Suppressors BATF Lost my Form 1

[PLeighton]

Anyone ever had the BATF loose one of their packages?

Just got off the phone with the NFA branch and they have no idea where my Form 1 package is.
They show it arriving on 10/08/2010 and the check was cashed on 10/19/2010.
The woman that I spoke to was quite pleasant and called me back with updates, but this seems pretty odd to me.

This is my fourth stamp, so I'm not overly anxious or anything.
Just thought I would see if anyone else had this happen to them.
At least it is just a Form 1 for an SBR upper that I'm putting together and not a can.

Cheers,

 

[bohem]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

I've heard several people say that it's happened. It was usually "Found" in a couple of weeks.

If you want to resubmit it now they're going to make you submit a new check for another $200 and eventually, sometime in the next year, you'll get a refund for the first one if they don't find the form.

My Form 4 tracks via USPS delivery that it showed up on Sept 7th, check was cashed on the 27th, and when I called on Nov 4th it was assigned on Nov 2nd to an examiner.

When I asked what date the check was cashed they said Sept 24th (ok, so over a weekend my bank and the NFA branch thinks different things by 1 business day, no big deal)

I called back last week, they now swear that the check wasn't cashed until Oct 25th, my package didn't show up until October 7th and I'm "only in the beginning of the inspection process"

Not like a pissing match proven with bank records and USPS delivery records will do anything but needless to say I'm disappointed that they've taken to flat out lying to me about it.

 

[Ranb]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

A few years ago I read about a guy with the same lost form problem. He wrote to his senator. When the senator asked the ATF where it was, they found it. Who knows, it might work for you too.

Ranb

 

[black_ump]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

holey shit ... thats nuts you pay good money for them stamps their is no way shit should be getting lost

 

[skinney_7]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: black_ump</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> ... thats nuts you pay good money for them stamps their is no way shit should be getting lost </div></div>
come on man, what you expect this is the gov... they cash your 200$$$ check in 3-7days, and then you wait 4-6 months for the product... only one branch of the gov you can trust does their job, and thats the military.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: black_ump</div><div class="ubbcode-body">holey shit ... thats nuts you pay good money for them stamps their is no way shit should be getting lost </div></div>

Really? You think paying a $200 tax means that they should never lose a form? How many forms do they get? Do you ever lose anything a customer gives you or fuck anything up? It's easy to cast stones at an imperfect system and act like mistakes are never made in other transactions when money changes hands.

Mistakes happen. I feel for the op, it sucks when you are part of the small amount of folks that had things lost. They have control numbers and I am sure that means they have a way of looking for things. Hope this gets resolved soon for you, good thing you have other stamps in your collection.

I agree that things should be faster, but a two month pending time is not hat bad for a limited amount of examiners doing a lot of forms. Some are going to be misplaced and found or lost for good.

 

[RayDog]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

They lost my Form 4 on my first transfer many years ago.

 

[krecon1]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

BATF or USPS lost my approved Form 1 - this was Oct 2001, so who knows what chaos was going on with the mail back then... I ended up getting an embossed photocopy of my F1, but no original tax stamp. I could care less about the origninal ink, but I sure want my real $200 stamp!

 

[PLeighton]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

It would certainly be worse if it were approved and then lost.

Funny tax stamp story.
My first Form 1 that I ever did, I was in such a hurry to make copies that I made the mistake of using the auto document feeder.
Yep, you guessed it, ripped the stamp in half.

A little Scotch tape and some lamination, it is barely noticeable.

As far as them loosing it, oddly I'm not that upset about it.
After doing three other NFA transactions previously, I've gotten numb to it I think.

The Federal Employee comment is a sore spot for me at the moment.
I'm a GS that works for the MIL and all this pay shit is not cool.
Sure there are those that are living high on the hog, but there are way more of us that are working for almost 1/3 less than our private sector counter parts.
I personally do it because I like to continue to serve in the branch that I was once enlisted in.
Anyway, that is way too close to a political conversation and I know that this forum will not tolerate much more.
*RANT OFF*

Back on topic,
I'm encouraged by the dialog that I'm having with the BATF and the person that I'm dealing with seems to genuinely give a shit.
I suspect that it will turn up soon enough.
Lets hope that is the case anyway.
If I have to re-send the package, that isn't the end of the world since the CLEO is pretty cool.
I won't be pleased if I have to send another check however.

I'll post up an update when I get more info.

 

[skinney_7]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Apollo11</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> but a two month pending time is not hat bad for a limited amount of examiners doing a lot of forms. Some are going to be misplaced and found or lost for good. </div></div>

you want to solve this prob... privatize.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skinney</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Apollo11</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> but a two month pending time is not hat bad for a limited amount of examiners doing a lot of forms. Some are going to be misplaced and found or lost for good. </div></div>

you want to solve this prob... privatize. </div></div>

IMHO, this is a short sighted solution. A private employee still reports to the same .gov agency and still has to do the same work, and would still lose the same forms just as the GS folks. You would only cut pay and benifits by doing so and could perhaps get employees that don't give two shits about the customer.

