Membership card issue- Warning to members

[RogueLeader]

So, the set up: On 24 August 2016, I went and renewed my membership.  It processed on 25 August 2016 (it was late when I renewed so no issue.)  1 Sept comes, and ok- some lag time occurs, no big deal.  7 Sept comes- hmm, I wonder where the card is at, it should here by now.  16 Sept- still not here.   Calls National HQ Membership Services.

The Issue: They issued the card on 1 Sept, but it can take up to 4 weeks.  They'll only reissue it after the 4 weeks.

If I am thinking right, they are only issuing cards on the first of the month, so theoretically, it could take up to two months to get your ID Card.

Is it just me, or does that not make any sense?  I remember a few years ago (or maybe a few before that) that I could request a new CAPID and I would have it in a week max.  I wish we could get back to that.

[Eclipse]

I don't recall any delay that long in the past, but there's less HQ staff, so it makes sense even
if it's a PITA for the member that they might be batching them.

You can always print a temp card if you need it.

[RogueLeader]

I don't run out until 31 Oct, so I'm good.  I just wanted to pass this information on to others, so they can worry less- if they read here. . .

[Eclipse]

I renewed last week for end of Sept (no flag yet, apparently), will be interesting to see when it shows up.

[ol'fido]

I had same issue. Renewed on May 31. End of June, still no ID card. Called NHQ Member Services. They said they had sent it out on 6 June, but they would send another card. One week later still no card. I sent an email to Susie Parker explaining the situation. She said that they have an outside contractor print up and send the cards. These requests go out every Friday to the contractor. She said give it a few days because I had called on a Tuesday so it would not have gone to the contractor til that Friday and it was the next Monday when I contacted her. It showed up at my house on Wednesday after I emailed S. Parker. Contact NHQ and tell them you didn't get it. Best to do it on a thursday.

[PHall]

They may have gone to a batch type operation with the contractor to save money.  (i.e. batch runs vs on demand)

[NIN]

 Here's the skinny: ol'fido has it pretty much right.  Minor timing issues.

The "file" of ID cards to be produced gets pulled and created on a Monday (morning? Afternoon? Not sure). It gets sent to the vendor. who produces the cards between Tuesday & Friday. On Friday, the mailing is batched up and taken to the PO.  It goes out via non-profit bulk rate, meaning the only thing that goes slower is the occu-mail flyers.

So if you renew on Tuesday, you're in next week's batch. Heaven forbid if a holiday sneaks  in there, too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Live2Learn]

Here's the skinny: ol'fido has it pretty much right.  Minor timing issues.

The "file" of ID cards to be produced gets pulled and created on a Monday (morning? Afternoon? Not sure). It gets sent to the vendor. who produces the cards between Tuesday & Friday. On Friday, the mailing is batched up and taken to the PO.  It goes out via non-profit bulk rate, meaning the only thing that goes slower is the occu-mail flyers.

So if you renew on Tuesday, you're in next week's batch. Heaven forbid if a holiday sneaks  in there, too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Educate me.  So what's the big deal about having a CAPID card (plastic with the picture)?  If we need an ID (which isn't very often) Eclipse suggested printing a Temp.  A 101 card is also proof of membership.  So, what's the rush?  Just curious?!?

[Spaceman3750]

Here's the skinny: ol'fido has it pretty much right.  Minor timing issues.

The "file" of ID cards to be produced gets pulled and created on a Monday (morning? Afternoon? Not sure). It gets sent to the vendor. who produces the cards between Tuesday & Friday. On Friday, the mailing is batched up and taken to the PO.  It goes out via non-profit bulk rate, meaning the only thing that goes slower is the occu-mail flyers.

So if you renew on Tuesday, you're in next week's batch. Heaven forbid if a holiday sneaks  in there, too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Educate me.  So what's the big deal about having a CAPID card (plastic with the picture)?  If we need an ID (which isn't very often) Eclipse suggested printing a Temp.  A 101 card is also proof of membership.  So, what's the rush?  Just curious?!?

Base access is the big one that comes to mind for me.

[Holding Pattern]

Here's the skinny: ol'fido has it pretty much right.  Minor timing issues.

The "file" of ID cards to be produced gets pulled and created on a Monday (morning? Afternoon? Not sure). It gets sent to the vendor. who produces the cards between Tuesday & Friday. On Friday, the mailing is batched up and taken to the PO.  It goes out via non-profit bulk rate, meaning the only thing that goes slower is the occu-mail flyers.

