Aibu to be annoyed re DVLA re provisional licence application

[LlamaNoDrama]

We applied for a provisional licence online for my ds (you pay online at the time of application). Got the form, sorted a pic. It took us a couple of weeks to arrange the pic/document to be signed as we didn't have anyone to sign it and dh had to ask someone at work and isn't in the office all the time. Sent everything off last Thursday (signed for and a SAE signed for envelope for document return costing nearly £8). At no point do I remember seeing anything saying it had to be returned by a certain date.

Today we had a cheque in the post, dated last Tuesday, from the dvla returning the money. When I rang they told me you only get 21 days to do it all and get it back to them. So now all his docs and the signed form are sat with the dvla, the money has been returned to us and they won't take payment over the phone. It will all get sent back and we have to start all over again. Im so annoyed! Aibu to think this is ridiculous?

I remember there being a date to return by as we nearly ran out of time

I mean it is silly in one sense but from their point of view imagine if people could send in the online stuff and then months or years later send in the paper stuff, it would be a complete nuisance and the amount of incomplete forms waiting to be processed on the system would be ridiculous.

It’s a process & the days are quite well signposted, I’m not sure how this is their fault?

Yes YABU to be annoyed that a busy service implements a time limit, the fact you didn't adhere too it is your issue and your fault.

It's so that they don't have thousands of half assed applications clogging up their system.

My DD did it online - I took her picture, the reference to her NS number was enough and there was no request to get anything signed to confirm ID!

She did it in one evening!

How did your DS do his?

I don't remember seeing anything about a return date, where are they well signposted? I'm usually on top of this stuff so I think I'm probably annoyed with myself if I've missed the return date so can accept iabu.

21 days doesn't seem long at all though as we had to wait for the form to arrive then there's time posting back (I mean it took the form 7 days to get here and the same for the cheque). I don't expect them to hold on indefinitely just give a bit more time.

@MrsWembleyhe doesn't have a passport or other ID so we had to do the whole countersigning of a picture malarkey.