U.S. VESSEL DOCUMENTATION Company Complete Scam

[dcpringle]

Guys,

Do not fall victim as i did to the U.S. VESSEL DOCUMENTATION company. These guys are a scam. They seem to watch documentation expiration and then send letters which arrive prior to the Coast Guard renewals. They then charge you $75 for them to process your renewal. BTW it's on $26. When you contact them they say it's non-refundable etc. The letter look official and quote fines and penalties etc. I plan to contact the BBB and also the Attorney General over them. Already contacted my CC about them to cancel.

https://uscgdocumentation.us


Hope someone else learns from my mistake.

Don

 

[wingatesl]

Sounds like UCR registration. We bought a new 10k pound truck and the same day got an email from people begging to help us with driver qualifications.

 

[Tonka Boater]

That stinks. We had our 280DA registered with the USCG and we got letters from those scammers too. I always did it myself online and it used to be free to renew but recently they started charging an admin fee.

Thanks for the heads-up to the others here.

 

[dcpringle]

I was a bit preoccupied when i did the renewal, and thought it was cheaper, however I in a rush just did it. Then i get the letter the following day from the CG which told me $26 to renew. I was pissed, called them immediately and my CC company. This company is refusing to refund, we'll see what the cc company does on it. Should have used my AMX. You can bet i'll not do that again..

 

[270cook]

DC Pringle , I bought my SD last year and I had never registered any boat with the coast guard. Unfortunately I too got screwed with the U.S vessel documentation. I ended up eating the cost, all the while I thought I was dealing with the actual coast guard. Needless to say I learned my lesson, I hired a local boat titling company to fix/finish the documentation. The local company I hired stated that I was not the only one they have see, that had been through this with us vessel doc. This is still a sore subject with me, fires me up every time I think about it. Just my 2 cents

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[Tonka Boater]

I bought my first two Sea Ray's through Marine Max. Say what you want about them (and I have my opinions) but they handled the documentation and told me how to renew in the subsequent years. It pays to get advice in matters you are not familiar with.

 

[JVM225]

I bought my first two Sea Ray's through Marine Max. Say what you want about them (and I have my opinions) but they handled the documentation and told me how to renew in the subsequent years. It pays to get advice in matters you are not familiar with.

I closed on my boat from MarineMax in early December and they are handling all of that but they do charge for it under their "Registration and Title Fee" which for my 410 was $895. Not sure if that fee is a sliding scale based on size or not.
New York requires documented non commercial motorized vessels be registered and the fee for my boat is about $94. That leaves about $801 for the service and documentation itself. It's kind of a heavy hit but I justify it with the Marine Max policy of delivering boats with full fuel tanks which in my case is about 340 gallons of diesel so it all works out as pretty fair in the end.
If I had to do it all over I would buy from them again in a heartbeat. They were great to deal with and they are taking care of a list of items my surveyor came up with. They also detail their boats inside and out before delivery. Overall not a bad deal for the extra $895 and not many private sellers would do all that.

 

[dcpringle]

I spoke with the USCG Documentation out of WV yesterday, and they said they have been getting a ton of complaints regarding this company and a couple of others. Sounds like there is a investigation going on regarding it. It's only $26 for the renewal which can be done online the the government pay site. Just need to make sure it's got the .gov ending to know it's real... Still pissed about this. Waiting to hear back from my cc card over it.

 

[Woody]

I spoke with the USCG Documentation out of WV yesterday, and they said they have been getting a ton of complaints regarding this company and a couple of others. Sounds like there is a investigation going on regarding it. It's only $26 for the renewal which can be done online the the government pay site. Just need to make sure it's got the .gov ending to know it's real... Still pissed about this. Waiting to hear back from my cc card over it.

Their web address is deceiving for sure, it apparently snags some customers....as does this statement on their site, 'Whenever you own a large personal marine vessel or a commercial vessel here in the United States, there is a requirement to have the boat documented with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)'. That statement is false.

 

[rondds]

When I bought my previous boat I had to transfer the documentation. The dealer offered to do it for me for around $450.00. I checked the USCG website and figured out it costs $96. So I said thanks but no thanks and mailed in a couple of forms with the check. Turns out I calculated wrong and it was actually $84, so the CG sent me back $12.

The fees for documentation are surprisingly low, and until the past year (or two?), renewal was free.

Your renewal will come in the mail and sending it back in is easy as paying your electric bill (and likely less costly).

 

[Woody]

When I bought my previous boat I had to transfer the documentation. The dealer offered to do it for me for around $450.00. I checked the USCG website and figured out it costs $96. So I said thanks but no thanks and mailed in a couple of forms with the check. Turns out I calculated wrong and it was actually $84, so the CG sent me back $12.

The fees for documentation are surprisingly low, and until the past year (or two?), renewal was free.

Your renewal will come in the mail and sending it back in is easy as paying your electric bill (and likely less costly).

I just renewed, had the new Certificate in hand in less than 2 weeks.

 

[dcpringle]

I actually got my COD Friday. I was concerned it would go back to them and then i'd have to fight to get it, however the CG sent it directly to me. I was concerned that the company would try and cancel my documentation, however once i spoke with the CG, they said they can't anyway. Said it was good to know. Now it's just a matter of getting my money back.

