How are the DVLA update times for car tax ?

[Wheelerdealer1 91]

Just curious, on some cars once taxed online the update showing it as taxed on the system is almost immediate, however I've had the a few most notably a Merc I sold and taxed on Friday morning was still not updated until today, the new owner has been calling me every day since asking why it shows online as untaxed, he is paranoid it will get clamped on his street for no tax

Apart from that the actual online bit is straight forward enough, if you tax at the post office for the new owner they kindly take the whole v5 off you and send it to dvla free of charge !

Now what to spend all that 1st class stamp money I'm going to saveðŸ‘

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

I taxed a Mercedes first thing Saturday morning and it took until yesterday (Tuesday) to show, did a Mini earlier and still not showing.

 

I print out the confirmation page and give it to the customer now. At least they can see its been paid. 

 

As for sending of the V5's I wait until I've got about 10 and send them together but stick 3 1st class stamp on the envelope to make sure they get there !! Would cost me more in fuel to drive to the post office!!!

[Ken 10]

We've just been letting the customers tax their new cars since the change over. We just provide them with the reference number off the Log Book the day before they collect the car and they do it online. We've had no issues so far. *touch wood*

[Wheelerdealer1 91]

The joys of being next to the post office!

So far most of my customers hadn't a clue about the new rules so we just playing it safe and getting them taxed up before they leave

does anyone know how many times you can use the new keeper slip code to tax?

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

No idea how many times you can use the code on the green slip but interestingly the code on the green slip is the same as the document reference number on the front of the V5 but with an extra number in front of it. I've played around and it doesn't matter what number you put in front on the number on the front of the V5 the online system still allows you to tax it as if you were using the number on the green slip !!!! ................if that makes sense !!

 

So if you have no green slip just add an extra number on and tax it like you have !!!!

[Wheelerdealer1 91]

Thanks Gavin that's really helpful info!

Well I taxed my other run around for £25 a month, so when I sell it I'm assuming I can just cancel the DD and retax for the new owner using the same code ( I hope ! )

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

Have you registered your run around in your name???  I know the old green slips used to only be valid for 6 weeks after they had been used...don't know if its the same now its all done online !

[Wheelerdealer1 91]

I've registered one that's the main pool car, the other run around is yellow slipped and taxed with the new keeper slip code online, will see if it can be taxed again and post results next month 😉

[GreenGiant 287]

Taxed a couple at the Post Office last Saturday morning - one a keeper change, the other our Parts van renewal. Neither showed online as taxed until Tuesday morning.

 

I know I've been banging on about this for a while, but what is the bleedin' point of introducing this 'digital' system if the data isn't updated instantaneously and the info shared with Plod or whoever the DVLA have agreed to share it with (yours for a mess of potage - you only have to ask) in real time?

It is not fit for purpose if it doesn't immediately update. The potential for erroneous prosecutions, clampings and fines is there for all to see. And you can rest assured that when (not if) someone (one of your customers?) gets stopped for driving an 'untaxed' car, they will automatically be deemed guilty until proven innocent.

Can't the fools who thought this up see that?

[Wheelerdealer1 91]

Exactly GG most customers are not happy about taking a car that shows up online as having no tax, I'm sure the ANPR picks that up, and also plod and local clampers, it's a nightmare in inner London right now

[Guest]

I'm looking into this and trying to get some results from the DVLA. Not a good start, mind - can't get hold of anyone in their press office. But I'll keep trying!

[Sensei 12]

The DVLA tax checker can take up to 5 days but ive found it has normally updated within 48hrs .. but im sure on the APNR internal database the update in basically straight away .. i hope ?

[GreenGiant 287]

I'm looking into this and trying to get some results from the DVLA. Not a good start, mind - can't get hold of anyone in their press office. But I'll keep trying!

 

If and when you do get through you can rest assured that many words will be spoken, but nothing will be said.

You will be told that the new system is functioning in line with expectations, the massive cost savings (remember?...25p a car) will benefit everyone in the longer term and there will inevitably be a period of time for customers to adjust habits formed over many years.

There won't be any apology for the poor communication about the change, or the lack of consultation, nor for the extra workload put upon us for having to train their customers for them. They will not be able to categorically promise that the updates are happening in real time, but their data says they are. There will be no evidence of an increase in cloned cars (ie, same make, model & reg no) seemingly being in different places at the same time and, in essence, the whole thing has been a jolly splendid success.

