Dvla Fining Us!!

[JAPP]

Hope someone can help.

In August last year my daughter bought a new Vw Polo from a Reputable garage, part exchanging her old VW Polo.

 

She informed the DVLA in writing that the initial car was no longer in her possession.

In turn she received a notice telling her that the info had been noted.

 

Since then she has had numerous letters asking for £40 and then £80 for not notifying them of change of ownership.

We have replied telling them that we DID inform them, enclosing a photocopy of their letter saying that they had the been informed.

 

She has now had yet another letter asking for money so we have written back repeating everything and adding that if they continue to harrass, we would be informing BBC WATCHDOG and seeking advice from our local MP.

 

Wonder if anyone else is suffering from this problem and has anybody got any advice if we receive another demand for money?

[Rob S]

I would start the complaints procedure with them. If you have the letter from them confirming they have noted the change in registered keeper then you are watertight.

 

As an organisation they are hopeless, so be prepared to put up a fight with them.

[ScarletPimpernel]

DVLA tried to stick me with a £80 'fine' for not buying a tax disc. I wrote back, enclosing a copy of the export certificate supplied by themselves when I took the car to Germany.

 

Some lunatic at their regional office wrote again several times, threatening all sorts of unpleasantness, but I ignored it and they eventually stopped writing.

[ManagingDirector]

Simple mistake? I believe there is a form you fill in... you dont send a letter

 

A letter would be valid, nethertheless, but i think it was a mistake within departments, so those that read letters acknowledged your notification and passed it on to a department which processes the forms, then someone probably thrown it away as it wasnt a form.

 

 

Dont get me started with the DVLA... "you cant escape the computer"! But it seems many people who dont have tax discs etc. are getting away with it and the genuine people get silly fines...

[kopite71]

"you cant escape the computer"! quote]

 

If so then why all the tax camera checks at the roadside, just like a speed trap.

[demon_x_slash]

ManagingDirector is referring to one of my pet hates, kopite - those damned patronising, intimidating and arrogant adverts put out by the DVLA with the strapline "You can't escape the DVLA computer"... the first time I heard one of those on the radio, I was honestly taken back to the first chill of unease and fright that I experienced reading about the 'Ministries' in Orwell's 1984. I know it's a cliche and that paranoids go on about 'Big Brother watching us', but I genuinely did experience the same little thrill of fear, of unnaturallness, the tarnish of corrupted truth...ugh, it still gives me the shivers now, thinking about it, and the DVLA adverts are specifically designed (IMHO) to spread an air of menace. I hate 'em.

[buzby]

What we need is someone who HAS excaped the computer, to complain to the ASA that their claim is misleading!

[Rob S]

But it is very easy to escape the computer. If you buy a vehicle and then give a false name and address when you register the vehicle to DVLA they won't be able to trace you. All they will do is put a note on their records to show there is an issue with the keeper details and then hope that the police will stop it at some time and get the correct keeper details. DVLA don't chase it up at all. But for all those of us who are law abiding and provide the correct details, should we be forgetful in declaring the vehicle SORN or late in paying the car tax as DVLA didn't send out a reminder, we are easy prey for DVLA. With them, its all about money and making as much of it as they can.

 

Meanwhile, those who stick 2 fingers up at DVLA get away with it.

[JAPP]

Thank you MD. Yes, as well as writing a letter we sent off the form.

We have photocopied the acknowledgement letter and sent it to them twice. We are not particularly worried as we have the proof that they have been informed.

We are just fed up of the stupid letters!!

[dave]

This is the very reason why there are more unlicensed (untaxed) cars on the road than ever before.

 

The DVLA are a menace - a money making, ineffective [problem].

 

First thing I would do is to write to your MP, and then to the local (and possibly national) newspapers.

 

The DVLA should not be allowed to get away with this sort of thing any longer.

 

The DVLA are my pet hate. They are almost as bad as the TVLA.

 

I see of no reason as to why it is anyone's business at all if I choose to keep my personal, private belongings on my own private land?

 

Why should I be forced into letting an inefficent, private third-party company (capita) know about it.

 

Do they let me know if they are keeping a dog in a kennel in their back garden? - no of course not, so why should I tell them anything at all?

 

In principle, I will NEVER SORN a vehicle ever! - and I will never pay the *fine*. In fact, I have had this happen twice - I was eventually taken to court and was fined £520. - Which, of course was never paid. No way on earth was I going to pay that. After some serious letters to the court and to the DVLA, the newspapers and my MP, the matter was dropped suddenly and the fines waived. Funny that. I think that they know that they have no real legal recourse for anyone to tell them anything, and they really don't want to push it that hard in case that fact actually gets out.

 

In fact, I don't even really see why I buy road tax in the first place - it took me 2.5 hours the other day to drive to a supermarket at lunchtime, less than 2 miles from where I work.

 

If I'd bought anything else that was that defective, I would have taken it back to the shop and demanded my money back.

 

I think if everyone did this we might have a hope of actually getting some roads in this country that might be in danger of actually being usable.

[davefirewalker]

just got two "fines" for two cars......one was impounded and scrapped (long story) and I had claimed the tax back??? the other was scrapped....and dvla informed..

 

just about to send a series of irate letters off again (another long story)

 

Dave

[Rob S]

This is the very reason why there are more unlicensed (untaxed) cars on the road than ever before.

