I was wondering why it took so long to arrive. Letter came in last night with a new one, and apologising that they sent the first licence to my old address from 10 years ago, and are “attempting to recover” the first licence.

How much of a problem is this likely to cause me ? I assume it has my old address on it, but maybe not. Could somebody take out a loan in my name etc ??

Should I be annoyed with the DVLA ?? Wee trip back to my old address ??

I’d be a bit annoyed with them…I guess someone could get a loan in your name.. the Driving license has a lot of details on it.

I’d be more worried about someone else running up loads of speeding fines in your name. It’s up to you to prove you didn’t speed, and if someones handed over your details you’ll have a bugger of a job proving it wasn’t you.

The f****** p****s have lost my (Croatian) wedding license.
I knew they would but they would not accept a photocopy.

Indeed. I might give them a call later. I have the letter from the DVLA which I would hope would verify that there is a rogue copy of my licence kicking around Edinburgh. Time to pop around to the old flat I think… at least find out who lives there…

Actually not I think about it this is a scandalous breach of DPA, I wonder how many other licences got sent to the wrong address ?? And how did they know, cos I hadn’t got around to chasing them.

There were a few cases where the DVLA lost licenses and when reinstating them, wiped off people’s motorbike entitlement. Initial they wouldn’t budge and riders of 40 years + had to redo their tests. I think they then relented and added the motorbike category back to those that complained.
So if you had Cat A before, make sure it’s still there when you get it back. And if you didn’t have it before, now may be a good time to get it!
Other than that I wouldn’t be annoyed, just accept they’re generally pretty useless.

Agree with your second comment Hels, keep that letter as it should be proof of anything. I can’t imagine it’ll make the least bit of difference, I doubt you could get a loan with a photocard license that bears no resemblance! I suspect the new resident will have ‘filed’ it, or chucked it in the bin!

As per comment above – lots of reports of other vehicle classes entitlement being removed from re-issued licences.

I cant see them being bothered to do anything with a photocard driving licence. If they did look like you and then changed their utility bills into your name and then opened and bank account in your name to then apply for a loan in your name (if they even had a credit score as the ratings companies will have you living at your current address and they would need to provide the last 3 years residential addresses to tie in with your record, which they probably don’t have) and then move to a new house to lost the trail of the loan and obviously they will need to ensure that if the house they were in was a rented house that the landlords don’t know who they really are otherwise they will be caught.

Now there are people out there that have the ability to do that sort of thing but the chances of your card falling into their hands is pretty slim. There are much easier pickings out there.

Yeah, Doovla **** up everything. I buy and sell a lot of cars and I have to send everything by recorded delivery. I rang them up recently and found out I still have 3 cars I sold over 10 years ago logged against my name and unfortunately 1 that I currently own not in my name which has loads of fines against it as when I SORN’d they could not action it as they had **** up the transfer from the last owner. It would have been nice of them to tell me.

Now they are on about closing all the regional offices FFS. So when they totally screw it up in Wales I cant pop to the local office and sort it out properly. Great idea.

The DVA here in N.I sent the wife her new license but failed to return her wedding cert and passport. When she rang to enquire about it they said “oh, we must never have got those”
So they send out new licenses now without the adequate paperwork and proof of identity?!

Anyway, They then admitted they must have had it and lost it and,”sorry about that”

No offer of reimbursement.

I wouldn’t let it lie, they had to have every conversation in writing, a deliberate attempt at putting you off the bother of claiming. But for almost £100 worth of replacement documents I wouldnt let it go.

Took several months and various attempts by them to wriggle out of it before they finally gave in and paid up. They even tried telling me I didn’t respond to the letter sent by royal mail in their investigation as to the documents whereabouts. A letter that never was sent I may add. They said it wasn’t their policy to send items back with any proof of posting…

****ts