DVLA- A Car Persecuting Government Dept?

DampProof

In the last 2 years speeding fines have increased by 50%. There are thousands of honest, hard working tax paying citizens who have been criminalized for exceeding the speed limit by a few MPH.

The SCORN Scam.
Fail or forget to tell them your car is off the road and there is an automatic fine. Fail to follow up after having advised them within a set time and you will get another.

The License Tax Scam
Have an accident and write off your car and if you are lucky you may get a refund. You will only get a refund from the date of your application. So if the accident put you in hospital for two months and you apply when you get out, you have lost 2 months refund.

BUT… if like the 2 million plus, if the statistics are correct, or 1 in 15 drivers who drive around with no tax, insurance or MOT you will not be persecuted at all because your details are not on the computer. :eek:

How can that be?…. well think about it. If you are pulled up by a policeman after he has checked out your number plate and cant find anything on the database, he will probably ask you to produce documents at the local Station. How does he know your names not Mr Smith who lives at Invisible Terrace ?

So is this insidious, money grabbing department forcing people to drive around illegaly?……. It would be interesting to see what the statistics claim the figures are this time next year…… I know what my money’s on.

philhuff

There are thousands of honest, hard working tax paying citizens who have been criminalized for exceeding the speed limit by a few MPH ... Fail or forget to tell them your car is off the road and there is an automatic fine ... Have an accident and write off your car and if you are lucky you may get a refund. You will only get a refund from the date of your application

What's wrong with those?

While I think that speed limits are set at entirely arbitrary figures, and usually bear no relation to what is safe for any given road, the fact is the law is very clear and, if you're caught speeding, there's really no excuse. The law may be wrong, but it's still the law.

Same with SORN - it's a very clear cut law. Your car is either on the road and taxed or off the road and SORN'd.

Regarding tax refunds, does this hypothetical person not have a friend or family member who could possibly fill in a form? Or should the DVLA accept people writing in and saying "When do I need a refund from? Ooooh... I'd say from 12 months ago!"

BUT… if like the 2 million plus, if the statistics are correct, or 1 in 15 drivers who drive around with no tax, insurance or MOT you will not be persecuted at all because your details are not on the computer.

Ah, now this bit I can agree with. The reliance on automated systems to govern motorists and collect fines does indeed allow many people to evade any action, and that's clearly a problem. The view is that those being 'slightly' illegal are given a kicking while those that are 'very' illegal get away scot-free.

Random stops (or even targeted stops) would help, and if there's nothing on a computer search then a trip to the local station should be in order to verify the drivers and owners details.

taxiphil

The DVLA are an absolute disgrace - the worst possible example of an unaccountable and woefully inept government department.

They have the power to criminalise people and act as judge, jury and executioner. If you are a day late in taxing or SORNing your vehicle, they'll pounce on you like a pack of wolves, even if it's a genuine human error.

But when they make a mistake, they have absolute impunity. They charged my partner's bank account twice when she bought her tax disc online. That was over six weeks ago and we're still fighting to get the money back. They never return our calls or letters and we've spent several hours on the phone to their 0870 rip-off line.

Another thing - they make £1.3 million profit every year from their 0870 number, many of those calls coming from people who are trying to put right the DVLA's own mistakes. Talk about profiteering from your own incompetence!

DampProof

philhuff wrote:

What's wrong with those?

While I think that speed limits are set at entirely arbitrary figures, and usually bear no relation to what is safe for any given road, the fact is the law is very clear and, if you're caught speeding, there's really no excuse. The law may be wrong, but it's still the law.

You said it....just another lawful money making scam...so that's OK then :rolleyes:

Same with SORN - it's a very clear cut law. Your car is either on the road and taxed or off the road and SORN'd

You said it....just another lawful money making scam...so that's OK then :rolleyes:

Regarding tax refunds, does this hypothetical person not have a friend or family member who could possibly fill in a form? Or should the DVLA accept people writing in and saying "When do I need a refund from? Ooooh... I'd say from 12 months ago!"

If the car is off the road in a scrap yard and you have documented proof ...regardless of whether you applied for a refund this week, last week or last year, why penalise a person for applying late?
The license tax is for vehicles parked or in use on a public highway, not in a scrap yard or on private property.

The DVLA are very aggressive at handing out penalties to law abiding, tax paying citizens but not so eager to pay back tax for vehicles that have not been driven on a public road. Just because you did not comply within a certain time frame does not make it OK, law or no law.

Instead of scre***g the honest motorist for a lapse of memory or not getting a form back on time, why not do something about the 2 million + who are not being subjected to this type of aggressive victimisation because they are not on a government computer?

Or is because 2 million untaxed, uninsured or none MOT'd cars still provide a bucket full of tax cash...when 74p of every pound you spend on petrol goes to Mr Brown.

No..... could'nt possibly be that :rolleyes:

iolanthe07

we've spent several hours on the phone to their 0870 rip-off line.

Try phoning 01792 782341

It worked for me, but they don't like people doing this and may have changed it. I find 'saynoto0870' usually offers a geographical alternative.