So if you renew on Tuesday, you're in next week's batch. Heaven forbid if a holiday sneaks  in there, too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Educate me.  So what's the big deal about having a CAPID card (plastic with the picture)?  If we need an ID (which isn't very often) Eclipse suggested printing a Temp.  A 101 card is also proof of membership.  So, what's the rush?  Just curious?!?

Base access is the big one that comes to mind for me.

IIRC they are also needed for most mission participation, no?

[Eclipse]

Temp card is fine for that.

[Fubar]

A CAPID is not required for mission participation, at least not in 60-3. It might be hiding somewhere else though. Besides, the person doing the check-in only needs your CAPID number to plug into the system. It will say what you can and can't do.

[PHall]

And a CAPID may or may not get you Base Access. Totally depends on the Installation Commander's instructions.
It's their call...

[abdsp51]

And a CAPID may or may not get you Base Access. Totally depends on the Installation Commander's instructions.
It's their call...

Yup and sometimes all it takes is someone to do the legwork to make a change.   

[Spaceman3750]

And a CAPID may or may not get you Base Access. Totally depends on the Installation Commander's instructions.
It's their call...

Of course, that's not what I was saying. I know that two of the units in my group meets on a Guard installation and life is a lot easier with a non-expired membership card.

I'm not talking about new access here, I'm talking about "my unit meets on a base, I have to show a membership card at the gate, and if it's expired I have problems."

[jeders]

And a CAPID may or may not get you Base Access. Totally depends on the Installation Commander's instructions.
It's their call...

Of course, that's not what I was saying. I know that two of the units in my group meets on a Guard installation and life is a lot easier with a non-expired membership card.

I'm not talking about new access here, I'm talking about "my unit meets on a base, I have to show a membership card at the gate, and if it's expired I have problems."

Then I would think that your non-expired temp card printed from eServices coupled with your expired permanent card should get you in. Then again, I know nothing of the access requirements for that facility, so it may not work.

[Spaceman3750]

And a CAPID may or may not get you Base Access. Totally depends on the Installation Commander's instructions.
It's their call...

Of course, that's not what I was saying. I know that two of the units in my group meets on a Guard installation and life is a lot easier with a non-expired membership card.

I'm not talking about new access here, I'm talking about "my unit meets on a base, I have to show a membership card at the gate, and if it's expired I have problems."

Then I would think that your non-expired temp card printed from eServices coupled with your expired permanent card should get you in. Then again, I know nothing of the access requirements for that facility, so it may not work.

Agreed, I don't know either. I'm just throwing out a hypothetical.

[Eclipse]

I renewed last week for end of Sept (no flag yet, apparently), will be interesting to see when it shows up.

So alrighty then.

I renewed online on the 6th, but didn't receive an email confirmation - that's not the first time it's happened so I figured
I'd catch it when the credit card invoice arrived.

The renewal charge & email confirmation showed up yesterday, and the new ID card showed up today.  There's no postmark on the
envelope, so no way to know when it was actually sent, but one could conjecture it was mailed the day it was charged.

No idea why it would take 2.5 weeks to post, then show up so fast.

I'm an automotive and truck connector from AMP.  http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=20671.msg379051#msg379051

[RogueLeader]

I'm still waiting.

[NIN]

I'm still waiting.

Thats.. odd.  Shouldn't be taking this long.

When you renewed on the 24th (25th), your ID card should have been batched up on Monday, the 29th and sent to the card vendor for production & mailing.

Now, I would *assume* that would mean that your card would have been mailed around the 2nd of September.  But still, why would it take 22 days even to come via non-profit mail?

Now, there can be a number of things that might have caused a delay here:  If the person who is in charge of doing the batching is on vacation that week, I assume that the batching gets done the following week. If the print house was closed on Friday the 2nd (maybe they give their people 4 day weekends on Memorial & Labor Day? No idea), perhaps the mailing didn't actually go out until Tuesday the 6th.

Or, worse: whomever runs the batch was out on the 29th (vacation, sick day, whatever), then the following Monday (the 5th) was a holiday and even if the batch got ran on Tuesday the 6th, it went off to the print vendor with not enough time to be produced and get out in the mailing that was set for Friday the 9th.  Then your card, which might have gotten produced on the 8th, actually sits there waiting for the next day that they send out CAP non-profit mailings on the 16th. (NOTE: I'm not saying this is exactly what happened, but this is the kind of "culmination of circumstances" that might delay things)  They might have to hold the mailing batch, because its a non-profit mailing, until there are a certain number of pieces in the mailing, so that could add a week, too.

I agree, though, that this is ... odd.