DVLA worker speaks out over mail errors
A WORKER at Swansea's DVLA has spoken out about the facility's failings.
The worker, who declined to be named, contacted the Evening Post in response to our story of a woman being threatened with court action because a letter got lost in the DVLA's mailing system.
The worker, who has been employed at the Morriston agency for more than a decade, said her case was not unusual.
He said: "We see it all the time. I've been working here for years but it's really got worse over the past two years."
Last week the Post reported how Anne Roberts was given a refund for her car tax after selling the vehicle. But soon after, the driving agency issued a fine for non-payment of the tax, despite having already refunded her cash.
A year-long letter-written tennis match between Mrs Roberts and the DVLA ended with her being threatened with court action and having to pay £80 to a debt recovery firm.
She is adamant she sent in the signed part of the form telling the DVLA she had sold the car and was not liable for taxing it.
She says the form must have got lost in the agency's internal mail system, and is now taking legal advice over the row.
The worker who spoke to the Evening Post said employees take drastic measures to ensure their paperwork — and the paperwork of their friends and relatives — is not lost in the mail.
"What a lot of people do is walk and take their mail physically down to the people it needs to go to and watch them key in the data.
"I've done it or years."
The employee said if mail is wrongly delivered to a section of the DVLA it is held by a messenger service, but it is the responsibility of the section to make sure it is properly bundled and tied.
He said it is when this is not done properly that problems can occur.
"It then goes into so many different sections, and that's when things go missing."
Since reporting on Mrs Roberts, the Evening Post has been contacted by a number of other motorists who claim their change of ownership forms went missing, leading to legal action from the agency, despite their tax being refunded in the first place.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the DVLA said: "DVLA currently handles around 2 million items of incoming mail per month, with a further 100,000 items being generated internally for distribution.
"These are handled daily by a dedicated team and we are not aware of any significant issues relating to the efficiency of the service."
7 Comments
by paul, leeds
Tuesday, May 12 2009, 9:05PM
“lets find a way to sue thesescumbags money is the onlything they understandthats the only way they willget off their arses and sort it”
by Ryan, Swansea
Thursday, August 21 2008, 6:19PM
“I worked in the DVLA, absolute chaos. It doesn't surprise me that errors have been highlighted, what surprises is me is that it is so few. You can't blame the people, the pay isn't great and just doesn't thrill. However, if the DVLA were to apply some basic lean improvements they would save money, make their processes quicker and more effective, and potentially engage their staff.
Unfortunately, the place has a real civil service feel, and really is a graveyard of ambition.”
by Jael, Essex
Thursday, August 21 2008, 12:58PM
“This story may seem trivial and DVLA bashing but I have been in a similar position and have today, reluctantly, had to pay a £40 fine. My car was re-tax for a full year on 1st Feb 2008. It was then stolen and written off an 3rd April 2008 and DVLA duly refunded the excess tax.
In July I received a late licencing penalty notice and on checking my paperwork realised I had only sent them the form V14(refund), omitting the V5! I admitted this to the DVLA in my appeal letter. However, in that the DVLA never errs (:) they are totally unsympathetic and unforgiving of others, insisting that the fine is paid, OR ELSE.. The fact that the refunded fee triggered the penalty notice is of no consequence. Moreover, no distinction is made between a deliberate attempt to avoid taxation and a very human error. It's all about raking in the cash for the Treasury. If the DVLA are to take such a hardline attitude with the public, should they not be fined when they make a mistake?
On 6th December 2007, 500+ clients loggin on to the DVLA site were exposed to potential fraud as their personal data was not 'protected' Noel Shanahan the DVLA boss apologised - and the matter , as far as we know, is over. I have been required to pay £40 because the DVLA computer triggered a letter. As a single parent who, by the way is still saving up to buy a replacement car - that money woul d have paid for my childs' return to school shoes and a trouser. To some it may be an insignificant sum but for others it has an impact.
As a reasonable person, I can accept enforcement of a 'law' that is reasonable. Looking at the DVLA complaints statistics and experiencing their intransigence first hand, I do not accept that they are concerned about their reputation for administering a fair and equitable service.
DVLA support staff -please do not take these comments personally- we know that you are not the policymakers. Like the rest of us you have to work to support yourselves/ familiy. Please try to understand, however, that members of the public will be annoyed when you are the only ones they ever get to speak to and of course you are required to defend the DVLA's policies even when at times your conscience tells you that it is wrong.
Apologies for any typos - I am not illiterate - just too used to the spell-check function which is not available here!”
by Another Anon, Swansea
Wednesday, August 20 2008, 6:16PM
“Hey, Anon, you spell it intelligence and not "intelligance"....sooty bum.”
by Anon, Swansea
Wednesday, August 20 2008, 12:55PM
“Sour grapes maybe Sandra. Were you pressured into leaving, going by your grammar and spelling, perhaps your intelligance let you down!”
by Anon, Swansea
Wednesday, August 20 2008, 9:07AM
“Surprise surprise! Has the Evening post got nothing else to write about? All you do is criticise DVLA. DVLA Are not all that bad! You are picking up on a few errors that every company has if looked at close enough.
I don't understand why the evening post has such negativity against DVLA. I think the Evening post should bear in mind that DVLA is one of the biggest employers in Swansea, if it wasn't for DVLA not only would the roads be far less safe to drive on but half of swansea would be unemployed.
I think the Evening post needs to get a little perspective.”
by Sandra Jones, Swansea.
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 11:33PM
“The internal mail system was run mostly by retired pensioned ex government workers, and not very well, when I was up there, a complete shambal.”