 

[sailerman]

Well count me in for another victim of https://uscgdocumentation.us/ . I thought I had found a direct link to the USCG. MY mistake. I completed the online application and gave them a credit card for a $475 fee. I then realized this was a third party. I discovered the direct to USCG fee for an existing documented vessel transfer with bill of sale was only $84 plus 2 x $8 for me. I called these scammers the same day and told them to cancel. They said all fees are nonrefundable due to 46 CFR 67.500(e). I told them they were wrong and that this CFR only applies to fees paid directly to USCG and does not apply to third parties or to processing fees. They agreed but said no refund.

I completed the direct to USCG application and mailed it out with my check.

I am disputing charges with my bank, filed a complaint with the FBI internet fraud complaint center and discovered this FBI alert.
https://www.ic3.gov/media/2015/150407-2.aspx

 

[tdschafer]

Wow, what scumbags these thieves are.

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[sailerman]

To make matters even clearer that these guys are scams:

If you search the internet for their website, you find a couple feeder sites where they claim "the first to offer an application process that's 100% online" They claim to be "the largest in the world" They claim to be "the #1 rated". None of these claims are even close to true. Their website was created just 7 months ago on June 29, 2016. They also misstate the 46 CFR 67.500 (e) and claims they are unable to refund processing fees paid to these scammers because of this CFR provision. This is a complete lie. They pretend to be the USCG and then claim that the CFR guidelines pertaining to the USCG also apply to them. You can't have it both ways.

Here are 2 other online services that are legitimate and at half the cost if you don't want to deal direct with the USCG.

https://www.yachtdocsonline.com/transfer-of-documentation will be half the cost ($250 vs $475)

http://www.oceanyachtllc.com/also offers online.

Here is the final insult. The USCG site today says:National Vessel Documentation Center

Case Processing Dates as of 02/03/17

Recreational Initial Application: 11/01/16


This means if you send your money and information to these scammers you won't know whether the USCG has your paper work for 3 1/2 months. By then it is too late to dispute the charges with your bank.

 

[northshore]

Stop by and say Hello....


Administrative Contact Name: John Soria Administrative Contact Address1: 6272 E. Pacific Coast Hwy Administrative Contact Address2: Suite H Administrative Contact City: Long Beach Administrative Contact State/Province: California Administrative Contact Postal Code: 90802 Administrative Contact Country: United States Administrative Contact Country Code: US Administrative Contact Phone Number: +1.6194467586 Administrative Contact Email: john@uscgdocumentation.us

 

[Boater420]

I actually got my COD Friday. I was concerned it would go back to them and then i'd have to fight to get it, however the CG sent it directly to me. I was concerned that the company would try and cancel my documentation, however once i spoke with the CG, they said they can't anyway. Said it was good to know. Now it's just a matter of getting my money back.

Is it a scam if the company does what they say they're going to do? Sure you paid more than you would have had you done it yourself, but in all fairness to the company...they did what they charged you to do. It's like what rondds stated...The dealer was going to charge him $450 to transfer the registration. He did it himself. Was the dealer a scam for offering?

 

[sailerman]

18 U.S.C.§ 1001(a)
Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive,legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States,knowingly and willfully—
(1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme,or device[ , ] a material fact;
(2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulentstatement or representation; or
(3) makes or uses any false writing or document knowing thesame to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement orentry
shall befined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years or, …

Agreement under false pretenses.

So these guys
1. create a website to look like a direct to USCG site,
2. they claim that processing and application fees paid to them is not refundable per 46 CFR 67.500(e)
3. They also claim in a separate location to be #1 rated & largest in the world.

So they have falsified the CFR provision that applies only to the USCG to include processing fees and claims it applies to them.

Then they admit they are not the USCG but the no refund protection still applies to them.

Sounds like a bunch of crooks to me.

Actual CFR 67.500 (e)

Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition)

AE 2.106/3:46/

Title 46 - Shipping Chapter I - COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Subchapter G - DOCUMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT OF VESSELS Part 67 - DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS Subpart Y - Fees Section 67.500 - Applicability. Coast Guard, Dept. of Homeland Security (e) Application fees under this subpart are not refundable Merchant’s misrepresentation is: “I understand that application and processing fees are non-refundable as per 46 CFR 67.500(e)”

 

[sailerman]

1. Was the dealer that offered to handle the documentation for $450 dressed up in uniform to look like a member of the USCG?
2. Did the dealer claim that application and processing fees paid to him are non-refundable as per
46 CFR 67.500(e)” ?

If so I think the dealer would be in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 1001(a) and getting the consumer to make an agreement under false pretenses.

 

[MonacoMike]

There are other variations of this "scam". After purchasing a home the new buyers get a letter stating they need a copy of their deed and offering to send them one for a price, usually $60-100. The deed copy can be had by anyone at the county courthouse for a few dollars. (Under $10 in Indiana.) They did deliver what they offered and were paid for, which was why I put scam on quotes.

MM