They often come in for a slagging on here, and it’s usually justified, so I thought I would redress the balance a little.
Since I moved into my new place I hadn’t got round to changing the address on my licence for various reasons, mostly because I kept forgetting. On Tuesday evening around 22:00 I remembered I still had to do it so I went to the DVLA site to get the form and noticed the link to do it online. I had heard you could do it online but had forgotten. I made use of this service, which was easy and took about 5 minutes, and on completion they said I should receive my new licence within 10 working days. The new licence arrived with Friday morning’s post which I think is pretty good service.
An added bonus is you have to cut your old licence in half, both parts, and send it back to Swansea which I haven’t done yet and planned to do this weekend. This means you don’t have to take photocopies in case the new licence comes with categories missing or other errors and you can send the old one back after you know all is well with the new one.
The only problem I have with the staff at DVLA is their attitude that any mistakes are my fault and never theirs. They believe that they are perfect and that is that.
I agree the DVLA do have a bad reputation but I’ve so far found them to be very efficient.
In the past 15 months I’ve had to renew the photo on my license and it was returned within a week of me sending in the application, a few months later I had to renew the license (LGV entitlement) and again it was returned within the week.
A couple of weeks ago I renewed the car tax on line on a Monday and received the tax disc in the post on the Wednesday (wasn’t expecting that)
I’ve just renewed my driver card and received the new one in just over a week from when I posted the form.
I hear lots of complaints about the DVLA and I’m sure most are justified but I have to say that my experiences with them has always been good
dogthehunter:
Is this the same process for your digi card as well Neil?
Don’t think so, I don’t think you can complete that process online. You need to fill in the form, you can download it from DVLA site, and then post it to them. You also have to nominate where you will collect the new card from, DVLA office or VOSA test station. I have changed the address on my digi card before, and that was the procedure then, but I haven’t bothered this time as it runs out in June and I will need a new one then anyway.
tachograph:
I agree the DVLA do have a bad reputation but I’ve so far found them to be very efficient.
In the past 15 months I’ve had to renew the photo on my license and it was returned within a week of me sending in the application, a few months later I had to renew the license (LGV entitlement) and again it was returned within the week.
A couple of weeks ago I renewed the car tax on line on a Monday and received the tax disc in the post on the Wednesday (wasn’t expecting that)
I’ve just renewed my driver card and received the new one in just over a week from when I posted the form.
I got my licence back within a week when I renewed the LGV entitlement last year. I have renewed my tax disc online ever since they started the service and it has always arrived within two or three days.
I wonder if the key to this good service is that by doing it online we are doing most of the work ourself and don’t actually have to deal with, or speak to, an actual person who works there.
I do as much as I possibly can online to avoid dealing with people. I have only set foot in my bank about twice in the last 6 or 7 years and in roughly the same period I have only been into the Post Office when posting parcels, and even then it’s only to hand the thing over as I have printed the postage online. The service from both my bank and the Post Office has been exemplary in that time.
Like you I do as much as possible on-line, can’t remember having the car tax back quite as quick as this time but I agree it’s always quite quick.
I pay most bills on-line if they’re not paid by direct debit and rarely go into a bank or Post office, all that queuing can’t be good for people
The only queues I want to see are the ones before roadworks where motorists queue for miles in one lane leaving me to use the nearly empty lanes they’ve decided not to use, I quite like those queues
You could be onto something about doing things on-line being less problematic because we don’t have to deal with people
Coffeeholic:
This means you don’t have to take photocopies in case the new licence comes with categories missing or other errors and you can send the old one back after you know all is well with the new one.
I thought that if you sent a SAE and request for the old licence to be sent back, it is returned voided with a hole punched through the photo? A bit like returning a passport with the corner clipped off.
Coffeeholic:
This means you don’t have to take photocopies in case the new licence comes with categories missing or other errors and you can send the old one back after you know all is well with the new one.
I thought that if you sent a SAE and request for the old licence to be sent back, it is returned voided with a hole punched through the photo? A bit like returning a passport with the corner clipped off.
No idea, I’m just going by the online service which said return your old licence to them with both parts cut in half. I don’t want the old licence for any reason and if it’s cut in half it won’t be much good to anyone should it not get to Swansea so I am happy to do that.
Both the links you give shows that the reason for returning the old licence with the hole punched through the photograph so you could have proof if categories have been missed off, which is a good idea. I got the new licence back before I had returned the old one so don’t really have a need for the old one back to prove anything.
Coffe stated
You also have to nominate where you will collect the new card from, DVLA office or VOSA test station.
I sent my digi card back on Monday and got the replacement Friday through the post to my front door.
In further praise to DVLA. I opened the post today and found an application to renew my digital tachograph card. It expires in April 2011. The only thing I have to do is enclose payment of £19, tick a box and sign the declaration, then sorted for another 5 years.
Simples. and so on the ball. I can renew it now as it only activates on the 20th of April.
However at the moment my C+E has expired and is waiting for me to send off the medical form and money.
Still I could still drive a large van with a trailer or a 7.5 tonner.
I am anti social too, if I could invent a pub without customers I would be happy to frequent it
SWEDISH BLUE:
Coffe stated
You also have to nominate where you will collect the new card from, DVLA office or VOSA test station.
I sent my digi card back on Monday and got the replacement Friday through the post to my front door.
Presumably you sent it back because it was faulty then ?
There’s no reason why you would not return a faulty driver card as it’s no use to you if it doesn’t work, in fact according to form D777B you’re required to return it with the application form.
For a change of address on a driver card that you need to use you would need to keep your card until you receive the new one, hence you choose to exchange it at the DVLA office or a VOSA test station
SWEDISH BLUE:
Yes it was faulty. Perhaps that is why it was sent to my home, as the address didn’t change.
Yep, because you had returned it there was obviously no need to go and exchange it. With a replacement card for a new address the old card will still work until it’s expiry date so you could have two cards. With cards you return or a replacement for an about to expire card this isn’t an issue so they will send it to your address.
They seemed to of improved the turn around times, as i recently got my new licence it only took 8 days (6 working days ) i’m sure it took a lot longer last time
I passed my medical on 22nd Nov. posted everything off on the 23rd. and I didn’t get it till last Monday which was the 24th Jan. Nine weeks. I telephoned them only to be told by a recorded voice there was a delay due to bad weather and they would catch up by mid Jan.
Wheel Nut:
I am anti social too, if I could invent a pub without customers I would be happy to frequent it
I’ve got one of those, It’s great, no queues for a drink, no need to faff about with money
always stocks my favorite tipples,I can’t get barred from it, the music is always my choice
as is the telly if it’s on and best of all it never closes.
I’m glad someones happy with them, cause I’m still sorting out the ■■■■-up over the eye-sight section of the form, I’ve complied with two requests to correct the form and return it, along with a letter of assurance that I will wear glasses to drive LGV, then I get a letter two weeks ago claiming I hadn’t returned any correspondance, and my licence would be revoked if I didn’t respond with-in seven days WTF good job I wasn’t away on holiday or the dozy pillocks would have had me off the road .
Anyway all forms and letters re-posted, faxed and emailed, and all is now hunkydory…apart from a letter this morning stating that before they renew my licence they want me to take an ECG treadmill exercise test because of my past heart condition, so that looks like another six weeks of carrying my passport around, and why the [zb] didn’t they ask me to do that back in september when I first sent the re-application form back in. FFS God help me .
good job I wasn’t away on holiday or the dozy pillocks would have had me off the road 
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