Blue log books

[Yetanotherbike]

I have recently moved to beautiful Anglesey and I have brought my toy collection along too. Two of my bikes are projects including my 400/4 and are still registered on a blue log book as I have owned them a long time. Changing my address online was very straight forward, with modern type log books, however it won't recognise my blue log books. I guess a trip to the post office will be in order, but I wondered if any you guys (and gals) on here have met the same problem.

[TrickyMicky]

Digging in to the memory bank,  I seem to remember that the change in colour was brought about VERY quickly dut to the theft of a load of blank unissued log books of the old colour.  Therefore all old colour versions are now invalid.

[Bryanj]

Send it direct to Swansea but keep a photocopy and i would send registered, expensive but at least guaranteed to get there

[K2-K6]

I photograph things sent to dvla as record, at least you've got evidence if it's disputed.

Image of each page, all four and if really concerned about detail, place the front on that days newspaper with title and date clearly visible and legible to confirm the image is current and tallys with the date and time on digital camera .... assuming you've got that set correctly   

[taysidedragon]

Are the DVLA still bad at losing stuff, or have they got better?

I would still copy stuff before sending because I don't trust them. Just curious if they've improved at all.

[K2-K6]

Our family experience recently, kids getting cars etc over last three years, has been without complaint or error.

Most recently, my CBX 750 declared Historic last week has completed without problem.

Other stories of licence and vehicle floating around in forum generally, makes me take contingency measures.

[Bryanj]

Dvla not too bad, post office another matter.
If you send it signed for it just goes in a sack with similar and postie signs

[andy120t]

You can tell them that yours is lost and they issue a replacement. That avoids the risk of them losing it.

[Yetanotherbike]

Thank you gentlemen for your advice. From previous experience with the DVLA, ANY time I send a log book to them, It goes recorded delivery and I always scan and photograph it as they 'lose' literally 100's of letters every year.

[Murf]

I had a few blue V5s to get changed over a few years ago and thought I had better get it sorted when I read you could be fined for not having done the change over.  I phoned up to enquire about it and got quite a difficult woman, she told me she would have to put me on hold and transfer my call to the penalty department. I ended the call then waited a few days and phoned them again and got a really helpful guy, he told me they should have been done a long time ago but said to send them in and they should be ok. I sent them in batches of two or three at a time over the next couple of months and they all got changed without any problems.

I have had quite a lot of dealings with the DVLA over the years and they have generally been helpful, I would say if you phone and are polite they are ok with you,  if you phone with attitude then you will get attitude back. If you phone and get an unhelpful person then end the call and phone again latter.  If you phone and there is a long queue you will be offered a call back, go for it as it works well.
I haven’t had reason to phone for a while so maybe with the way things are going you can’t even phone them now🙄.

I have never had anything I have sent to the DVLA get lost, there does seem to be a lot of post codes, for different departments I guess, so make sure you have the correct post code for the department you need.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I don't know the current figures but DVLA deal with a lot of enquiries, no surprise that some things get lost in such a large organisation.

Like Murf I have found them helpful, a case in point was when my late mother who when she turned 70 had to change to a photo licence. In the applicaion form for identification purposes they wanted a current passport photo & birth certificate amongst the options.

I spoke to a guy at DVLA who said they would accept an out of date passport if her appearance had not changed substatntially (about 5 years out of date!), I explained that my mother had no birth certificate as the records were lost in Austria by Allied bombing. He confirmed our conversation by email, asked me to send in a written application rather than online & enclose the email he sent.

New photo licence was issued, all the renewals were then done online for the next 15 years.

[Bryanj]

I have to renew my hgv annually and always send recorded as there is a medical involved.
Quirk people dont realise is that if only one category expires, like annual hgv in my case, the whole of you licence is invalid UNLESS you have an application in process

[Laverda Dave]

I found them really helpful when I was registering the BIL's Z400J that was purchased new in Guernsy in 1981 and brought back to Southampton a week later and never registered here. I was expecting a huge fine but the lady I dealt with was amazing, of course it helped that BIL's father who bought the bike had long since passed so there was not really anyone to issue any potential fine to!
I think the DVLA is one of the best goverment departments to deal with, I've never had any problems at all.

[Bryanj]

They can be very unhelpfull to those who do not know the rules, story goes

After heart attack i surrendered my hgv as easier to get back if surrendered rather than revoked

You have to perform an "exercise test" to regain your licence for which the hospital needs special paperwork
After 5 months rang Swansea to ask where paperwork was to be told" we dont send that out till you apply for your licence"

Asked where is that written down told " oh it isnt you just have to know"

As over 65 had to pay for a medical at doctors where he crossed out 33% saying unknown to me, heart question" for me to send off and wait for hospital appointment.

One bit of DVLA not being helpful

For execise test google Bruce Test and start at 2.4kph

[Yetanotherbike]

My own experience with the DVLA hasn't all been positive, especially considering they are a public 'service'. 
I sold a bike (Suzuki RF 900) and sent off the log book as usual. A few weeks later the buyer contacted me and said he hadn't received the new V5. I told him that I'd definately sent it, so unfortunately he'd have to contact them.
A couple of weeks later, I had a letter from the DVLA informing me that they were going to issue a fine as I hadn't returned the V5 with the new owners details on.
I wrote back explaining that I definately had returned the log book and I wouldn't be paying any fine. A couple of weeks later I got another letter saying they were taking me to Court as I had not returned the V5 and I hadn't paid the fine.
A little digging on the tinterweb of things revealed they lose 100's if not more letters per year which I find staggering and this is a very common scenario and infact was a nice little money spinner for them. Facing a similar scenario as myself another motorist challenged them in Court and they backed down as they did not want the case to go to Crown Court as I recall,  as it could set a legal precident which could well go against them.
I receieved a Court summons and I replied and said look forward to seeing you in Court. I insisted on the case officer being present (which is my right)as I would be looking for an apology. I had another letter offering to drop the Court case if I paid the fine, so I said no bloody chance! I also reminded them of the case I had read about and told them. An interesting fact at the time, is that in legal terms, if I stood in the dock and said I had affixed a FIRST CLASS stamp and posted it in a official post box, that is taken as legal proof of postage, which would exonerate me. A first class stamp is a vital element and so is the post box. You do not have to prove it any other way.
Two days before the case, guess what? They had reviewed my case and decided it was not in the best interests of anyone to go to Court and they dropped it.
I wrote back and expressed my displeasure at them threatening me with Court and taking up my valuable time and effort and asked them how much they had spent of public money on the farce and I demanded an apology, which never came.
I'm sure there are some very lovely people who work there, but as an organisation I feel they could do a lot better.