To wonder if the DVLA systems are down?

[LakieLady]

Posting for traffic, really. I've just realised I haven't taxed my car (tax expired on 31/3) and have had 4 goes at doing it online, using 2 different cards. For both, it tells me that the card is invalid.

Then I had 2 goes at doing it over the phone, once with each card. The first time the call dropped, and the second it said that it's not possible to complete the transaction, although it confirmed that MOT and insurance are fine.

I can't go to the post office and do it because in my stress and panic I can't find the insurance certificate!

I'm hoping there will be someone else on here trying to do the same who can reassure me that it's a DVLA thing and not something weird to do with my car.

We had problems a few days ago, it wouldn’t except a visa debit card and my brother was stood next to the new (to him) car waiting to drive it home. I had to pay with a Mastercard and even then it failed a few times before it worked.

Thanks.

I'm kicking myself for not being able to find my insurance docs, I can remember them coming in the post but have no idea where I put them. Having said that, I'm on hold to DVLA now, and in their outgoing message they only refer to taking your MOT, and I have my MOT certificate. I don't want to drive to a post office and queue only to find that I need the insurance cert though!

Insurance certificate will be online, they will also have sent you an email with the link to the portal.

Just show the certificate to the post office on your phone.

I have been trying to get a photo driving licence (only have an old paper one at the moment) and their system refuses to recognise me. I’m wondering if it is because my postcode has changed by one digit since the licence was issued. Think changing from SA4 to SA14.

Take your reminder to the post office. They don't need to see your docs

Oh, maybe it is. We're trying to replace a lost driving licence and getting nowhere with it online.

I had trouble getting the online payment to work on Chrome on my phone - it went through fine on Samsung Internet, so it might be worth trying a different browser before you go to the post office.

By the time I'd:

• gone through my online banking to see who I was insured with
• reset my password so I could access my car insurance stuff online, and
• downloaded the insurance certificate

a nice man at DVLA answered the phone and took the payment in about 2 minutes flat!

What a bloody palaver. I'm going to get a paper one in future, then it can go in the folder with the manual and every MOT certificate the car has had in its 23 year life!

That sounds entirely possible.

What happens when you put in your old postcode? Does it just not recognise it?

If you can bear 30 minutes or so on hold, I recommend ringing them. The guy I spoke to was so helpful.

You can set up a direct debit so that the car tax gets paid automatically. It might make next year less stressful!
In 6 weeks window we have TV licence, 2 car tax, 2 car insurance and an MOT to renew. Having the car tax and TV licence on direct debit makes a big difference to the mental load!