Doovla are theiving bastards-shock*

[NorfolkNWeigh]

On 28th of August I notified change of keeper of my 530 at 09.24 am according to the confirmation email I received.

Yesterday I was looking at last the months transactions on my bank account and noticed that along with the other 6 cars I now tax each month,the DVLA had helped themselves to £20 odd for taxing it on both 1/9 and 1/10.

I immediately cancelled the dd.

Today I got a stroppy email ,berating me for cancelling the dd and threatening all sorts in the way of fines and penalties if I didn't re-tax or SORN.

 

On phoning Swansea the guy I spoke to confirmed the change of keeper and said " I'll transfer you to the person who deals with this , you may have to hold for a few minutes"

"Oh" says I " does this happen a lot?"

" Well, you're the fifth person I've spoken to so far today,it's happened to" He replies.

When I eventually get through, the man apologises and says I should receive a cheque in 6-8 weeks. No possibility of crediting back to my account or knocking it off the 6 payments due on Sunday, of course.

To add insult to injury the cheque will be payable to the registered keeper and as I'm a dodgy fecker and won't have anything worth more than a few hundred quid in my name ,it.l go to Mrs N!

[DodgyBastard]

I usually cancel the direct debits before sorning or changing the keeper, I've just managed to keep on top of it this month and sorned 3 cars before I have to fork out cash for tax on cars with no mot.

[Craig the Princess]

I got caught with this declaring SORN on line on the last day of the month but not cancelling the dd.

 

They are dodgy fuckers, now I always cancel the dd first, fuck them. Rip off British should get involved and shame them with antique news readers.

[New POD]

I don't like to billy bragg, but I didn't know anyone actually bought car tax by the month. I suppose it makes sense.  

[Pillock]

I had an extra payment taken out for the MG after I sold it, they refunded it about five days later.

[Jim Bell]

Having checked my bank statement, it seems I'm still paying tax for cars I sold some time ago. Including the AX that I had for 2 days. Think I've paid 3 months tax for that.

[garbaldy]

It would be interesting to know if the new owner has also paid three months tax, if so then that is a serious problem.

[Richard]

I didn't think setting up a Direct Debit with the DVLA could ever end well, you might as well give your bank details to Talk Talk or entrust an important delivery to DX.

[Pillock]

You do get it back though.

I wonder now you can do change of keeper online, whether that would be quicker - clearly the problem is you send off the V5C, and until some chump puts his Leek Sandwich down and taps the details in they don't know it's not your car so keep taking tax. Meanwhile, new owner has dutifully taxed it online so that goes out straight away. So they're not stealing it ("mumble mumble blah blah permanently deprive the owner blah mumble") but it's a bit naughty and I bet they're making an alright amount of interest on all these payments that go into their bank and sit three months before being refunded.

 

I reckon in the future I'll use the online service, save the confirmation and then cancel the DD straight away. Sounds like I was lucky getting it back so quickly.

[RobT]

This is why I only pay my utility bills quarterly these days, they can FRO taking money out of my account before I need to pay. Slight faff remembering sometimes but I prefer it that way. Since taxing cars monthly started I always cancel the DD, rather than assume DVLA will do it.

[Richard]

If they are taking two lots of payment for the same car, and only refunding when they are found out, it sounds like fraud to me. Not to mention the dishonest claim that this was to reduce red tape.

[chaseracer]

I cancelled the DD for the Merc pronto, as per.  If Swansea don't like that, they can FRO.

[pbottomley]

Good to hear, just cancelled old DD for car sold earlier in month... 

[Rusty_Rocket]

I didn't think setting up a Direct Debit with the DVLA could ever end well, you might as well give your bank details to Talk Talk or entrust an important delivery to DX.

 

This ^^

I can't think of any other organisation* I'd trust less with access to my finances..

[stripped fred]

So, if you do end up paying for tax for months after you have sorned it do they process the refund without you contacting them or do you have to call them to chase it?

