Gary B

Hey all,

I've had my RB5 for almost 24 years. During the past few years, I've often SORN'd it during the winter months, then used the V5C number to tax it come the Spring. Never had an issue.

Went to tax the car yesterday - 1st April - and the website was a bit broken, slow to respond and crapping out constantly. I finally got to the point where I could enter the Registration and V5C details and it told me it couldn't find a match. I put it down to the site being a bit broken and left it. Tried again today and the site is responsive and seemingly working well. However, I still get the error saying it cannot find my details (reg no and V5C number) or something doesn't match. I began to dig further, looking for reasons this might be...

Anyway, after a some digging, I founds reports on how the original BLUE V5C was replaced by a new RED V5C back in 2011/2. It said that these were issued for free upon request - I never requested one as I was unaware at the time. I still have the original 1999 Blue V5C, which I've used to tax the car after a six month or so SORN period many times now. However, on the official website it says:

"From September 2011 DVLA automatically sent the registered keeper a red V5C when a vehicle is taxed or declared off the road (SORN), if they haven't already been issued with one. Registered keepers will be advised to destroy their blue V5C."

I have of course both Taxed and SORN'd the car many times in that period, yet have never been sent a Red V5C. Now I'm slightly paranoid that a Red V5C has been issued at some point - perhaps when I SORN'd the car October last year - but hasn't made it to me.

Has anyone else had any experience of this? I'm still hoping it's just the website being cranky, but do worry I might be missing something. Still, ten plus years of successfully taxing the car using the BLUE V5C reference number, makes me wonder why they'd issue a Red one now...assuming they have and it's just not gotten to me.

Cheers.

Edit: As a sanity check, and as it only requires the registration, I did the online tax check. My car is found correctly and listed as SORN'd, so that data is 100% correct. However, the last bit of data shown when I did this search was :"Date of last V5C (logbook) issued" which matches the date on my actual Blue V5C, so I know it's current. So, hopefully, this confirms it's very much an issue their end, rather than any lack of up to date data on mine.

Still interested to hear other's experiences when they SORN their vehicles for months at a time.

Flat4x4-again

iTrader: (1)

Now it's taxed, is it worth requesting a new log book, as if you've lost it in a house move ?

The only issue I've had 2 years ago was being contacted by post to say that I could no longer SORN unless there was a record of valid nsurance for the vehicle reg... As it's a classic I just keep it insured now.

Gary B

Thanks for the reply.

No, it's not taxed, site is still saying it cannot find a match. While I can look up my car just fine using the Reg No. alone - to check the tax / MoT status etc - it does not seem to want to accept the reference number from the V5C when applying for Tax.

I've always kept the car insured, just in case something happens while it's off-road.

I'll try to speak to the DVLA tomorrow when they're in the office. You can tax a car via phone - not that I've ever done it that way - but I expect they just access the same back-end system as the Online Tax page does. Regardless, my information is all 100% correct and the V5C is verified as being the latest one issued, so it's definitely an issue their side. How receptive they are to hearing that though is another matter I suspect lol.

A bit irked by all this as the weekend has now been wasted. I'd set aside the entire time to get the car sorted, battery charged (done Friday), refitted to the car, usual tyre pressure and fluid checks. Was even going to wash it, but my cleaning stuff didn't arrive, with the next steps being to Tax it, then go fuel up and take it for a little drive. Doubly-irked that I'll still be charged for this weekend (and any subsequent days) if I do finally manage to get it taxed.

As an aside, once all this is resolved, I may well request a "free" Red V5C document. I mean, I still have the original V5 (note the lack of a C) from 1999 when I got the car. I was then sent an updated V5C in 2005, when they last changed the forms. Nothing unusual from me initiated that change, no change of address or anything, and I never SORN'd the car back then, just taxed it every year.

Flat4x4-again

iTrader: (1)

Govt websites do sometimes go 'odd' over the weekend, as you say.

Gary B

It's rare I've had any sort of issue. They used to be quite fussy about which Browser you were using, but generally fine in recent years. Site still says Beta though, it's been that way for a while lol.

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

Had no issues, I just tax for 6 month, don't know what you mean by red and blue, just use log book online.

