Firearm certificate renewal

[Alpha1]

Yes I know this has been done to death.

Any way I received correspondence to day from Cleveland Licencing who have invited me to fill in a online application to renew my certificate to ensure it will be renewed in good time before the expiry date.
No forms to fill in every thing done online including up load of Photograph and bank transfer payment. I had a look it will take me 20 minutes max.
Job done.

I am busy reading the requirements for a registered firearms dealer. Just out of interest.

[dodgyrog]

You'll have to do a business plan for an RFD
What market are you after and where is it unique in your area

[Polchraine]

Has it improved. I did my Met Police online just over 2 years ago and raised several issues with them at the time. Not about the department or staff but the IT implementation which was p!ss poor - I also raised it face to face and DAC and Commander level a few weeks later. I had to fill everything in at once, no save and go back to edit/modify/complete, alignment of text was awful and plenty of other oddities.

[20series]

I've just had a look and Northants are doing theirs online also, my renewal is next February so I assume it will be that process.

Alan

[GeeRam]

TVP now have the same system, and I renewed my FAC/SCG this way end of last year, and it was pretty painless tbh. While you can't save and return, I didn't find it a hardship to sit at the laptop for 30 mins or so to complete the task at hand.
I had pre-filled in a pdf version beforehand anyway, and used that for cross-checking, and then just transferred the info to the online version in one hit.

[Ovenpaa]

Lincolnshire have been doing grants, variations and renewals on-line for a while now.

[Christel]

Polchraine,

Same with Lincolnshire. p*** poor system.

I have had several conversations with the firearms team about the online procedure as it is not easy for the older generations.

Their argument is that there will always be a younger family member or friend who can help.

So far we have helped two people with the online application over the last year. Me...can't even create an account, firearms department gave in in the end and sent me a paper version for a variation.
I have nothing against the system being entirely online, if it worked.

[Polchraine]

Polchraine,

Same with Lincolnshire. p*** poor system.

I have had several conversations with the firearms team about the online procedure as it is not easy for the older generations.

Their argument is that there will always be a younger family member or friend who can help.

So far we have helped two people with the online application over the last year. Me...can't even create an account, firearms department gave in in the end and sent me a paper version for a variation.
I have nothing against the system being entirely online, if it worked.

It would not take much for a decent system to be produced and rolled out - a couple of days work to sort out the forms and on line storage capability.

A little more to allow a user to create an account and then in 5 years pull up the old version, update and submit. The ideal would be one which links to the main records system and auto fills details of firearms and shotguns held. Maybe on the list to raise with the Met later this year.

[PeterN]

I did my renewal last year on line with North Yorkshire Police. It was OK but it was a pain to have to enter the details of every firearm on to the form. I had to go on to the continuation page. It is easy to make a mistake in transcribing the details from the FAC to the on line form when you have a few. I found a couple of mistakes when I checked it before I submitted it. I sent them a subsequent email suggesting that the details of firearms possessed should be able to be pulled across from the FAC or a box to say 'as detailed on FAC No.123' or something like that. I told them that if there were any discrepancies between the renewal form and the FAC, the FAC is correct. Anyway, the renewal went OK and I had my visit and renewed certificates a good six weeks before the old ones expired.
Regards
Peter.

[GeeRam]

I have had several conversations with the firearms team about the online procedure as it is not easy for the older generations.

Their argument is that there will always be a younger family member or friend who can help.

Utterly p*** poor attitude to have, and in many cases not true at all.

But sadly very typical of civil service and local Govt IT applications. We the tax payer pay a bloody fortune for not fit for purpose systems.