A very strange call

[hollywoodland]

I'm no longer a student and I'm not working at present, with no income which is why my unroadworthy vehicle is still unroadworthy and I called the DVLA to renew the SORN declaration. So I give the details and the person on the line says 'Hmm, it looks like it's been seen parked on the public highway SORN'd and has been clamped'

 

So I walk a few steps into my garage to check I haven't lost my mind. There it is, no clamp ever been near it and there it's been for the past year. 'When was this?' I asked.

 

'About a month ago. The clamping company have reported an offence - it was clamped on x road and the car and clamp were gone when they came back. They are still investigating and they haven't contacted you yet but it is another department so I can't give you any more information'

 

'Rrriiiiigghht'

 

No more information and apparently they're still investigating. This is very strange. I know it hasn't been driven or left the garage. I've done a little research and the only thing I can speculate is that the plate has been cloned. Any clue at all, I hate just sitting on my hands.

 

:confused::confused::mad::mad::mad::???::???:

[Consumer dude]

I would'nt do nothing other than to request that you are kept informed of there investigations..

[Conniff]

Make someone happy, say it was you and pay their penalty.

[crem]

Now, now Conniff.....

[hollywoodland]

Does anybody have any clue what is going on here, what this is about?

[Conniff]

I certainly don't get it. Investigate what? The car was seen on the highway with no tax, clamped. The next thing is you are billed £80. There is nothing to investigate.

 

Your car or not is irrelevent, you get a bill. No one investigates anything. The theft of a clamp may be reported, but that's it.

[kwaks]

Could be a couple of things, cloned plate and the car type/colour didnt match so DVLA investigate.

 

Reg number inputted incorrectly as yours, when in fact was not.

 

Either way it seems too good an opportunity for the DVLA not to send an invoice.

 

Unless they were gonna hold off a year or two before doing so in order to make it virtually impossible to fight it Not that I think the DVLA would ever be so devious as to delay sending out dubious fines.

[hollywoodland]

Why would holding off a couple of years make it virtually impossible to fight?

 

That's what I don't understand Conniff, what is there to investigate? They send the fine or they don't.

 

What kind of defence am I going to have if they do send me a court summons? "Oh well, it wasn't me so it must have been a cloned plate" I dare say they've heard that one before for every speeding motorist, or fine they've sent out.

[Conniff]

A friend of mine had his car cloned and had to go through quite a lot to show it wasn't his even though at the time his was parked on MoD property 200 miles away.

It only ended when he saw the photo and it proved the clone was an estate and his a saloon. It was hard to see from the pcn photo as it was the exact same colour as well as make and model and there isn't a lot of difference between an estate and saloon in the Ford Focus.

[hollywoodland]

Great, so have I got a hefty legal battle ahead? Am I the target the DVLA selects by the sounds of it, who can't afford to extensively defend and would just have to pay their fines?

[Conniff]

I wouldn't think so. All you need is a witness and the photo. There will be some difference in the car.

[hollywoodland]

There isn't really any different types of this car. No saloon or estate models in this case, just the one hatchback. Any input anyone?

[Conniff]

i meant differences as in tow eye, type of reg plate etc; if you know your own car you will spot something.