DVLA scam

atrixblue.-MFR-.

AnythingButChardonnay wrote: »

How is the OP being unreasonable? The DVLA (well, actually like most things, the EU) changed the rules of the game halfway through. That is retrospective and is therefore not fair.

I've only ever known photo licences, but people who got theirs before the rules changed shouldn't be expected to fork out for one just because they've changed address or lost theirs.

as far as im awar a change of addy is free!!
putting SCAM and DVLA together is asking for trouble in ragards to this site, it is not a scam, its a factor in motoring now.

if you read what the form says for renawl of photo on its own is £20, but if your having points removed, renewed paper licence replaced lost damaged or stolen its free.

Inactive

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

as far as im awar a change of addy is free!!

It may well be, but if you have an old style non photo licence, you are forced to have a photo style licence which obviously costs.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Inactive wrote: »

It may well be, but if you have an old style non photo licence, you are forced to have a photo style licence which obviously costs.

yes no doubt, but its £20 every 10 years at least it not the cost of a NEW licence plus. i actually saved money with the dvla, had a expired code removed £20 and reneweed photo as was due £free.

if it wasnt then it would be £40. £20 for my fuel.

spiro

Inactive wrote: »

It may well be, but if you have an old style non photo licence, you are forced to have a photo style licence which obviously costs.

I'm guessing it will only be a matter of time before they decide the old paper ones are no longer legal and everyone will have to have a photo one. Even if we dont decide the EU could force it on us. As other have said many countries have had these for years before we did, they also have id cards which if we had them would mean we would not need a passport to travel in the EU.

Inactive

spiro wrote: »

I'm guessing it will only be a matter of time before they decide the old paper ones are no longer legal and everyone will have to have a photo one. Even if we dont decide the EU could force it on us. As other have said many countries have had these for years before we did, they also have id cards which if we had them would mean we would not need a passport to travel in the EU.

I somehow doubt it, the ConDem's have dumped the ID Cards, other EU Members do a lot of things differently to us.

Strider590

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

putting SCAM and DVLA together is asking for trouble

How about "legalised extortion" then?

For me and many others, it's the whole issue of fining people because the DVLA or Royal mail lost their V5 (DVLA conveniently loses a lot of correspondence). I actually do send any/all correspondence to the DVLA via recorded signed for post and I recommend anyone else does the same.
Once they issue a fine, even if they're wrong they have have pages and pages of small print they can still get you on.
Appeals are not read, they are simply automatically responded to with more threatening letters.

Someone makes a lot of money out of the DVLA and it's not the government.

I think "legalised extortion" covers it quite nicely.

AlexisV

Don't get me started on passports...

£77???!!!

Capt_Slog

Strider590 wrote: »

Someone makes a lot of money out of the DVLA and it's not the government.

I think "legalised extortion" covers it quite nicely.

Yes, I'm with you there.

I have one of the paper licences, and as others have said, it can only be a matter of time before I have to change it.

As the OP said, it seems very odd that no-one wants proof that the photo sent is actually you, and I doubt that they would notice if you sent the same one!


As a side issue to this, has anyone had problems with the 'classes' bit of the licence when they came to renew it? I remember an issue some years ago of motorcylcists who lost the right to ride after submitting the licence for changes. They had to go back and take the Compulsory Basic Training, and then retake their test, even though they had been riding for years, expensive do.

Appealing was useless too. One rider had even gone to the trouble of having his licence (and classes) witnessed by a solicitor before sending it. It came back with his motorcyling classes omitted and he too had to start again.

thenudeone

There is one fact missing from the OP's post.
If he paid for a licence in the 1970s and never moved or changed his/her name, then it would still be valid now
In between then and now (about ten years ago) the OP must have had to get a new licence (due to moving home, perhaps). It would have been obvious at that time that in 10 years time that licence (or the photo on it) would be due to expire.

£20 isn't just for the licence (which must cost a fair bit because it includes UV watermarks, transparent embossing, and a unique hologram on every licence), it is for replacements when you move home, recording endorsements and disqualifications, maintaining the database, and making it available to the police 24/7.

king100

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

I received a letter from the DVLA last week informing me that my driving licence was due for renewal and they wanted £20 to do so with a new photo.

Being 63 years of age, but not yet senile, I can remember that in the 1970's the government decided to stop issuing driving licences every three years for £1, and charged one £10 fee for a licence until you reach 70 years of age. They evidently wanted the money all at once.

Now they've cottoned on to this new scam of wanting to renew the photo licence every 10 years and want £20 for it, saying looks change and you need a new photo.

So what if I send them another copy of the photo used in the previous licence? It's identical but apparently the photo doesn't need countersigning or anything.

It's just a way of making you pay £20.

Plus my licence still says it's valid until 2018!

I changed my address then 6 months it ran out so had to pay£20 for new photo.

Change of address free.!!!!!