The DVLA are so efficient and a pleasure to use.

The DVLA are so efficient and a pleasure to use.

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btcc123

Original Poster:

1,243 posts

146 months

Saturday 3rd October 2015
quotequote all
I had my car for sale and a chap came and looked at it on Wednesday,agreed to buy it,gave me a deposit and agreed to collect it on Monday.

Just after he left on the Wednesday I went online at the DVLA website and filled out the form to transfer my private plate to a retention certificate.I paid £80 to put it onto retention for up to 10 years.As soon as I paid it said that I could take the private registration off now and put on the new number they gave me which was the original number and as I still had it later on the day I put the original number on the car.They gave me the retention certificate number and said that I would receive the new V5 and the actual retention certificate in the next 3-5 days.The V5 came on the Friday and the retention certificate the next day.

I have also noticed on the DVLA website that when the buyer of my car comes to pay the balance and collect my car we do not have to use the paper V5.We put the details required including our E-mail addresses and when the form is complete and sent to the DVLA it will instantly send the buyer an E-mail to say he is the new registered keeper of the car and that a new V5 will be sent to him in the next 5 days.I as the seller will also get an E-mail to say I am no longer the registered keeper of the car and within 5 days will also get a letter to say I am not the owner of the car and a refund of any full months left on the car tax.

This also has the benefit that we both have an E-mail with the time that the ownership of the car changed hands so there will be no arguments regarding any possible motoring offences.

To me the above makes selling a car or/and moving a private plate very quick and easy.


ging84

8,831 posts

145 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
is this a real story, a fantasy or have you been had?
i can't find anywhere which lets you do an online change or registered keeper, and searching just brings up a load of those scammy sites which offer to something which is free for an outrageous fee

InitialDave

11,856 posts

118 months

petrolsniffer

2,461 posts

173 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
Wohoo even quicker and easier to buy/sell i used to hate wasting my life in post office ques when i had bought or sold a car

cologne2792

2,126 posts

125 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Which Position of Oversight / Office do you hold at DVLA ? smile

roofer

5,136 posts

210 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Having done similar recently, I can confirm it actually works.

Surprising considering its in Wales biggrin

btcc123

Original Poster:

1,243 posts

146 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
cologne2792 said:
Which Position of Oversight / Office do you hold at DVLA ? smile
I have no association with the DVLA,I am English,although I live in Cardiff and my wife and children are Welsh.

Everyone on hear gives the DVLA a tough time probably deservedly as getting to speak with someone is near impossible,the phone options are a joke and if you send something to them you are not guaranteed everything will be ok.

They seam to be offering new services on their website that will make them more efficient and make things quicker and easier for the public.

When people have bad service from them they criticise then and as I had good service I thought I would give them some praise.

btcc123

Original Poster:

1,243 posts

146 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
roofer said:
Having done similar recently, I can confirm it actually works.

Surprising considering its in Wales biggrin
Yes they are quite good at Rugby as well just like the Australians.

roofer

5,136 posts

210 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
btcc123 said:
roofer said:
Having done similar recently, I can confirm it actually works.

Surprising considering its in Wales biggrin
Yes they are quite good at Rugby as well just like the Australians.
I rest my case.

Getragdogleg

8,737 posts

182 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
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I will weigh in with my latest DVLA encounter...

7 V5c change of addresses
1 driving license
1 digi tacho card
1 drivers cpc/qualifiction card

And 1 new import from the US registered and issued with plates and a v5.

All written out by me on a Sunday night and posted on the Monday, all back by Friday all present and correct.

I was amazed and impressed. Might they have changed ?

InitialDave

11,856 posts

118 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Here's the thing, in fifteen years, I've never had a problem with the DVLA. Even when I've been trying to resolve stuff that I was expecting to be a complete pain, it's been sorted out with a phone call, and they were really helpful.

I don't doubt 90% of the people complaining about them have encountered genuine incompetence, but obviously you're going to hear more about that than you are people singing their praises.

healeyfan

250 posts

189 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
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Car sorned 28th Sept and refund cheque received 2nd October.

Exoticaholic

1,043 posts

211 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
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I can vouch for them too.

I applied online to take my cherlished plate off my car and on retention on Wed evening (30th Sept)

Received updated document V377 the following Friday.

And updated V5 the following Saturday.

Awesome. These were the days when I had to scrabble around for an envelope/stamp and post the documents. No more now!

Sheepshanks

32,534 posts

118 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
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healeyfan said:
... refund cheque received 2nd October.
Funny how everyone will only refund to the card used, but DVLA send a cheque.

Had mine for a month now and still haven't banked it. Who the heck uses cheques these days?

btcc123

Original Poster:

1,243 posts

146 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
Here's the thing, in fifteen years, I've never had a problem with the DVLA. Even when I've been trying to resolve stuff that I was expecting to be a complete pain, it's been sorted out with a phone call, and they were really helpful.

I don't doubt 90% of the people complaining about them have encountered genuine incompetence, but obviously you're going to hear more about that than you are people singing their praises.
I would doubt that 90% of the people that complained about the DVLA encountered genuine incompetence BY THE DVLA.

Probably more like 90% of the people complaining filled out the documents incorrectly.

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Monday 5th October 2015
quotequote all
ging84 said:
is this a real story, a fantasy or have you been had?
i can't find anywhere which lets you do an online change or registered keeper, and searching just brings up a load of those scammy sites which offer to something which is free for an outrageous fee
Ive done a CoK online, but only the seller can alter the details.

Mill Wheel

6,149 posts

195 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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btcc123 said:
I would doubt that 90% of the people that complained about the DVLA encountered genuine incompetence BY THE DVLA.

Probably more like 90% of the people complaining filled out the documents incorrectly.
I would not class it as incompetence either.. more of a don't care attitude from a small number of employees.
In my wife's case they have admitted they have all the information exactly as asked for, but it has now been over 4 months without the refund, to of their own imposed deadlines have passed, and last week I was told it could be a further 4 weeks "due to a backlog".
I am also puzzled as to why the first time my wife telephoned, they told her the registration number did not exist!
It is all the more galling, given how quick they are to issue penalty notices to drivers who make a simple error and forget to renew or record information on time.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 5th October 2015
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
Here's the thing, in fifteen years, I've never had a problem with the DVLA.
Only times I've had a problem, they were due to (different) local offices - and Swansea sorted the only one that needed to be escalated, quickly and painlessly. I don't mourn the closed offices...

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Monday 5th October 2015
quotequote all
I have encountered genuine fkwittery, but it was rectified quickly by my local office. Its a shame that the VROs have closed, but, for the most part, the DVLA is pretty good.

Its when they make a mistake that you struggle to get it rectified and I believe it is because less thought has been given to their procedures in this event.

Rude-boy

22,227 posts

232 months

Monday 5th October 2015
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Just to add that i can see the DVLA website saving me quite a bit of cash over the next few years.

Why bother taxing 5-7 cars all year round as i used to when it takes less than the time it takes me to make a cup of coffee to SORN/tax a car? We'll always have a couple each fully ready to go at a minutes notice but with the others, which can go 3, 4, 5 months between trips out? They'll just switch between the two when we finally get our house move done.