Andya1959

Just to let you all know, the DVLA have a new trick now. I sold a motorbike, and posted the V5 log book in. Either they didn't receive it, or moe likely they lost it, so I'm in court today dending the fine they arbitrarily imposed on me for my failure to notify them I sold the bike! Like all motoring matters, they offered the usual 'half price to keep quiet' option, but I'll be stuffed if I'm going to give them £30 for the fun of it, just because some clerk accuses me and finds me guilty!
At the last hearing, there were 17 others in the same boat as me- exactly the same 'offence'. Seems to me that it's paying them to simply bin 1 in 10 V5's as a revenue exercise. After all, of everyone at the court last time, there must be dozens more just shelling out £30 for the quiet life!

rev_henry

Andya1959 wrote: »

Just to let you all know, the DVLA have a new trick now. I sold a motorbike, and posted the V5 log book in. Either they didn't receive it, or moe likely they lost it, so I'm in court today dending the fine they arbitrarily imposed on me for my failure to notify them I sold the bike! Like all motoring matters, they offered the usual 'half price to keep quiet' option, but I'll be stuffed if I'm going to give them £30 for the fun of it, just because some clerk accuses me and finds me guilty!
At the last hearing, there were 17 others in the same boat as me- exactly the same 'offence'. Seems to me that it's paying them to simply bin 1 in 10 V5's as a revenue exercise. After all, of everyone at the court last time, there must be dozens more just shelling out £30 for the quiet life!

I read something that Honest John wrote a while ago; the essence of it was, if you sell a vehicle, after you send off the V5, YOU must contact the DVLA to check if THEY'VE done the job THEY'RE there for in updating the details. If YOU don't do this, and THEY haven't bothered to update their records then, yes, you guessed it, YOU are liable to be fined.

Did anyone see these jokers on watchdog this week and last week? Randomly taking people's driving licenses away and denying all knowledge? And they even gave one girl a full license 2 weeks after she failed her test.

The way I understand it, if you're pulled by the police, the computer will say who owns the vehicle, whether its taxed, insured or MOT'd or not etc. There's no such thing as no information, unless of course its on false plates, in which case they'd know. So, if you're pulled and have no insurance, your car will be impounded on the spot, you can't just produce your details later anymore. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what seems to happen on Traffic Cops etc.

Scaredy_Cat_3

iolanthe07 wrote: »

we've spent several hours on the phone to their 0870 rip-off line.

Try phoning 01792 782341

It worked for me, but they don't like people doing this and may have changed it. I find 'saynoto0870' usually offers a geographical alternative.

I wish I'd known about that a couple of hours ago. I rang them this morning using the 0870 number on the front of the reminder form. I had to listen to a recorded message about how loads of tax discs have been duplicated but don't worry we're sending a letter of apology... then I had to go through their idiotic menu options - took about 3 layers of menu options before I got another recorded message telling to ring a second 0870 number. :mad:

THEN I rang the second number, had to listen to the same recorded message about duplicated tax discs, then went through about 4 layers of menu options... then got cut off!!!!

Had to ring AGAIN and listen to the recorded message about duplicated tax discs, then go through another 4 layers of menu options, before I finally got through to a person. This last call lasted just over 10 minutes. I don't know how long the earlier ones lasted, but I can well see how they make a fortune from it.
:mad::mad::mad:

Gers

Andya1959 wrote: »

Just to let you all know, the DVLA have a new trick now. I sold a motorbike, and posted the V5 log book in. Either they didn't receive it, or moe likely they lost it, so I'm in court today dending the fine they arbitrarily imposed on me for my failure to notify them I sold the bike! Like all motoring matters, they offered the usual 'half price to keep quiet' option, but I'll be stuffed if I'm going to give them £30 for the fun of it, just because some clerk accuses me and finds me guilty!
At the last hearing, there were 17 others in the same boat as me- exactly the same 'offence'. Seems to me that it's paying them to simply bin 1 in 10 V5's as a revenue exercise. After all, of everyone at the court last time, there must be dozens more just shelling out £30 for the quiet life!

I'll be taking the safe side and sending off my part of the V5 by special delivery - that way I can at least guarantee it reaches there, after that it's down to them. Seems a small outlay will make the difference (fingers crossed, touch wood and throwing salt over my shoulder!)

Andya1959

Hi Guys,
Sorry but I forgot to tell you all the outcome. I had my court date, which I apparently hadn't had to attend as it was just a pleading, but I was able to get a word in and start to get my position on record. DVLA said in court they'd written to tell me I hadn't had to attend but I never received the letter- I pointed out to the magistrates that the DVLA hadn't called me to ensure that I had received it and so had wasted my time- they saw my point and smiled!
In September I was back in court, suited and booted, and armed with a statement of truth from my wife attesting to having seen me post the logbook in good faith, several quotes from the DVLA chief executive lifted from the net which attested to their own incompetence, and a REALLY bad attitude. Guess what? I spoke to the prosecuting brief before the hearing, and the matter was withdrawn as 'not being in the public interest'. OK, it was a pain in the butt to have to go to court, and a lot of people probably pay up rather than have the inconvenience, but if we don't take a stand these 'pay half a fine for the quiet life' claims will simply increase!

rev_henry

Gers wrote: »

I'll be taking the safe side and sending off my part of the V5 by special delivery - that way I can at least guarantee it reaches there, after that it's down to them. Seems a small outlay will make the difference (fingers crossed, touch wood and throwing salt over my shoulder!)

You don't need to. Just a first class stamp and free proof of postage from the post office is all that's required by law.