GOV UK Reviews 

In recent years, I've been paying for my vehicle road tax by monthly direct debit. The tax is due for renewal at the beginning of November, and I wanted to change the monthly direct debit to an annual payment, i.e. - pay once for the whole year and save some money. I thought it might have been a simple, online process - not so!! I went round and round in circles on that damn website. Two days later, I was no further forward.

I ended up cancelling the Direct Debit with my bank, so now, I will not be taxed at all, once November comes.

I phoned DVLA and listened to the automated messages which listed all the options to choose. I'm sure this voice used to be a lady with a nice Welsh accent. Not any more. It's an awful sounding, AI bot thing. Very unwelcoming and unfriendly.

When I finally got to speak to a 'real human', it didn't get much better. The representative seemed totally artificial and inhuman, almost like all the personality had been sucked out of her. Maybe she was actually a bot? Who can tell nowadays? She was blunt, and fairly unhelpful. The main takeaway I got was that a vehicle tax reminder would NOT be sent to me. I have no idea how much the tax will be for my vehicle.

I am no further forward.

The DVLA has gone even further downhill in the past few years. It never used to be THIS bad, I'm sure!

So after not receiving a new V5C for the car I purchased in May this year (18 weeks & counting), and with the dealership not answering call's & the salesman involved not answering messages I decided to ring this place to query if there was even an application request, 5 to 10 min waiting time they said, after 21 mins I hung up, absolute shambles, and that music is pure s***e

sale of vehicle - completed V5C paperwork.
seller registered new keeper details online.
incorrect address.
New V5c issued to incorrect address.

V5c doc ref number required to register online/make changes / corrections -only on paperwork.

V62c paperwork required to issue new V5c.

DVLA unable to apply supporting evidence, such as passport / driving licence .

Every stage of information delivery open to corruption / error.

No effort to confirm details .

Conflicting / contradictory Rules / Procedures /Requirements on Website / Paperwork .

Although a website and conact via telephone are available - they provide no solution or useful information.

Absolutely terrible website, im in the motor trade and cannot register a vehicle in the trade after multiple times of trying and over different days aswell. Not only that i tried different browsers. utterly useless system. complete overhaul needed to match the recent technology out on the market.

Utterly backwards and completely useless, no help whatsoever

I have changed details online to get v5 certificate following a bereavement,I needed to do this to tax vehicle.
Since doing this five weeks ago constantly fobbed off with "It's in the system" How difficult is this?
There is no way to find out online of progress,we live in a digital world now surely this could be sorted in 2024.
Doing the right thing gets you nowhere the Government needs to sort this dysfunctional organisation out.

Sent my V5 and associated documents for the MAM to be increased on my new Motorhome via Special Delivery. After 6 weeks and several calls the paperwork was declared lost even though they had been signed for. No apologies from anyone I spoke with just very defensive Customer Service staff. Had to rearrange my Summer holiday twice to date as I need the V5 to travel. I’m now told I have to apply for a new V5 and wait for that to be posted out then start the process again with no preferential treatment to expedite the application even though it’s their fault. Their systems are a total shambles and obviously not fit for purpose. I’ve got no confidence in the organisation at all!

I have been trying for weeks and weeks and weeks to get my driving licence issued and I keep getting told that my forms are in a queue to be looked at by the medical team, this has been going on for over 3 weeks and they wont even give me ANY kind of timescale as to when it will be looked at, a day, another week, a month or even a year!! WHAT A DISGRACE OF AN ORGANISATION!!!

