DVLA - is anyone there????

[Celoo]

I have been trying to sort something out with the DVLA for MONTHS on behalf of my boss and I'm getting absolutely nowhere.
I need to speak to an actual person but it's impossible to get through on the phone lines, I've emailed nearly 3 weeks ago and got no reply despite being assured I would get one within 5 days, I've tried the online chat and if I'm lucky enough for it to eventually connect to someone, they say they can't tell me anything - even basic info such as confirm if the address has been updated - but they are never able to connect me to the chat team that can.
They use Covid as an excuse for everything, which I'm sure was true at one point but there are plenty of other huge companies that seem to be able to cope so I'm giving them a big fat zero for effort.
Just needed to vent because I'm at a complete dead end and have a boss who is going to start driving soon, illegally, because I can't get through to DVLA to sort things out.

So I thought I'd pick this thread up again.

Today I came back to my car (in the middle of Dartmoor) and it had been clamped. It was covered in big stickers saying I hadn't taxed it. I live over an hour away from Dartmoor and had to get home to my 5 year old twins so I phoned the number on the ticket and was told I hadn't taxed the car since January 2021 (I only bought it a few months ago from a well known commercial garage and sent off all the paperwork!) so not wanting to argue or further delay I paid something like £260 to get it released. After I had paid, I was then told that all the operators in the area stopped working at 4pm (it was 4.10) and it would be released tomorrow morning. I explained that I lived over an hour away and that I had young children with no public transport available to me. He said he couldn't help me and I was literally left stranded. In the end a friend made nearly a 3 HR round trip to come and bring me home. If it hadn't been for her, I'm not sure what would have happened to me. Now I have to go back there tomorrow to collect it - another 3 HR trip.

I don't know what's gone on with the tax and will have to wait to call the DVLA tomorrow but either way this can't be right?! Can it really be ok to leave someone in the middle of nowhere, miles away from home and no means of transport?