Gripe of the day - What is yours?

[garynortheast]

Ok, thanks chaps. That's reassuring.

[rowdy]

Our Impreza has about 175k on it. Had it for 15 years when it had 42k on the clock and has been reliable (touch wood)
Most cars if looked after will do 100k plus, but I would stay away from the 1 litre turbo small cars that have become quite common as they have been known to be having problems.

[daktulos]

Eight days ago, I dislocated my thumb. I drove to hospital (there being an ambulance strike there wasn't much option anyway), had it put back and strapped to my index finger with Elastoplast. A couple of days later, the local orthopaedic department called me to make an appointment, which was today. The swelling has gone down, it has been feeling better and I was hoping to be given the all clear and sent on my way ...

... but the doctor wants to put my wrist in a plaster cast while they book in an ultrasound (which could be weeks off). He doesn't have any evidence that anything's wrong, but there's a chance of tendons being trapped, apparently. I think it's massive overkill, particularly as it's 8 days after the event, so I sort of refused. Not happy.

[garynortheast]

Bloody Scamera department and their general incompetence.

This morning I had a letter from the thieving ratbags at the speed camera mafia in the form of a N.I.P. It accused me of exceeding the 30mph limit by 16mph on the Kidderminster road near Wolverhampton on 5th January in the Vauxhall Zafira. They've obviously been generally crap at checking the DVLA database on vehicle ownership as a) I've never driven the Vauxhall on that road, b) the Vauxhall has not been driven since 26th December, and c) the Vauxhall passed out of my ownership on the 3rd January. The last I saw of it was on the back of the lorry heading for the breakers yard, in an undriveable state.

The chap from the repair place and breakers yard changed ownership of the car online at my house while I was watching, and just after he'd paid me for it. I went online myself to check later that day and the website told me that the change of ownership had gone through, and then I received an email confirming it as well.

I tried to phone West Mercia police on the provided number but all I got was a phone message telling me that the wait time would be lengthy due the the very high call volume. No sh!t Sherlock!

I was tempted to just bin the letter and let them try to take me to court, just for the pleasure of seeing the idiots get a b0ll0cking for wasting everyones time, but in the end I phoned the chap who collected the car and asked him if he knew anything about it. He was as surprised as I was at the letter as the car is mostly in bits now and even less driveable than before. He said just take the letter to him and he'd sort it from his end, which I did.

Useless bunch of extortionists, couldn't even spell my name properly. I'm apparently Cary not Gary. The whole tone of the letter implied that it was down to me to prove my innocence, and that they assumed I was guilty. Erm, what ever happened to the presumption of innocence. I'd be inclined to say that it's the job of the gaslighting turdburglars at the scamera dept. to prove my guilt, (which they obviously can't) I'm not interested in wasting time and effort in trying to rectify their incompetence.

Grrrrr.....

[Craig380]

Gary, sorry but you really need to respond to that NIP yourself, even though it's obviously a c0ck-up of some kind.

It's come to you as the camera unit hasn't checked the latest version of the DVLA database, and they've got your details as the last registered keeper of the Zafira. You are required by law to give any information in your power about who was driving. All you'd need to do is write "see attached" on the NIP and write a covering letter saying:

"The vehicle with registration mark (insert reg) passed from my ownership to XXXX Breakers on 3rd January 2023. The change of registered keeper was done online on this date by the breaker while I witnessed it, and I enclose a copy of the email from the DVLA confirming this change. As the car was taken away by the breaker on 3rd January, I cannot assist you any further with identifying the driver."

That should get them off your back. The guy at the breaker's CANNOT sort it for you as the NIP has come to you. Only you can respond to the NIP. If you don't respond you risk getting a charge of 'failing to furnish' which carries 6 points and a £300 fine.

Unfortunately, the speed camera system is a sausage machine which takes no account of circumstance or innocence, in this case you really do have to prove you were innocent. It's wrong and should not happen this way, but it does.

You need to get the letter back from the guy and respond within 28 days of the letter being issued, but you have the evidence to prove the vehicle was no longer yours and you weren't driving. It's a ball-ache but this is Great British justice for you.

[garynortheast]

I've just emailed them with the NIP number, given them sale dates and circumstances, and told them that they need to contact the new registered keeper to establish who was driving. I've just logged onto the scamera site and it is the vauxhall being driven, but I have no idea why it was there or who was driving it. I will be getting back onto the new keeper tomorrow morning to see if I can find out what is going on.

[rowdy]

Is there photo evidence showing a picture of the zafira?
Many years ago I got a nip through the post claiming I was reversing my sv into a one way street. The nip had a photo of the offending vehicle and it wasn’t a motorcycle, it was a merc sprinter van. The number plate was 1 number or letter different to my bikes reg, but they would have had to of got my details from the dvla which they should have noticed a motorcycle isn’t a van!

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by garynortheast

I've just emailed them with the NIP number, given them sale dates and circumstances, and told them that they need to contact the new registered keeper to establish who was driving. I've just logged onto the scamera site and it is the vauxhall being driven, but I have no idea why it was there or who was driving it. I will be getting back onto the new keeper tomorrow morning to see if I can find out what is going on.

If the scrap dealer didn't mask your number plate, then someone may have nicked the number and used it on a similar coloured Zafira, ie cloned it

[garynortheast]

It was my old zafira Mav, it still had the Yes Cymru sticker on the back.

[maviczap]

Then there's a wrong'un somewhere