Well if you will go all the way to Swansea during your lunch hour
"I have just spent my lunchtime going to the Post Office"... but funny anyway. Thanks - I needed cheering up.
Can you no longer apply by post?
Yes, but I have no intention of entrusting my one and only certificate of insurance to the Royal Mail.
the same instructions as mine
Yes, I see them now - not prominent, and on a very busy form. But what great social ill is cured by making me wait til Monday? If they can print the form then they can supply the discs, surely! Oh really. Hoops for the sake of them. Jump through here please.
When it arrived I actually thought it was early because you could only renew in the last half of the month. But the arrival of the form made me think I could do it now - otherwise, why has the form arrived??
lock Mrs Patently's car in the garage
It might be difficult to go on holiday in it at the same time.
Didn't realise Gordon had taken to taxing wives as well.
Don't give him ideas. Please. Oh - hang on he's got one now so there's no chance of that. He still hasn't got a driving licence, though, AFAIK.
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Sorry, bluster though you may, you didn't read the form properly so the wasted time is primarily your fault and secondarily the fault of the PO staff for issuing the new dic wrongly.
On this occasion the one place the idiot isn't in is Swansea :o)
Can't anyone else get the tax next week? If you're on holiday in this country, there's nothing to stop you getting the new disc while you're away. If you're abroad, nothing to worry about - just get it when you come back.
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Terry
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Fair enough, I didn't read it. OK, hands up.
But, WHY CAN'T IT BE ISSUED TODAY?? Will the world really end?
Should the DVLA be organised around the convenience of the officials or of the public?
Maybe not idiots then. Officious and inflexible instead. Perhaps lazy; I don't know enough to say that for certain.
Sadly, it won't be possible to ask someone to get the disc for me while I'm away. The relatives who we would ask to help with something like that will be with us at the hotel.
Anyway, I don't see why it should be necessary. If the reminder can be sent a week early, then there is no earthly reason why the disc can't be bought. Except of course the old one; we don't trust you and we can't be bothered.
Don't stop with the DTi, I'd say.
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But you'd moan even more if the reminder was waiting on your doormat when you got home.
Can you not buy it while you're away? What's the big deal?
As someone once said "Calm down dear, calm down"!
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Terry
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I have better things to do while on holiday. After all, they come round rarely enough.
No-one has advanced a reason why I shouldn't be able to buy it today, except me. And that one doesn't count because it's cynical and bitter.
As ever, it's not the extra effort that annoys me. It is the pointless, silly, stupid, bureacratic, officious rule there for the sake of it, because we always have, so there's no need to change it, after all we can get ours right here and we never have to meet the public, stupid whingers the lot of them.
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I have better things to do while on holiday.
Just combine it with buying stamps for your postcards to friends, what's the big deal? Or send SWMBO, it's her car after all.
It is the pointless, silly, stupid, bureacratic, officious rule there for the sake of it, because we always have, so there's no need to change it,
No, there's a good reason for it. I'm sure DVLA would tell you if you ask. But the bottom line is that's the way it is, you knew it was coming up so why is it a surprise?
after all we can get ours right here and we never have to meet the public, stupid whingers the lot of them.
Huh??? I don't think DVLA issue tax discs to their staff. I think you're getting carried away. Now, have a cup of tea and let your blood pressure go down a bit
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Terry
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Now, have a cup of tea and let your blood pressure go down a bit
No. Won't.
::[sulk]::
Oh all right. {/sulk mode}. But officious rules do irritate me (had you noticed?). And I do think that HMG should arrange its services around the law-abiding public, not the other way round. Whatever we feel about VED, the disc-buying system is antiquated. Why can't I do it on the web? Why is it dependent on pieces of paper?
And why can't main Post Offices deal with even a simple query in less than 20 minutes?
PS - we take stamps with us when in the UK!
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LOL!!
I'm sure buying over the web isn't far away - I've already done that for an environment agency fishing licence and HMG are very keen on that sort of thing. Too late for you this year though.
Post Offices have queues because most of them are outsourced and the watchword is profit not service. As someone whose job is going due to outsourcing next month, this is particularly irksome to me!
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Terry
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Buying over the web is tricky owing to the need for MOT & insurance.... but....... given that the whole lot is on computer somewhere (so that Plod can check that a car is MOTd, insured & taxed) it seems bizarre that it is necessary to bring the documents to be viewed by a third party.
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Buying over the web is tricky owing to the need for MOT & insurance
Before issuing the disc, she scanned a bar code on the form and on the disc. So the whole lot is computerised.
When the databases show that a car is insured and MOT'd, it would be a simple matter to issue a form that says "We know your car is insured etc. You don't need to show them, or you can go to the website."
If the insurer wouldn't/couldn't report to the DVLA then its customers would have to show up with papers. In no time, they would see a commercial advantage in investing in the link.
the whole lot is on computer somewhere (so that Plod can check that a car is MOTd, insured & taxed)
So the only limitation is that effort and imagination from Swansea are required. Which brings me to where I started from.
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>>Which brings me to where I started from.
I think it takes you (and me) further in terms of frustration. Not only do they put silly barriers in the way of getting a disc, BUT they fail to take advantage of the facilities that would make it easier for them & for us.
