"Maritime Documentation Center", is a private company that provides a web portal for renewing US Coast Guard documentation. I received a letter from them about renewing my documentation prior to receiving the official USCG letter, read it too quickly and went to their website to renew. They charged my credit card $75 for the renewal which actually costs only $26 if done by mail. What a scam! I quickly realized they were not the USCG and contacted them to reverse the charge which they refused. I'm taking up the charge with the credit card company but I thought others with documented vessels shold be aware of their scam. I just can't imagine a universe in which anyone would knowingly pay $75 for something they can easily obtain for $26.
This company is a rip-off and even if you try and cancel a transaction within an hour of placing an order, they will tell you they are going to cancel it and then they will still process the transaction. RIP OFF.
I received a very helpful letter letting me know that my US Coast Guard documentation for my sailboat had expired and I should contact them to renew. I logged into their website and found an official looking webpage with a prominant picture of a USCG cutter at the top. I filled out the required information and paid the requested $450 thinking this was the cost of reinstating my documentation (I had never had to do this before) (USCG charges $83 for the same service). I also signed up for $75 per year for renewal (USCG charges $26). This is a scam.
They have nothing to do with the Coast Guard or and government agency. They will tell you your "Documentation is ecipred" and there is a $450.00 fee to reinstate. It won't haqve been expired, they are tied to no government agency. They are a fraud.... They looked like the U. S. Coast Guard, they had all my personal and boat information. So, I thought it was the coast Guard. I signed, put my banking information it and agreed to the $50. charge. When I pressed to send, it said my doccumentation had expired and there was a $400. additional fee. I figured, it was the Coast Guard and the doccumentation was on my boat, they wre right? I clicked to pay it! This was on a Saturday. I thught about it over the weekend and called the Coast Guard on Monday. They said my doccumentation had not expored and they had not sent the notice. I clled Chae Visa to put a stop on it. They said I had to call the vendor to start the process to cancel.
I did, I got a phone machine and it said they wouuld call me back, I left a message to cancel it! I filded with Chase Visa, they will not cancel the charge, so they too are in effect participating it the fraud. Marine Doccumentation sent the paperwork, showing I charged te$450., biut not the part about the $400. fee for an expired diccumentation. I sent Chase Visa a letter from the United States Coast Guard, confirming they do not represent the Coast Guard and my doccumentyation was never expired. NO CREDIT BACK OR REVERSAL OF THE CHARGE! Chase Visa does NOT PROTECT IT's CUSTOMERS FROM FRAUD!
This company has designed there website, communication and overall web presense to appear as though they are an official government agency. They obviously use Government resources to find and communicate with Vessal owners that have exitered federal boat registartion and they convince them to register there boat through this company at a 600 -1000% markup. I called them out on it within a few minutes of pusing the submit button, they wouldn't refund my money, they would speak about this issue. They even went to the trouble of hiring an lawyer to send me a letter when I disputed their charge via my credit card company. The credit card company got scared and would reverse the charge. Lucky for me, the credit cards's insurance purchase pretection refunded me the money, but BOATERS BEWARE, this company is NOT the COAST GUARD - DO NOT REGISTER YOUR BOAT WITH THEM!
This company sends you notices in the mail making you think your vessel registration is expired.
They gouge you on the price, where you can go to the Government website and register for 25% of the cost.
I realized shortly after I called to renew my vessel documentation thet it was not even supposed to expire for another 2 months.
I then called to tell them and they said they would cancel it and they would send me a cancellation confirmation email, (they also stated the conversation was recorded) the next day I received a confirmation but it was not for cancellation but rather for confirmation of the order. I then called them to express my displeasure and they said the order went through, I told them I called within 1 hour of my original call and to listen to the recording, he said he could not help me. I called back about an hour later and he said he did listen to the call and that the attendent did say he would cancel the transaction, but then he told me that he could not help me and my card was charged anyways.
They got me too. I even tried to go to the USCG website, but got spoofed in the search engine. Note Coast Guard websites URLs end in .mil, while Maritime Doc ends in .us . Called credit card company and read them some of these reviews. The very helpful banker at Well Fargo put in a fraud claim and is sending us new cards. We will be covered by the credit card insurance (hopefully).
I actually entered the USCG site and was diverted to The Maritime Documentation Center website. So the whole time I thought I was on USCG's site. I was charged $450 to transfer ownership of a boat versus the $84 USCG charges. I thought it was high but in a hurry and went forward. When I went back a couple of hours later to forward the prior Certificate of Documentation I realized that Maritime Documentation Center is not USCG. I asked them to cancel my order and refund the money by email. They said they would cancel the order but not refund the money and threatened legal action. I filed a dispute on the charge with my bank.
