Yes ... unless you're being disingenuous (forgive me!) as so few are on this forum (eg it was addressed to Mr Bard Wolfe or something similar).
I'd also be inclined to write to DVLA to say someone has registered his car at your address.
Edited by GroovyMucker on 19/09/2009 at 15:29
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I didn't open the letter, as it wasn't addressed to me so I have no idea if it was speeding, parking or picking my nose!
The name on it was completely different from mine. The only similarity was that both our names contain letters... :-)
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Groovymucker- forgot to add that, surely if someone had registered their car at my address, I'd be getting their tax reminders etc?
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Hmm
that's a point
I presumed it was a s. 172/NIP Notice
even so, I should have thought any organisation would be getting its info from DVLA
maybe he's only just registered it
you're an honest man: my instinct would have been to open it!
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I think that if I get another one, then I will open it. Firstly, I don't want my address 'blacklisted' or whatever it is they do and secondly, I want to know if some scrote has falsely registered his car here.
If it's an error though, it just shows how we can't trust the authorities to keep our details safely and accurately.
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I think that if I get another one then I will open it.
Personally I would try to contact the sender first, if possible/practical.
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Personally, I would open the next one to get more information.
Is it your car on the notice ?
Were you in the area of the issue at that time ?
The next one should give some information, at least a reference number so you can phone them up.
Ted
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Badwolf.
Presume you own a vehicle?
Look at the V5. Is your personal details (name) same as that which was on the envelope.
DVLA are known to make mistakes of this kind. One of mine has an error.
If the details are the same then SCP will have fullfilled their obligation to send a NOIP to the person named as Keeper on the DVLA register and SCP will claim due diligence in serving IMHO. Nevertheless always worth drawing their incompetence to their attention and they may just drop everything.
dvd
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Just make sure the 14 days has expired from the date of the offence so they cannot stuff you with an amended one providing as DVD states your V5 details are in order.
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Dvd, the name on the V5 for my vehicle matches mine exactly. The one on the suspected NIP delivered to my address was completely and utterly different in almost every way.
Hopefully I've heard the last of this as I really don't need any more worry at the moment.
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>> Hopefully I've heard the last of this as I really don't need any more worryat the moment.
Rats. I spoke too soon. I've just received a reminder from the SCP, still in the mystery man's name but (obviously) at our address.
This time, the envelope was almost completely open so I finished off the job. The name is totally different and the vehicle registration is one that I don't recognise. I've just typed it into askMID (yes, I know!) and it flags up as not being on their database. The alarm bells are now ringing even louder.
I have rung the SCP and it would seem that someone has supplied this false name and our address to them as belonging to the driver of the vehicle at the time it was 'flashed'. They are now going to go back to this informant to ask them what is going on.
Hey-ho.
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Sounds like it will get sorted, however it is stress you don't need. I always think the process of buying a car should be stricter to stop this happening but I have no idea how they would enforce it.
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.*******
Meant to say "You have to proove ID when opening a bank account, why not do the same for a car - take docs along to local DVLA office or no V% issued to that address.
Edited by ijws15 on 03/11/2009 at 12:20
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Because there are far too many corrupt people in the motor trade, too many cars will be sold by crinimal dealers specialising in not sticking to the rules when selling.
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Badwolf,
Keep a sort of diary of events. Up date it every time something changes. If you ring people catch a name every time and ask them to confirm in writing (e-mail will do). If necessary get their e-mail address and confirm what you've just said on the phone, then keep your own e-mail in hard copy, with their details shown on it i.e. showing you sent it to them.
Much easier if it all goes breasts up later and you start receiving summonses or bailiffs.
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Good points by Westpig (re. keeping records).
Badwolf said:I have rung the SCP and it would seem that someone has supplied this false name and our address to them as belonging to the driver of the vehicle at the time it was 'flashed'. They are now going to go back to this informant to ask them what is going on. >>
From that, I surmise that
1. SCP have correct name and address of the Keeper X of car Y
2. Keeper X has told them that driver Z, who got flashed, lives at address A.
3. Badwolf lives at A, but has no knowledge of X or Y or Z.
So how can he be prosecuted for anything to do with X, Y or Z ?
