DVLA’s SORN shambles: legally unenforceable and administrative chaos

[st13phil]

At least, according to an article in The Register. I particularly liked one of the posted comments

I worked at the DVLA once - don't know about nowadays but mail went up and down between floors in open-topped boxes using a Paternoster lift system. While I was there it had to be taken out of service because the number of files that had "accidentally" fallen out of boxes had filled the bottom of the lift shaft to the extent that it was jamming the system.

Yet according to the DVLA they never get it wrong, and it's all your fault

Fortunately, it seems that at least some courts have woken up to the bluff and bluster from DVLA though.

 

[Gridlock]

I got hit for 6m tax on a car that I had told them was scrapped - as per usual, despite being notionally an organisation that serves me, they sent my details to a credit recovery firm who would have escalated it to a CCJ ultimately, so I paid.

 

[Sorry Pete]

They're a bunch of morons.

I had two uniformed police officers arrive at my door one afternoon, absolutely out of the blue. The DVLA had 'never received' the vehicle transfer slip I sent and subsequently, my old VW was parked illegally and abandoned somewhere in Camden. The visit was 6 months after I'd sold it, and in fairness, the po-leees were nice enough to take my word that was the case.

 

[The Pan Man]

Keep photocopies of every item that you send to them. Enclose a covering letter stating that you have taken photocopies of all the contents of the envelope and you can provide a copy if required, thats always worked for me. I do not trust any government body at all too many chiefs and not enought indians.

 

[Scott_F]

They're a bunch of morons.

I had two uniformed police officers arrive at my door one afternoon, absolutely out of the blue. The DVLA had 'never received' the vehicle transfer slip I sent and subsequently, my old VW was parked illegally and abandoned somewhere in Camden. The visit was 6 months after I'd sold it, and in fairness, the po-leees were nice enough to take my word that was the case.

My own dealings with the DVLA would support your view but they certainly don't have a monopoly on this sort of thing. You can't tar every employee with the same brush but dealings with other areas of the Public Sector, and various Local Authorities in particular, have been equally frustrating.

There is often a culture of "I-couldn't-care-less-if-I'm-cr*p-as-I'll-still-get-paid". Any attempts to escalate this to "management" or raise a complaint are equally futile. However, they invariably prove to be most adept at avoiding responsibility for their (in)actions and covering their own backsides.

 

[mbenz76]

I always scan paperwork I send to the DVLA and post it Special Delivery to make sure it gets there.

Always follow it with a phone call, after a couple of weeks to make sure it has been received and understood.

I shouldn't have to do this, but experience has taught me that I need to do this with any place (public or private) that I send important paperwork to. If the useless Royal Mail don't lose it on the way there is a good chance some idiot at the other end will.

 

[Sorry Pete]

I always scan paperwork I send to the DVLA and post it Special Delivery to make sure it gets there.

Always follow it with a phone call, after a couple of weeks to make sure it has been received and understood.

I shouldn't have to do this, but experience has taught me that I need to do this with any place (public or private) that I send important paperwork to. If the useless Royal Mail don't lose it on the way there is a good chance some idiot at the other end will.

+1

That's what I do now. My experience I posted about prompted me to.

 

[st13phil]

Keep photocopies of every item that you send to them. Enclose a covering letter stating that you have taken photocopies of all the contents of the envelope and you can provide a copy if required, thats always worked for me.

All good advice, but do a search on Google about the DVLA losing motorcycle licence entitlement when old-style licences were replaced. Even the provision of a certified copy of the original licence wasn't enough to persuade the DVLA that people really did have an entitlement and the only solution was to re-take the driving test (non-trivial and very expensive for motorcyclists). One of our members here has had to go through exactly this palava.

 

[Spinal]

All good advice, but do a search on Google about the DVLA losing motorcycle licence entitlement when old-style licences were replaced. Even the provision of a certified copy of the original licence wasn't enough to persuade the DVLA that people really did have an entitlement and the only solution was to re-take the driving test (non-trivial and very expensive for motorcyclists). One of our members here has had to go through exactly this palava.

On the counterpart, many people found that they could get extra categries in the swap with a typewriter.....

 

[mbenz76]

If I have had to send documents which cannot be replaced to the DVLA I have gone personally to the local DVLA office and handed them in - that way I know they are in their internal post at least and get a receipt to say they have them.

When we moved house recently I was pleased that I could request my new licence online (and ask them to use my passport photo for it) - saved me the hassle of going down and wasting my time. Licence arrived within a week and I posted the old one back and didn't worry about it as I had my new one already.

 

[Lugy]

I got hit for 6m tax on a car that I had told them was scrapped - as per usual, despite being notionally an organisation that serves me, they sent my details to a credit recovery firm who would have escalated it to a CCJ ultimately, so I paid.

I scrapped my old Vectra after it was broken for parts back in 2008, I sent the V5 away soon after, I had SORN'd it and when the SORN would have run out no tax reminder came. I presumed this would be correct, fast forward to this year and I get a fine for £80. I've not paid it yet, though when I do I shall right the arsiest letter I can come up with in my break time stating that I may want to send for a new V5 I can sell to the local TWOCers for them to ring a car.

It'll be childish but it'll make me happier. After all, I pay a good amount to use this wonderful service they provide. I feel I should get my £400 (over 2 cars ATM) worth out of them this year