Nightmare with DVLA

[carolyn]

Why couldn't the surgery ring your husband in the first place to say he needed the tests?
Cheers, Dave

What a waste of the surgery’s time. He never answers the phone when he’s on the golf course. Most Sherborne retirees are similarly busy. Much better use of the surgery’s time to send out a standardised txt within a month of his Bday. No doubt computer generated.
He had his diary ready when he phoned them. If he’d answered anywhere but at home he wouldn’t have had a clue when we were free. I’m the social secretary so mine was as well!

 

[Emmit]

What a waste of the surgery’s time. He never answers the phone when he’s on the golf course. Most Sherborne retirees are similarly busy. Much better use of the surgery’s time to send out a standardised txt within a month of his Bday. No doubt computer generated.
He had his diary ready when he phoned them. If he’d answered anywhere but at home he wouldn’t have had a clue when we were free. I’m the social secretary so mine was as well!

That reminds me of last May when I too had to jump through the yearly health check.
Being a ,"never at home" I tried, God knows I tried, to get them to take an armful of blood but they were having none of it
'We know best and we'll tell you when you can come in' ignoring the fact that I wasn't at home for their convenience, at the same time they were openly threatening me with the removal of my ability to get my prescriptions monthly.

 

[rod_vw]

There is a simple rule of thumb here with the DVLA, never do any correspondence with them by telephone. Do everything in writing even if only via their chat system and keep copies of everything. If you can then quote their exact words it ensures that they can't argue at a later date.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

That reminds me of last May when I too had to jump through the yearly health check.
Being a ,"never at home" I tried, God knows I tried, to get them to take an armful of blood but they were having none of it
'We know best and we'll tell you when you can come in' ignoring the fact that I wasn't at home for their convenience, at the same time they were openly threatening me with the removal of my ability to get my prescriptions monthly.

We are fortunate with our local surgery. They are both approachable and flexible.

 

[Emmit]

What a waste of the surgery’s time. He never answers the phone when he’s on the golf course. Most Sherborne retirees are similarly busy. Much better use of the surgery’s time to send out a standardised txt within a month of his Bday. No doubt computer generated.
He had his diary ready when he phoned them. If he’d answered anywhere but at home he wouldn’t have had a clue when we were free. I’m the social secretary so mine was as well!

That reminds me of last May when I too had to jump through the yearly health check.
Being a ,"never at home" I tried, God knows I tried, to get them to take an armful of blood but they were having none of it
'We know best and we'll tell you when you can come in' ignoring the fact that I wasn't at home for their convenience, at the same time they were openly threatening me with the removal of my ability to get my prescriptions monthly

We are fortunate with our local surgery. They are both approachable and flexible.

Oh, our Health centre staff are marvellous too.
However, the 'grumpy's' who organise the annual blood letting service are a law unto themselves. I have even written back to them pointing out that their ill phrased missives are less than subtle, but to no avail.

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[maison]

Hopefully the last update on dealing with DVLA.

Yesterday evening we finally managed, (with the help of my daughter and Son-in-Law) to complete our application for a Temporary V5 Certificate as the amended one has not arrived.

This morning we received a reply from the DVLA stating that they couldn’t issue a Certificate as some of the information we had provided did not match their records.

After three abortive phone calls I managed to find a direct number for the “Export Team” who explained that “they were unable to open a file prepared on an iPad” so had been unable to see my details at all.

They suggested that I sent all the details required by the form in a plain email. I did this and, at last, have the necessary Certificate so we can now go on our trip.

Almost seven weeks from their receipt of the application and we have had to resort to the emergency Certificate.

This poor performance and seeing that they are still running computers on Windows 7 makes me despair.

Now, motorhome packed, all paperwork completed, ferry waiting, onwards and upwards. Spain/France here we come.

 

[Odd-no-more]

Hopefully the last update on dealing with DVLA.

Yesterday evening we finally managed, (with the help of my daughter and Son-in-Law) to complete our application for a Temporary V5 Certificate as the amended one has not arrived.

This morning we received a reply from the DVLA stating that they couldn’t issue a Certificate as some of the information we had provided did not match their records.