This company presents itself as the USCG and it is NOT.
They fool customers into thinking they are re-registering their boat documentation with the USCG. When I tried to cancel the transaction, unable to. They kept my $225.
They charge more than twice what the legitimate USCG site charges to register boat.
Appears to be a governmental agency which it is not. Fromal looking mailing. Threatens your documentation has expired ( which in my case was not true). They offer to help for a fee. The Coast Guard does this for free. There is no need for what they offer. The offer is misleading and deceptive.
For the second year, I have received a misleading renewal notice from the organization listed above. I was stupid enough last year to pay the $75 they charged thinking that it was just another increase in the cost of renewal. Later I found out there had been complaints about this company, but just wrote it off as a lesson learned. When I got their "offer" again this year, I realized that, as a result of their notice last year, I had renewed "too early" and advanced the expiration date for this year The result was that I paid 3 times the cost of renewal to get what amounted to a 10-month certificate.
This year I wanted to do what I could to keep other boaters from being duped. Do not use this company ! They are dishonest, to say the least, and should be put out of business and fined.
I registered to have a boat documented with the coast guard on a friday, The next day the deal falls thru and on monday I attempted to reach out to them to tell them I no longer need their services. I was informed that none of the fees are refundable such as application and proccessing fees... Upon checking my email I noticed that I never actually submitted any paperwork the required to start the process. Repeated attempts to contact them are in vain as they only resond by email.
Totally misleading scammers they make it look like they are the official U.S. Coast guard Documentation renewal Center, you call them its a recording, you email them they don't reply! total RIPOFF But believe me this will not end here!BEWARE!!!
Recieved an official looking form in the mail advising that boat documentation is going to expire and directing me to a web site. It does say that there is a service charge but does not reveal amount. USCG has a site that charges $26.00 for vessel documentation renewal. This company charges $75.00. Beware!
Maritime Documentation Center Reviews
"Maritime Documentation Center", is a private company that provides a web portal for renewing US Coast Guard documentation. I received a letter from them about renewing my documentation prior to receiving the official USCG letter, read it too quickly and went to their website to renew. They charged my credit card $75 for the renewal which actually costs only $26 if done by mail. What a scam! I quickly realized they were not the USCG and contacted them to reverse the charge which they refused. I'm taking up the charge with the credit card company but I thought others with documented vessels shold be aware of their scam. I just can't imagine a universe in which anyone would knowingly pay $75 for something they can easily obtain for $26.
Maritime (SCAM) Documentation Center
This company is a rip-off and even if you try and cancel a transaction within an hour of placing an order, they will tell you they are going to cancel it and then they will still process the transaction. RIP OFF.
I received a very helpful letter letting me know that my US Coast Guard documentation for my sailboat had expired and I should contact them to renew. I logged into their website and found an official looking webpage with a prominant picture of a USCG cutter at the top. I filled out the required information and paid the requested $450 thinking this was the cost of reinstating my documentation (I had never had to do this before) (USCG charges $83 for the same service). I also signed up for $75 per year for renewal (USCG charges $26). This is a scam.
They have nothing to do with the Coast Guard or and government agency. They will tell you your "Documentation is ecipred" and there is a $450.00 fee to reinstate. It won't haqve been expired, they are tied to no government agency. They are a fraud.... They looked like the U. S. Coast Guard, they had all my personal and boat information. So, I thought it was the coast Guard. I signed, put my banking information it and agreed to the $50. charge. When I pressed to send, it said my doccumentation had expired and there was a $400. additional fee. I figured, it was the Coast Guard and the doccumentation was on my boat, they wre right? I clicked to pay it! This was on a Saturday. I thught about it over the weekend and called the Coast Guard on Monday. They said my doccumentation had not expored and they had not sent the notice. I clled Chae Visa to put a stop on it. They said I had to call the vendor to start the process to cancel.
I did, I got a phone machine and it said they wouuld call me back, I left a message to cancel it! I filded with Chase Visa, they will not cancel the charge, so they too are in effect participating it the fraud. Marine Doccumentation sent the paperwork, showing I charged te$450., biut not the part about the $400. fee for an expired diccumentation. I sent Chase Visa a letter from the United States Coast Guard, confirming they do not represent the Coast Guard and my doccumentyation was never expired. NO CREDIT BACK OR REVERSAL OF THE CHARGE! Chase Visa does NOT PROTECT IT's CUSTOMERS FROM FRAUD!
This company has designed there website, communication and overall web presense to appear as though they are an official government agency. They obviously use Government resources to find and communicate with Vessal owners that have exitered federal boat registartion and they convince them to register there boat through this company at a 600 -1000% markup. I called them out on it within a few minutes of pusing the submit button, they wouldn't refund my money, they would speak about this issue. They even went to the trouble of hiring an lawyer to send me a letter when I disputed their charge via my credit card company. The credit card company got scared and would reverse the charge. Lucky for me, the credit cards's insurance purchase pretection refunded me the money, but BOATERS BEWARE, this company is NOT the COAST GUARD - DO NOT REGISTER YOUR BOAT WITH THEM!
This company sends you notices in the mail making you think your vessel registration is expired.
They gouge you on the price, where you can go to the Government website and register for 25% of the cost.
I realized shortly after I called to renew my vessel documentation thet it was not even supposed to expire for another 2 months.
I then called to tell them and they said they would cancel it and they would send me a cancellation confirmation email, (they also stated the conversation was recorded) the next day I received a confirmation but it was not for cancellation but rather for confirmation of the order. I then called them to express my displeasure and they said the order went through, I told them I called within 1 hour of my original call and to listen to the recording, he said he could not help me. I called back about an hour later and he said he did listen to the call and that the attendent did say he would cancel the transaction, but then he told me that he could not help me and my card was charged anyways.
One star is too much for this scam operation!
Deceitful and misleading.
SPOOFED IN SEARCH ENGINE
They got me too. I even tried to go to the USCG website, but got spoofed in the search engine. Note Coast Guard websites URLs end in .mil, while Maritime Doc ends in .us . Called credit card company and read them some of these reviews. The very helpful banker at Well Fargo put in a fraud claim and is sending us new cards. We will be covered by the credit card insurance (hopefully).
Scammed me too.
I actually entered the USCG site and was diverted to The Maritime Documentation Center website. So the whole time I thought I was on USCG's site. I was charged $450 to transfer ownership of a boat versus the $84 USCG charges. I thought it was high but in a hurry and went forward. When I went back a couple of hours later to forward the prior Certificate of Documentation I realized that Maritime Documentation Center is not USCG. I asked them to cancel my order and refund the money by email. They said they would cancel the order but not refund the money and threatened legal action. I filed a dispute on the charge with my bank.
These people are frauds.
This company presents itself as the USCG and it is NOT.
They fool customers into thinking they are re-registering their boat documentation with the USCG. When I tried to cancel the transaction, unable to. They kept my $225.
They charge more than twice what the legitimate USCG site charges to register boat.
As close to fraud as it gets.
Please keep the next customer from being scammed.
Appears to be a governmental agency which it is not. Fromal looking mailing. Threatens your documentation has expired ( which in my case was not true). They offer to help for a fee. The Coast Guard does this for free. There is no need for what they offer. The offer is misleading and deceptive.
For the second year, I have received a misleading renewal notice from the organization listed above. I was stupid enough last year to pay the $75 they charged thinking that it was just another increase in the cost of renewal. Later I found out there had been complaints about this company, but just wrote it off as a lesson learned. When I got their "offer" again this year, I realized that, as a result of their notice last year, I had renewed "too early" and advanced the expiration date for this year The result was that I paid 3 times the cost of renewal to get what amounted to a 10-month certificate.
This year I wanted to do what I could to keep other boaters from being duped. Do not use this company ! They are dishonest, to say the least, and should be put out of business and fined.
I registered to have a boat documented with the coast guard on a friday, The next day the deal falls thru and on monday I attempted to reach out to them to tell them I no longer need their services. I was informed that none of the fees are refundable such as application and proccessing fees... Upon checking my email I noticed that I never actually submitted any paperwork the required to start the process. Repeated attempts to contact them are in vain as they only resond by email.
Maritime Documention Center SCAM!!
I Too Received a Very "Official" Looking Letter from Maritime Documentation Center. A Quick Check Online, and Yes Indeed!!,,What a SCAM!!
Totally misleading scammers they make it look like they are the official U.S. Coast guard Documentation renewal Center, you call them its a recording, you email them they don't reply! total RIPOFF But believe me this will not end here!BEWARE!!!
SCAM
ALL TRUE
THEY GOT ME TOO. Why does the USCG give out this info?
Recieved an official looking form in the mail advising that boat documentation is going to expire and directing me to a web site. It does say that there is a service charge but does not reveal amount. USCG has a site that charges $26.00 for vessel documentation renewal. This company charges $75.00. Beware!