It's taxed, DVLA say otherwise.
It's taxed, DVLA say otherwise.
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Discussion

Amused2death

Original Poster:

2,526 posts

226 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Afternoon all, the wife bought a car 12th April, we taxed it the same day. A few days later it shows online with the new tax expiry date and all is well in the world.
Fast forward to Friday just gone and the wife has received a letter from DVLA saying the car is untaxed and hasn't had tax since the start of April, continuing to use it is an offence etc.etc.etc.
I go online, and sure enough it shows as untaxed.

Wife rings the DVLA Friday afternoon, and they told her that she wasn't the only one who had got this letter and it was a computer issue. Now whilst we are happy to accept their explanation, if it shows up as untaxed it's then at risk of being clamped/towed by the DVLA driveby crews.

We do have the receipt from the PO showing tax paid for the right reg number, dated 12th April.

Can anyone offer any thoughts on how to avoid getting clamped? It currently sits outside on the road, and we know it's taxed but presumably DVLA working from database which states no tax, would clamp it.

AAaaaaaarghhhhhh

Pistom

6,424 posts

189 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
What we need is a system to back up the database. How about issuing a receipt when you pay for the RFL that could be placed on the inside of a window or windscreen.

We could take this further. Say a different colour for each year or certain months so you could see from a distance if the car was taxed.

Smokehead

7,703 posts

258 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Pistom said:
What we need is a system to back up the database. How about issuing a receipt when you pay for the RFL that could be placed on the inside of a window or windscreen.

We could take this further. Say a different colour for each year or certain months so you could see from a distance if the car was taxed.
Why has no-one thought of this before? What a brilliantly simple idea!

rolando

2,407 posts

185 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Pistom said:
What we need is a system to back up the database. How about issuing a receipt when you pay for the RFL that could be placed on the inside of a window or windscreen.

We could take this further. Say a different colour for each year or certain months so you could see from a distance if the car was taxed.
Would be particularly stylish if circular and required to be displayed at the bootom left hand side of the windscreen.

iandc

3,892 posts

236 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
rolando said:
Would be particularly stylish if circular and required to be displayed at the bootom left hand side of the windscreen.
Don't be stupid it would never catch on. Besides computer databases are infallibe right? frown

flemke

23,508 posts

267 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Pistom said:
What we need is a system to back up the database. How about issuing a receipt when you pay for the RFL that could be placed on the inside of a window or windscreen.

We could take this further. Say a different colour for each year or certain months so you could see from a distance if the car was taxed.
Wildly impractical - can you imagine people being willing to stick a paper receipt in their windscreens every year?

Please don't be ridiculous.

t400ble

1,804 posts

151 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Looked online yourself and checked its taxed?

ging84

9,548 posts

176 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Smokehead said:
Pistom said:
What we need is a system to back up the database. How about issuing a receipt when you pay for the RFL that could be placed on the inside of a window or windscreen.

We could take this further. Say a different colour for each year or certain months so you could see from a distance if the car was taxed.
Why has no-one thought of this before? What a brilliantly simple idea!
They did
Churchill put an end to it in the 30s though

LordFlathead

9,646 posts

288 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Look; just clone someone else's plates and be done with it. The police just don't have any resources at the moment so you should be fine wink

Amused2death

Original Poster:

2,526 posts

226 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
t400ble said:
Looked online yourself and checked its taxed?
Yes I have and No it isn't smile

The irony of the loss of the tax disc is strong.

ging84

9,548 posts

176 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
It is interesting that the OP has been sent a warning letter, yet there is a guy on another thread claiming he was sent no reminder and no warning letter, and a fine within 3 weeks of not renewing his tax

Barkychoc

7,848 posts

234 months

Monday 25th May 2015
quotequote all
How did you tax it?

If you taxed it online and used the reference number on the front main part of the V5 that's wrong - you've done it as the previous owner - and as soon as the DVLA gets the V5 back for the change of keeper the previous owner gets a nice cheque for the tax you just bought.

You have to use the reference number on the little green slip (is it the V5c/2?)

