I'm trying to get rid of my late wife's car but I can't because the DVLA has lost the paperwork for change of ownership (V5).

They've also lost the paperwork for the car just bought by by workmate. And they previously lost her husbands HGV license.

When I bought the Honda they also cocked up and put my private plate back on the car I'd just sold

At the post office sending the V5/2 in a second attempt to get a new V5 the person on the counter said she could write a book of stories about the DVLA and they'd sent her daughters new driving license back with a blokes picture on it.

 

Does the DVLA ever get it right?

Edited 19 March, 201610 yr by Aspman

I think that as a branch of the civil service, they are allowed, and maybe encouraged to do what they please and when they please.

 

I remember as a child, maybe 50 years ago, taking the view that in general, the civil service existed to provide services for the general population - some thing has changed over that period of time, we now work to earn taxes to fund the civil service departments, the tail is now wagging the dog.

 

Some of these people and/or their department heads, should be forced to get experience of the real world before starting to work in the civil service and that includes local council services as well.  I'm sure that there are some perfectly normal hard working people working for the civil service but generally speaking, their efforts are getting squandered by others that are not.(rant over!)

The Top People get Performance Bonuses so when unhappy with this Executive Agency be sure to put your Formal Complaint directed to the Chief Executive (Oliver Morley), and also to the Deputy.

*Points mean prizes so since they can not really organise a p!33 up in a brewery hit them in the pocket.*

http://gov.uk/government/people/oliver-morley

 

As it is over the past 12 months or so i have had nothing but positive experiences with the DVLA.

Prior to that they lost my Birth Certificate when i changed to a Modern Licence and lots of other co-ck ups over the years.

 

I do miss my Local DVLA Office and the staff that were always brilliant.

Edited 19 March, 201610 yr by GoneOffSKi

I take log books in by hand since I'm in Swansea every time I buy a new car. They lose them every time and I have to take in my green slip for them to try again. Plate changes are abysmal too.

I always scan and save on my computer any forms like this, until the process is finished. (Including ANYTHING that needs a signature and/or sending somewhere.)

Their MOT history checker was a joke for my current car (Mazda) and the last one I owned. They managed to mix the history of both to show my 2007 model had failed an MOT in 2009, it didn't need one until 2010. I got them to sort it out but somehow it now shows an advisory for a damaged alloy wheel, it never had showed that before the mix up.

Reason for the mix up, all I did was transfer a reg plate from one to the other.

Back in 1990, I bought a new Honda motorcycle.

 

When the Log Book came through, it showed the means of propulsion as Steam...

I'm going to have to contact someone soon about the Octavia. Bought it on the last day of January and still haven';t got the log book. There may only be half of the car left but I still need the whole book.

I'm trying to get rid of my late wife's car but I can't because the DVLA has lost the paperwork for change of ownership (V5).

They've also lost the paperwork for the car just bought by by workmate. And they previously lost her husbands HGV license.

When I bought the Honda they also cocked up and put my private plate back on the car I'd just sold

At the post office sending the V5/2 in a second attempt to get a new V5 the person on the counter said she could write a book of stories about the DVLA and they'd sent her daughters new driving license back with a blokes picture on it.

 

Does the DVLA ever get it right?

 

You do realise in their eyes, all of this is your fault. not theirs, right?

 

They tried to fine me for riding my electric scooter round London, without tax. They kindly decided to take no further action when I pointed out it's at the back of the garage, it's got a thirty mile range on an 8 hour charge, and the tax is free. They didn't apologise though. My guess is either someone cloned the plate onto their car or ANPR misread a plate and they never bothered to check make and model against a the picture.

 

My current score is 2-0 up on court verdicts, and far more on letters, which these days merely read.

 

 

Dear Sir

 

I refute your allegations in full. Should you wish to pursue your present course of action, don't try to threaten me, just get on and take me to court again, otherwise - go **** yourselves. I'm sick of hearing from you, you set of blagging, scamming arseholes.

 

Yours.....

 

 

If anyone does get threatened with court by them, I highly recommend you go and have your day, it's a complete eye-opener.

 

The place will be packed with victims and one prosecutor, who works their way round the waiting room offering you the chance to pay up now and they'll forget all about it (I'd say about 80% of the people there did this). When you don't, they then admit they're not going to present any evidence, so there's no need for you to be there, and you're free to go (everyone except me took this up).

 

The first time I went, apart from a lad who'd been pulled by the Police and not given the option by the prosecutor to pay up, I was the only one who stayed, went in, listened to her admit she had no case, and asked for my out of pocket expenses. The prosecutor tried briefly to argue about me asking for 40p/mile, then I asked her how much she got paid for private car use, and if her or any of the court staff were getting less than 40p/mile, and the magistrates agreed to pay me.

 

I did have to chase the payment with the court a month later, but when I did, the cheque came within 2 days.

 

There's a tickbox on the form asking if you want their witness (a Swansea pen pusher) to attend court. You do - because if you're in any doubt about their intentions not to present any evidence, when they come to offer you the chance to pay up and they'll forget all about it, you can ask if their witness it going to be attending. No witness = no admissible statement = no evidence = no case for the prosecution.

 

I've had my day in court twice now, if anyone wants to play them at their game, I'd love to come along and support. I'm not legally trained, but I have a pretty good percentage success.

Edited 19 March, 201610 yr by StevesTruck

They also lost my Dad's license when he sent it in.