Edited by jbif on 03/11/2009 at 15:02
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As jbif says, the original NIP will have gone to the address known to and stored by DVLA (copy on PNC2).
Someone has probably filled in the details saying driver was Z and live at Badwolf's address.
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I've just typed it into askMID (yes, I know!) and it flags up as not being on their database. >>
Have you put it into DVLA to see if it's taxed?
Although this might be a pain in the elbow, as jbif says, I don't see how OP can wind up being done for anything.
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>>Have you put it into DVLA to see if it's taxed?
I've just tried, but the NIP reminder only states the VRM, not the make and you need both to do this.
Although this might be a pain in the elbow as jbif says I don't see how OP can wind up being done for anything.
Having given it some thought, I think that you're both quite correct. Even with the current state our legal system, I can't see myself being prosecuted for being somebody else, and driving a car I don't own at a speed I didn't travel at, on a road that I didn't drive down on an occasion when I was somewhere else...
I hope.
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Badwolf. Keep a note of your time and expenses (post, phone calls etc) in dealing with the SCP. When its all over send them the bill.
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To be fair, AE, I don't really feel inclined to do this. They are only acting on information supplied by the registered keeper of the car. I know what you're saying, ie 'why should I be out of pocket?', but for once, I don't blame the SCP!
Cheers.
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I see that, but you have now given them sufficient information to go away. I suspect this wont happen, and you will get much more from them.....sorry to say.
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Ah, I see what you mean. Fair point. Don't take this the wrong way, but I do hope that you're wrong :-)
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This can't be all that uncommon, can it?
It will only take an electoral roll or credit score check to show that no-one with the name supplied has any recorded connection with your address at which point the matter should go away.
If it doesn't, I'd be inclined to ignore it and let the system tie itself up in knots.
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They are only acting on information supplied by the registered keeper of the car. >>
The SCP are sending mail to someone wrongly addressed to Badwolf's home.
All Badwolf can do and should do is return the mail marked "Not known at this address".
The fact that he was able to peek [arguably not within his rights to do so] in to an already partly open letter has enabled him to gather further facts about the driver and car, but that is irrelevant to the fact that the mail he is getting should be returned unopened to the sender.
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All Badwolf can do and should do is return the mail marked "Not known at this address".
And that, jbif, is exactly what Badwolf will be doing. I've informed them of the situation now and if they still insist on proceeding then I will look forward to them being made to look like first class chumps.
Cheers.
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jbif - in a IHAQ I brought up this issue. We were sent mail from a bank addressed to someone who has never lived at our address. At least two were returned.
One was then opened and it was chasing a substanial debt.
On calling the bank they were aware of the letters being returned as they had a record of them on file, but apparently that's not enough to stop them sending letters! A letter to the Chief Exec has stopped it for now, unfortunately we are now receiving similar mail from O2.
Regardless of what any laws state we are now opening all mail addressed to this person and contacting the companies concerned once to get their details disaccociated with our address.
If they don't act on the instruction I will begin charging them for my time in responding.
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... Regardless of what any laws state we are now opening all mail addressed to this person and contacting the companies concerned once to get their details disaccociated with our address. If they don't act on the instruction I will begin charging them for my time in responding. >>
Unless the person has been associated with your accounts, you are not affected. All you need to do/know is here:
www.experian.co.uk/consumer/faq/AR3.html
www.cifas.org.uk/default.asp?edit_id=566-56
But suit yourself if you wish to carry on doing what you are doing.
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Put the car number in here:
www.rac.co.uk/products-services/car-data-checks/
That'll give you the make and model without charge.
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Good Morning BT - I went to that link, out of interest, and all I could find was an online check for £14.99, over a freephone line for £19.99 and enter the car reg and a promotion code to get a free check in the future. Did I miss something?
