F-ing DVLA 😡😡😡

[GoodnightGrandma]

Applied for DS’s provisional on-line back in the summer. Money taken out, then nothing.
About 4 weeks ago I finally got to speak to someone after trying hundreds of times. She said we should have had a letter, she’d send another. Nothing.
Tried ringing again, ‘we’re really busy so push off’ message.
What can I do, I want to complain to someone who will listen 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

Speak to your MP.

Trying contacting and complaining to them via Twitter direct message. I got a response within 24hrs and received the licence a few days later.

We have gone via mp who has received generic email response and twitter to DVLA has had no responses.

We re-applied for a new passport (even though there was over 2 years left on the other passport) on receiving this We applied on line for driving licence and in less than 24 hours have a message to say new driving licence is now on the way.

Original application from the summer is still swirling around.

Still no licence - according to the tracker they are still waiting for the returned application form.
So gonna assume the application money and birth certificate are now lost.
Will have to go down the passport renewal route now and spend more money sorting out.

5 weeks ago I applied online for my dad's provisional licence. They take the photo etc from your passport, and you get the provisional licence within 3 weeks.

5 weeks later, I started phoning to check what was happening.

Between Friday and Saturday, I phoned 107, yes, 107 times and got an apology message every time saying that there was a high call volume so my call couldn't be answered.

Today, I phoned again, chose completely the wrong option on the phone options, finally got through to a person and, after being on hold for an hour, spoke to someone in the right department.

Apparently, if you have a new passport (which dd's was), their online system doesn't always work, and they have to send you a letter asking for an additional photo and signature.

1. Dd never received that letter
2. There is absolutely nothing on the website anywhere to say that new passports might cause a problem.

AND

1. Once dd receives the letter, which they are re-sending, and sends them a photo and signature, it will then be 6 - 10 weeks until her provisional licence comes through.

It's bloody outrageous. The system is not fit for purpose.

I sent mine in in June for an updated photo. Months later I got it back with a note saying there was an error on the cheque (there wasn't but I rewrote one). I sent it back in and have still heard nothing. Meantime as I don't have a passport I can't get my vaccine passport, I wasn't able to drive the hire car given when ours was in an accident and I have no idea when I can expect it. The DVLA is totally unfit for purpose.

I applied to renew my photo license online on 29th Nov. It arrived this morning. Bit miffed, tbh, as I'll have to renew it again in 6 months' time when I turn 70.

I presume it's a different department but ds has just received his full driving licence this morning after passing on the 10th. So 10 days including post there and back and two weekends.

It would be a more honest thing if they cannot cope for whatever reason to have stopped all provisional licence applications than take money and set expectations for the OP.

DVLA I used to deal with in a work capacity about 30 years ago and they were a failed organisation then, seems just to have got worse.

Licence still hasn't been received. (Applied late summer) tracker still says "awaiting documents" which isn't true.

I eventually got through on the phone and the documents have arrived back in september. They said the tracker doesn't get updated. They have a big back log and we will hear from them around March.

The online dates give the impression of an earlier date than that.

We are not a complicated scenario. DS has lived in the UK all his life, lived at current address 3+ years etc.

At least if the tracker and their published working on dates were reliable that would be informative.

I e been trying to renew my photo card license since June 2020 . The dvla system doesn’t recognise my address. The same address that’s been on every official document for nearly 20 years, including my old photo card and my current password, renewed in 2021. I’ve given up on phoning and have emailed without getting anywhere. I don’t expect it’ll be resolved before I die but at least there’s a paper trial to show I tried.

Has anybody had any updates from dvla? DS is still waiting.

I renewed my licence in September as it was due to expire in November. I still haven’t had it through and have no idea if my car insurance is invalid as a result.

Only just got my licence back from august!! Had contacted MP and complained , also had a case opened by dvla to investigate ( although open ended investigation, no end date they told me so pretty pointless)

All in all shit service, should give up their jobs to someone that desperately needs a job

@NotBabiesForLong

Has anybody had any updates from dvla? DS is still waiting.

Our application is still showing as waiting for a form to be returned - we’ve never received the form. Tried Twitter and got no where.

Not fit for purpose is right.

DD's photo on her passport looked too out of date to use for her provisional, so we applied with the paper form. They were quick enough to send the envelope asking for her photo and other details, then it just sat there.
We sent the application off on the 7th Aug and the photo on the 14th.

Her provisional arrived TODAY.

Luckily, she was put on the waiting list for an instructor as soon as we applied for the licence, so she should be able to start lessons next week.

No idea how long the wait for the appt for the theory test will be - that's another matter!

One thing they did explain on the automated phone message when I tried to get through, is that it will show as awaiting for documents to be returned right up to the end of them having processed the application.

I ended up emailing my GP (Sajid Javid) to complain about the DVLA.

I received a call about a week later from someone at the DVLA who told me that they were aware of the issue that exists if applicants use a new passport to apply online for a provisional licence.

I pointed out that there is absolutely nowhere on the website or online application form which explains this to people. Mr DVLA acknowledged this and says that they were 'hoping something might be added soon'.

I also discovered that the DVLA had fucked up a second time, and the form we completed (that they sent us after the first form went missing) 'timed out' between them sending it to us and us sending it back by return.

At this point, I was extremely blunt with Mr DVLA about my thoughts about the service I had received.

I was given a separate address to send yet another new paper application to and was told it would be treated as a 'priority key worker application'.

Mr DVLA said that he still had to quote 6-10 weeks, but thankfully and amazingly, it arrived in less than a week.

So, I would advise anyone struggling to email their MP and go from there!

We applied for DDs provisional in June and it arrived in November. Filled in the form online and a form was sent out which we returned in July. For months the online tracking said 'awaiting form' but they did have it they just don't acknowledge that on their system until the driving licence has been processed and posted to you. Stupid and I couldn't get through on the phone or on webchat to figure out if I needed to resend the form. In the end I messaged on Facebook and someone replied about 10 days later (no response on Twitter).

It took my daughter 6 months to receive her provisional licence. She has now moved house and has had to send it back to be revised with her new address 🙈🙈

Just a quick update - we finally got the provisional for my DS 🎉🎉🎉
How ? A DVLA official complaint. They soon shifter their arses when he put that in 😉

Yes what is going on a friend of mine has waited an age for her replacement of an expiring licence, her sister applied much later and had hers within a few days. Doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason. It must be really frustrating for you & DS, I hope it comes through soon.

X post, so pleased, good luck with DS lessons.

Update. After a pithy email to DVLA on January 4, the DC’s provisional licence dropped today. And this is where it gets weird.
The email rant was all about how I still can't update my photocard licence because the dvla website doesn't recognise my address - despite it being the same address that’s on my existing (expired) photocard driving licence, passport, tax returns, shotgun licence, tv licence and it would be on my dog licence too if they were still required. In passing I mentioned the ongoing saga of the DC’s provisional licence. The application for which home includes their address. That, obviously, is now the address on their brand new, shiny and much longed for provisional licence. The same bloody address that the dvla won't recognise as a valid address for renewing my photo driving licence, the one that's on my actual driving lucence!
So. another email or a formal complaint? And where to?
PS the dvla website still says that it's awaiting documents to deal with the provisions licence...