Taxing a car near the end of the month?

Wig

Photo_Stylus wrote: »

The post office can see if the cars taxed or not these days. Depending on the staff member they may not allow you to tax it early and most likely will not accept a printed insurance document.
Or did i get a fussy jobsworth one?

If the car is taxed then a new tax disc can be issued 15 days early
If the cars tax has lapsed then a new tax disc can only (supposed) to be issued up to 5 days early.

I THINK.

jtaylor2008

Wig wrote: »

No, to be SORN you have to declare SORN to the DVLA.

Then you have to keep it somewhere which qualifies as a keeping place for SORN purposes, and a garage would qualify.

If a car was parked in a parking space/bay/land near your home, would this be classed as SORN?

Also as to the OP's question about keeping this SORN car in one of the above places (not a garage), a nosy neighbour might report this to the police? (even though the car may be reported as SORN) ?

BeenieCat wrote: »

If you SORN a car do you get some kind of notice to display on the vehicle like you would a tax disc?

If not, then would they only find out it wasn't SORN'd by running a check on the car, and nosy neighbour had no way to know?

Wig

jtaylor2008 wrote: »

If a car was parked in a parking space/bay/land near your home, would this be classed as SORN?

Also as to the OP's question about keeping this SORN car in one of the above places (not a garage), a nosy neighbour might report this to the police? (even though the car may be reported as SORN) ?

Any land or parking bay which is not a "road maintained at public expense" is SORN friendly (ok for SORN vehicles).

In the case of a parking bay,
The question is "Is it a Road?" If it is part of the official highway then it is "a road".
The next question is "is it maintained at public expense?"

If the answer to both these questions is 'Yes' then it is not SORN friendly.
If either of the answers to these 2 quetions is 'No' it is SORN friendly

It's possible for a parking space to be adjacent to the highway but not be classified as 'Highway' and yet it could still be maintaned at public expense, for example a residents car park spaces owned by the council, maintained by the council, but not classed as highway.

However there is still a requirement for cars parked in public spaces to be insured & MOT'd even if it is not highway. These cars cannot be removed by the police/council (unless they cause a hazard) but the owner can be fined for no insurance, no MOT.

If it is private land, then it will be ok for SORN
However it will only be ok for no insurance/no MOT As long as there is no public access allowed.

An example, an unmade road (no tarmac covering) belonging to the council, is not maintaned at public expense and therefore is ok for SORN, but if the general public also park there or walk through it then you need MOT and Insurance.

BeenieCat

Wig wrote: »

When insurance companies do this, give them 2 options on the phone, either they cancel the admin charges, and do the transfer for free (except for any extra actual premium). OR you cancel the insurance and take your business elsewhere.

I have NEVER EVER had to accept admin charges by insurance companies, using this method they ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS back down in the end and waive the admin charges. They also ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS go to great lengths to say it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to cancel the admin charges, but somehow they always manage to do it when they realise they are going to lose a customer.

Aww boooo, i tried to cancelling tactic and they said i'd get a £30 cancellation fee, barstewards! So i figured i'm better off paying the £25 changeover fee as my renewal is in May when i will be turning 25 so hoping to get a bit of a reduction and change insurers to whoever shows as best value - although i'll be checking if the "cheapest" has any of these hidden charges first!

BeenieCat

Went to PO and got my car tax which is effective as of tomorrow so all happy

No i didn't SORN it for yesterday and today, guess i'm going to prison

Wig

BeenieCat wrote: »

Aww boooo, i tried to cancelling tactic and they said i'd get a £30 cancellation fee, barstewards! So i figured i'm better off paying the £25 changeover fee as my renewal is in May when i will be turning 25 so hoping to get a bit of a reduction and change insurers to whoever shows as best value - although i'll be checking if the "cheapest" has any of these hidden charges first!

First of all, always read the policy before accepting any car insurance, some have no cancellation penalties, so if you have two similar quotes compare the policies and go with the one who has no cancellation penalty and/or no admin fees.

Second, If in your situation I was faced with a £30 cancellation penalty
or
a £25 admin fee + £5 postage fee
or ignoring the £5 special delivery charge a choice of £30 penalty fee or £25 admin fee.

I would have said to them (and I have been in this same position before)
"In that case I want to cancel my policy, and take my business elsewhere, but I am willing to give you one last chance to remove the admin fee, please let me speak to your retentions department"
If they don't have one (unlikely that they won't) then ask for the supervisor.
In my case the retentions department immediately waived the admin fees and transferred the policy to the new car. If in your case they don't do that then you just cancel the policy and move to a new insurer, with the possibility of a new quidco cashback you could even end up saving a lot of money.

I would have already done my homework and checked the cost of a new policy for the new car, and any cashback deals on the market available. If this new policy quote was anything close to what my existing insurer was offering me I would have no hesitation of cancelling the policy and moving. Even if I ended up paying a £30 cancellation fee instead of a £25 admin fee.

Insurance companies do not want to lose customers, they will waive admin fees if a customer puts up a fight.

BeenieCat

Well, changing insurers would mean paying a deposit to the new insurers and that's another chunk of money to go out just before Xmas... However i do wish i'd have put up more of a fight but i was so stressed when i rang