Ship's radio licensing (again)

Re: I posted what was told to me by RLC and then Ofcom

You will!
I think it is quite clear on the site, I received a licence FREE and I expect you will as well...... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Re: Which is what I said to them ...... I am not making this up

Why not read it again... here you go

Makes perfect sense to me.... no one will be paying anything, other than those who do it by paper as supposed to online.

It seems to be that sbc has been told the wrong information then....
 
Re: Which is what I said to them ...... I am not making this up

I have read it all several times on the Ofcom website. Not only that, which describes the interim arrangements in operation between 1 Oct and 1 Dec, but the original cosultation document, the summary of the policy document and the whole policy document itself.

I have alwys been clear in my own mind about it all but what sbc has apparently been told by both the Radio licence centre and Ofcom bears little resemblance to what you and I understand.

Either they are getting in a muddle or have misunderstood sbc's questions, or he has misunderstood their answers, or it really all is a total fiasco.

You must remember I think that sbc is one of those who has tried to cheat the system by not renewing his licence in mid September so the responses he got may be a little tainted by that. I can't say I blame him for trying but at the same time one cannot be surprised if Ofcom are going to think of a way of extracting the £20 he should have coughed up in September from him. Perhaps they will confiscate his radio as well if they can catch him before Superanne is moved to Latvia. Maybe they will be waiting at Harwich, or wherever, and impound the whole jolly lot.
 
Link not working

VicS -
You have to complete the boxes marked "must complete" and some that they didn't mark... before it will go to the next page; you may have to chose carefully what you say. I used it to submit my application and it worked well enough for the £20 to be deducted.

However, when I was honest this morning (i.e yes, the boat has been previously registered) it fell over with an application error..

I had a long conversation this morning with a bod from the Royal Mail centre who said we do as we're told, but the excuse is that if the ship has ever been previously registered they will reinstate the old license as "international regulations" prevent them issuing new callsigns. So you'll be charged. The details are alleged to be somewhere on the Ofcom site which I'll look at when I'm in "stuff the authorities" mode.

I take my hat off to these guys, it must be depressing to have to follow vague guidelines from a higher authority who doesn't really give an expletive, but who will penalise you if you say anything out of place or give the public any benefit of a doubt.

In practice it's impossible to take action against any public body individually once they've said no, or prevaricated.
 
Re: Link not working

[ QUOTE ]
You have to complete the boxes marked "must complete" and some that they didn't mark... before it will go to the next page

[/ QUOTE ] I cant get it to go to the next page whatever I do. I am sure I did play with it once before without problems though. I just get this mesage when I try to contiue to the next page [ QUOTE ]
ADODB.Command error '800a0d5d'

Application uses a value of the wrong type for the current operation.

/ShipApplicationEquipment.asp, line 38


[/ QUOTE ]
 
Re: Which is what I said to them ...... I am not making this up

Just checked again, and I can't be dreaming - the ships license is sitting on the table in front of me, I've never had one before, didn't even own a vhf before mid-Sept, definitely applied on-line and gave them my card number, and they haven't debited my bank a/c. Received the license in early Nov after applying in early Oct.
 
Duncan - you have just hit the nail on the head .....

I think that some "letter-openers" are using discretion for some .... but I suspect that someone is starting to tot up the lost dosh for lapsed licences renewals if freebies gaily handed out ...

NOW READ CAREFULLY OTHERS : I am not talking about post Oct 1 renewals that are on-time - as they are dealt automatically etc. I am talking about PRE-OCT 1 lapsed licences ....
Ofcom made it very clear that on-line payment is not possible as the system is only geared to free online ON-TIME renewals not re-applications / new applications etc. They are postal and need £20.

VicS mentions my "hope" to get away without paying the £20 .... yes ... I admit - but not because I did on purpose ... I honestly thought my licence ran from early this year - meaning I was a technically a 2007 renewal .... but in fact I was a September "renewal" .....
I actually only returned to UK on Nov 18th .... etc. I leave UK shortly ... so had to call Ofcom / RLC to see how to get the licence renewed ...

I did not confuse them and I have to say they did not confuse me either ... the bl***y web-site is not as clear as the lass at RLC and Joe at Ofcom were ...
 
Re: Duncan - you have just hit the nail on the head .....

Having re-read sbc's first post in this discussion I realise I have misunderstood what he was getting at to some extent I think. I apologise for that.

The situation is:

Renewals of all licences expiring before 1Oct :- £20 irrespective of mechanism of renewal.

Renewal of licences expiring from 1 Oct onwards :- Automatic and free, but with temporary one year licences until 1 Dec.

New licences during October and November :- Free but temporary one year licences being issued until 1Dec.

New licences from 1Dec :- Free if done online. £20 if done by post.

From 1Dec all licences issued will be "lifetime" ones including those issued automatically to replace the temporary ones issued during October and Novenber.

I am happy that I have understood those arrangements all along. Well the October & November arrangements only since they were published. To me the Ofcom website is perfectly clear on all aspects of these changes.

Any grey areas are the consequences of deliberate non renewals prior to 1 Oct by people hoping to avoid the £20 fee and of course genuine oversights like sbc. What action to take, if any, about these is, I guess Ofcom's, call
 
Re: Duncan - you have just hit the nail on the head .....

My licence lapsed a couple of years ago. I emailed the licensing people about applying for a new one now my boat is back in commission and they said it would be £20. This is not me trying to get out of paying, this is another genuine case where the licence lapsed and a new one was not needed until now.

If I buy a new boat and apply for a licence it looks like I won't be charged. If I want to apply for a new licence for my existing boat I will be charged.

Seems a bit odd to me.
 
Re: Which is what I said to them ...... I am not making this up

SBC

Maybe you should speak to someone in th eMaritime section at ofcom. I'm sure they'll explain things to you so you can understand. Plus it's alway been ofcom policy to charge licence holders who allowed there licence to lapse.
 
Re: Duncan - you have just hit the nail on the head .....

[ QUOTE ]
My licence lapsed a couple of years ago

[/ QUOTE ] Maybe we should have put it in writing that the boat was out of commission and the radio station decommissioned. However like you I just did not renew the licence when it expired.

I intend just filling in the on line application form for a new licence after 1 Dec and seeing what happens. If putting the call sign on the application seems to cause it to recognise me I will wait a while and try again without that and accept a new callsign.

If the worst comes to the worst I will have to stump up £20 quid or not bother with the radio. For the amount off use I have for one I would not bother to buy one now but at the time I bought it we did not have mobile phones to communicate with home and marinas etc.
 
I spoke to the desk actually dealing exactly with this matter ...

I have the direct line Tel # to Joe xxxxxx who is THE man on it ...

I did not speak to someone just pushing papers.
 
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