[Wheelerdealer1 91]

GG you work for the DVLA don't you ?

[GreenGiant 287]

Might as well do.

Couldn't c*ck it up any worse.

[Guest]

Press office have just confirmed they're working on answering the questions I've put to them, based on your comments on the forum. We'll see what they say - but I think we need another 1-2-1 with their chief. Feel free to keep letting me have your comments and how you've found the changeover, and I'll put them to him.

[Guest]

You have no need to worry about cars not showing up as taxed after you have sorted it. The DVLA says: We have a record of the tax transaction the moment it occurs on EVL and receive an end-of-day file from the post office for transactions that have occurred during that day. The ANPR system doesn’t check the live record but reports potentially untaxed vehicles to us for checking after the event.  Only DVLA have the powers to issue a penalty for not having tax and we only do this after checking the vehicle hasn’t been taxed.

So there you have it. They also say 87% of customers knew about the changeover before October 1.

I'll put together a story for the next edition of Car Dealer.

[James Baggott 227]

Interesting stuff. But I'm still not sure why an online system can't update itself immediately. Surely that's the whole point?

[russp 10]

I've registered one that's the main pool car, the other run around is yellow slipped and taxed with the new keeper slip code online, will see if it can be taxed again and post results next month

 

This will be really interesting to see if you can tax it again for the customer when you sell it. There are a couple of cars I have that I would be happy to pay the monthly direct debit for until sold so that they can be driven without my trade plates.

It was always possible to re-tax a car with the same green slip more than once. The post office used to stamp the green slip to say it had already been taxed but it was more than possible to scan the same code more than once.

I guess it will be the same with this system.

I look forward to your update.

Many thanks.

[Wood235 36]

As a dealer, you could tax the car with green slip, use it for a year and when tax expired put the car up for sale without adding another keeper to the reg doc. Do you think it's still possible to do this or will the car not count as taxed as it's not officially registered to you?

[GreenGiant 287]

This is the one pointy question that affects a great many of us.

 

If you can still tax a car on the green slip at the Post Office, not send off the main V5 and be able to use it for up to a year with it showing as taxed, then we can crack on as before and have a couple of 'smokers' for general use.

 

Will we need to wait a year for the answer?

[Wood235 36]

Totally agree GG, someone on here must know the answer to this? I have been readin up but can't seem to come to a conclusion on this one!

[GreenGiant 287]

OK, so we need a smoker for the weekend. We've got one with a cheapie road tax amount and I've just gone on the DVLA 'renew my tax' website.

I clicked the 'i don't have the V11 reminder' link, ticked 'new keeper' and it asks for the 12 digit ref no from V5C/2 (same as the 11 digit ref no from main V5 with extra first digit).

As an experiment, I entered the number but with a different first digit - made no difference - still carried on as normal.

Entered payment card details and got confirmation. Nowhere was I asked to make sure the full V5 with keeper change is sent to the DVLA. So I won't.

Got Email confirming the same.

Checked vehicle status on DVLA website - still showing as untaxed, but message says it may take up to 5 days(!) for details to update.

 

What have we learned?

• The 12 digit code from the V5C/2 is an irrelevance. If you have the main V5 (or even a copy) you can pretend to be a new keeper by just adding a random digit to the front of the number on that.
• The DVLA database does not update in real time, even if you tax a vehicle directly with them. Which renders it kind of pointless.
• I would assume that the balance of the tax will therefore be transferred to an actual new keeper when the car is eventually sold, as the DVLA have been told that there is a new keeper and when the main V5 is sent off, the details should all join up.

So we'll see what happens.

[metcars 397]

Thats fair enough, but if the cars put to trade it will show as "no current registered keeper" which any ANPR equipped cop car will flag and pull you. You will  be expected to give a good reason for this, as because their whole system of tracking motorists is undermined like this, so they take it very seriously.

[GreenGiant 287]

Except that we've used the 'doc ref' from the V5C/2 and have, therefore, told the DVLA that a keeper change is taking place.

 

In addition, before Oct 1 this was common practice for all of the Trade and no issues have ever been had with those cars that were 'in trade' so I see no reason why that should change.

The vehicle is being driven by a Bona Fide motor dealer, is taxed and insured. Where's the beef?

 

Oh, and the car is showing online as taxed this morning. So it's probably an overnight update. Still a bit pointless.