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.. enter the car reg .. >>
Can you not go to insurance web sites and enter the car reg to get full details of make and model?
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AS - if you enter the VRM under the £14.99 thing, it'll confirm the car details on the next page. Then you decide whether to proceed and pay for the check. Confused me a bit, until I worked it out...
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Sorry about that. I was trying to get out with SWMBO in my ear. I should have explained it better.
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Magic - thanks for that. It shows the car to be a Vauxhall Astra DTI LS. I have never owned an Astra. A Vectra, yes. An Opel Kadett, yes. But never an Astra.
I've just bunged those details into the DVLA tax checker thingy and it tells me that it is taxed until the end of September '10. Interestingly it also tells me that it's white and, as Stuartli will confirm, round these parts we have an awful lot of white Astra DTI private hire cabs.
Just wondering if it's worth giving the taxi firms a bell?
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Just wondering if it's worth giving the taxi firms a bell? >>
No, in your position, I should stop any detective work and just return mail to SCP.
It is possible that the driver lives somewhere near you, but the keeper has made an error in filling in the form.
It is an easy error to make. I am fortunate to live where I know all my neighbours. One family gets Christmas cards [individually addressed to each family member] sent to my address every year for teh last few years from an elderly relative. They have told her numerous times to correct her address book, and she promises to do so, but come Christmas, the cards arrive at my address! Similarly, I know that the people at no.11 get mail sent to them for the people living at no.17.
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I understand the Post Office are now obliged to employ dyslexic staff incl sorting staff AND delivery staff.
jat
M
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What about this scenario.
Dodgy person 'A' registers his car at Badwolf's address. He sets up a mail redirection (which I understand is recorded by name rather than address) so gets his insurance and tax documentation sent to another property. Car is then legally taxed and insured so doesn't raise suspicions. Person A subsequently removes mail redirection so any further mail relating to driving offences goes to Badwolf's address.
Then, when person A wishes to renew tax or insurance he simply re-instigates a mail redirection.
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Redirection of mail sends something to the address being redirected to avoid fraudulent use of the service. You cannot redirect mail without access to the post. That's how I remember of it when I last moved and redirected mail.
EDIT: And of course you need to supply proof of address to setup redirection.
Edited by rtj70 on 04/11/2009 at 14:15
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Redirection of mail sends something to the address being redirected to avoid fraudulent use of the service. You cannot redirect mail without access to the post. That's how I remember of it when I last moved and redirected mail.
I've used this service very recently (within the last few weeks). If you do it by post using a form from the Post Office you have to provide the usual ID to prove who you are and that you live at the address being re-directed from. Just like I remember from a few years ago
But I was surprised to find that it can be done online without any (apparent) ID check. I presume there must be some automated cross-reference going on somewhere to prove that you live where you say you live. I just filled in my name and old address, said I wanted it re-directed to my new address, and ...bingo.... it was done. I hope something was happening behind the scenes.
Otherwise, I could go online, and get all the mail from any address to be re-directed to my current address.
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For online redirects, you can not redirect immediately (I think there's a week's wait before go-live) . This is to allow the Royal Mail to write to you at your current address, notifying you of the change and asking you, if you have not requested the change, to contact them to prevent mail fraud.
I did this 3 months ago when I moved. However, my old address is still receiveing a percentage of my mail, so redirects don't work 100%.
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Alanovich
You confirm how it worked the last time I used the service - I got something at the old address checking I had indeed done the redirect.
As for: "redirects don't work 100%." I found out years ago with another move this. The letter that went missing and HR at work would not resend was the outcome of a regrade. I got a big pay rise and other benefits but did not know about it for days. Sods law says that was the only mail item that didn't get redirected.
Hopefully going to see how the redirect works for me soon - looking to move.
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I looked at that earlier and it mentions you need to send of proof of address/surname being redirected.
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>> Just wondering if it's worth giving the taxi firms a bell? >> No in your position I should stop any detective work and just return mail to SCP.
Once again, you're right. No need to waste my time and effort on something that's not my fault.
Cheers.
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