DVLA saying vehicle not taxed yet they have been taking direct debit

tea=tart=and=rice

Ive just spent a frustrating hour trying to deal with this. I bought a car back in July, taxed it straight away, or so I thought. Online of course, using the green V5C/2; in fact DVLA have already taken the first payment (a double month) with the car reg number clearly detailed on my bank statement. Yet, today I have received a "last chance" letter from them. So I checked online, entered all the correct info and it comes back that my car is untaxed. Trying to ring the DVLA is soul destroying, all the numbers mentioned online are discontinued and keep taking you back to an automated service. Ive sent them an email which will take 3 working days to respond to. Im so frustrated! Then I thought aha! I will retax it but of course it goes straight to direct debit set up which they are already taking! That option also told me that because there has been a lapse of a month the enforcement team will be likely to contact me. What? seriously? Sigh... longing for the old system... at least you knew where you were. As another thought tried entering hubby's details for our other car hoping that there was a glitch but nah, that one says taxed ok. I dont know what Ive done wrong. Am I taxed or not? Grrrr. I just want to speak to a human! Help please before I go potty. pretty please.

Valli

I was going to ask if you had informed them you're the new keeper. But clearly you have. I'm wondering, however, if they haven't yet tied the two things together - ie new owner paying tax.

Have you received your new V5C?

Marvel1

Not sure what site you are looking at for the numbers to phone, but the number is 0300 790 6802

tea=tart=and=rice

thank you Valli and cjdavies.

Yes, Ive received V5C in my name, came last week.
The number is that wretched automated service. I want to scream!
lol

facade

Keep trying the number.

Write down what options you picked, and work your way through them until there is a glitch, and you get A Real Person.

It is what I did last time, took most of a morning, and probably cost £400 in 'phone bills. (don't use your own 'phone)

First thing I tried was not pressing anything, it doesn't work.

All the trails that made sense ended in long & tedious messages assuring me that what I was 'phoning about (no red V5 issued) would be sorted by 6 months before (which is why I was 'phoning, as it hadn't) followed by hanging up.

I have no idea what options I picked, I just kept on until I spoke to completely the wrong person, who could transfer me.

Valli

tea=tart=and=rice wrote: »

thank you Valli and cjdavies.

Yes, Ive received V5C in my name, came last week.
The number is that wretched automated service. I want to scream!
lol

I wonder if they registered the tax as being paid by the previous owner and not you. because there is now a new owner it WILL show (online) as untaxed. Or there is a glitch in the system.

Await the outcome of the email you have sent them. But don't stress about the 'enforcement team' for now; just keep your bank statements etc to hand. TBH I wouldn't even be bothering trying to phone them. I had the devil of a job taxing my car and the advice I was given was so incredible (go to the PO and TRY to tax it) that I didn't even follow it.

If they do get heavy get onto your MP sharpish.

Apparently, if you're in an automated system you can try a key (it's either # or * but I honestly can't remember) and this overrides the automated menu and sticks you through to humans. It works with banks but I haven't tried it for a while; I hate menus with a passion!

tea=tart=and=rice

Thanks. Police enquiries confirmed that it shows as untaxed and basically advised keeping all my paperwork in the car in case I get pulled but that if I get caught by a camera I would have to contest. This is madness! All this could have been sorted hours ago if only I could have spoken to a human. Whats more my town now no longer has a police station as such, only an enquires desk with our town hall which also houses the library (once a peaceful place) and the housing department and manned by security guards! I have obviously lived a sheltered life.

Valli, your reasoning sounds plausible, i.e. they haven't matched up new/old owner yet. Thing is frustratingly when you do anything online there is no option to retrace your steps so that you can see if perhaps you clicked on the wrong thing or not. Grrr.

Facade, I will try again tomorrow the automated service and try your suggestions. Im not hopeful though. I googled "speak to a human at dvla" and lots of reports of various numbers to try but I tried them all and they were all obsolete and just kept going back to the new automated one. I did try just not selecting an option at all hoping that it would transfer to a person but the message was that if I did not select an option the call would be terminated. Cant win!

Whilst I can see the sense in online processing and definately the direct debit option I much preferred the old tax disc so at least everyone knew where they stood.

Hubby says not to worry and to carry on driving with proof to hand but Im not so happy, Ive been driving for over 30 years and never been pulled over, I dont plan to start now, especially when Ive done nothing wrong. So frustrating.

bouicca21

So much going wrong at dvla, really worth complaining to your MP.

facade

Valli wrote: »

Apparently, if you're in an automated system you can try a key (it's either # or * but I honestly can't remember) and this overrides the automated menu and sticks you through to humans. It works with banks but I haven't tried it for a while; I hate menus with a passion!

I wonder if that is what I did by accident when I was repeatedly trying options that got nowhere

Valli

facade wrote: »

I wonder if that is what I did by accident when I was repeatedly trying options that got nowhere

I'm fairly sure I picked up that little gem from Martin Lewis:money: when he used to be on Radio 2 on a Friday...or it was somewhere on this site...

@ OP - I had a similar thing with my water rates once - I paid it and changed my name at the same time. Even though all the information (and the cheque - we are talking a LONG time ago :rotfl:) were in the same envelope they managed to separate all the data, bank the cheque THEN threaten to send in the bailiffs because the bill hadn't been paid *rolls eyes* even though they had banked my cheque!

Marvel1

Another top when phoning, listen to all options and press the relevant one, you may end up speaking to a person at the right department or may say stay online to speak to someone.

Now next step is you are in a queue, I avoid these by ringing first thing when they open. Lines open at 8am, I ring then.

Don't go ringing random numbers you seen on random sites, as you may a ring a 0845 number just to treansfer to you the official 0300 number I provided and charge you a fortune.