Don't Arrive Late For FAST

[PracticalTactical]

Just a word of warning to everybody applying for a CHL: Be sure to arrive on time for fingerprints. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, your information is dumped from the L-1 system and you can't be fingerprinted without setting up a new appointment.

On top of that, L-1 phone representatives are prohibited in the computer system from scheduling any appointments same-day, so if you try to reschedule, you have to wait for the next day.

I found all of this out the hard way. I live in New Mexico, just outside of El Paso, and the nearest center is about 60 miles away along I-10. There was a wreck on the west side of El Paso, and I got to the L-1 center about 25 minutes after my scheduled appointment. First I found out I was dumped from the system, then I called L-1 to reschedule, but they couldn't get me anything same-day. 120 miles worth of wasted gas

I'm sure I'm far from being the only person who lives 50+ miles from an L-1 center, as big a state as Texas is, so I figured I'd pass along the warning.

[jordanmills]

Bet you get to pay for both appointments too...

[Crossfire]

L-1 did not delete you from the system. The system operator did.

We are not required to honor your appointment if you are more than 15 minutes late, but we have never turned anyone away if they showed up the same day they were scheduled. Why would we? We get paid for every person we print. If we don't print you, we don't get paid.

Unless you were scheduled for the very end of the day, and they were shutting down the system, there is no reason you should have been deleted. All the daily appointments are downloaded to the local system at the beginning of the day. Then, at the end of the day, the fingerprints are transmitted back to L1. The appointment records are only deleted once the fingerprints have been sucessfully transmitted.

I just don't understand the stories I have heard about how people have been treated by local L-1 offices. We have some competition here in the DFW area from other locations. But, even if we didn't, we wouldn't treat people like that. That is just wrong!

[catdaddyxx]

Mine was really nice. I happened to be in the neighborhood 3 hours early. So I popped in and they said they'd had a cancelation. So, they went ahead and took mine so I didn't have to come back. Really nice folks even though the lady who took mine was obviously not feeling well that day. Was a pleasant experience in my case. A lot better than my last chl fingerprinting where I was seated in the sherriff's office right next to the people that were being booked into jail. (that was hale county)

[Jumping Frog]

I just don't understand the stories I have heard about how people have been treated by local L-1 offices.

Are your offices 30.06 posted?

When I was fingerprinted at the L-1 on the Houston Beltway near I-45, that has been the only compliant 30.06 sign I've seen since moving here.

[alvins]

mine was fine other then the tech had to reprint mine about 5 times because he couldnt figure out which way the paper went into the paper try of the printer. and listen to the person gripe about how much he hates computers.hmm its not the computer its you.lol

[Bullwhip]

What a boondoggle. I still say, dump the print system.

[johnson0317]

I just don't understand the stories I have heard about how people have been treated by local L-1 offices.

Are your offices 30.06 posted?

When I was fingerprinted at the L-1 on the Houston Beltway near I-45, that has been the only compliant 30.06 sign I've seen since moving here.

The L-1 office I was printed at was definitely not posted since it in located in my indoor gun range, and it is the same room used for the CHL class I took. There is a "no loaded guns past this point" sign on the front door of the building , but they quickly explained this only applies to people without their CHL.

[punkndisorderly]

I've been printed twice in the last 6 months by L-1. Once for work and once for my instructor packet.

Went to the one in Pasadena and got in and out quickly. The guy doing the prints was friendly and proffesional.

Went to the one on the South side of Houston (288 and 610?) Was in a strip mall and had no sign. Drove past it twice. Waited 20 minutes past my appointment time in a waiting room with screaming babies. Then girl that did the fingerprints was rude as hell. All the people working there reminded me of the angry people at the dmv.

[bilgerat57]

Sounds a lot like the fiasco we had with the TWIC cards. Various offices with inept personnell at one site and great service at another. Software glitches that were simply unbelievable. I saw one man put on a 30 day hold because the computer didn't like his choice of a PIN number (He had driven in from Kansas!). Maybe someone can start a thread about good/bad locations...........

[KingofChaos]

I arrived for my fast appointment 45 minutes late because I couldn't find the location. The lady at the front desk smiled and informed me that it didn't matter. As long as I was on the schedule for that day, they would be happy to print me. The location I went to was off beltway 8 and bissonnett in Houston.

[elpjt]

Seems there is a software glitch at Fast and names are being transposed out of order on print out. Called this morning and was on hold for twenty minutes or so. Confirmed appointment and made sure no problem.

JT

[TXXDCC]

Seems there is a software glitch at Fast and names are being transposed out of order on print out. Called this morning and was on hold for twenty minutes or so. Confirmed appointment and made sure no problem.

JT

That happened to me too and it freaked me out. I thought that I had filled out my DPS app incorrectly or something but just couldn't think of a reason that I would have put my middle name first, last name middle, and first name last! I called FAST too and they said don't worry about it. When I arrived at the location to be printed the guy changed it in the computer and said that it happens all of the time. Whew!

[TexasGuy]

I did my prints in Rosenberg. The office location is somewhere in the worst part of town, looks like some warehouse, took a while to find. Came there, there was no one but a few employees. No problem with the service. However, it does look like they are not getting much business.

[Crossfire]

I just don't understand the stories I have heard about how people have been treated by local L-1 offices.

Are your offices 30.06 posted?

When I was fingerprinted at the L-1 on the Houston Beltway near I-45, that has been the only compliant 30.06 sign I've seen since moving here.

No, we are located inside the Cabela's store in Fort Worth. No signs there.