JAY – Every town handles giving excise tax quotes for vehicles over the phone a little differently.

Jay Town Manager Ruth Marden plans to implement a formal policy that prohibits quotes to be given for a new vehicle or a vehicle new to the person.

“Generally as a rule, we ask them to bring in their paperwork,” Livermore Town Clerk Renda Libby said. “We try not to do it because excise tax varies.”

There is no policy in place, but it is not something they like to do, she said. But if a person calling has a vehicle identification number “we try to do it. We specify it is a quote and only a quote,” she said.

If it’s a new registration, the customer is asked to bring in the window sticker and other pertinent information.

When it comes to a transfer of a registration, they don’t do it, Libby said.

In Rangeley, Finance Director Karen Olivieri said “If the person calling has the VIN number, we give them a ballpark figure. We always tell them without them being there and us seeing the paperwork it is only a ballpark quote. We would prefer them to do it in person but not everybody can get here.”

Chesterville Town Clerk Pat Gordon said someone calling to request an excise tax quote will get an approximate quote.

“It’s pretty difficult sometimes, especially if you have people waiting at the counter if it’s busy,” Gordon said. People can get upset if they call and you don’t give them a quote, she said.

Farmington Board of Selectman secretary Linda Grant said clerks do give excise tax quotes over the phone.

If there is someone waiting at the counter, the person calling is asked to call back, Grant said.

“Usually they try to accommodate them,” she said of requests for quotes, and they are always told that estimate is not carved in stone.

Livermore Falls Town Clerk Kristal Flagg said quotes are given over the phone but not for vehicle registration transfers.