
Registered User
 
Island Time O25's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,180
Re: US COD renewal don't fall for trap when renewing

Some years I get 2 or 3 of those, some years none. But on average one per year. What p*sses me off is that there is no easy mechanism to stop this scam. No one, other than the actual victims, cares.

Same issues with fake "your company will be delisted if you fail to pay us your state corporate fees" letters. Apparently enough people fall for those if they keep sending them.
Island Time O25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2024, 21:52   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: San Francisco
Boat: Morgan 382
Posts: 3,487
Re: US COD renewal don't fall for trap when renewing

Quote:
Originally Posted by Island Time O25 View Post
Some years I get 2 or 3 of those, some years none. But on average one per year. What p*sses me off is that there is no easy mechanism to stop this scam. No one, other than the actual victims, cares.

Same issues with fake "your company will be delisted if you fail to pay us your state corporate fees" letters. Apparently enough people fall for those if they keep sending them.
It is misleading advertising for a service most of us don't need. But it isn't exactly a scam, because the victims do get their document. It just costs more than it should. And there is a place for a documentation service. Tricky situations, fleets of boats where a company wants to be hands off, or the very reality that some people just are not capable of filling out a form without making an error and need a service to do it for them.

A friend of mine recently needed a documentation service to satisfy a stupid deadline imposed by her marina. The service was able to get a documentation change turned around in 48 hours. How? Damned if I know, but if you need that, there is a way.

What should be criminal however, is how closely some of these resemble paperwork from a branch of the military. One would expect the military to get upset with impersonation. Like, if you put on a police uniform and put flashing lights on your car, you might wind up behind bars.
__________________
-Warren
wholybee is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2024, 21:58   #8
Registered User
 
Island Time O25's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,180
Re: US COD renewal don't fall for trap when renewing

Exactly. The scam is in the fact of official looking letter designed to confuse. No different if someone opens a fake "DMV" office near the real one hoping some people will get confused enough to use their services with $300+ mark up over the regular DMV fees.
Island Time O25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17-10-2024, 15:00   #9
Registered User
 
DiStefano's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Washington DC
Boat: 2009 Leopard 40 (hull 132)
Posts: 14
Exclamation Re: US COD renewal don't fall for trap when renewing

Earlier posts are correct - it's not a scam, it's just a misleading and overpriced private business. Here's the explanation I got from them:
"[...] Vessel Documentation Online (VDO) is one of many on-line private fee-for-service vessel document registration firms that works directly with the United States Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC). VDO provides vessel(boat) documentation registration services to its customers. These services are requested by the customer via our online website or by phone when calling one of our representatives. Customers enter our website and select the type of vessel registration service needed for their case. They enter all pertinent information, agree to our Terms and Conditions, agree, and authorize payment amount, enter their payment information, and submit their service request. Immediately the customer is sent a confirmation email, and a documentation agent is assigned to their case. The processing of services commenced and rendered. Depending on the vessel registration service requested, customers
may receive their vessel documentation via email or by U.S. postal service. VDO provides ample
notification before the customer inputs its payment information that it is a private company and that it is not affiliated with any government entity.

Please see below for a few disclosures throughout our website:

Copyright 2024 Vessel Documentation Online | All Rights Reserved. Vessel Documentation Online is NOT the U.S. Coast Guard or the National Vessel Documentation Center; we are a third party private agency that handles USCG Documentation processing to NVDC.

Vessel Documentation Online, a private fee for service documentation company, not owned or operated by any governmental agency.

This is not a government sponsored website, but is a private fee-for-service company assisting private vessel owners in seeking registrations, renewals, and other documentation requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center [...]"
DiStefano is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
COD Renewal Multiple Years Heliades Training, Licensing & Certification 9 20-09-2022 12:09
DIY USCG COD renewal. scam or not? IL1333 Rules of the Road, Regulations & Red Tape 10 13-01-2020 16:57
US Coast Guard COD 5-year renewal RobinScurr Dollars & Cents 19 14-07-2019 15:45
GPS - The Venus Fly Trap - Chart Plotters maxingout General Sailing Forum 5 20-12-2010 13:41

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:02.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.