Gary B

I hadn't either, until yesterday. Red and Blue: Older V5C "Log Books" had a blue background on much of the first page. Later ones (issued 2011/2012) replaced that with Red. Apparently the latter ones were produced in response to the theft of a load of (I assume) blank Blue ones, putting people at the risk of fraud. The Blue one is still valid and, indeed can be replaced with a Red one for free. DVLA also said they'd automatically send out a replacement Red one for any holder of a Blue one when they Tax or SORN their vehicle. This last bit is not true, I'm guessing they just didn't want to spend the money, so only change it when they'd have to issue a new one anyway. i.e. Change of owner, change of address or Lost (£25).

The issue this weekend has been that the Tax web site is NOT accepting valid log book reference numbers, so tax cannot be bought. Not a clue how wide-spread this issue has been. Like I said, never had an issue before and SORNing then taxing the car with the V5C is something I've done for years now. First time it's failed.

Don Clark

You can use the 16 digit reference from the V11 tax reminder if needed.

jaygsi

iTrader: (46)

Ah I see, never new this. Just about to put a project car back on the road so see what happens with that. Guess this doesn't mean free tax.

Gary B

No, unfortunately not. That number expires. You have about a month to use it to continue to tax the car - i.e. there's no break in the Tax. When a vehicle is SORN'd you need to use the log book number, the V11 number is no longer valid..

I tried again today and it still failed - it simply does not recognise my fully valid log V5C reference number. I tried to do it via the Phone, but that has you enter the same number into the phone keypad which, ultimately, is likely querying the same currently broken database so it does not recognise it there either.

I then tried to actually speak to someone, but the automated answer is "we're too busy, try later". This is nuts.

What if this had been my ONLY car and I needed it to get to work today? I've gone through the steps to do it, but their side has failed.

I might have to try the Post Office, but they traditionally ask for extra weird and wonderful things NOT on the list of required documents. That's why I've done it online for years, it's normally really easy.

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

If its been sorn it wont have one, I tried a very old one when I taxed mine on the 1st, but since that reminder I had paid by DD then sorn it for 2 months, went to Tax early on the 1st and hit the same glitch the OP mentioned,
I started to get new V5C`s when they changed, I was paranoid as I have a few cars and wondered what was going on tbh

Gary B

That's right. While I still have the V11 that was issued when the car's Tax was due in September last year, it's expired and cannot be used.

So, you're experiencing the same issue as me? That's reassuring as it supports the theory that it's an issue their end and not some strange anomaly with my paperwork.

I was initially worried my lack of a new RED V5C was the issue. However, as I've verified that my Blue V5C was the last one issued by the DVLA and that other people also still have and use their Blue V5C's, I'm more confident that's not the issue here.

I'll not be able to get out to the Post Office until tomorrow at the earliest, but will try online again before I do. Hopefully they can resolve the issue quickly...though this is the third day I've tried online with no success.

stockcar

a friend with a recently purchased m/cycle having similar issues so the site must be junk??

Gary B

Could be. Site has traditionally - at least for me - been pretty solid. I had wondered if this was linked to the Capita hacking that's been in the news. I understand it impacted several government-related things, but no specific mention of DVLA.

I will try again later today, so hopefully they can resolve things.

Edit: Old article, but I found information stating that Capita DO handle data for the DVLA. I don't know if that's still the case or not, however, it might explain the website issues if true.

Gary B

Tried again today. Website is super unresponsive and crapping out once again. That's four days driving lost that I'll still have to pay for. *sigh*

stockcar

just go to the Post Office and use a REAL person.......never fails for me

Gary B

That's the plan. I was gonna give it one last try online today (did so, it failed) then get down the Post Office. Hopefully they don't try to look up any details online...it'll fail if they do.

Gary B

Someone was able to call into the Post Office for me today and Tax the car - it worked, so they evidently don't have to check against the same system as the website does.

It'd gone up by £20 - I taxed it for a year this time - vs. the Tax due notice issued in September. Crazy how the tax is more than the insurance, more than the servicing costs (usually) and likely more than the fuel cost as I only take the car out now and again. Silly tax lol.

JDM_Stig

iTrader: (3)

I got the Golf`s reminder today, gone down £15 for a year.