Just after Christmas 2015, I went to the Fruitland Walmart’s sporting goods department to renew my fishing license. I was told by the associate that DNR’s license machine was down and had been for several months.
I revisited Walmart last week with the same purpose in mind, and was informed that the machine was still down.
I can only imagine how many hundreds of customers have been turned away over the last five or more months by this Walmart, each time citing DNR as the problem.
Curious about how this could be a continuing problem, I sent an email to two of our state representatives. They answered within a couple of days (thank you Jim and Carl). The problem, it seems, is not DNR, but the Fruitland Walmart. They have evidently neglected to address the problem in all that time, when all that it would have taken to resolve it is some effort on the part of their IT staff.
Please, do consumers a favor and post this letter, letting them know that DNR is not at fault here.
Thanks.
Publishers Notes: When ALL retailers sell you a license they ask you for your date of birth. This includes the state. If you are 65 and over you get a pretty massive discount on your license. In fact, it will only cost you FIVE DOLLARS.
However, unless you ASK, the state and retailers will charge you the full amount. I wanted to let those seniors know they can get their Maryland License for only $5.00. DON'T GET HOOKED!
23 comments:
Fishing licenses should only be for commercial fisherman.
This happened to me at this Walmart.
I was going to purchase some bait and tackle, too, but went to another store to do both, a locally owned one where the prices were higher but where I felt like my business is appreciated. I haven't shopped at Walmart's sporting goods department since.
I'm going to lobby our state reps to get DNR licensing to have software that will recognize seniors and automatically charge them only senior rates. The way they do it now is a ripoff of the elderly.
Don't get hooked. Nice play on words.
You don't need to go to a store to get your license, just go online and buy it at the Md DNR site.
I agree, 9:31, recreational fishing should be free, but unfortunately there are those who will rape the lakes of ALL the fish of ALL sizes until they are gone. Those folks make law enforcement necessary, which requires handing out paychecks every Friday.
Agreed.
I bought my license at the DNR COMPASS online site, signing in with my DNR I.D. # and birth date. It sold me a regular license instead of a senior license, even though it knew my age.
The senior license information isn't near the fishing license info on the menu, it's way down below boat licensing. What bozo thought that up?
Go for it!
Look at how many commercial fishermen get nailed for overfishing, fishing spawning areas and keeping hundreds of undersized fish every year. And those caught are just the tip of the iceberg. The license fees that commercial fishermen pay doesn't cover monitoring them or enforcing commercial fishing laws. If they had fees high enough to do that, they wouldn't be able to afford them.
This shows the laziness of Walmart employees. Don't just stop shopping at their sporting goods dept., stop going there at all!
Jim Ireton has a huge sign up on Rt50 west by shore stop what a.loser this cup cake is.
It also speaks to how oblivious Walmart management is. They have no idea how much business they've lost due to stuff like this that could be fixed in a day.
Someone who doesn't care or, worse yet, someone who looks to put the squeeze on seniors for the added revenue. Sound like a remnant of the O'Malley administration.
Are you reading this Governor Hogan?
Wouldn't it be nice if Larry looked back at license fees from the start of his administration and gave refunds to all of those seniors who were overcharged?
Shop local.
What say you, Walmart?
This is not a problem just at the Fruitland Walmart.
Go to the District Court courthouse, 3RD Floor, and go into the Dept of Natural Resources office with your DNR ID, and checkbook or credit card. Walk out with license in 5 minutes. If you want the $50.00 boat sticker, you walk out with that too. Senior license, no problem. If you can't navigate the website, let them do it for you. Any questions will be answered on the spot. About the nicest, most helpful, state employees that you will come across. Use it before you lose it. Quit complaining about the website (and Walmart), it may become all you have, if you don't utilize the actual state services provided. I am impressed and pleased every time I go there.
Shop local, head across 13 and pick one up at Hitch & Sons. Best bloodworms on the Shore, too.
Just ride to Eden (about 4 miles) and buy your license from HITCHES, a local bait and tackle shop.
You can't get a hunting license at Fruitland Walmart either. Don't bother to ask.
Why spend your $$ with Wally-World when locals with friendly manners will take care of you.
HITCH'S, Under the cell tower at Eden-Allen Rd exit, south US13.
That Walmart sucks anyway.
I got my fishing license at Walmart North with no problem. I got it because it is required to surf fish at Assateague as well.
I tried to get my hunting license and they had no proof of a hunter safety course either. Don't know what to do about that one because I took it years ago.
I never buy a fishing license. Why bother? I only fish a couple times a year for rockfish and the regulations are so ridiculous its hard to not be in violation of something.
Post a Comment