 

Seriously I work for a Council and most people think Council's are dysfunctional but compared to central Government departments we're up there with feckin Amazon for efficiency.

Probably not too long now until Amazon are running the DVLA.

Click & Collect @ Argos in 2 days, or Free Post any new documents needed

or 7 Day a week Delivery within 24 hours at a slight extra cost.

By contrast, when I transferred my Dad's plate to retention and then to my Mum's car, the service couldn't have been any better.

All done online and new documents received within 2 days.

Strange that, you'd think they were making money from it or something.

Never had an issue with them over 33 years, ~50 cars and ~20 bikes. 

By the sounds of these incredibly amusing stories (sorry chaps, they are) I've been incredibly lucky. And long may it continue 

" They also lost my Dad's license when he sent it in. "

 

Don't EVER send it in until you have the new one in your hand and thoroughly checked!

Tales of police motorcycle trainers who lost their bike entitlement when renewing are ridiculous, not helped when they demand the pink test pass ticket as evidence when you sent it to their predecessors fifty years ago! 

Edited 20 March, 201610 yr by punyXpress

Probably not too long now until Amazon are running the DVLA.

Click & Collect @ Argos in 2 days, or Free Post any new documents needed

or 7 Day a week Delivery within 24 hours at a slight extra cost.

 

Iy's already run by Capita. Well, the bits involving finding reasons to send people fines are. 

Oh dont be like this

Ive just ordered a new V5 and it NEEDS to be right first time

StavesTruck,

The DVLA (or Capita) do not send fines do they, is in not a Penalty they give and threats of not paying that will result in a higher penalty.

http://www.cio.co.uk/news/it-strategy/dvla-hands-100m-5-year-contract-to-capita-3287016/

 

My experience of being in the right and still getting fines sent is, if you don't pay them, they get some pretend solicitors to write to you and tell you you owe them even more money, and imply that they can take your possessions away without obtaining a court verdict. Then if that doesn't work, they get some different pretend solicitors from the same company with a different name to write to you and tell you that you owe even more.

 

Then, if you still know you're in the right, and don't engage with fraudsters and bullies. Eventually, they summons you and everyone else who's in the same boat to court and offer you a really kind opportunity to pay the money you don't owe them and it'll all go away and you won't have to go in front of the big scary judge and get a CCJ.

 

And then, if you're still not scared. They present no evidence in court and everyone goes home - don't forget to ask for your costs.

 

Just my experience, twice, Derby and Boston courts. If you choose to believe the DVLA is scrupulously correct, upstanding, honest, and doesn't farm the dirty work out to the highest bidder, that's your choice.

My point is on the 'Penalty Notices',  they are not 'Fines' are they, they are a 'Penalty' and they pursue the None Payment of a 'Penalty'.

 

If people choose to call them a 'Fine' then 'Fine', but they are not a 'Fine'.

Yeah, I sort of see where you're coming from, but if it's the government issuing the penalty, there's not a lot to distinguish that from a fine, as I understand things. Whichever they choose to call it is a bit of a flag of convenience.

You only end up in Jail when & if a Court decides you have not paid something the court tells you to pay, like a Penalty Imposed by the DVLA or the TV Licencing.

The DVLA do not Fine you and neither do the TV Licencing, it makes a big difference.

I give up with those clowns, I used to administer employees licences from initial applications, to photo renewals....... My most annoying personal one was my licence not coming back after a change of address I think it was, so I contacted them and asked had it been processed and marked as sent out etc, which it had. Great so it's lost I never got it they can send another for free and I have to write a letter explaining I didn't get it. I do so and fax it for speed but they refuse it as my signature doesn't match so I repeat it twice more then they refuse to deal with me any further and put what they called a block on my licence.The lost in the post one luckily turned up after over 2 months and it had someone else's signature on it (or so I thought), it was strangely my old signature from my first passport which was applied for when I was still 15.... Not even the signature on my current or previous passport or the last 20 odd times they had to reissue my licence, even my provisional at 17 had my current signatue. Had to send it back and cross my fingers with a letter highlighting the 'WTF?' part and then got it back. But today I have a random error on the back of my licence stating that I got my D1 licence in 2007 and somehow I managed to get my D1E licence in 2005............ can't be assed to point out they have messed that up until next time it has to go in. Which annoyingly is every 5 years I have to change picture because lorry and coach drivers faces are more subject to change than car drivers apparently. £££ along with my digital tachograph card every 5 years £££, my Drivers CPC DQC every 5 years £££ and my ADR Cert card (not really anything to do with DVLA tbf) every 5 years ££££££££ And after all that in NI shortly a car driver with a fraction of the driving qualifications and experience will be deemed safe to drive with 2.5 times more alcohol in their system than ME...... FML! 

Edited 24 March, 201610 yr by FUBAR

Never had an issue with them over 33 years, ~50 cars and ~20 bikes. 

By the sounds of these incredibly amusing stories (sorry chaps, they are) I've been incredibly lucky. And long may it continue 

Evil- possibly we're both tempting fate, but i've been dealing with them for a bit longer ( just short of 50 years) ,with a lot less cars, but possibly a lot more licences as my first ones were renew every year. I've found over the years that return times have gotten a lot better.

I'll be giving the useless 'ucktards a phone this week. They can't claim they didn't receive anything since everything went to them special delivery and has been signed for.