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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that if the post office taxes your old car

95 replies

montysma1 · 17/02/2015 09:49

And not your new car as asked at the counter then this is THEIR mistake and not yours?

Husband presented all documents for new car, also had v5 for old car in case this was needed, as he wasnt sure how the new discless system works.
The branch unknown to us, because you have no tax disc actually taxed the old car , which was still taxed ar the time, and not the new car.
Today, after 3 months we have 3 £60 fines as he has been driving around untaxed.
£210 tax charged on old car
£160 to very hurriedly tax the new car(cheaper)
£180 In fines
£550 In total spent.
We will get some but not all of the £210 tax on the old car back...
Post office says this is OUR mistake. Their employee does not pay attention to what is asked, presses send without final check and this is our fault? We would normally do this online but the system wouldnt let him for some reason so he had to use the post office.
Post office complaints team not helping, dvla not interested. No higher body to appeal to......Be aware in the absence of a tax disk, you have no idea whats been done and no protection in the event of a mistake.
Just need a rant.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 17/02/2015 09:51

Isn't the number of the car that's been taxed written or printed on the tax disc?

ilovesooty · 17/02/2015 09:52

Sorry I just saw - no tax disc.

FiloFunky · 17/02/2015 09:54

why did he take the other v5? you still get a receipt for the tax that has the reg of the vehicle being taxed. did he check that before leaving?

LIZS · 17/02/2015 09:55

Did you get a receipt with the payment, did that include the number plate?

Original poster
montysma1 · 17/02/2015 10:05

He has receipt but it doesn't have number plate, its just a switch receipt.
He had the other V5 because he thought you needed to transfer one to the other. He gave them through mot and insurance for new car but not old car, although apparently you don't need to do that now.
Appreciate that it's a misunderstanding, but surely the onus on the person behind the counter to check if she is in any doubt.
But she didn't, one person on counter, before Christmas, queued out the door. She has been busy and hurried and not paying attention.

OP posts:
LIZS · 17/02/2015 10:07

There should also be a po receipt with the new transaction details. Might be stapled to the paperwork.

InfinitySeven · 17/02/2015 10:12

He'll have another receipt with the registration number on. It's the "important" receipt so they might have stapled it or tucked it in to some of the other paperwork.

To be honest, I think your husband confused things. He should have kept hold of the V5 and presented it if asked, if he wasn't sure. You'd usually tax the car that you have the V5 for. From the PO's point of view, he took a V5 for a car he didn't want to tax...that's nonsensical. He may have had other documents for a different car, but she probably didn't even look at the insurance and MOT documents to see that they belonged to a different car, because they aren't necessary any more.

Where is the old car? Depending on the answer to this, it might be possible to get a full refund on the tax that you paid there. You're unlikely to get the fines back.

I think you're only hope is if you find the receipt with the reg number printed, and it's the right reg.

DeliciousMonster · 17/02/2015 10:33

They would only know about the old car if presented with the paperwork, wouldn't they? It's your husband that is at fault here.

Original poster
montysma1 · 17/02/2015 10:39

He didn't know which docs were needed. He thought that under the new system tax doesn't continue with the old car it moves with the driver. So home assumed that he would need info to terminate the tax on the old car.
As a member of the public he doesn't know the ins and outs of it. He just went to tax a car, assuming that the post office employee would pay due attention.
A post office employee should be able to be clear and understand clearly what is needed and if she doesn't she should check before sending. He did explain quite clearly to her. As it stands the old car was taxed twice so I have no I'd why the DVLA system would allow that to happen.

OP posts:
londonrach · 17/02/2015 10:45

Tbh as the person with the car i would say its your responsibility to check what forms are needed and if its done correctly. Im sure someone who taxed a car before you aware what forms were needed. If i needed to tax two cars id do them on different days or keep separate folders as i dont trust myself to mix things up. Your husband as fault im afraid sorry. X

PtolemysNeedle · 17/02/2015 10:46

If your DH asked for the new car to be taxed and they took his money without that happening, then it's their fault.

Mistakes happen, but it's crap that you are having to go through so much palaver to sort it out.

Nomama · 17/02/2015 10:49

As a member of the public he doesn't know the ins and outs of it. He just went to tax a car, assuming that the post office employee would pay due attention.

Oh no! That is VVVU.

As a car owner you are indeed expected to know the ins and outs. The PO employee should have been clear, but if your DH is as clueless as you make him sound then maybe he confused her by not giving clear instruction on what he wanted doing.

Either way, the onus is n the car owner/driver, no one else!

