MSE News: The end is nigh for tax discs - how will it affect you?

Carnivore

corbyboy wrote: »

Does anybody know if the DVLA has estimated the extra income they will earn for vehicles being double-taxed for a month when they are sold? That would be a very interesting number to know.

Interesting point. Since the rule is that a buyer must tax a car when they buy it and before driving, DVLA are providing automated systems to support payment of duty 24 hours a day. It would surely have been easy to support refunds and payment of new duty down to the day instead of forcing refunds to the end of the month and payment to the beginning. Can't think why they chose not to do this.

AdrianC

Carnivore wrote: »

Interesting point. Since the rule is that a buyer must tax a car when they buy it and before driving, DVLA are providing automated systems to support payment of duty 24 hours a day. It would surely have been easy to support refunds and payment of new duty down to the day instead of forcing refunds to the end of the month and payment to the beginning. Can't think why they chose not to do this.

I certainly can. Their systems are set up to manage tax by the month. Changing that to manage it by the day will be a BIG change to core functionality. Everything else is tickling around the edge.

Carnivore

Sorry but I don't buy that. There would be no need to change all the core functionality, just the calculation of the refund and the initial payment to take into account the time from the beginning of the month. In fact, if you were selling and buying at the same time, they could have just let you transfer the VED.

It seems more likely that this was not done because:

a) there would be a cost to making these changes.
b) there would be a loss of revenue.

It comes down to whether the change is done to save money for the DVLA or to improve the customer experience. Is there any other service where we'd put up with paying twice?

redux

Carnivore wrote: »

... DVLA are providing automated systems to support payment of duty 24 hours a day.

They aren't. Paying tax online has been offline for about 12 hours so far.

There must be someone working though, as they are updating their Twitter account.

"Unprecedented demand"

um, sure :rotfl:

And even before that, a few days ago, the reference number on my V11 renewal form produced online and automatic phone system responses that they have no records for this vehicle.

Former_MSE_Andrea

Who's taken the tax disc off already? Mine's still on at the moment, feels a bit odd!

keithcomben

Bought a car beginning September with tax running out 30 September. Did all the paperwork including changing over cherished plates with paperwork back from DVLA stamped 12 September. Advised in the letter that the logbook will follow soon. Tried to tax car on line for the next couple of weeks but no joy. Tried Post Office but no chance without paperwork which should arrive soon. On line just does not allow it without renewal letter or logbook. We have neither as not yet arrived.


Went back to Post Office as advised by web site and still they could not do. Post Office advised us to contact DVLA as don't know what is happened with local office in Cardiff.


Phoned DVLA on 30 September and on hold, 9p a minute and when answered over 20 minutes later only got a short conversation with operator before being cut off. Phoned back and got message that all 279 operators/lines were busy, try again later. Kept trying until eventually it said now closed.
Tried again on 1 October and service is now unavailable try later. Noticed web site is now also now unavailable so think they have problems.


Our problem is that we now have a car that is not taxed and therefore cannot legally use. We have waited for over 2 weeks for the paperwork to be able to tax it. It is only £30 a year so not a fortune and we want to tax but have not been able to. I wonder if we will get a letter saying it is not taxed etc?


I understand things have to change and electronically is the best way but this is really not acceptable! Have a car and cannot use it! Come on DVLA sort it out.

Strider590

keithcomben wrote: »

Phoned DVLA on 30 September and on hold, 9p a minute and when answered over 20 minutes later only got a short conversation with operator before being cut off. Phoned back and got message that all 279 operators/lines were busy, try again later. Kept trying until eventually it said now closed.

http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php

Use the normal phone number, not the 0870. Do it on your mobile phone if you have enough free minutes.

Generally I find you don't have to wait as long if you phone a company on their non-premium rate number, although some operators have hung up on me when they've said "I just need to put you on hold for a few minutes" and I respond with "that's no problem at all, take as long as you like, i'm not using the premium number", so don't make my mistake

AdrianC

So you've bought a car with no V5C and no new keeper slip?

To be fair, that's hardly DVLA's fault.

You've NEVER been able (since the newer-style V5Cs with a new keeper slip came in) to tax a car without any paperwork if you're a new keeper - and you've never been able to tax a car online without the V5C being in your name, simply because the tax disc would have gone to the keeper at the time of taxing, which would have quite likely been the vendor.

Start of September is one of the two new registration letter peaks of the year, so it's no surprise that it's a busy time and paperwork may be delayed a bit. Adding in the private plate transfer is just adding another layer of potential error and delay to the keeper change.

keithcomben

Hi AdrianC.

Ta but had the slip etc when bought the car however when you change over cherished plates you have to send the new keeper slip with the paperwork. Luckily I thought, I will scan it all before sending it just in case. Still no good. The Post Office were as good as they could be too. They assisted as much as they could but it comes back to ringing DVLA. Ah well maybe the postman will bring the new logbook etc today and maybe the phone will be answered by DVLA if the service is available again. Thanks to Strider590 too for the say no to 0870 etc.
Regards
Keith

keithcomben

Wohoooooooo.

Got through to the automated DLVA phone system but now "all our operators are busy so please try again later"

Could not find an alternative number, only the old 0870 and the new 0300.

Ah well its getting there. (I hope)!

K