apart from burning it to the ground with everyone still in it…

Back in June I bought a car, taxed it online (£290) and took it home. That evening I drove it and it became apparent there was a problem with the autobox so the dealer took it back the next day and refunded me.

DVLA will not refund as the car was not in my name, hardly surprising as I owned it less than 24 hours…

Meanwhile, the car was sold again and the new owner also taxed it, so it is taxed twice. They can easily take the money it seems, but not give it back.

Letters are still going back and forth with no joy. Anyone had similar?

Emission duty not tax – I know, I know…

Not sure how relevant but I had a problem recently and needed to speak to them. Basically there were no answers on the website and I needed to speak to an actual person. It would appear that this is almost impossible as you just get endless menus and recorded ‘advice’. So, phoned again and pressed # six times. Crashed the automated system and put me through to a human who was excellent. Sorted my problem in 2 mins. So if you’ve not already maybe give them a call and ask for some advice.

How did you pay for the “tax” (VED)?

I paid it online. That’s what is so frustrating, no problem paying money out without the car in my name. Why should it be so hard to pay it back to the same account?…

As for speaking to them, I managed to do that and they told me to put it in writing. Shame letters take six weeks to reply to though.

Do they have rules for refunds?

If so and they haven’t been met, then small claims court. Send them a letter give them a date when you expect everything to be settled by, and if they don’t court it is.

Just because they are a government agency doesn’t give them cart blanche to bend the rule of law.

if you paid by credit card dispute the charge

I did gwaelod, never thought of that. Great idea, thanks.

if you paid by credit card dispute the charge

On what basis?

I would be very careful disputing the charge, it was paid and taken legitimately.

I would make sure you give the credit card company the full details, and not try to enhance the story in your favour. I suspect in this instance there will not be much that can be done through that service. However you never know, worth giving them a ring to find out.

This place really is slipping…

Bombers and wet shoes surely.

Did you use the green slip (V5C/2) to tax it online? Does that not generate a V5C (log book) in your name (and so refund you)?

My last dealings with the DVLA meant I had to contact my local politician to get a resolution.
I have never come across such a bunch of couldn’t care less, incompetent arseholes in all my life.
I will gladly supply fuel for you to burn them to the ground.

“Did you use the green slip (V5C/2) to tax it online? Does that not generate a V5C (log book) in your name (and so refund you)?”

Negative. Got similar going on atm….

Taxed it using v5c in my name…

Didnt send the v5 off immediately ( it was my wifes car i was just moving to my name to clean it up for insurance) sent it off, once we got back from honey moon got a bastard tax refund minus most of a month. And a bill for retaxing it…..inc the month id already paid for.

Bunch of incompetant ****.

f you paid by credit card dispute the charge
On what basis?

On the basis that they have two payments on one car at the moment. The dealer re-sold the car around two weeks after I had it and it was taxed for the new owner.
I don’t want anything special, I don’t need to embellish my story. It’s perfectly plain to any reasonable person that I should get my money back.

yep the whole systems turned into a shambled in that respect. RAC warned this would happen…..

On the basis that they have two payments on one car at the moment. The dealer re-sold the car around two weeks after I had it and it was taxed for the new owner.
I don’t want anything special, I don’t need to embellish my story. It’s perfectly plain to any reasonable person that I should get my money back.

Yes, but that is not a scenario that is covered by the credit card payment protection, tou wanted to tax the car and did so, it is not the DVLA’s fault that you returned the car to the dealer after you taxed it. The fact that your requirements then changed does not mean they did not provide the initial service as requested.

yep the whole systems turned into a shambled in that respect. RAC warned this would happen….

The DVLA has been a shambles for at least 20 years, judging by the number of adverts for IT admins I used to see, the staff churn has always been unsustainable.

We know that some duty has been paid against the vehicle, and when it is reported as sold/scrapped, that duty will be refunded within a few weeks to the registered keeper who sold it.

In this case, I’d expect the duty (minus the month, of course) to come back to the dealer.

The overlapping payments thing will probably go nowhere, as this appears to be a totally lawful way for the DVLA to claw extra millions in duty from the motoring public. If you sell a car on the 1st of the month, you’ll lose that month’s duty, and the buyer will still have to pay it. Crap, but apparently legit.