After three abortive phone calls I managed to find a direct number for the “Export Team” who explained that “they were unable to open a file prepared on an iPad” so had been unable to see my details at all.

They suggested that I sent all the details required by the form in a plain email. I did this and, at last, have the necessary Certificate so we can now go on our trip.

Almost seven weeks from their receipt of the application and we have had to resort to the emergency Certificate.

This poor performance and seeing that they are still running computers on Windows 7 makes me despair.

Now, motorhome packed, all paperwork completed, ferry waiting, onwards and upwards. Spain/France here we come.

Glad you got it sorted, well partially sorted. Hopefully the V5 will be ready when you get back

 

[Puddleduck]

Please make a complaint via your MP and the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Until people start to make complaints through a procedure that has teeth nothing will change.

 

[pelican]

Hopefully the last update on dealing with DVLA.

Yesterday evening we finally managed, (with the help of my daughter and Son-in-Law) to complete our application for a Temporary V5 Certificate as the amended one has not arrived.

This morning we received a reply from the DVLA stating that they couldn’t issue a Certificate as some of the information we had provided did not match their records.

After three abortive phone calls I managed to find a direct number for the “Export Team” who explained that “they were unable to open a file prepared on an iPad” so had been unable to see my details at all.

They suggested that I sent all the details required by the form in a plain email. I did this and, at last, have the necessary Certificate so we can now go on our trip.

Almost seven weeks from their receipt of the application and we have had to resort to the emergency Certificate.

This poor performance and seeing that they are still running computers on Windows 7 makes me despair.

Now, motorhome packed, all paperwork completed, ferry waiting, onwards and upwards. Spain/France here we come.

There you go, Don't know what the fuss was about

 

[maison]

There you go, Don't know what the fuss was about

I must admit it has been the most frustrating and disheartening time of any dealing with a government department. After a feeling that their employees were totally disinterested, today I found someone who wanted to help. Perhaps she is in the wrong department!

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[carolyn]

I must admit it has been the most frustrating and disheartening time of any dealing with a government department. After a feeling that their employees were totally disinterested, today I found someone who wanted to help. Perhaps she is in the wrong department!

I am so pleased you’ve got the temporary document. What a relief after such a stressful time. I hope you now have a wonderful holiday.

 

[Phill D]

I must admit it has been the most frustrating and disheartening time of any dealing with a government department. After a feeling that their employees were totally disinterested, today I found someone who wanted to help. Perhaps she is in the wrong department!

Have a great trip

 

[EuroTrotters]

Jobs for life, same as VOSA.

Should be sent to war.

One idiot told me, I had to buy an indentical model to mine and get it crash tested.

 

[Vanman]

Having worked with and for Civil Servants in the past I know how disheartening it is to work with age old equipment, to have their numbers cut with every new Government, to have to re-apply for their own jobs every 12 months (when they could be providing a service), to see the work outsourced to companies that have no idea how to do the job, employ monkeys AND claim a profit element for doing it.

Sorry if that's a bit of a rant, but it needed said

 

[maison]

Having worked with and for Civil Servants in the past I know how disheartening it is to work with age old equipment, to have their numbers cut with every new Government, to have to re-apply for their own jobs every 12 months (when they could be providing a service), to see the work outsourced to companies that have no idea how to do the job, employ monkeys AND claim a profit element for doing it.

Sorry if that's a bit of a rant, but it needed said

Maybe a rant, but accepted.

Some Government departments seem to have got their act together, the Passport Office is one that regularly gives good service.

It certainly can’t help if DVLA staff are working with antiquated computer systems, Windows 7 indeed. There has been no MS support for W7 for years so there is probably also a security issue there.

With my own experience I am pretty well convinced that WFH has had a lot to do with the delay. The DVLA say that such applications should take between two to four weeks, not the seven weeks in my case. After three weeks I enquired as to progress on my application. Three days after being told that it was “in progress” I received a cheap plain and unmarked brown envelope, hand addressed returning my Certification by SVtech, with no enclosures or explanation. It certainly didn’t appear to have come direct from any “official” office. I think my application had been on someone’s dining room table with their cat sitting on top of it!

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