I did this wrong but realised and sent a letter as there seems to be no other way of contacting the DVLA.

aw51 121565

4,773 posts

263 months

Monday 25th May 2015
quotequote all
OP taxed the vehicle at the PO.

Last summer I changed the taxation class on a vehicle I own from Disabled to PLG at a PO, and the postmistress asked me if I knew that the vehicle was already taxed? I explained what was going on, had no problem retaxing - the main point is that she flagged it up.

OK, the circs are different as described (OP taxed a 'new to him' vehicle, presumably retaining the PLG taxation class) - but I would have expected the person behind the counter to flag up if he was retaxing a vehicle which was already taxed (ie using the wrong number from the V5C)? smile

PS DVLA do seem to be having a few database problems at the moment (there has been a recent issue with SORN going missing, IIRC?).

Amused2death

Original Poster:

2,526 posts

226 months

Monday 25th May 2015
quotequote all
When we bought the vehicle, it was previously on Disabled tax, we taxed it at a Post Office using the V52/C (Green bit) and had to fill in another form (The number escapes me just now). Reciept shows 6 months tax paid for the right reg number.

I'm totally stumped.

Red Devil

13,527 posts

238 months

Monday 25th May 2015
quotequote all
Barkychoc said:
If you taxed it online and used the reference number on the front main part of the V5 that's wrong - you've done it as the previous owner - and as soon as the DVLA gets the V5 back for the change of keeper the previous owner gets a nice cheque for the tax you just bought.

You have to use the reference number on the little green slip (is it the V5c/2?)
yes

You have to be half asleep to get it wrong though. wink

The online facility has radio buttons.

  • Existing keeper (using V5C document reference number)
  • New keeper (using V5C/2 new keeper supplement document reference number)
The V5C document reference number is 11 digits in the format NNNN NNN NNNN. The V5C/2 has 12 - NNNNN NNN NNNN
The only difference between them is the latter has a 5 added to the beginning of the first group.

Amused2death said:
When we bought the vehicle, it was previously on Disabled tax, we taxed it at a Post Office using the V52/C (Green bit) and had to fill in another form (The number escapes me just now). Reciept shows 6 months tax paid for the right reg number.
V70 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

See - https://www.gov.uk/exchange-tax-disc - what isn't 100% clear is whether you can use a V5C/2 instead of the V5C.
You should be able to, but this is the DVLA we're talking about so there is plenty of scope for a SNAFU.
Add a third party (Post Office) to the mix and you've got all the ingredients for a perfect storm.


Pistom

6,424 posts

189 months

Monday 25th May 2015
quotequote all
LordFlathead said:
Look; just clone someone else's plates and be done with it. The police just don't have any resources at the moment so you should be fine wink
This could be the start of a money saving thread on PH and is quite a cunning plan.

You can save on tax, insurance and leave the worry and expense of an MOT to others.

My contribution is, don't pay for wi-fi, jump on other peoples.

Another one is, don't get married, have sex with other peoples wives and when it comes to the divorce, you don't lose anything.

Amused2death

Original Poster:

2,526 posts

226 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
Just to put this one to bed.

Two phone calls and five days after receiving the letter saying our car was untaxed it has finally shown back up on the database as taxed until October.

Problem solved.

speedking31

3,958 posts

166 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
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"On this occasion we have decided to take no further action, but don't do it again ..."

Davel

8,982 posts

288 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
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Had the same issue recently.

Bought an XK and a couple of weeks later wanted to put my plate on it.

The dealer taxed the car when I bought it.

DVLA refused to transfer the plate claiming that the car was untaxed, as they had refunded the previous owner, although it was shown as taxed on their website check.

Anyway, they admitted that the car was taxed and that the letter should never have been sent out.

Transfer took place and all now sorted.

Jagmanv12

1,573 posts

194 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
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speedking31 said:
"On this occasion we have decided to take no further action, but don't do it again ..."
That's their reply even when they are the one making the mistake. They need to learn when to admit they have made a mistake.

I remember reading somebody made a FOI request about the dvla and it showed that 8% of their records are wrong. IIRC that worked out to over 1million errors!!