Original poster
montysma1 · 17/02/2015 11:12

He took documents because couldn't do it online. Had he be able to it online he would not have had to present MOT and insurance but because he couldn't do it on line he took documents with him. The online system would not let him do it as the system was not updated with new ownership and insurance, therefore he had to physically present paperwork and documents.
He presented all documents MOT and Insurance and new owner slip for the new car. He had the old car reg document in case it was needed.
she asked for all of them through the window when he explained what he was needing. He did not present the old car rev did initially, he presented the new car docs, she asked for the old car doc to be passed through.
Whether or not he was confusing, it is her job to to make sure. That is her job.
As it was she had info for 2 cars and chose one randomly or on an assumption. She should have checked.
People come into post offices with all manner of forms and paper work including pensioners, People with English as a second language, people with learning difficulties. They go in assuming that the person behind the counter is knows the systems and the paperwork and is paying attention. If a person cant cope with members of the public being confused or being confusing then they are in the wrong job on a post office counter.

OP posts:
LIZS · 17/02/2015 11:17

You clearly don't want hear that your dh was unreasonable. He should have double checked which he was being taxed. Has the other car also been taxed by someone else ie. New owner, was it due to expire? You should get a refund on this once the v5 is changed.

NerrSnerr · 17/02/2015 11:21

Did he not notice that they charged him wrong?

Pastamancer · 17/02/2015 11:29

Your DH shouldn't have still had the V5 for the old car, he should have sent that to the DVLA upon the change of ownership. That hasn't changed with the new system. Until he sends it to the DVLA he is still responsible for taxing the old car even if he has sold it.

DeliciousMonster · 17/02/2015 11:35

Why would he need the old documents for the old car when taxing a completely different car?

ButterflyUpSoHigh · 17/02/2015 11:36

Definitely your husbands fault for confusing matters.

I would write to DVLA recorded delivery and ask for the double tax back you paid on the old car.

I doubt you would get off with the fines though or tax on new car you owe.

Original poster
montysma1 · 17/02/2015 16:18

He still had docs for old car because he still owned the old car. He had had a convo with her about declaring it sorn until he got rid of it and what he would have to do re sorn in the event of selling, or just letting its remaining 2 months run out. He decided to leave that to another day.

He then needed the new car taxed which is what he then asked her to do.

Now, to mumsnet he may indeed have been stupid and confusing. However that being the case, the professional and competent way for the employee to proceed is
"I am sorry sir you are being stupid and confusing and I just need you to clarify which vehicle is to be taxed"

What is not professional is" I have no idea which vehicle I have been asked to tax but what the fuck I will just take a punt and hope i pick the right one"

OP posts:
LIZS · 17/02/2015 16:27

Were you with your dh , could he actually have just got it wrong and himself confused as well as the cashier? The correct thing for him to have done would have been to double check before he left the po.

WeAllHaveWings · 17/02/2015 17:00

Someone make a mistake and without proof its imposdible to say who, but ultimately its the car owners responsibly to ensure their vehicle is properly taxed.

I would get new car taxed asap, cancel old car double tax, maybe pay fines if cost will go up, depends on ehat the paperwork says. then phone/write to everyone involved po, DVla etc with proof of the double payment, or proof the other car was not being driven/was sorned and how it came about (without blaming thr po worker) and explain it was a genuine mistake and ask for help/refund/cancel fines. If its not forthcoming I would pay up but make sure I check in future.

Nomama · 17/02/2015 17:16

Regardless of the counter staff having made an error it is in law the driver's responsibility to ensure a car is roadworthy and legal.

Any driver who drives a vehicle, whether it belongs to them or not, has a responsibility to ensure that they are insured to drive the vehicle, that the vehicle is fully road legal, taxed and MOT'd.

If you are stopped by the police it is you as the driver who will face prosecution. Under certain circumstances the keeper may also be prosecuted.

www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q679.htm

So your DH will just have to swallow the fines and get his/your car legal again!

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 17/02/2015 17:57

Whilst it was DH's responsibility to check, Brew Wine

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 17/02/2015 17:58

Darn iPad
...I can see how annoying the situation must be!

Original poster
montysma1 · 17/02/2015 19:10

His car is legal, he taxed it the moment this came to light.......at a competent post office who was appalled that she didn't check.
He also thought that he had taxed the new vehicle as.soon as he owned it.
The dvla page tonight still says that to tax a car in a post office you must physically present MOT.and insurance docs. This is what he did. He presented insurance docs and mot for the new car. He did not present these for the old car.
That is why we are 550 pounds out of pocket. The old car is taxed twice, he new car is taxed and the fines are paid.
In not checking that the car she was taxing was the car with the presented.documents she is contravening the instructions on the dvla web page.

OP posts: