Major FAC renewal Hold-ups...?

[Rockhopper]

You only need to send your FAC in if you want to keep the slot open. If you are not bothered about loosing it then you don't need to send it in.

[Blackstuff]

I have always wondered why you would send paper or email notification of sale/purchase if you need to send the FAC in anyway, but there you go.

It does seem an antiquated and rather slow system that could easily be speeded up and streamlined for everyone's benefit.

I dont see why (after some research and consultation obviously) they dont spread the grants and renewals out according to surnames. Obviously they would need to publish parameters but if they suggested A&Bs for instance renew in Jan, etc etc......

I know it would be difficult to implement but once the dust settles it may spread their load and stop the silly 5 year hump.

You don't need to send your certificate in for purchases/sales? Or at least I never have! Mine just gets updated on renewal or if I put a variation in on my FAC.

Interesting idea about the surname. When the 10 year certificate was suggested by BASC they suggested it was phased in to avoid another hump so some people would either get a slightly longer period on their cert. I don't know why they don't just do that now?!

[TattooedGun]

I have always wondered why you would send paper or email notification of sale/purchase if you need to send the FAC in anyway, but there you go.

It does seem an antiquated and rather slow system that could easily be speeded up and streamlined for everyone's benefit.

I dont see why (after some research and consultation obviously) they dont spread the grants and renewals out according to surnames. Obviously they would need to publish parameters but if they suggested A&Bs for instance renew in Jan, etc etc......

I know it would be difficult to implement but once the dust settles it may spread their load and stop the silly 5 year hump.

You don't need to send your certificate in for purchases/sales? Or at least I never have! Mine just gets updated on renewal or if I put a variation in on my FAC.

Interesting idea about the surname. When the 10 year certificate was suggested by BASC they suggested it was phased in to avoid another hump so some people would either get a slightly longer period on their cert. I don't know why they don't just do that now?!

Feels like they might be doing it with Section 7's... >.<

[Maggot]

I have always wondered why you would send paper or email notification of sale/purchase if you need to send the FAC in anyway, but there you go.

It does seem an antiquated and rather slow system that could easily be speeded up and streamlined for everyone's benefit.

I dont see why (after some research and consultation obviously) they dont spread the grants and renewals out according to surnames. Obviously they would need to publish parameters but if they suggested A&Bs for instance renew in Jan, etc etc......

I know it would be difficult to implement but once the dust settles it may spread their load and stop the silly 5 year hump.

You don't need to send your certificate in for purchases/sales? Or at least I never have! Mine just gets updated on renewal or if I put a variation in on my FAC.

Interesting idea about the surname. When the 10 year certificate was suggested by BASC they suggested it was phased in to avoid another hump so some people would either get a slightly longer period on their cert. I don't know why they don't just do that now?!

Sorry BS, I meant for a variation. If you notify them that you have sold one rifle, then why not simply notify them that you have another that fills that slot. I am not disputing the illegality of it, just that there seems to be no difference. If you were safe before you sold it...what's changed?

I mention surname because I believe at one point our lot had different folk in the office dealing with FACs by surname, so one person would deal with the As and Bs, another with T-X etc. Now I hope they did the maths and worked that out to spread the load but who knows.

Look, there is so much that could change without any safety being compromised or criminals being created, they just need to be sensible.

Hampshire did streamline the variations form, my last one took a fortnight (what they said it would), but I am sure more could be done without risking anyone.

[Maggot]

I have always wondered why you would send paper or email notification of sale/purchase if you need to send the FAC in anyway, but there you go.

It does seem an antiquated and rather slow system that could easily be speeded up and streamlined for everyone's benefit.

I dont see why (after some research and consultation obviously) they dont spread the grants and renewals out according to surnames. Obviously they would need to publish parameters but if they suggested A&Bs for instance renew in Jan, etc etc......

I know it would be difficult to implement but once the dust settles it may spread their load and stop the silly 5 year hump.

You don't need to send your certificate in for purchases/sales? Or at least I never have! Mine just gets updated on renewal or if I put a variation in on my FAC.

Interesting idea about the surname. When the 10 year certificate was suggested by BASC they suggested it was phased in to avoid another hump so some people would either get a slightly longer period on their cert. I don't know why they don't just do that now?!

Feels like they might be doing it with Section 7's... >.<

You are quite lucky (?) with that, some forces wont issue one and ask you to surrender or just send a letter saying "You are fine as long as you have this letter" while they sort the new one out.

Sec 7 looks bad on their figures apparently

This is the problem though, every force does things differently which just shows how much lateral there is.

[TattooedGun]

You are quite lucky (?) with that, some forces wont issue one and ask you to surrender or just send a letter saying "You are fine as long as you have this letter" while they sort the new one out.

Sec 7 looks bad on their figures apparently

This is the problem though, every force does things differently which just shows how much lateral there is.

In fairness to West Mids, I didn't specifically ask for a Sec 7, they offered one up as par for course.

I got in touch 3 weeks before my FAc was due to expire and pushed them for my FAC renewal as I was about to go on holiday and did not want to be left holding firearms without a certificate.

They promptly responded that they would send out a temporary certificate to cover me as they were working 6-7 weeks behind.

It's not good enough, but it's better than being left holding the baby.

[fra150l]

Hampshire did streamline the variations form, my last one took a fortnight (what they said it would), but I am sure more could be done without risking anyone.

My one-for-one posted 9-Nov-15 came back 3-Mar-16. One prior took similar time.

[Maggot]

Hampshire did streamline the variations form, my last one took a fortnight (what they said it would), but I am sure more could be done without risking anyone.

My one-for-one posted 9-Nov-15 came back 3-Mar-16. One prior took similar time.

Not good, its a very simple process

[Maggot]

You are quite lucky (?) with that, some forces wont issue one and ask you to surrender or just send a letter saying "You are fine as long as you have this letter" while they sort the new one out.

Sec 7 looks bad on their figures apparently

This is the problem though, every force does things differently which just shows how much lateral there is.

In fairness to West Mids, I didn't specifically ask for a Sec 7, they offered one up as par for course.

I got in touch 3 weeks before my FAc was due to expire and pushed them for my FAC renewal as I was about to go on holiday and did not want to be left holding firearms without a certificate.

They promptly responded that they would send out a temporary certificate to cover me as they were working 6-7 weeks behind.

It's not good enough, but it's better than being left holding the baby.

Yea, I cant argue with that, good call chap. You see our lot used to send a document saying something along the lines of "If you are in possession of this you are OK" which we know is cobblers legally speaking although, if an FAC is not a letter from the CC authorising you to hold, then what's the difference? It had his sig on it (which begs the question why they could not just sort the thing in the first place ).

Look guys, I sit on both sides of the fence and actually applied (fell at the last hurdle beaten by a place to the FEOs job) to be an FEO and work for the feds, I know that there are always problems and never enough people to cover things. They could be smarter though. They could know a hell of a lot more about what they are licensing as well.

The law is the law, its just so damned complicated (or shot full of options for interpretation) its not fit for purpose. All we want to do is quietly (?) enjoy our sport (OK, Noisily ). What I dont get is that the same old perfectly valid ideas come up from shooters that never see the light of day.

[Polchraine]

Question:

If I apply for a renewal in February for a certificate that expires on 31 March and because they are so inefficient or tardy the renewal date is missed and on 1 May I receive a Sec7. When the certificate is finally issued on 1 September, four months late, what should be the period of validity of the certificate? When should it expire? The original 30 April, or 31 August?