NYC DCA Scale Inspection

[jh]

Paul,

Congratulation! I will definitely use the online request form again for the next year although it would be better to receive a letter in writing besides the confirmation email that was automatically generated by the webpage.

[MrMachine]

Originally Posted by jh

Paul,

Congratulation! I will definitely use the online request form again for the next year although it would be better to receive a letter in writing besides the confirmation email that was automatically generated by the webpage.

John,

Well, what I did to protect myself was I printed out the confirmation email and posted it next to my scales.

Thanks again John. Online is the way to go now.
Even renewing your DCA License is a much better way to go online now.

[MrMachine]

Well, they did inspect on of my Mat's scales on 7/05/12, but I'm STILL waiting for them to come to do my other mat.
This is despite the fact that I filled out the online form for BOTH mats at the same time!

So yesterday, I made a 2nd request for my other Mat, printed it out and posted it in the store right next to the FIRST request confirmation, just in case a DCA inspector comes in.

So what can I assume, being that this is a govt run organization?
That they either lost my other request, threw it away, or someone is on vacation.

Once again I say: If this is how the govt runs a simple scale inspection, how do you feel about having them being responsible for your healthcare????

[Howard]

Originally Posted by MrMachine

......
Once again I say: If this is how the govt runs a simple scale inspection, how do you feel about having them being responsible for your healthcare????

Not a problem, they will become very proficient at conducting autopsies.

[MrMachine]

Well,

I've been trying ALL SUMMER to get someone to show up and inspect my scale.

As you guys know, thanks to John I entered TWO SEPARATE scale inspection requests online.
They showed up at one Mat in June, but never showed up at my other mat.

I re-submitted 3 more online inspection requests over the summer, all the while printing each one out to prove to the OTHER DCA inspectors that I've been trying to get my scale inspected!!

Yesterday they finally showed up......only they showed up at THE WRONG STORE!!!
They came back to the one they already inspected 3 months ago!!
My attendant asked them why are you here? They didn't have a good answer except that they were responding to a request.
Would they go to the other store now? Of course not!!!

So today, I went online and found a useful website:

http://www.nyc.gov/apps/311/allServi...F-96DAE110FEB8

I just tried the fax request, so we shall see. The only problem with the fax request is that except for the Fax "handshake", I really don't have any confirmation that they received my request.

FRUSTRATING!!!!! (and a total waste of my time!!!)

[Howard]

Wow seems like NY is more screwed up than NJ. Here in NJ they just come in the first quarter of the year, wonder why you have to get involved with it at all in NY?

In December we get a little card in the mail that says you have this many timer devices and this many scales, pay this amount before Jan 31st - and that is the end of it. It is then their responsibility to inspect, not ours.

Now I understand the concept of the scale inspection, but I have never been able to appreciate the value of the dryer timer inspection. As an example when they go to a gas station for inspection they inspect both that the pump really puts out one gallon when it says one gallon and that the fuel that is marked as 91 octane really is at least 91 octane. I understand that because it assures the customer that they are really getting what they pay for.

When it comes to dryers, I see it as just revenue generation for the state as it assures the customer of almost nothing. When they measure that the dryer really turns for seven minutes when it says seven minutes what does that do for the customer? There is no measurement of airflow nor of temperature. Unless they measure all three things then this is just a waste of time and money because there is in fact no assurance of what the customer will receive.

[MrMachine]

Originally Posted by Howard

Wow seems like NY is more screwed up than NJ. Here in NJ they just come in the first quarter of the year, wonder why you have to get involved with it at all in NY?

In December we get a little card in the mail that says you have this many timer devices and this many scales, pay this amount before Jan 31st - and that is the end of it. It is then their responsibility to inspect, not ours.

Now I understand the concept of the scale inspection, but I have never been able to appreciate the value of the dryer timer inspection. As an example when they go to a gas station for inspection they inspect both that the pump really puts out one gallon when it says one gallon and that the fuel that is marked as 91 octane really is at least 91 octane. I understand that because it assures the customer that they are really getting what they pay for.

When it comes to dryers, I see it as just revenue generation for the state as it assures the customer of almost nothing. When they measure that the dryer really turns for seven minutes when it says seven minutes what does that do for the customer? There is no measurement of airflow nor of temperature. Unless they measure all three things then this is just a waste of time and money because there is in fact no assurance of what the customer will receive.

Howard,

It sounds like your dryer inspections go all the way back to before there were computerized dryers. On the old dryers, there was no display confirming to the customer how much time they bought.
So it was easy for an unscrupulous operator to advertise one time, but set his dryers for another.

This kind of cheating is very hard to do with a computerized dryer that has a display staring the customer square in the face.
Yet, inspecting dryers it IS income for the state, so there you go....

Once a govt income stream is started, it's hard to end it.

[jh]

Paul,

Your link is even better. Now we have all the contact methods in the world to request a scale inspection but unfortunately it seems that they only have two field workers for the entire nyc...It's like going to the only laundromat in the town where there is only one washer and one dryer. As a respond to the overwhelming number of complains, the owner decides to add more payment methods to the washer and dryer so that everyone waiting in the long long line will have more than one way to pay. Not a good business!

Have you tried sending them an email? If someone responses, you will have even more proof. I just sent an email with one line "Hi, I need scale inspection." to see if someone will respond. If the person reading the emails don't reply to a more complicated email such as a complaint or a question, he/she will probably only answer stupid emails like pointing out the obvious that there's lack of information in my email. By the way, there's no auto-reply email from their email server.

[Howard]

Why not send an e-mail to mayor Mike?

[MrMachine]

Originally Posted by jh

Paul,

Your link is even better. Now we have all the contact methods in the world to request a scale inspection but unfortunately it seems that they only have two field workers for the entire nyc...It's like going to the only laundromat in the town where there is only one washer and one dryer.

John,

I think you are being generous. Maybe it's only one.
But wait!! Two inspectors did show up at my store in june, so there you go.....
Maybe if one inspector went to one store, and one to another.....