Car tax refund paid short by DVLA

Peterpan18

We part exchanged our car with a local Dealer on the 27th May 2015.
The garage and I completed the V5C/3 and I posted it the next day (keeping a photocopy of it).
The car had 4 months of "unused" tax on it so I waited for the refund. When the refund arrived I could not work out how DVLA had calculated it. I had just divided the amount by 6 and multiplied this by 4 = my refund. Apparently, DVLA use the 12 month amount to calculate the refund.
Once I understood that, the refund was still £30 odd, short. DVLA only gave me 3 months refund because my old car was registered, by the new keeper (not the dealer), on the 28th June 2015 and as they, DVLA, had no record of receiving my V5C/3 that was the first they knew of change of ownership hence I only got 3 months refund.
My argument is that all I was legally obliged to do was send the completed section (V5C/3) to DVLA,and that I did.Once posted it was out of my control where it went. It is also not my fault that the dealership failed to notify DVLA they had temporary ownership.
I feel that despite sending a copy V5C/3 complete with the Dealers stamp and signature they are saying I am a liar and I am not getting the additional one months refund.
Can any one help, advise or has this happened to anyone else?

d123

Have you kept proof of posting the v5 on the 28th of May? If so, make a complaint and include a copy of the proof of posting/tracking receipt showing when it was posted.

forgotmyname

I SORN'd mine on the last day of the month to ensure i got the full refund.

Cynical me would not dream of thinking the DVLA leaving all the new post with V5C documents sitting in the pile on the last day and open it on the 1st so you lose another month.

zappahey

I think you over-estimate DVLA's time management abilities.

Peterpan18

d123 wrote: »

Have you kept proof of posting the v5 on the 28th of May? If so, make a complaint and include a copy of the proof of posting/tracking receipt showing when it was posted.

No I didn't, in hind sight would have been the right thing to do. I am also trying to involve/part blame the Dealership as their notification of ownership/temporary control would have initiated a refund but they told me they posted the info to DVLA the next day, DVLA say they didn't.

d123

Peterpan18 wrote: »

No I didn't, in hind sight would have been the right thing to do. I am also trying to involve/part blame the Dealership as their notification of ownership/temporary control would have initiated a refund but they told me they posted the info to DVLA the next day, DVLA say they didn't.

Unfortunately without that proof (I thought everyone got at least a proof of posting when posting items to them given the inefficiency usually shown by DVLA) you really have no case to follow up.

You say you did, they say you didn't...

Fletch7

forgotmyname wrote: »

Cynical me would not dream of thinking the DVLA leaving all the new post with V5C documents sitting in the pile on the last day and open it on the 1st so you lose another month.

My refund was processed based on the date of transfer, not the date the DVLA physically received it in the post.

Renewal date was 01/03/2016, I sold the car 30/10/15 and received 4 months refund (nov, dec, jan & feb) despite the cheque and the "thanks for telling us you sold the car" letter being dated 5th November.

Rover_Driver

Peterpan18 wrote: »

I am also trying to involve/part blame the Dealership as their notification of ownership/temporary control would have initiated a refund but they told me they posted the info to DVLA the next day, DVLA say they didn't.

Dealers do not send anything to the DVLA until they transfer the vehicle to the new keeper, they keep the V5C and then send it with their details.

The only notification that the DVLA get of the transfer, which triggers the refund, is when they receive the V5C/3 from the old keeper.

Peterpan18

d123 wrote: »

Unfortunately without that proof (I thought everyone got at least a proof of posting when posting items to them given the inefficiency usually shown by DVLA) you really have no case to follow up.

You say you did, they say you didn't...

I agree, to a point, but I did keep a copy of the V5C/3 section that has the dealers stamp, signature, date etc. I have sent DVLA a copy of this and they have not even acknowledged or referred to it. Surely with the bar coding etc on it they can prove it is a genuine copy.

dannyrst

All this for circa £30? Do an hours overtime or something and chill.

facade

To avoid this sort of thing, you can do the change of ownership online and keep hold of your paperwork.

You fill in the new keepers details, and tick a box to say that they are a trader, (or not if they are the purchaser) then the refund and "you are no longer the keeper" comes within a few days.