 

The DVLA are a menace - a money making, ineffective [problem].

 

First thing I would do is to write to your MP, and then to the local (and possibly national) newspapers.

 

The DVLA should not be allowed to get away with this sort of thing any longer.

 

The DVLA are my pet hate. They are almost as bad as the TVLA.

 

I see of no reason as to why it is anyone's business at all if I choose to keep my personal, private belongings on my own private land?

 

Why should I be forced into letting an inefficent, private third-party company (capita) know about it.

 

Do they let me know if they are keeping a dog in a kennel in their back garden? - no of course not, so why should I tell them anything at all?

 

In principle, I will NEVER SORN a vehicle ever! - and I will never pay the *fine*. In fact, I have had this happen twice - I was eventually taken to court and was fined £520. - Which, of course was never paid. No way on earth was I going to pay that. After some serious letters to the court and to the DVLA, the newspapers and my MP, the matter was dropped suddenly and the fines waived. Funny that. I think that they know that they have no real legal recourse for anyone to tell them anything, and they really don't want to push it that hard in case that fact actually gets out.

 

In fact, I don't even really see why I buy road tax in the first place - it took me 2.5 hours the other day to drive to a supermarket at lunchtime, less than 2 miles from where I work.

 

If I'd bought anything else that was that defective, I would have taken it back to the shop and demanded my money back.

 

I think if everyone did this we might have a hope of actually getting some roads in this country that might be in danger of actually being usable.

 

Spot on Dave! When I was knocked off my motorcycle by a driver who I discovered gave me false details, DVLA were totally unhelpful about the registered keeper details. They told me they had been informed that they were not accurate and it would be a breach of the DPA to give me info they believed to be inaccurate. They also told me they had carried out a "full investigation" into the matter.

 

They had lied. I eventually established they had done nothing.

 

I then found out the vehicle concerned had been sold to a new keeper. I asked DVLA if they would give me the new keepers details to see if they could assist me in tracing the driver. They refused. I asked them if they would contact the new keeper on my behalf and see if they could assist. They refused, citing "excessive processing of data" as the reason.

 

All they are interested is generating as much income as possible. The selling of registered keeper details to the unscrupulous private parking companies is a prime example of that. Sending out penalties for not declaring your vehicle off road or taxing it promptly enough (with no appeals process in place and no independent adjudicator to look at cases in detail) is another example.

 

And don't get me started on the number of people who have sent off their licence to change their address and had it sent back with full licence categories removed and have ended up having to retake their driving test for that category because DVLA won't admit their error:mad:

 

Ooooohhhhhhhhh, I feel a lot better after that rant:D :D

[kregrs]

I agree about DVLA. They happily take me to court for not having taxed my 2nd car, yet a few weeks ago when they wrote to me informing me that someone was applying for a reg doc for that car, and I informed them of the possibility that someone may be trying to clone the car, ( their explanation of other person having got same model car, same colour but 1 reg digit wrong is impossible, car was stored for few years prior to registration, was no longer in production when registered and known to be only one of that marque/model with that reg prefix in UK ) they refused to even atempt to investigate the matter.

[Rob S]

You honestly didn't expect them to investigate something which would result in no financial gain for themselves did you?

[meagain]

In terms of the adverts, last time I checked "demanding money with menaces" was a criminal offence.

[calvi36]

May 2004, fined in my absence at an essex court for not sending in change of keeper

Nov 2006, ordered to appear at Court in Glasgow ref above.

Attended and informed sheriff i knew nothing about the offence I was convicted of. 8 weeks stay for investigation.

March 2007, appeared again in court and was bluntly told if you do not pay the fine and costs I will impose a custodial sentence!

£105 later I am still fuming as I work in vehicle finance, not car sales, but leasing. I more than anyone knows what has to happen on trade ins and change of keeper etc. I sent the V5, would they listen, would they hell.

[Rob S]

Calvi, did you ever receive any confirmation from DVLA in respect of the case in which they took you to court?

[calvi36]

I received no notification at all from DVLA. When I found out about it, it was when two police officers arrived at my door with a summons to attend glasgow sheriff court for non paymemt. I wrote to the court in essex that issued the fine twice and did not get so much as a reply. Then I had to go to the court in Glasgow where a very abrupt sheriff made it clear that if i did not agree to pay then he would impose a custodial sentence there and then.

[Rob S]

As you were convicted in your absence you should be able to apply to have the conviction set aside. It should be worth looking into.

[buzby]

However all this costs money (to have the matter set aside) with no guarantee that the eventual outcome would be any different.

[nickthegreat]

In terms of the adverts, last time I checked "demanding money with menaces" was a criminal offence.

 

haha - but it is this ^ that lets you know that you shouldn't be that worried.

 

1. they want to make money

2. if you don't tax your car they make money through fines

 

and yet:

 

3. they spend money on adverts telling you that there 'is no escape'.

 

So something is wrong here - either its not financially worth their while imposing fines, or they are actually really bad at catching people.

Its exactly like the TV licencing people (who I reckon are even worse - like 'fk' am I going to let some random person at my door feel my tv to see if its warm.....) - they spend thousands on ads to tell you to pay - there is absolutely no logic to that if they could enforce penalties.