Given that most insurance certs look like photocopies so who can tell whether or not they're original, and given the availability of Photoshop, wouldn't they be BETTER OFF with relying on the computer?
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most insurance certs look like photocopies [...] wouldn't they be BETTER OFF with relying on the computer?
Long answer:
A colleague here used to work for a life assurance company in its claims department. They got regular complaints from widows about their rule that they had to see the original death certificate. This rule would cause some distress; it's not the best time to suggest someone might be lying, and the death certificate is needed in many places at the same time.
Anyway, one morning the relevant VP lost his temper, marched into the claims department, hit the desk, and demanded that they accept copies of the certificate while the company still had some public credibility left. He then left for lunch.
He came back from lunch to find a perfect copy of his own death certificate on his desk.
Short answer:
Yes. They would.
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Gosh. It's like deja vu all over again!
[oops. I do like that story, though.]
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Yes, but I have no intention of entrusting my one and only certificate of insurance to the Royal Mail.
Yes, the only time I ever did this, all paperwork was lost, a disaster, and a very expensive one to get duplicates and very slow. My car was also untaxed for some time, but this was before SORNS etc... and when you could get away with it.
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Agreed, ST. Our line of work depends on the post. I've seen plently of disasters - enough to make me use special delivery for anything that needs to be vaguely on time, and courier for any original documents.
The ONLY things I put in the post are the things that I can reprint or make another copy of. This is not prejudice, but bitter experience.
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Patently,
Enjoy your holiday. It sounds as though you need it ;)
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There are very expensive adverts telling us that DVLA know where all the untaxed cars are, it's on their computer, so what is the point of a tax disc? Why can't you just direct debit? Why does it have to visibly run out at the end of the month, not 12 months to the day after you pay for it? The system is so inflexible it's actually quite difficult to buy a tax disc unless you jump through their hoops. Why are Post Offices the only places that can sell them when they are shut on Sunday, and half of Saturday in most cases? I think Asda, etc, should be allowed to sell them, it would make life a lot easier for most people.
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Round my way you are lucky to get out of the PO in the same hour in which you started queuing.
If you are in the queue, does that make you Pat. Pending?
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Try taxing your car seven weeks in advance when you will be in France with your it. I had to do this the year before last.
My tax was due 1st October, I was travelling to France 30th August and returning home 28th October. Never realised you couldn't tax in advance, and of course it was refused because I didn't have the renewal notice. The PO didn't know what I should do. Tried 'phoning Swansea and the line was permanently engaged. 'Phoned the PO "helpline" who gave duff information. I returned to the PO with the "correct" form etc. duly completed. This time I was told they didn't have the discs so couldn't issue one any way. The counter clerk didn't know the procedure but kindly made a few calls and gave me the correct information and form.
Result: you have to write a letter explaining the circumstances and asking to tax in advance. Can't remember the form no., but send all this off, with cheque etc., to the local head post office. Give them their due I received it return of post.
Returned home and reminder was waiting. November, I received 2 reminders for not renewing tax. 'Phoned local taxation office and gave them the details, but they also wanted me to write with some spurious details which I refused. Never received a renewal reminder the following year.
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If you are in the queue, does that make you Pat. Pending?
Arf arf.
[pedant]No, because I happen to be aware that the marking "pat pend" has no benefit in that the Patents Act 1977 s62(1) rules all such markings ineffective unless accompanied by the patent or patent application number. And, of course, were I to mistakenly mark myself so when not in fact pat pending then an offence would arise under s111(1)(a) or perhaps (b){/pedant}
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>>mark myself
Where did he come from?
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Some words are verbs, mapmaker, and some are nouns. Thought you knew that?
;-)
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There are very expensive adverts telling us that DVLA know where all the untaxed cars are, it's on their computer
= helps them
Why can't you just direct debit? Why does it have to visibly run out at the end of the month, not 12 months to the day after you pay for it? [...] Why are Post Offices the only places that can sell them when they are shut on Sunday, and half of Saturday in most cases?
= helps us
Anyone notice a pattern here?
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If you think that was fun then try getting a retention certificate in person.
The staff have one computer each on the desk, one they all share for some other process, a photo copier at the back of the office, a need to leave the office for another process then there are forms, forms, forms and lots of rubber stamps.
I left with a form to get no plates I did not want.
I left with a new tax disk I did not want, did not use and sent back for a refund.
Its the process stoopid! Electronic age ????
BUT Swansea were brilliant and so quick I was amazed I got my new V5 thing and proper retention cert in a few days.
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Also adverts telling us "they" know which houses haven't a TV licence.
True, but they don't know which of the houses that haven't a TV licence DO have a TV.
Clever but tricky wording!
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They know which ones have bought a new TV, though. The retailer is required to inform them.
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Just you wait until compulsory I.D.Cards are in - you ain't seen nothing yet!
Roger. (in Spain).
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I HATE getting my tax disc and agree with most of the above about how annoying it is and how theres soooo much hassle.
Its not suprising some people dont bother. I do by the way
just so you know!!
We have been away in scotland or wales and its happens to be the same time each year when our Volvo needs taxing, its neat getting it stamped in a new place each time and also makes you look more like a local, as climbers who carry lots of expensive kit about its nice to have a local disc, we were told thiefs are less likely to target local cars!
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