Anybody else irritated with the DFO?

[Big_Shank]

Long story short, I am invited on a fishing trip tomorrow, and went to go grab a new license. I get to canadian tire where they inform me they no longer issue licenses, and it is all only online now. Thats fine. Except just now, I fill out all of the required info on the license app, only to find out that because I got it last year at canadian tire, that I can not get it tonight because something in the info was incorrect and I now have to physically call dfo, to verify my identity before proceeding.

What in the eff, is their reasoning as to why I can not simply go into a store and have a license issued? Not only that, but does the new printed off issue thats been around for the last few years, pretty much encourage poaching? Fill it up, throw it out, print off a new one, repeat as nessecary. Is there actually any logic to having them issued exclusively online? Am I the only one who is choked about this? I know there are some people here on the forum who must know the ins and outs of this.

In the meantime, I guess I will just have to spend tomorrow wandering around renfrew looking for morels instead of fishing...

 

[trophywife]

take a screen shot of the canadian tire bs..... go fish, if you get stopped explain, if you get a ticket fight it.. this has been bullshite ever since it went exclusively online.. not your fault!! dfo's!!

 

[Big_Shank]

And that would be the day I'd get stopped by the dfo for the first time ever in my life lol...

 

[Fishtank]

Use a different email when signing up, won't link to last year's licence I don't think. It worked for me when I had to get one for my nephew who already had a account under his dad's email

 

[agentaqua]

Just like the Phoenix pay system - somebody got employee of the month award in Ottawa (maybe a year-end bonus, too) by proposing that a web-based online system does X, Y and Z perfectly - somebody put a bid in to do the work - a few kickbacks to key people in Public Works - and we get rid of local personnel in DFO to a few IT techs in Ottawa and a computer system that doesn't work. Doesn't seem to matter that the end users are dissatisfied and left with poor service afterwards. No accountability for those making those decisions.

If you have a question wrt commercial licencing - it's been even more F-up for longer. They brought in the NOLS (National Online Licencing System) and hid (yes hid - even putting scramblers on return call numbers) the local phone numbers for the Pacific licencing personnel - which have been cut down to like 3 now - and you have to put-up with a cheerful heavily accented french-speaking front-end staff on the phone in Ottawa telling you how great the service is now - and then asking you why you are phoning before they leave a message on your behalf to the licencing officer - whom they say will phone you back in 3-5 business days. If I have to now instead explain the issue to another person who doesn't understand nor can deal with the problem - and waste my time and theirs before I get to someone whom understands what the problem is and can deal with it directly - then how is that "better"? Then I am supposed to go along with the sell job and agree how much better it is now? Grrr... typical bureaucracy...

 

[profisher]

There are emergency paper supplies out there and most vendors have them. They are for times when the online system is not available or you have no access to the internet. I have 1 book of adult licenses, a book of juvenile licenses and a book of stamps for this reason.