Car tax fine... possibly a unique case?

[norniron]

Ok, glad to have joined up here. I checked and read through DVLA posts on the site. I think my case is different to others. I'll give the basics.

 

Car (Fiesta) taxed at the start of the year: Tax up 31st July 2012.

 

Had a warning letter through the door around June to say my car had been spotted with no tax. I took a quick check of tax disc in car window and couldn't see what the problem was. Ignored it.

 

Went to tax car start of August (was on holiday and out of country until 2nd week). The guy said I had a fine to pay before I could renew the tax. I explained about the letter I received and how it was sent by mistake. He checked details of my car and said there were no records of it being taxed in 2012. I explained when and how I had paid, even details of the guy behind the counter. Only when I went out to get the tax disc, I realised that there was another registration on it. The registration of a 3lt twin turbo GTO that blew an engine about 3 years ago. A car that I had returned all forms for, one which was supposedly scrapped out by a mechanic who could not fix it.

 

The guy then put me onto their fine / debt / whatever department. I explained to the girl on the phone what had happened. She says there was no record of tax on the GTO since... guessing here May 2010. I said that's right cause it's scrapped out. She explained once again, there was NO record of the GTO being taxed since that date, meaning the Fiesta tax disc with the GTO registration on it was not recognised. I had to send it off or call in to sort things out.

 

I called in last Thursday as I needed the car for work Friday to Monday. After 20 minutes discussing it with her supervisor, the girl behind the desk said it was my mistake. I had landed in with the white form (the one they post out) for the GTO and that's why it was processed to the wrong car. I believe I used the Fiesta white form, but they argued different.

 

Now maybe I'm wrong but I thought I needed to show a valid Insurance and MOT certificate dedicated to the vehicle in question to be able to get tax. So how can I tax the 3.0 GTO using an Insurance certificate and an MOT certificate for a 1.3 Fiesta. That would leave it open for lots of criminal activity.

 

Finally, my fine! I was told there's nothing I can do about the GTO tax, it can't be reclaimed. I had to pay the missing Fiesta tax from the start of the year, plus a fine for being caught on the road without tax before I could even get to pay tax for the next 6 months. To cut a long story short I'm out almost £380 for what I believe to be their error! They told me I stood no chance of getting money back.

 

Maybe I'm biased and it's not as clear cut as I think it is. I would like other people's opinions if possible? Thanks in advance, Iain.

[Conniff]

Post Office Counters can make mistakes that would allow the wrong car to be taxed. A few years ago I bought a car on Easter Weekend and was given the wrong MoT, (same make and model, different reg), but didn't notice and it was picked up when I tried to tax it.

Being close to PO closing time so no time to get back to the car sales for the correct certificate, I tried another Post Office. In this one instead of laying them out in front of him, he just checked the dates and seeing they were all in date issued me a tax disc.

[norniron]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I left it too late to tax at the post office, I went direct to the gov office, DVLNI in Coleraine. From what you have said, I guess the PO or Tax office can both make mistakes. Human error, e.g. clicking the wrong option on a screen, etc.

 

I brought the MOT cert, insurance details for the Fiesta and handed them over to him. I can only assume he opened some sort of file from my address and clicked the wrong car. I'm still convinced it's a gov mistake and nothing I've done wrong. I went there initially expecting to get a few pounds back due to the price difference between the 2 cars. Wasn't expecting to pay the fine and have to back tax the Fiesta for 6 months.

 

Next stage probably put in a formal complaint?

[Conniff]

So are you all up to date with the payments for both cars?

 

If so, you can do things at leisure. My first action would be to send them a SAR and see what there is about you, it might be a waste of a tenner but then again on top of what you have already lost, it's not much.

 

It's weekend so might be a bit quiet, but there are usually quite a few on here who can give some good opinions and suggestions.