Maritime Documentation Center

Searching for "vessel documentation" on *** in order to renew the US Coast Guard documentation for your boat results in www.maritimedocumentation.us***howing up as the first listed two websites. The listings are titled "US Coast Guard Documentation" and "US Vessel Documentation" and are both from the same company. The websites' Coast Guard looking graphics, coupled with the ".us" website extensions lead you to believe that you are on a US Coast Guard website--unless, of course you look closely at the disclaimers—or look closely at the boat which looks very much like a Coast Guard Cutter, but isn’t. They charge $75 to renew your vessel registration. The exact same thing can be done for $26 on the official US Coast Guard website. Furthermore, they submitted my documentation renewal three months early, resulting in a new certificate which then expired three months too soon. This company is scamming people by advertising a service no one needs at a cost almost three times the actual cost by using a website designed to trick people into thinking that it is an official U.S. government agency website. The seriousness of this problem has led the US Coast Guard to a warning about these web sites on their official Coast Guard web site.

The "Marine Documentation Center" charged me $150 for a 2-year renewal of my boat's documentation. An hour later when I realized that I was being scammed, I notified them that I did not want to use their services. They canceled my order, performed no service, and kept my $150. My credit card company could not help me because I accepted their terms and conditions by clicking "submit" on their website. Legal thievery...they are unethical people.

My experience with the Maritime Documentation Center is terrible. The service allows boat owners to renew their Coast Guard docs on boats. However the price is grossly inflated. The USCG charges $26 per year, and this Maritime Documentation Center charges way more than that. They WILL NOT REFUND YOUR MONEY. When you call to ask to speak to a representative they say complaints must be filed via email. When you email they take days to respond and say "Oh you can't get your money back, we already processed your request." I called minutes after I learned it was a scam, there's no way they "processed it" already. They will not refund you. Stay away. Stay FAR FAR FAR AWAY.

This is not a government agency and they are representing themselves as such. Do not use them! There is no service they provide other than charging you excessive fees for what the Coast Guard sends you directly. This is a total scam. They are taking advantage of hard working fishing and boating people.

This company used public Vessel information to send renewal notices that look like official Coast Guard notices a few months earlier with the intention to deceive people into thinking they are actually the Coast Guard. Vessel Documentation is only $26.00, but they change $75. When I called to cancel, they stated that they had no mailing address or home or record and would only provide me an e-mail and hung up on me. This is a "Fake" that may provide the service at 300% the actual cost.

This business blatantly deceives you into thinking you are contacting the US Coast Guard. They charge 5 times the fees required by the Coast Guard to document a vessel. They refused any refund even though I contacted them less than 24 hours explaining I thought I was sending documents directly to the Coast Guard. Total rip off criminals.......

This company has designed there website, communication and overall web presence to appear as though they are an official government agency. They obviously use Government resources to find and communicate with Vessel owners that have exitered federal boat registration and they convince them to register there boat through this company at a 300 -1000% markup. I called them out on it within a few minutes of pushing the submit button, they wouldn't refund my money, they wouldn't speak about this issue. They threatened to send me to collections if I disputed the charge with my credit card company. the coastguard web site warns of this third party web site and there are many complaints on line warning of them. also the coastguard states they are not authorized to issue and documentation on their behalf, which deems it illegal

Maritime Documentation Center sent me a renewal notice for my boat's certificate of documentation (COD). They use official looking letterhead, forms, etc so you think it is from the ***. They charged me $75 for the renewal on February 16,2018. I found out two months later when I got another renewal notice from the *** that my renewal was due April 19,2018 for $26 that I was victim of a scammer. Maritime Documentation Center is a fraud. They rip people off. I want the difference of $49 back. I reported the company to the *** and the FTC for misrepresentation, scamming, phishing and fraud. Since it was thru the mail I also reported them to the ***.

Thinking this business was legitimate, I bought into renewing my Certificate of Document for my boat paying $150 for two years renewal. Even after reading disclaimers that they were not part of the USCG, I went ahead. When I talked to my other boating friends they told me that A. I paid too much, B. they were not USCG nor military that I was taken for a ride. I started to research this company online. I found out it is a total scam, a mail scam at that!. I may never receive my COD.
I went online to "chat" with them...nothing.... Called them, placed on hold forever. I sent them 2 emails about cancelling #*** and refunding my money. I received an email today that Sure they will cancel my COD request but I will not be getting my money back,,,They will be keeping it. And they listed their cancelation refund policy that they said is listed on their website.
I called my bank and asked them to get my money back and they said they couldn't do it, they didn't consider it fraudelent. So I paid $150 when if I went to USCG it would have been $26.00 plus a paper copy of the document.
What business is this that doesn't want customer satisfaction???
So now I must go back to this scam artist and cancel my "cancellation" and maybe just maybe , I may get my COD?

I have a boat and am required by the US Coast Guard to document my vessel with them yearly. I receive a notification from them via mail and in the last few years have been able to file online. On the first week of March I received a letter from "Maritime Documentation Center" which I assumed was my renewal notice. On first glance it looks to be official, similar to notices I have received from the US Coast Guard. I was busy so went on the website provided and entered the info and paid for the documentation. After the transaction I started to question why the documentation fee went from $26 to $75. After doing a bit of research realized that the money I had paid was to a private firm that was set up to take advantage boaters routine yearly renewals without reading the "fine print". I contacted the company via email and informed them that I did not want their "service". They emailed me back and confirmed my cancelation and informed me in yellow highlighted text all the ways that they will keep the $75. During my research I understand from my fellow boaters that the company has done this to many boaters who have paid the documentation fee out of habit and didn't scrutinize the contents of the letter. Apparently judging from the comments on the various boating sites Maritime Documentation Center has tried to cover their deception with long form disclaimers that no reasonable person would read when filling out a form that they do out of habit.

The “Maritime Documentation Center” operates a misleading boat registration or documentation renewal service that gouges for a service charge. Their web information is created to look like an official government site complete with a deceptive logo. Their fee is three times that of the actual government fee. The fact that they are a private company charging a fee is only included in the fine print details. The government fee for vessel documentation is $26 per year. The Maritime Documentation Center charges $75.00.

Website: maritimedocumentation.us
Complaints from others scammed can be found at: www.ripoffreport.com/reports/maritime-documentation-center/billings-montana-5910...⇄