Well, I must say I am mighty disheartened over a wrench which was chucked into my Muster plans today! A month ago I faxed in my application to the BATF for the Form 6NIA import permit for my guns and ammunition, and got a nice printed confirmation that the fax successfully went through ... just as I have done for the numerous previous years I have attended.
Since I hadn't yet heard back from them today (which seemed to be an inordinately long
delay) I phoned to check on the application ... only to be told that there is no record in their system of my application this year!
The chap I spoke to on my first call said I would have to fax it in again ... and there would be a
very slim chance it might be processed in time. I immediately did up a further covering letter and drove halfway across town (to the funeral home where I work part time) and faxed it again - got another printed confirmation that the fax was successful .... Drove back home, and phoned again to ask if they could confirm it been received this time ... I got put through to the supervisor of that department who, as soon as he heard my question, asked what fax number I had sent it to ... to which I replied that I had sent it to the fax number listed on the BATF website, and in the application instructions ... and that I had triple-checked it to make sure I had it right. He then told me they had received many reports about faxes supposedly delivered to that number which they in fact never received, and gave a different fax number to use ... saying they had set up a second fax line because of the problems. (Not sure why the chap I spoke to in the morning couldn't have told me that ... or why they still list the old fax number on the form and website ....
)
Anyway, drove BACK across town to re-fax everything to the new number .... it took no less than SEVEN attempts to get the fax to go through to this new number - it would connect and start sending the documents (9 pages total, so rather slow) but crap out by about page 7 or 8 and deliver a "failure" report. FINALLY got a confirmation that the entire fax SUPPOSEDLY went through ... by then it was too late to phone back as it was after their closing time in West Virginia, so there is no way to even get through to ask if it got there until Monday at the earliest ....
Sounds like the chances are not good that the application will be processed in time ... IF they got it, that is ... since I am told that a totally problem-free application can
maybe be approved within two weeks (whereas there remain only only seven business days
maximum before I have to cross the border.)
My new cover letter requests that my application be expedited if at all possible - even though I was told by both chaps today they don't 'fast track' applications ... hoping somebody sympathetic might see it and slip it to the top of the pile or something ...
I will be there if that happens, otherwise ....