Renewing car tax via phone?

[Jules]

Query from my dad...

Supposedly you're able to renew car tax via phone - at least according to
the big yellow advert printed on the V11 form. Yet calling the number
given produces a virtually endless recorded message (yawn) at the end of
which they ask you for a "16 digit reference number" from the V11 reminder.

I went and had a look at the V11, and *nowhere* on it does there
seem to be a 16 digit number. There's a 5-digit one below the address, a
24-digit one below the bar code marked as "for PO use only", and a long
string of alphanumerics right at the bottom of the form, in groups
separated by slashes and spaces.

It's all sorted now as he ended up phoning them and speaking to a
real human being, who just asked for the 11 digit code from the V5
document with no explanation as to what this mysterious 16 digit number
might be. We're both curious as to what they're on about, though. I saw
one post on the 'net which hinted that the 16 digit number might
correspond to digits 8 to 23 of the 24-digit "PO use only" number, but
buggered if I can see where on the V11 it explains this if so!

Looking at the DVLA website, it seems that if you renew a tax disc online
then you can use the non-existant 16-digit number, *or* the 11-digit one
from the V5 - but for some reason the phone-based equivalent doesn't give
you this choice.

The Government strike again, I suppose :-(

cheers

Jules

[DavidM]

Post by Jules
It's all sorted now as he ended up phoning them and speaking to a
real human being, who just asked for the 11 digit code from the V5
document with no explanation as to what this mysterious 16 digit number
might be. We're both curious as to what they're on about, though. I saw
one post on the 'net which hinted that the 16 digit number might
correspond to digits 8 to 23 of the 24-digit "PO use only" number, but
buggered if I can see where on the V11 it explains this if so!
Looking at the DVLA website, it seems that if you renew a tax disc online
then you can use the non-existant 16-digit number, *or* the 11-digit one
from the V5 - but for some reason the phone-based equivalent doesn't give
you this choice.

The 16 digit number is printed in the box top right of the V11 that
suggests going online to renew. It will only be present if the car has
been through a new style MOT and the DVLA(?) have got their databases
updated sufficiently quickly to record the fact.
I had the same problem with my Land Rover, it did not have an MOT, I
just wanted to get it SORN'd in time to avoid the fine, I used the V5
like you mention.
I was pleasantly surprised that after the Audi passed it's MOT and the
databases had updated sufficiently quickly to pay the road Tax online a
couple of days later.

[Roland Perry]

In message <***@remove.this.yahoo.co.uk>, at
11:14:40 on Mon, 15 Jan 2007, Jules

Post by Jules
Supposedly you're able to renew car tax via phone - at least according to
the big yellow advert printed on the V11 form. Yet calling the number
given produces a virtually endless recorded message (yawn) at the end of
which they ask you for a "16 digit reference number" from the V11 reminder.
I went and had a look at the V11, and *nowhere* on it does there
seem to be a 16 digit number. There's a 5-digit one below the address, a
24-digit one below the bar code marked as "for PO use only", and a long
string of alphanumerics right at the bottom of the form, in groups
separated by slashes and spaces.

I got a V11 recently, and in the top RH corner it says:

Relicence or SORN online or by phone...
All you need is the Reference No:

Followed by a 16 digit number in letters about 1cm high.

You really can't miss it!!!

[Jules]

Post by Roland Perry
Relicence or SORN online or by phone...
Followed by a 16 digit number in letters about 1cm high.
You really can't miss it!!!

Interesting. Have grabbed a copy of this offending one...

Yellow box on the front side takes up pretty much the whole top-right
corner of the page and says:

"
Please note:

If you have a computerised MOT certificate, you may be able to tax your
vehicle online or by phone quickly and easily using the 11 digit
reference number on your registration certificate V5C and your vehicle
registration number.
"

... which for starters is bollocks, given that the phone service only
asks for a 16-digit number (unlike the website) anyway.

Yellow box then goes on to say:

"
On the Internet:

www.direct.gov.uk/taxdisc

By phone: [phone]
Telecom/minicom: 0870 850 4445
Pay by debit card (free) or credit card (£2.50 service charge)
"

That's it. No reference number whatsoever. Sounds like there must have
been a cock-up on a batch of V11's that went out (but if that was the case
you'd at least expect the human operatives to be aware of it and say sorry)

cheers

Jules

[Martin Saxon]

Post by Jules

Post by Roland Perry
Relicence or SORN online or by phone...
Followed by a 16 digit number in letters about 1cm high.
You really can't miss it!!!

