Shane3's
driving whilst disqualified thread promped me to pen this little rant on government standards.
All the government departments love to kid themselves they are up there in the internet age! They aren't! And for the most part their sites should be withdrawn and a full refund offered to the taxpayer as the product is clearly unfit for its intended purpose.
The use of SMS, e-mail etc, direct debit etc should not be allowed by these departments if they cannot offer an efficient logged system with reference receipts. And just like the banks (Keatings legacy) any error will always be treated in their favour.
my last encounter was with NSW registration renewal. Received my notice in the mail complete with the usual propaganda leaflets justifying speed cameras, and telling me what a great job the RTA thinks they are doing.
My papers are stamped in bold letters
Elligible for Internet Payment Inspection Not Required. That's handy I think, it'll saves queueing at the RTA, I read on and the only date mentioned is that my current Rego expires at midnight on the due day.
So the date is noted and entered into my internet banking 3 days before the due date. I also set myself a reminder to ring round for a green slip a week before the due date. And when the first date arrived I phoned for quotes and paid online with no problems, noting the time date and receipt number.
Now stick with me here, these are large fast computer systems all interlinked via banking software and protocols. At least one would think they are, heaven only know what poor implementations are used. Last I remember electrons even in government departments travels at the speed of light.
On the second reminder date I set myself, I attempt to pay the RTA for my registration. Duh-Uh. The system refuses to process my details stating green slip payment not confirmed. I ring 3rd party insurer (one of the big ones) to confirm payment quoting recipt number, and am assured payment has been recieved and all is well.
Bugger this I think, I'll have to phone the RTA, so I reserve an ice age of my time to sit through their call waiting system with the hope of speaking to a human, and with much perserverence and lots of cheezy organ music now impregnated into my cranium, I am able to speak to a person. Well I believe it to be a person, it was certainly more authentic than a Telstra Cyboid.
She checks my record and tells me there is no record of 3rd party payment, (well dur, thats what I just phoned you about.) and that I will have to go to my nearest RTA office. I ask for her name and a referece of the call, and am told they cannot provide that.
Oh joy I get to play queues at the RTA there goes at least half of another working day. So armed with my chequebook, my papers and a printed receipt of 3rd party payment I head to the RTA. I take a numbered ticket for registration and sit in a room filled will the strangest people many clutching dented and twisted number plates.
When my number comes up, I present the documents expecting to be able to finally pay my rego.
"Sir we cannot accept this, counter payments require a stamped certificate from the 3rd party insurer".
"Why? You have all the details, have a receipt, you can cancel my rego instantly if something is found not in order".
"No sir its policy and as your rego expires tomorrow evening you cannot drive the vehicle after this date until paid in full".
"I am trying to pay it, see there is my chequebook".
At this point I want to leap the counter and rip out someones heart, but these counter drones are probably not the ones responsible. So I stand my ground and ask to see a superior. I am not taking NO for an answer.
Another wait and I called by the supervisor and start explaining the whole incident again and by this point I am still rational but extremely ****ed off, I'm not going to leave without a my registration paid.
"Oh you made an internet payment Sir, you can't trust those and if you do you need to do it all at least 1 week before the due date for processing and you'll need at least another week before that for the green slip to come through".
No way!! I not leaving there without an seige or a stamped rego slip whichever comes first. Fearing a stand-off the supervisor is now able to offer me an internal number for my insurer and whatever internal RTA department handles payment transfers.
After two lengthy mobile phone calls I have arranged for the insurer to fax a duplicate receipt to the RTA internals and they will then fax an approval to the branch where I am standing firm. this will take about an hour the RTA assures me. (can send a 2 faxes manually in an hour why does direct deposit take so long.)
A little over a hour after my phone calls, my name is called and at last I can finally pay my rego.
I can make a payment into a Danish bank account and have goods dispatched within the hour, so I find it entirely reasonble to expect RTA to have green slip payment notification within 24hrs. If in business I offered services like RTA's I'd be prosecuted.
RTA this is not good enough, why didn't my rego papers state that
RTA is incapable of running any form of electronic payment or database and you will need to begin the payment proces 21 days before the due date. To RTA's credit they have evolved from "rude and incompetent" to "polite and incompetent".
The whole easy payment exercise involved an hour plus on the net plus phone calls. Several dollars woth of mobile calls and almost 5 hours in a Motor registry. big time saver that was!!!
My advice.
Dont trust RTA with anything!
Dont take NO for an answer with the RTA! Be polite but dont take NO!
Dont use RTA electronic payments until they can make it work! :jab:
Just like everything else to do with state Government we are short changed with an inferior service at an inflated price.