Is CaRT's 'Licensing Team' fit for purpose?

IF WHAT boaters tell us, and if our own experience is anything to go by, Canal & River Trust's 'Licensing Team' is certainly not fit for purpose.

Regular reader will most likely remember our own experience, when after applying for our yearly boat licence we were told by this self-same team that our boat had changed hands,  (Please can we have our boat licence?) though it had been in the same ownership for its entire 14 years.

Not changed

It was way back in July that the bank statement shows the full payment for a year's boat licence had been taken, and though we explained that ownership had not changed, weeks after there was still no licence, and with just four days to go to the expiry of the present one, a reminder in narrowboatworld prompted a very quick response indeed together with the promise of a new licence.

Take a look at the picture of the new white licence together with our old one. See the difference?

Robbed

Of course you can. For instead of expiring at the end of July as usual for the past 14 years, this new one expires a month earlier in June—we had been swindled out of a month's licence, that's £67.29!  And it had been sent weeks late too!

No problem with payment, which was made well in advance of the date required for losing the quick-payment reduction.  And no money reimbursed for the 'lost' month, so why have we been swindled?

Perhaps Mr Parry could have a word with his Licensing Team, it certainly needs it, and we need our full 12 months licence.

Another

Boater Ian Jewell tells us that he too received a 11 months licence from CaRT, and that it required two 'phone calls, four emails and three weeks before he was issued with the correct licence 12 months licence.