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View Full Version : Lower Amateur Radio Vanity Fees


08-31-2001, 06:25 PM
From the ARRL...


NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 31, 2001--The FCC says the fee for a new or renewed Amateur Radio vanity call sign will drop to $12 on September 10. Applications received on or after that date will be subject to the new fee. The current vanity call sign fee is $14.



The FCC proposed the lower fee last March in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for FY 2001 (MD Docket No. 01-76). The FCC has estimated that 8000 applicants will apply for vanity call signs in the current fiscal year.



Earlier this year, the FCC also put paper and electronic vanity call sign applications on an equal footing in terms of processing priority. The FCC used to give priority to electronic applications for vanity call signs.



FCC rules stipulate refunds for applicants who inadvertently overpay a regulatory fee. Applicants who determine that they overpaid a vanity fee may request a refund in writing. Requests seeking a "Vanity Fee Overpayment Refund" go to FCC, 1270 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg PA 17325-7245. Refund requests should indicate the date of application, the total fee paid, and the total refund owed.

Admiral
02-28-2002, 06:54 AM
I have only recently acquired a vanity call sign. I don't object to the fee as much as I object to the hoops that I have to jump through to pursue this process. First of all, the website didn’t support Internet Explorer, only Netscape. I tried to install both packages on my computer and finally gave up. I went to a friend’s house and used their Netscape system to complete the process. I found the process to be very daunting, convoluted and not a bit user-friendly and I have spent my entire life with computers. I know that these people are trying to get the website worked out. However, as an Information Systems Auditor and an MBA, in private industry, I would recommend firing the IT department that couldn’t get it worked out better than this in a reasonable amount of time to keep the company in the black on the balance sheet. I don’t begrudge them the extra $2.00 if I could depend on them to use it wisely to address the problems with their system and customer service. Unfortunately, their track record doesn’t support this kind of confidence.