Interesting. Have grabbed a copy of this offending one...
Yellow box on the front side takes up pretty much the whole top-right
"
If you have a computerised MOT certificate, you may be able to tax your
vehicle online or by phone quickly and easily using the 11 digit
reference number on your registration certificate V5C and your vehicle
registration number.
"
... which for starters is bollocks, given that the phone service only
asks for a 16-digit number (unlike the website) anyway.
"
www.direct.gov.uk/taxdisc
By phone: [phone]
Telecom/minicom: 0870 850 4445
Pay by debit card (free) or credit card (£2.50 service charge)
"
That's it. No reference number whatsoever. Sounds like there must have
been a cock-up on a batch of V11's that went out (but if that was the case
you'd at least expect the human operatives to be aware of it and say sorry)

There are [at least] two types of V11. The one you get is dependent on
whether DVLA are sure you can renew on-line at the time of issue or not.

[Jerry]

I tried to renew my car tax at a post office on Saturday lunchtime but
was turned away because it's not possible to renew it more htna two
weeks in advance (i.e. 15th Jan).

What a daft restriction. What's the harm in doing so any time in the
month before expiry?

To avoid having to go back again I suggested to the woman behind the
counter that I leave the cheque with her and she could post it back to
me on Monday. I'd even supply the SAE. Apparently that's not allowed.

Jerry A.

[Roland Perry]

Post by Jerry
I tried to renew my car tax at a post office on Saturday lunchtime but
was turned away because it's not possible to renew it more htna two
weeks in advance (i.e. 15th Jan).
What a daft restriction. What's the harm in doing so any time in the
month before expiry?

It might be because if (and rumour has it that this is the case) you in
practice have 2 weeks grace to get the tax renewed, then you could renew
it by buying one dated two weeks ahead. So skipping a month. Although
I'd have thought the SORN system would have spotted this.

[Tim Ward]

Post by Roland Perry
It might be because if (and rumour has it that this is the case) you in
practice have 2 weeks grace to get the tax renewed, then you could renew
it by buying one dated two weeks ahead. So skipping a month. Although I'd
have thought the SORN system would have spotted this.

It might (or might not) now be an outdated rule, but it certainly used to be
to stop you blagging a free month.

[Tony Sumner]

Post by Roland Perry

Post by Jerry
I tried to renew my car tax at a post office on Saturday lunchtime but
was turned away because it's not possible to renew it more htna two
weeks in advance (i.e. 15th Jan).
What a daft restriction. What's the harm in doing so any time in the
month before expiry?

It might be because if (and rumour has it that this is the case) you in
practice have 2 weeks grace to get the tax renewed, then you could renew
it by buying one dated two weeks ahead. So skipping a month. Although I'd
have thought the SORN system would have spotted this.
--
Roland Perry

It also tells you that you can't declare SORN more than 15 days ahead....

Mind you, given the confused message from the DVLA about when you must or
must not SORN a vehicle, that's hardly surprising. :-(

I've had renewal forms with/without the number as well.

Tony

[Roland Perry]

Post by Tony Sumner

Post by Roland Perry

Post by Jerry
I tried to renew my car tax at a post office on Saturday lunchtime but
was turned away because it's not possible to renew it more htna two
weeks in advance (i.e. 15th Jan).
What a daft restriction. What's the harm in doing so any time in the
month before expiry?

It might be because if (and rumour has it that this is the case) you in
practice have 2 weeks grace to get the tax renewed, then you could renew
it by buying one dated two weeks ahead. So skipping a month. Although I'd
have thought the SORN system would have spotted this.

It also tells you that you can't declare SORN more than 15 days ahead....

It would, a SORN is simply a zero-rated tax virtual tax disc.

What I meant was: the SORN system chases after people who haven't
renewed their tax, you are supposed to SORN instead. So if you had tax
for November, skipped December and re-taxed for January, the SORN
process should have caught up with you before the end of December.