DIY USCG COD renewal. scam or not?

[IL1333]

It's time to renew my Cert of Documentation and in the past, I've used a service.
This time, I'm going to try to do it myself, but when I googled: "renew USCG COD" ….things started looking a little scammy. There are lots of services that popped up...but the scammy part is that they make their websites look very US government "official" and I'm not sure who I'm dealing with. I think the official USCG site has a link for payment that opens a pop up window to a third party....and this feels scammy as well.

So....at this point, I'm not sure if it's even possible to renew this COD by myself.

Can it be easily done? How? thanks for the help...and legit links!

Rob

[Suijin]

Just go to the USCG government site where you can renew with a few clicks. The scam sites have been discussed ad nauseum here.

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organiz...ons-and-Forms/

[verb88]

https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/1175233

could not be easier to do directly.
you can renew for multiple years too

a human is easily reachable at the phone number listed on the site.
they are very helpful.

[IL1333]

Got it!!!

Thanks for the links!

Thanks for the help!!

Rob

[jen1722terry]

Yes, a scam.

And a particularly agressive one.

We got succered into renewing with the "Vessel Documention Center." Charged more and the docs never came. We complained to our credit card and got (in our opinion) a very agressive and scary message from the scammers. Somehow, they had a way to convince Visa that it was a legitmate charge. We gave up after an appeal. They're good at what they do.

Go straight to the CG.

Good luck

[wesevans]

I always did my own. It is easy.

[Captain Puget]

The USCG site is the best course. The others are detestable scams.

However, the USCG is way overburdened - often systems are down and present a difficult, disorganized interface that desperately needs updating. It can take several months to receive your docs if you are a private citizen... commercial customers get priority (as with all things governmental, citizens get shafted).

The USCG is a great, underfunded organization that is burdened with many mandates and inadequate resources ... I appreciate their efforts in the face of all they are asked to accomplish!

[Island Time O25]

Initially documented directly with CG and 10 renewals thereafter. Other than the initial documentation application where I inadvertantly checked off a wrong box (and that delayed the issuance by add'l 3-4 weeks), all subsequent renewals (both paper and online) were processed timely and the renewal certificate received within 30 days, most within 2-3 weeks of renewal.

[svfinlandia]

Like Island Time, I have never had a problem with my document renewal. For 13 years now they have always sent me a notice with a form at least two months ahead of time. I make sure that everything on the form is correct, put a check in the envelope and mail it off and have my new documentation papers in less than a month.
I keep hearing about renewal delays, but I never had a problem and never spoken to a person directly who has had a problem with delays. I find the USCG to be a very efficient organization.

Al, SV Finlandia

[waterman46]

No need to use a service. Just be sure the URLcontains ".gov"

[Bycrick]

Like SvFinlandia, for the twenty years I’ve owned this boat, the renewal notices have always come on time as have the renewed documents. Never a hint of a problem.