D&B has got itself a sweet little monopoly business with these DUNS numbers. They charge $299 if you want "Expedited" service otherwise (according to the FAQ) it will take "a MINIMUM of 30 business days for a new D&B DUNS Number to be processed" (emphasis added). I get the sense they just sit on you app until the 30 days are up and no actual work is being done.

They also try to upsell you to one of the many other plans starting at $299. To somewhat soften their touch the basic service is free after all. And the expedited service is free for businesses considering doing government contracting (maybe we should all consider this as we apply to the Apple developer program).

https://iupdate.dnb.com/iUpdate/showFaq.htm#Request2

Exactly. They're not the people everybody trusts to determine if incoming traffic is human/machine.

Your response implies that they are inept at their area of expertise.