Well! What’s can I say, I was dreading my first time renewal of reaching 70.
Thinking it would be so complicated ( I don’t handle forms to well ) but I noticed it could be done online, so I took the bull by the horns answered each question as they came and it was really easy, well explained and to my astonishment onlineFriday new license through the post by Wednesday. I am so grateful to the DVLA for making it so easy and pleasant for us oldies out here.
Thankyou

A huge thank you to the lovely lady at DVLA this morning who helped me tax my car and change the address
Could not have been more kind and helpful

We part exchanged our car on the 30th May this year, we were due back 3 full months of road tax we were told by the salesman at Mercedes that the dvla were very slow in refunding, when it finally arrived it was only for 2 months, so we rang dvla to be told to return the cheque as they had issued refund from the 15th June when they got to it and not the 30th May. We were told it would take up to six weeks. We sent the cheque back with an accompanying letter by registered post. We heard nothing so we rang today to be told that nothing has been done, they checked it had been delivered and signed for but don’t know were it is, they have opened a case but this will take there favorite saying six weeks, talk about total incompetence but what do except from a Goverment run department 🤬

I know people have had issues but my own experience was top notch. Needed a replacement log book and the minimum of fuss I got one in two days. It was easy to do through the website

The retention process of a PERSONAL number plate seriously needs to reviewed. It is absolutely ridiculous that I now have to wait up to 6 weeks to take MY PERSONAL number plate, that i paid for, off a car (because a previous owner didn't tax THE CAR) so that i can sell said car, this means loosing my current offer for my car and also the car i was buying to replace it as i cant afford to buy the new car without selling mine first. Why am I being penalised for someone else act that I was never even aware of. Sure this should be flagged when taking the original number plate off not when trying to put it back on!!?

Hour after hour of just waiting for someone to chat to me on their pathetic website... then someone pops up, asks if I still need help, then disappears again after a couple of minutes because I'd nodded off for a second waiting for a reply.

Start again. And Again. And Again.

"Can't verify my identity" says the webpage, after I gave them my DRIVING LICENCE NUMBER, PASSPORT, NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH and ADDRESS. I'd give them my birth certificate if they wanted but apparently that's not needed.

Not exactly sure what else they want from me, except to _not_ issue me with a renewed licence, which is all I want FFS.

Awful and unsympathetic organisation with antiquated systems. You can't email them but instead write to them with my quail pen and sent via pigeon carrier. This out of date Government department needs terminating and reinventing. I told them and wrote to them with evidence that I am no longer the owner of a written off vehicle yet they still want to fine me for a car I don't own! Disgusting low lifes making money out of innocent public. Sort yourselves out you bunch of Karen's.

These reviews says is all really.
Had cough syncope and was told I'm not to drive for six months. Contacted DVLA and told them cough has gone and any chance of driving. Yet if you faint without a cough you can drive after 4 wks, where's the sense in that?
Told me to get a letter from my Dr, contacted DVLA again as obviously they can't be bothered to let people know. They said they had a lovely letter from my Dr but obviously rules are rules and I still can't drive for six months. So what was the point in telling me to get a letter from my Dr when clearly they had made up their mind before I had the letter
Not only did they waste my time but also the drs time.
NHS must be so proud of you!

Must all be at home asleep , hopefully this awful place will eventually get shut down and an effective system put in place .

No one ever answers the phone, you just end up on hold forever so you go to the online chat instead, fill out all of the detail's for it to then tell you there is no advisor available. Such an appalling company.

Terrible service from uncaring 'customer service' staff, who either can't or won't apply common sense.
Why is it so difficult to tax a vehicle, won't accept my registration doc (the only one ive ever had), didn't send reminder, told they sent me a new V5, why, I didnt order one and didnt receive one but I have to pay £25 for a new one because i dont have the one they say they sent me? WHY would they send me a new one? Just held to ransom, utterly shocking that a government agency would behave in this way and why just one call centre in Wales if it can't cope, at least 3 hours trying to contact today, no answer, and totally unhelpful if you do get through and then they hang up before you've finished, or put you to transfer to 'another dept' that never picks up, at least have other call centres, so there's some competition at least to get good reviews for service, as they clearly don't care in Wales.
Suggest all with DVLA issues should email their MPs to complain, I will.