Advantis DCA letters re DVLA fine!

[HoFFdog]

Hi All

 

Need some advice regarding correspondence from a debt collecting agency about a £80 fine from the DVLA for being late in renewing my vehicle tax.

 

To bring you up to speed here is what happened.

 

Moved address about a year ago.

Phoned up DVLA at the time to speak to an adviser about everything i would need to do regarding my license & vehicle details upon moving.

 

This adviser only ever mentioned about sending my driving license in with new address. Failed to mention VC5 log book. I am completely unfamiliar with this process.

 

Consequently my tax renewal reminder forms were sent to my old address and without a physical tax disc to see the exact date of renewal i ended up being late in paying my vehicle tax.

 

I was sent a letter from the DVLA that i retrieved from old address stating i owed £80 with the option of writing back if you thought the fine was unfair and to explain why exactly that was the case.

 

I wrote back explaining that even tho i specifically phoned & asked a DVLA adviser to tell me absolutely everything i would need to do following an address change, their oversight of not mentioning the VC5 had lead to me being fined

 

. I immediately paid my vehicle tax & all money owed in arrears and promptly set up a direct debit to automatically pay all tax in the future.

 

I also sent off my VC5 log book to register the vehicle at my new address.

 

I sent this letter off to the DVLA and waited for a response

 

. Nothing happened for months.

No correspondence at all from the DVLA. I thought it had been written off.

 

out of the blue i have started receiving letters from a DCA called Advantis demanding payment of £80 for their client the DVLA

 

. I have ignored so far all letters.

I have neither contacted the DVLA or Advantis.

 

Is there any way i can avoid paying this fine?

What will happen if i dont pay?

Will i receive visits at my current address &/or old address?

 

Will this escalate to going to court?

 

Also very importantly i will be looking to take out £15,000 loan in a few weeks, will this debt/fine come up on my credit check and will it effect my ability to get the loan?

 

Would it just be best to nip this in the bud now or do i have any rights in being able to avoid this?

 

Any advice will be very much appreciated.

 

x

[fkofilee]

NOPE AND NOPE

 

 

Dont worry, they are huffing in the wind with this one... They cant take any action.

[dx100uk]

Moved to the dvla forum

 

Lots of like threads

 

Safe to say you ignore a no powers dca on a govt debt

They are not baillifs and have

No such legal powers

 

Dx

[dx100uk]

It can't hurt your credit file

 

You ideally need to deal with the dvla

Never entertain a dca

 

Dx

[Raykay]

It may depend on what the DVLA are claiming. If it is the Late Licensing Penalty, that is treated as a civil debt due to the crown and why debt collectors are involved.

[HoFFdog]

First off, thanks to everyone giving some feeback on this.

 

the consensus seems to be to utterly ignore all correspondence with the DCA.

I guess im wondering if i do exactly that, where is all of this going to go?

How will it escalate?

 

Has Advantis (the DCA) now assumed full responsibility of getting me to pay the fine,

as in the DVLA have essentially washed their hands of it.

Is this now just between me and Advantis?

 

Surely this isnt going to just go away?!

[Old Cogger]

Advantis chase tax credits as well then give up after a couple of letters, they are a DCA no powers

[HoFFdog]

It may depend on what the DVLA are claiming. If it is the Late Licensing Penalty, that is treated as a civil debt due to the crown and why debt collectors are involved.

 

 

I was issued an £80 fine by the DVLA for being late in paying my vehicle tax.

I was late in doing this as i was relying on recieving my tax reminder letter through the post.

Unfortunately these were being sent to my old address.

 

I specifically spoke to a DVLA adviser at the time prior to moving explaining this would be the first time i had changed addres

s as a registered owner of a vehicle and to tell me everything i would need to do regards my license/vehcile details when moving.

 

 

THE ONLY thing mentioned was returning my paper license with new address and cutting my old license in half.

 

 

NOTHING about the VC5.

 

 

In my mind this was their fault as i looked to them to bring clarity to a process i am unfamiliar with.

I know they will deny this tho and say i am lying to get out of paying the fine.

 

You say this is classed as a civil debt.

 

 

What exactly does this mean and in what way is this likely to escalate?

 

 

What would you do?

Would you just pay it?

[HoFFdog]

Advantis chase tax credits as well then give up after a couple of letters, they are a DCA no powers

 

Will they ever send anyone to registered address of my vehicle? I am hardly ever there, but my parents live there and i dont want them having visits from people

[HoFFdog]

Advantis chase tax credits as well then give up after a couple of letters, they are a DCA no powers

 

So Advantis have no real powers and then give up after a few letters. So what happens then, does it get passed on to an agency that actually does have powers or will this lead to a court summons or bigger fines slapped on?

[Old Cogger]

as has happened so far in the last year no more contact from Advantis, just reporting the situation we found. other no doubt will comment/advise also!

[dx100uk]

doesn't and cant get passed to anyone with any powers

 

 

a DCA or a DCA doorstepper ARE NOT BAILIFFS

 

 

if you owe anything

 

 

deal/pay DVLA

 

 

dx

[Raykay]

doesn't and cant get passed to anyone with any powers

 

 

 

dx

 

If it is the Late Licensing Penalty, the debt may be returned to the DVLA, who can take further action.

[dx100uk]

yep that's what we want.

[HoFFdog]

If it is the Late Licensing Penalty, the debt may be returned to the DVLA, who can take further action.

 

It is indeed a 'Late Licensing Penalty'. What "further action" are the DVLA likely to take if Advantis have no luck getting in touch with me? Do i stand any chance of fighting this fine & WINNING or will i end up with a court summons and a massive fine for the trouble?

 

I guess im trying to work out how things will potentially unfold so i can make a decision now as to whether im just better off paying the £80 and nipping it in the bud now?

 

Ive just found out the DVLA's response to my letter contesting the fine that i sent months ago was actually sent to my old address AGAIN!! Despite my details being re-registered at my current address. This meant the DVLA thought i was ignoring them and so involved a DCA to chase it up, giving me no opportunity to resolve things before the involvement of a DCA.

[dx100uk]

its best you start a new thread

of your own please

 

 

dx