[cort1977]

This is why I only pay my utility bills quarterly these days, they can FRO taking money out of my account before I need to pay. Slight faff remembering sometimes but I prefer it that way. Since taxing cars monthly started I always cancel the DD, rather than assume DVLA will do it.

Agreed, if you can afford it this is the only way to go.   Much better than them charging you DD for 'predicted usage' and then taking it out of your account as happened to me when i was young and foolish.

[gary_davidson]

 says I should receive a cheque in 6-8 weeks. 

 

this isn't right, you should get it back straight away according to here http://www.directdebit.co.uk/DirectDebitExplained/Pages/DirectDebitGuarantee.aspx

 

• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society

[Pillock]

 

this isn't right, you should get it back straight away according to here http://www.directdebit.co.uk/DirectDebitExplained/Pages/DirectDebitGuarantee.aspx

 

• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society

 

 

It's not an error by the bank though, it's that the DVLA haven't processed the paperwork so they simply don't know that they shouldn't be taking the money.

The DD guarantee is meant to be where you've cancelled something, and the money still goes out your account.

 

Use the online service instead of posting things, nobody should ever need to send a letter anywhere any more. We are not Victorians. 

[Richard]

But they should know if they are taking two lots of money for the same car. The new owner has effectively notified the change when they tax the car using the number from the new keeper slip, that should tell DVLA that they can stop taking money from the previous keeper. Even if they have to wait for the paperwork to come through, and I don't see why they should, it should only take a couple of days to sort out.

[sheffcortinacentre]

this is all true, but your forgetting this is the dvla so all normality is void.

[DodgyBastard]

Shit, missed one I should've cancelled. Do you think I've still got time to sorn it and cancel the direct debit?

[purplebargeken]

Just gone to tax the i10, couldn't go through as the car no MOT. What?

 

Checked and the fucking thing needed MOT'ing today. Guess what I will be doing tomorrow then. Joy. 

[RobT]

This is why I only pay my utility bills quarterly these days, they can FRO taking money out of my account before I need to pay. Slight faff remembering sometimes but I prefer it that way. Since taxing cars monthly started I always cancel the DD, rather than assume DVLA will do it.

I cocked up this time though, as I cancelled the DD for the Granada on the Saturday and the payment still went out this morning for a months tax I don't need. I should have done it on Thursday or something so it'd get processed on a banking day, although isn't it all supposed to be 24/7 these days?

[barefoot]

I always cancel the ddm with the bank the same day as I attempt to cancel it with the folk taking the money.

Because fucktards.

[lisbon_road]

I have twice now sold cars and not had a refund of tax.  You have to wait 6 weeks, then report it, and they dutifully sent me a cheque.  

 

Seems a co-incidence.  Very little gets lost in the post now.  Apart from the DVLA.

 

By the way, I'm sure they sent repayments by post to help their cashflow, and the number that must get lost when people move house or whatever must be huge.

[colnerov]

 

 

Use the online service instead of posting things, nobody should ever need to send a letter anywhere any more. We are not Victorians. 

 

 So we're supposed to have hundreds of pounds worth of technology and ISP contracts to save the cost of a stamp? It's easier for us to cancel one DD than expect DVLA to do one of 30 odd million. After all it's your money, the DVLA don't care about it.

[Jim Bell]

Please read this post in a thick and borderline racist Welsh accent:

 

Ive just bin on the phone to that Dooovla in Swansea about the caaaar tax direct debits.  I said "youre still taking deeebits for cars sold long ago I said".   The man down there at that Dooovla in Swansea he said back to me on the telephone he said "Dont worry Sir, you'll be refunded au-to-matic-ally so you will.  I turned around and to my surprise I had already received one such refund Diiiiirect into my very bank account.  I shall spend that wisely I thought.  He went on to say that the refund for the other vehicle should be back in my bank account within fourteen of gods great days.

 

Well, I said.  That IS a relief.

[Eddie Honda]

I tried to read that post in a thick and borderline racist Welsh accent, but I couldn't without sounding Indian.

[Clanger]

I don't know what a borderline racist Welshman sounds like.

[purplebargeken]

In my head I sounded like a welsh indian person with poorly sinuses.