Frequently Asked Questions - General
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Q: My User ID and or Password do not work?
A: User ID and Password have to be entered in lower case, make sure your caps lock is not on.
Q: When I submit a shipment I get a message that says "Alert, Security Violation", what does this mean?
A: This means one of two things. Either you are trying to access or submit data for an account other than your own, or you do not have Cookies [More Information] enabled, and AESDirect cannot verify that you the account you are accessing is your own account. This is a security feature to stop other people from accessing your account.
Q: What is the best way to stay informed about AESDirect?
A: For the current operational status of AES see the AESDirect News Message banner on the AESDirect Home Page. For a running list of news, service updates, and other important events, Click "About AES - News" on the AESDirect Home Page.
Q: How is the shipment number created and what should it look like?
A: You, the filer, create the shipment number. It should make sense to your companies operation. As far as AES in concerned, the only requirement is for it to be unique for all of your shipments (SEDs).
Q: How do I find out which data items are always required by AES?
A: Any data item that is always required is labeled in red.
Q: How do I find out when a conditional data item is required?
A: On every page you will find a HELP link on the top right hand side of the form, click on this link you will see a list of all the data items on your form, any conditions will be explained here. In addition, when you send a shipment to AESDirect, it will check that ALL required conditional items are present and correct. If any are missing it will tell you when you submit the shipment.
Q: I requested an AESDirect lookup up but the look-up response window did not appear, what is the problem?
A: You probably clicked outside of the look-up window, when you do this the browser will minimize your response window. AESDirect will most likely have already replied but the response is minimized. Look along your Windows task bar, normally at the very bottom of your screen, if you see a task labeled "AESDirect: Lookup Results," Click on this and the response will be displayed.
Q: My e-mail response address defaults to my address, can I change, or add to it?
A: Yes, just like any other data item, you can change or add to your e-mail response list. For example, if you wish to send a copy of the AES response to your consignee, simply add his e-mail address in the e-mail data field, e.g. "myemail@my.com,consigneemail@his.com."
Q: How do I change my default e-mail address?
A: Send an e-mail request to boc-support@tradegate2000.com. Any change of e-mail address will require a call back by AESDirect support staff to verify the request.
Q: Can I change my AESDirect password?
A: Yes, send a request to boc-support@tradegate2000.com. Any change of password will require a call back by AESDirect support staff to verify the request.
Q: I want to delete a section, what is the best way to do this?
A: Simply hit the "Clear" button on the left-hand side of your form. This will completely clear out (remove from the SED) the section you are in. This is also the best way to amend party information (i.e. a consignee) from a retrieved shipment, Click on Clear, then enter the new information.
Q: I deleted a shipment using the Delete Shipment function, but it still appears in my shipment reporting screen, why?
A: When you delete a shipment AESDirect will send a delete request to AES. This will cause your shipment to be deleted from AES. However, AESDirect retains the shipment and marks it with a deleted status. This allows you to keep a complete audit of your shipment transactions, and also allows you to retrieve the shipment, to resubmit it, or amend to create a new shipment.
Q: What is the difference between the XTN and ITN Number, and which should I put on my shipping documents?
A: The XTN is simply the combination of "Your IRS# (EIN or SSN)+Your Shipment Number." The ITN Number is a unique transaction reference number that AES provides to indicate that it has accepted your shipment. You can put either the XTN or ITN on your shipping documents to indicate that the SED has been accepted by AES and that no paper SED is required. We suggest you use the XTN number, since it does not change if there are multiple transactions for a shipment, and it is easier to program into your in-house computer system, or create a Stamp for.
Q: When I want to enter or edit a new section, do I have to go back to the View SED screen?
A: No, when you have finished editing or entering an SED Section, Simply choose another Section to edited and click on the Edit Section button. Don't forget though, you have to go to the View SED screen to send your SED to AESDirect.
Q: When is my shipment (SED) saved permanently by AESDirect?
A: Your SED is not saved permanently until you send it to AESDirect AND it is accepted by AESDirect. Once AESDirect has accepted your shipment it will be stored permanently and always be available for retrieval back into your desktop browser. Until it is accepted by AESDirect it exists ONLY in the memory of your browser. It will stay available in your browser until you close your browser session on your desktop.
