I have mistakenly Taxed my car from 1st March instead of 1st April 2021.

RussNotts5

I have mistakenly Taxed my car from 1st March instead of 1st April 2021.
I have contacted the DVLA as soon as I noticed the error but they say I can not cancel or defer it to 1st April. 
There is a radio campaign encouraging people to ensure their cars are Taxed before using them after being SORN. I thought I would get everything sorted ready for a new month as Lockdown is eased. 
I made the payment by Credit card on the 20th March and tried to call the DVLA as soon as I spotted it said 1st March. All phone calls ended almost immediately with we are busy. I have since had a Web chat, I have the transcript,  but they are unwilling to change the date, recommending that I SORN it again for March. I asked if that would refund March, the answer was "No"
I have contacted my Credit card supplier and they say I need to ask for a cancellation from the Vendor, which I have (Transcript evidence) and now after 5 days (today 25th) I can go back the the Credit card company and ask them again to cancel the payment. 
What are the chances of this succeeding?  Are Government departments exempt from payment cancellation and does the 14 day cooling off period apply as they say it is now active from the 1st March?
Thank you for any help, small person versus big Government department. 

born_again

RussNotts5 said:

I have mistakenly Taxed my car from 1st March instead of 1st April 2021.
I have contacted the DVLA as soon as I noticed the error but they say I can not cancel or defer it to 1st April. 
There is a radio campaign encouraging people to ensure their cars are Taxed before using them after being SORN. I thought I would get everything sorted ready for a new month as Lockdown is eased. 
I made the payment by Credit card on the 20th March and tried to call the DVLA as soon as I spotted it said 1st March. All phone calls ended almost immediately with we are busy. I have since had a Web chat, I have the transcript,  but they are unwilling to change the date, recommending that I SORN it again for March. I asked if that would refund March, the answer was "No"
I have contacted my Credit card supplier and they say I need to ask for a cancellation from the Vendor, which I have (Transcript evidence) and now after 5 days (today 25th) I can go back the the Credit card company and ask them again to cancel the payment. 
What are the chances of this succeeding?  Are Government departments exempt from payment cancellation and does the 14 day cooling off period apply as they say it is now active from the 1st March?
Thank you for any help, small person versus big Government department. 

They can't cancel  the payment. They would be looking at a chargeback that the DVLA could contest.
Many service are exempt for the 14 day cooling off period.

How soon was soon?

AdrianC

You taxed the car with one third of March remaining. So, yes, of course that tax covers March...

If you weren't planning on using the car before the end of March, you should have left taxing it until the end of March... You can buy tax "from" the following month during the last two days of a month only. Nothing's changed in recent years - if you walked into a post office on 20th March, you would only ever have been able to buy tax expiring in August or February.

Buying tax online shows the expiry date several steps before you make the payment.

lemondrops69

I'd also weigh up 1 months tax cost versus the hassle. I think you're going to potentially create more problems for yourself, from a mistake you made

RussNotts5

born_again said:

RussNotts5 said:

I have mistakenly Taxed my car from 1st March instead of 1st April 2021.
I have contacted the DVLA as soon as I noticed the error but they say I can not cancel or defer it to 1st April. 
There is a radio campaign encouraging people to ensure their cars are Taxed before using them after being SORN. I thought I would get everything sorted ready for a new month as Lockdown is eased. 
I made the payment by Credit card on the 20th March and tried to call the DVLA as soon as I spotted it said 1st March. All phone calls ended almost immediately with we are busy. I have since had a Web chat, I have the transcript,  but they are unwilling to change the date, recommending that I SORN it again for March. I asked if that would refund March, the answer was "No"
I have contacted my Credit card supplier and they say I need to ask for a cancellation from the Vendor, which I have (Transcript evidence) and now after 5 days (today 25th) I can go back the the Credit card company and ask them again to cancel the payment. 
What are the chances of this succeeding?  Are Government departments exempt from payment cancellation and does the 14 day cooling off period apply as they say it is now active from the 1st March?
Thank you for any help, small person versus big Government department. 

They can't cancel  the payment. They would be looking at a chargeback that the DVLA could contest.
Many service are exempt for the 14 day cooling off period.

How soon was soon?

Within a few minutes of noticing my mistake but the automated answer machine just kept on saying "we are busy, goodbye"
I recalled it several times.

RussNotts5

AdrianC said:

You taxed the car with one third of March remaining. So, yes, of course that tax covers March...

If you weren't planning on using the car before the end of March, you should have left taxing it until the end of March... You can buy tax "from" the following month during the last two days of a month only. Nothing's changed in recent years - if you walked into a post office on 20th March, you would only ever have been able to buy tax expiring in August or February.

Buying tax online shows the expiry date several steps before you make the payment.

Yes, I am sure it does and I must have missed it. I admitted to them on the Web chat that I have made a mistake. I am sure they can change the date? They just don't want to help. My fault I know.

RussNotts5

lemondrops69 said:

I'd also weigh up 1 months tax cost versus the hassle. I think you're going to potentially create more problems for yourself, from a mistake you made

It's just under £50 which isn't a small amount and I have admitted it was my mistake, I was hoping they would have some type of Customer service? I only wanted a date change from 1st March to 1st April. Maybe I was Foolish?😃

AdrianC

You cannot buy tax this early in March starting from April.

Why would you be taxing a SORNed car on the 20th, if you do not intend to use it for the next 11 days?
Why would you not wait until the end of the month?
The car has been taxed and is available for you to use legally now.
The lockdown easing due on 29th March still requires you to only travel locally.

As for the amount - OK, so it's a car in one of the very highest bands. The amount will not be a shock to you, because you would have known it before purchasing the car. There are only two bands that come close to that figure - L and M, 2006-17, 226k/km+ CO2, £565 and £580/year. Even a post-2017 £40k+ car is less than £40/mo.
That means that your £50 for the 11 days of possible use that you've paid for but don't apparently want to use would quickly pale into insignificance beside fuel costs...

RussNotts5

I just like to be ahead and on top of stuff like this. As I said I have made a mistake but I can't understand why the DVLA will not defer the start date until 1st April?
Normally the car is taxed all year round and I haven't SORN a car before so I have no experience of this. I was hoping initially that talking to someone would be able to correct my mistake? Obviously the computer says "No"

Biggus_Dickus

RussNotts5 said:

I just like to be ahead and on top of stuff like this. As I said I have made a mistake but I can't understand why the DVLA will not defer the start date until 1st April?
Normally the car is taxed all year round and I haven't SORN a car before so I have no experience of this. I was hoping initially that talking to someone would be able to correct my mistake? Obviously the computer says "No"

The DVLA front line help-desk staff are little more than automatons who are guided by very strict procedure.  

Your mission was destined to fail from the outset I’m afraid.😥

Belenus

Biggus_Dickus said:

RussNotts5 said:

I just like to be ahead and on top of stuff like this. As I said I have made a mistake but I can't understand why the DVLA will not defer the start date until 1st April?
Normally the car is taxed all year round and I haven't SORN a car before so I have no experience of this. I was hoping initially that talking to someone would be able to correct my mistake? Obviously the computer says "No"

The DVLA front line help-desk staff are little more than automatons who are guided by very strict procedure....

I feel sorry for them.

They have a very taxing job.