The fact remains that as long as people are involved (private or otherwise), the system will never be perfect. They do a great job for the VAST majority of forms sent to them. Of corse there is always room for improvement.

It's nice to hear that the NFA rep that the OP is dealing with actually cares about his situation. Hopefully this will all be resolved soon.

 

[KYS]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Apollo11</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: black_ump</div><div class="ubbcode-body">holey shit ... thats nuts you pay good money for them stamps their is no way shit should be getting lost </div></div>

Really? You think paying a $200 tax means that they should never lose a form? How many forms do they get? Do you ever lose anything a customer gives you or fuck anything up? It's easy to cast stones at an imperfect system and act like mistakes are never made in other transactions when money changes hands.

Mistakes happen. I feel for the op, it sucks when you are part of the small amount of folks that had things lost. They have control numbers and I am sure that means they have a way of looking for things. Hope this gets resolved soon for you, good thing you have other stamps in your collection.

I agree that things should be faster, but a two month pending time is not hat bad for a limited amount of examiners doing a lot of forms. Some are going to be misplaced and found or lost for good. </div></div>

Dude, take a chill pill or have a drink. The NFA Branch processes a LOT of money every year off our tax stamps. I think for what we pay we are pretty fortunate because it has been a $200.00 tax for a long time. I think someone at some point was saying that if the inflation rate went up with the years each tax stamp now would be like $1200.00 a pop. So, given the circumstances.... think of it this way: yes they are quick to cash your check because per each person you are signing over $200.00. In the government eyes why would they not want to make $200 every couple days instead of a couple months?

Hire more examiners and the faster you knock them out, the more people will send in.

IMHO

 

[skinney_7]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Apollo11</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> A private employee still reports to the same .gov agency and still has to do the same work, and would still lose the same forms just as the GS folks. You would only cut pay and benifits by doing so and could perhaps get employees that don't give two shits about the customer. </div></div>
perhaps, but perhaps you would get employees who do give a crap, who have actually ran a business, and could make the system work even better, perhaps.



<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Apollo11</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
The fact remains that as long as people are involved (private or otherwise), the system will never be perfect. They do a great job for the VAST majority of forms sent to them. Of corse there is always room for improvement.
</div></div>

and you see alot more efficient improvement when you have hard working non-federally funded jobs, FACT.

Dr. Phil, hope you get your form 1 package soon, sucks when this happens but nothin really we can do, but wait it out.

 

[PLeighton]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

Just got a call from the BATF and my package is now pending.

I suppose that means they found it...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skinney</div><div class="ubbcode-body">and you see alot more efficient improvement when you have hard working non-federally funded jobs, FACT.</div></div>
While this may be true, the cause is symptomatic of our system.
The government was meant to run slow by design.
This was to ensure that changes were slow and well thought out.
Additionally this was also a safe guard to limit the amount of damage that could be done.

Due to this, everything in the government tends to be overly complicated and bureaucratic.
A byproduct of this is employees that become frustrated by the structure of things and often reflect it outwardly over time.

Anyhow, problem solved and the BATF employee that handled it did so in an outstanding manner.
Hell, I may just write a thank you letter to her boss.

Cheers,

 

[AK10mm]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: skinney</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Apollo11</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> but a two month pending time is not hat bad for a limited amount of examiners doing a lot of forms. Some are going to be misplaced and found or lost for good. </div></div>

you want to solve this prob... privatize. </div></div>

Don't make me laugh too much,I was active Army at Ft Sill when they turned the Main ASP/Ammo Dump over to Civvy Contractors and they were insufferable Pricks and got away with shit nobody in a Military C of C would ever have.Privatizing is not always the best option for the people it is supposed to serve.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

Good for you Dr Phil. Hope the rest of the process goes better for you.

 

[skinney_7]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SANDRAT</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Don't make me laugh too much,I was active Army at Ft Sill when they turned the Main ASP/Ammo Dump over to Civvy Contractors and they were insufferable Pricks and got away with shit nobody in a Military C of C would ever have.Privatizing is not always the best option for the people it is supposed to serve. </div></div>

not tryin to, did you read my prev post, the only gov entity that you can count on doing their job is the MILITARY, we appreciate your service...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr. Phil</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> While this may be true, the cause is symptomatic of our system.
The government was meant to run slow by design.
This was to ensure that changes were slow and well thought out.
Additionally this was also a safe guard to limit the amount of damage that could be done.

Due to this, everything in the government tends to be overly complicated and bureaucratic.
A byproduct of this is employees that become frustrated by the structure of things and often reflect it outwardly over time. </div></div>

Dr. Phil, couldn't of said it any better myself, glad to hear about the now pending form 1!!!
take care.

 

[jbell]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

My form 3 was sent to the wrong place and it took ME a month to find it.

 

[KYS]

Re: BATF Lost my Form 1

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jbell</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My form 3 was sent to the wrong place and it took ME a month to find it. </div></div>

Where was it sent?