Dvla/sorn Bollocks

[GLPoomobile 958]

Anyone had similar to this?......

 

 

Bought a car on the 11th Feb. Used the DVLA online service to tax the car using monthly direct debit so that I could drive it home. This means it's taxed from the start of Feb but the DD payment isn't taken until 1st Mar.

 

Here's the complication. The trader I purchased it from had only had the car about a week so still had the V5C from the previous keeper, so he's now sent that off (or I assume he's sent it off) to get it registered in my name, and I have the V5C/2 New Keepers Supplement. I should have declared the car SORN the following day (had I been organised) once back in my garage, but forgot. Now when I go online to declare the SORN (and also just tried on their wonderful automated phone service) they won;t accept the V5C/2 Document Reference Number, saying it's invalid. My assumption is therefore that they've already begun the registration transfer and hence there's a new V5C with a new document refernece number (and ergo a new V5C/2 ref number) in the system. Which leaves me in limbo as I might not receive the new doc before the end of the month, meaning I can't declare SORN before the end of the month, and in theory meaning I'll have to pay a whole extra month tax that I don't need (so it will have cost me two months tax just to bloody move the car from A to .

 

Does anyone know - and I mean actually know in the factual sense as I'm able to make my own guess based on the wording on the DVLA website - whether I can get refunded for the 2nd months tax? They say that if applying by post the SORN will take effect from the date you put on the form, and they also say that they will refund any whole months unused tax. So if I wait until I receive the new V5C then apply by post stating the date of SORN as 11th Feb, would they then refund the payment for March (which would be taken by DD in Apr)?

 

In hindsight this would have been so much easier if I'd just taken the less legal course of driving the car back without making any arrangements for tax, since effectively it was already taxed and they can't reflect the fact it's sold/transferred ownership until they receive the V5C. Typical bloody DVLA minefield.

[Goliath 94]

You should be able to get the March tax back by sending off the form as you suggest.

 

In future, to avoid all this hassle, do the V5c transfer online on the Gov website. It takes 2 minutes and you can get an email receipt so you have proof you have done it. As a bonus, everytime I have done the V5c transfer online, it has taken a maximum of 4 days for the new V5c to arrive.

 

Also, strictly speaking you are legal to drive home without taxing the car assuming the car is already taxed as although you have bought the car and are the legal owner you are not the registered keeper until either the DVLA receive your paperwork, or until you have done the V5 transfer online. It is only when you become the registered keeper that you are liable for the tax.

[toolie72 67 1 Cars]

Cancel direct debit?

[GLPoomobile 958]

Also, strictly speaking you are legal to drive home without taxing the car assuming the car is already taxed as although you have bought the car and are the legal owner you are not the registered keeper until either the DVLA receive your paperwork, or until you have done the V5 transfer online. It is only when you become the registered keeper that you are liable for the tax.

 

Yeah, that was my way of thinking. It was showing on the DVLA as taxed before I bought it, so wouldn't flag up on an ANPR if I passed a jam sandwhich, and would continue to be taxed until the change of keeper was reflected on their system. But at the 11th hour I panicked and didn't want to risk anything as the car was already drawing attention to itself with some delightful modifications

 

Cancel direct debit?

 

An option, but I believe it isn't worth the hassle of not doing things by the book when dealing with arseholes on the monolithic scale of the DVLA. I can imagine if I simply cancelled the Direct Debit without following the correct protocol it would be court procedings, fines and bailiffs etc. Not worth the grief for the sake of £20.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Guess what just popped trough the letter box.........

[dcc 855]

A fine!

[GLPoomobile 958]

Haha

 

A fine would have been less of a surprise than the V5C arriving 9 working days after I bought the car! Has someone given the DVLA a kick up the arse? They ought to be careful, folk will start to think they are getting efficient and capable

[Anthony 1,003]

They ought to be careful, folk will start to think they are getting efficient and capable

Steady on now, it'll take more than a few V5's turning up on time to change the perception that they're a bunch of lazy, incompetent and bureaucratic idiots.

[Goliath 94]

They do seem to be a lot quicker at sending them, especially if you do it online. Best one I had recently was I bought a car on Monday and did the online V5 transfer after 5pm and the new V5 was on the doormat on Thursday morning!