CAR/BIKE TAX - advice on missing your renewal date.

"Who want's to touch me? I could be the luckiest motorist in the UK"


I can't believe I am about to praise the DVLA for seeing sense, but here goes....

When I came off the bike on 5th September I was stuck without the bike and couldn't drive because of the bad leg. It just so happened that my car tax renewal turns up the next week. It was due at the end of the month, so I stuck the reminder letter in the car ready to pay next time I went into town.
A fortnight later and I was back in work, still unable to drive, so got a lift in for a while. Of course about this time I came off the bike again and was off another fortnight.

I happened to look in the car for a cd, when 'oops!' what's that letter? Bugger!!!! I haven't been near the car for 6 weeks. It's the second of November, and the tax is a month+ overdue. I get a lift in to town and straight to the Post Office, explain all but the taxdisc starts 11/05. The computer flags up -'MISSING PAYMENT!!', and wont let me pay for October.

I'm fully expecting a big fine to drop through the door. I phone DVLA Swansea to explain all again. They advise me to send it in writing to my local DVLA office with a months payment £14.16, and all my details. My pessimistic nature says, "You idiot, they'll send a fine anyway"

Well, today I got a receipt for the missing month and a 'With Compliments' slip . They obviously have a sense of humour and justice, you just have to look really hard to find it.

No complaints about them from me. Let me off the late SORNing of the CBR as it was only a month overdue but part of that was down to them taking 3 weeks to send the V5

Find it so much easier to do it online. I always forget to go to the post office and only remember about 7pm when I get home At least now if Ive got the reminder to hand I can do it at home in the evening

Originally Posted by lynw

Find it so much easier to do it online.

You can? Maybe they ought to point this out a bit clearer on the renewal letter. Most folks have a pc/access to one. If i knew that, it would have been paid back in september.

Originally Posted by haggis

You can? Maybe they ought to point this out a bit clearer on the renewal letter. Most folks have a pc/access to one. If i knew that, it would have been paid back in september.

er I found out about it reading the bit under how to renew on the form :P

will only work if they can check you have a mot and insurance though... know people whove had problems but most seem to get theirs ok.

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by lynw

will only work if they can check you have a mot and insurance though... know people whove had problems but most seem to get theirs ok.

That'd be me, according to the DVLA database I don't have MOTs or insurance on anything, bikes or van.

Fortunately I have bits of paper that say different, so I can still go to the PO and get tax. DVLA database has enormous holes in it. Still.

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

That'd be me, according to the DVLA database I don't have MOTs or insurance on anything, bikes or van.

Fortunately I have bits of paper that say different, so I can still go to the PO and get tax. DVLA database has enormous holes in it. Still.

one benefit of me having had the new printed, directly entered on VOSA database MOT it found my insurance ok too despite it running out that month... guess I was lucky

Hmm, great system.

It can't find things that exist.....

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

That'd be me, according to the DVLA database I don't have MOTs or insurance on anything, bikes or van.

....and yet can find things than don't.......

Originally Posted by lynw

it found my insurance ok too despite it running out that month

Originally Posted by haggis

....and yet can find things than don't.......

er I didnt say it didnt exist. I said it found it despite it running out that month ie the following week. so it checked the insurers database and found i had valid insurance all be it for a week left.

Wifey drove around for a few months without realising the tax was up. She was lucky she was not involved in an accident in that time. On the post office computer they told her she needed to contact DVLA to pay any fines for the missing few months. She never did contact em and it has been a long while now and no one has contacted her as of yet