Road tax is it a joke? Where can I complain.

ryantcb

Hey.
I bought a car yesterday (saturday 25/09/10) and got it insured and with valid MOT. however it has no road tax. I have money and want to buy road tax. Problem is I can only buy at a post office which in the genius wisdom of the DVLA closes on a Sunday, meaning I have to wait until monday before I can drive the car. I tried to by it online but as I am a new owner and the log book isn't in my name yet I am not eligible for that service. See I bought the car to use the next few days as i am finishing work at 2am and have no other mode of transport. I have the bloody money and the desire to buy this stupid tax yet it is impossible to do so. Oh and it gets better when on monday I get the tax it gets back dated to the 1st. so I lose 28 days (a whole bloody month) from my years tax. So I will have been in effect taxed to drive on the dates I am not allowed. I called the Police for advise and they said that although they understand my situation if I drive I am breaking the law and face penalty points etc etc. Oh and that my insurance would be null and void. Surely there must be some type of trading standards that applies to this type of daylight robbery. Is it really my fault that the DVLA wont sell tax outside a post office??

whatmichaelsays

They do sell tax outside of the post office, provided you meet the criteria for purchasing online.

Trading Standards? Are you serious? Places close on Sunday - get over it.

custardy

perhaps with a bit of forward planning you could have avoided this

buy a car with tax
buy a car from a seller who still held valid insurance
bought the tax yesterday

Wig

Your insurance will not be voided if you drive your car without tax, the police are wrong on that point.

I'm not sure if there are any penalty points for driving without tax - I don't think so. - anyone? I think the police are just assuming you will get points by wrongly assuming your insurance is voided.

I know you want to drive your car ASAP, to drive it for Mon, Tue, Wed & Thurs you will have to buy a full months tax for Sept, If that month costs a lot I would declare the car SORN to DVLA for now, and then tax it from Oct 1st.

Also if your car is sitting on the road not on private property it can be clamped by the DVLA and towed costing you an arm and a leg. You can also get a windscreen ticket for having no tax displayed by the police or traffic wardens

Why has the car got no tax? Who did you buy it from? Did they retain the tax disc to get a refund? If so, you should have bought the tax disc off them.

Have you checked if the vehicle is actually taxed for September?
http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk click on "Vehicle enquiry"

If it is taxed then the only offence you are committing is failing to display , and I would drive it as is.


If you want to complain you are not alone! The tax disc system is ridiculous and should allow for a one-off 'temporary disc' to be bought without documents from a PO or online. Or just scrap the whole useless tax disc system all together and put the tax onto fuel. Complain by writing to your MP.

ryantcb

whatmichaelsays wrote: »

They do sell tax outside of the post office, provided you meet the criteria for purchasing online.
Yeah Like I said I cant buy online as supid DVLA wont allow

Trading Standards? Are you serious? Places close on Sunday - get over it.

Yes very serious, is it fair to pay fpr back dated tax for days I never even owned the car? or for days that currently i am not even allowed to drive the car!!!

custardy wrote: »

perhaps with a bit of forward planning you could have avoided this

buy a car with tax
buy a car from a seller who still held valid insurance
bought the tax yesterday

How is that advice? stupid

custardy

Wig wrote: »

Your insurance will not be voided if you drive your car without tax, the police are wrong on that point.

I'm not sure if there are any penalty points for driving without tax - I don't think so. - anyone? I think the police are just assuming you will get points by wrongly assuming your insurance is voided.

I know you want to drive your car ASAP, to drive it for Mon, Tue, Wed & Thurs you will have to buy a full months tax for Sept, If that month costs a lot I would declare the car SORN to DVLA for now, and then tax it from Oct 1st.

Also if your car is sitting on the road not on private property it can be clamped by the DVLA and towed costing you an arm and a leg. You can also get a windscreen ticket for having no tax displayed by the police or traffic wardens

Why has the car got no tax? Who did you buy it from? Did they retain the tax disc to get a refund? If so, you should have bought the tax disc off them.

Have you checked if the vehicle is actually taxed for September?
http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk click on "Vehicle enquiry"

If it is taxed then the only offence you are committing is failing to display , and I would drive it as is.


If you want to complain you are not alone the tax disc system is ridiculous and should allow for a one-off 'temporary disc' to be bought without documents from a PO or online. Or just scrap the whole useless tax disc system all together and put the tax onto fuel. Complain by writing to your MP.

I dont think theres any points for no tax
however is it not the case they can now impound the car? or is that just insurance?

I agree they whole tax system should be redesigned
i still wish they did a monthly option
im wary of adding it to fuel as its a pandoras box to hae even more scope for fuel duty rises (and i dont even do a lot of miles)

optimus_primera

If the vehicle is on the public highway,with no tax, then plod can and do impound the car, and crush it if its not collected with tax etc etc ...... they have doen round this way in conjunction with local council.

ryantcb

Wig wrote: »

Your insurance will not be voided if you drive your car without tax, the police are wrong on that point.

I'm not sure if there are any penalty points for driving without tax - I don't think so. - anyone? I think the police are just assuming you will get points by wrongly assuming your insurance is voided.

I know you want to drive your car ASAP, to drive it for Mon, Tue, Wed & Thurs you will have to buy a full months tax for Sept, If that month costs a lot I would declare the car SORN to DVLA for now, and then tax it from Oct 1st.

Also if your car is sitting on the road not on private property it can be clamped by the DVLA and towed costing you an arm and a leg. You can also get a windscreen ticket for having no tax displayed by the police or traffic wardens

Why has the car got no tax? Who did you buy it from? Did they retain the tax disc to get a refund? If so, you should have bought the tax disc off them.

Have you checked if the vehicle is actually taxed for September?
http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk click on "Vehicle enquiry"

If it is taxed then the only offence you are committing is failing to display , and I would drive it as is.


If you want to complain you are not alone the tax disc system is ridiculous and should allow for a one-off 'temporary disc' to be bought without documents from a PO or online. Or just scrap the whole useless tax disc system all together and put the tax onto fuel. Complain by writing to your MP.

Thanks for the response I will write to my MP as this is wrong. The car has no tax as it was bought from a dealer who got it from an auction (job lot) and last time it was owned by a person and taxed was may this year. This system does not allow me to buy the tax its not that I dont want to so the 'one-off' option you mention needs to be given real thought by the powers that be

Barneysmom

I agree with you op, it's a complete con and they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.
I was put in that position a few years ago when I had a company car, and I bet there are loads more the same.
But what can we do, how would you start to get things changed? I wouldn't have a clue.
A petition maybe?

ryantcb

I entered my reg number into DVLA and it gave me (along with other rubbish about Co2 and year of first reg and how much my tax will be)

"Date of Liability 01 12 2010" what does that refer to?

custardy

ryantcb wrote: »

I entered my reg number into DVLA and it gave me (along with other rubbish about Co2 and year of first reg and how much my tax will be)

"Date of Liability 01 12 2010" what does that refer to?

the last registered keeper had it taxed till December
they have/will surrender the disc for a refund