Ah, a day at the AZ DMV!
So... the AZ DMV doesn't send out warnings before the tabs on your car's plates expire, like my beloved WA state did. (sighs for more logic in her state's government on such issues) Instead, they sent me a Lapsed notice... a month and a half AFTER I'd expired. (grumbles)
After the paycheck cleared, I went in for three hours and two minutes of DMV waiting room fun. After the FIRST hour, I get called to a window by my ticket, and find out that there's a hold put on my renewal because of... lapsed insurance from back in Dec of '11. As it's set for auto-pay, that was sure news to me! Especially as all the payments were taken out on time, every time. So I had to call the insurance company and ask them to fax the DMV proof that I never lapsed, or I can't renew. Oh, and also that my insurance is for AZ, not WA. Something that was =supposedly= fixed months ago. (rolls eyes)
Second time through. I've called and had the insurance company fax my info to the DMV so I can get my renewal pushed through. Supposedly I've been given a "fast track number" so my wait won't be so long. It's still a freakin' hour before I'm called up. I tell this second lady that there should be a fax with the papers I need to clear this all up. She goes off and collects... a pair of the same documents faxed over, both of them clearly stating that I won't have to pay the extra $50 for a lapsed policy, as it never lapsed, thanks! But not a statement that I'm currently covered for AZ! She can't go forward with fixing me up. Before she's finished making sure that there is nothing else faxed over for me, and there's nothing else she can do for me, I'm back on the phone with the insurance company to find out how fast they can fax over what I really, dearly need to make All Right With The World as far as clearing up matters for my renewal. As we're waiting for the fax to go through and give her a confirmation, she finally hears my third or fourth reference about how it needs to state being for AZ. And checks on it. It's still, STILL SET FOR WA! She pokes it, tells me it's fixed (gee, where have I heard that before...?), and sends it through the fax behind the first one. We stay on the phone until she's confirmed both have gone through. I wait as the third hour of waiting draws closer to completion, and actually make it back to the window just prior to the end of the third hour.
The third hour... The same woman who helped me the second time waves me back up before my number gets called. Happily, I rush right back up to her window, excited to be at (I hope!) my final step in renewal! She has my fax papers in hand. They state current coverage... for WA. Not AZ. AZ does not accept coverage for other states as good for being a resident of AZ. (headdesk) "But... she got back confirmations that... that both this one and the one for AZ coverage went through..." I protest weakly, wondering what the heck I can do to renew my tabs when they can't even fax over the papers I need. I'm clearly not blaming the very nice lady behind the counter, and she excuses herself to go talk with her supervisor. When she comes back, she gives me the good news. "It's okay, I can use it this time." I sigh silently in relief, and wait for her to finish entering my data. "Well, you're good to go now," she tells me with cheerful relief as I stare at her in bewilderment. "Y-yes, except for the payment part, and the new tabs... I kind of need those..." She blinks at me, then swiftly processes that part, and even shaves off about $2 more from the total than the first lady told me it would cost, without the fine for lapsed insurance. With all my papers AND the new tabs in hand, I thank her with gratitude and flee for the hot air of an Arizona summer afternoon.
K-714, O-939, O-749... these were my ticket numbers today.
After the paycheck cleared, I went in for three hours and two minutes of DMV waiting room fun. After the FIRST hour, I get called to a window by my ticket, and find out that there's a hold put on my renewal because of... lapsed insurance from back in Dec of '11. As it's set for auto-pay, that was sure news to me! Especially as all the payments were taken out on time, every time. So I had to call the insurance company and ask them to fax the DMV proof that I never lapsed, or I can't renew. Oh, and also that my insurance is for AZ, not WA. Something that was =supposedly= fixed months ago. (rolls eyes)
Second time through. I've called and had the insurance company fax my info to the DMV so I can get my renewal pushed through. Supposedly I've been given a "fast track number" so my wait won't be so long. It's still a freakin' hour before I'm called up. I tell this second lady that there should be a fax with the papers I need to clear this all up. She goes off and collects... a pair of the same documents faxed over, both of them clearly stating that I won't have to pay the extra $50 for a lapsed policy, as it never lapsed, thanks! But not a statement that I'm currently covered for AZ! She can't go forward with fixing me up. Before she's finished making sure that there is nothing else faxed over for me, and there's nothing else she can do for me, I'm back on the phone with the insurance company to find out how fast they can fax over what I really, dearly need to make All Right With The World as far as clearing up matters for my renewal. As we're waiting for the fax to go through and give her a confirmation, she finally hears my third or fourth reference about how it needs to state being for AZ. And checks on it. It's still, STILL SET FOR WA! She pokes it, tells me it's fixed (gee, where have I heard that before...?), and sends it through the fax behind the first one. We stay on the phone until she's confirmed both have gone through. I wait as the third hour of waiting draws closer to completion, and actually make it back to the window just prior to the end of the third hour.
The third hour... The same woman who helped me the second time waves me back up before my number gets called. Happily, I rush right back up to her window, excited to be at (I hope!) my final step in renewal! She has my fax papers in hand. They state current coverage... for WA. Not AZ. AZ does not accept coverage for other states as good for being a resident of AZ. (headdesk) "But... she got back confirmations that... that both this one and the one for AZ coverage went through..." I protest weakly, wondering what the heck I can do to renew my tabs when they can't even fax over the papers I need. I'm clearly not blaming the very nice lady behind the counter, and she excuses herself to go talk with her supervisor. When she comes back, she gives me the good news. "It's okay, I can use it this time." I sigh silently in relief, and wait for her to finish entering my data. "Well, you're good to go now," she tells me with cheerful relief as I stare at her in bewilderment. "Y-yes, except for the payment part, and the new tabs... I kind of need those..." She blinks at me, then swiftly processes that part, and even shaves off about $2 more from the total than the first lady told me it would cost, without the fine for lapsed insurance. With all my papers AND the new tabs in hand, I thank her with gratitude and flee for the hot air of an Arizona summer afternoon.
K-714, O-939, O-749... these were my ticket numbers today.