DVLA are doing my head in.

[chris_cussen]

Regular readers may have noticed that I got my Cabrio back on the road at the beginning of July.

I noticed the MOT had the make as “Merlin” so I contacted the garage who claimed it had been automatically filled in when entering the registration number. So being a good citizen I contacted DVLA Swansea to be told to contact my local office (Bristol).

I tried to get to talk to a human at the Bristol office but none of the options took you anywhere near the right place. So finally I emailed DVLA who forwarded my email to the Bristol office.

They wanted copies of the MOT certificate and V5 form. I had made things a little more difficult as the V5 was on its way to Swansea to have the engine number changed.

The V5 arrived back today so I emailed a copy to Bristol. Guess what they want me to present my car to Avonmouth (A 90 mile round trip) to as they say

“Please make the necessary arrangements to present your vehicle to the address below for identification purposes.”

WTF?

[danny_nelson]

Re: DVLA are doing my head in.

unfortunately an engine change today is not a simple matter of sending of the V5 with the changes completed. Receipt for replacement engine reqd and then confirmation in writing from a garage/mot centre that this engine is fitted. Then these documents sent to dvla with the changes completed on the V5. Perhaps you have done this? That is as I understand the procedure, but this may have changed again.

[chris_cussen]

Re: DVLA are doing my head in.

Hi Danny,
Yes the V5 was sent off with a copy of the invoice. The V5 has returned with the new engine number and no request for any more information. I have queried the necessity of taking the vehicle to Avonmouth, but have had no reply since.
Chris

[angusgrooby]

Re: DVLA are doing my head in.

Hi chris I would say it's more to do with the name change that you need to go to a dvla office and also combined with the recent engine change I would imagine alarm bells started ringing. They probably want to check that you are not using a v5 from a merlin to to get around not doing the iva test, you regualy see 7 type kit cars advertised on eBay registered as a dutton and they are blatantly not. I would take as much paper work as possible if you do end up going to prove everything is legal and you have done the sva/iva test and it is there mistake on the V5.
I am sure you will get it sorted and hope it is hassle free as posable.

[Skittler]

Re: DVLA are doing my head in.

I had an almost identical situation, Chris, and simply wrote to DVLA with all documentation and stated, quite forcibly, that there was a simple spelling mistake on the V5.
I think there was a three week period before I received the corrected V5.
But, of course, I was not paralleling this with an engine change; that indeed could be a 'snag'.

[chris_cussen]

Re: DVLA are doing my head in.

The V5 is correct. It is the MOT that shows the make as a Merlin.

[angusgrooby]

Re: DVLA are doing my head in.

That is very strange then, I think I would defiantly argue about taking it 90 miles to the nearest dvla office then.
I had a problem with my mot on my tin top I presented it early with the old mot and the computer automatically dated it from the day I presented the car and not the later date on the old mot I complained to the garage and they sorted it out they seemed to have a specific phone number to call about problems with MOT certificates.

[chris_cussen]

Re: DVLA are doing my head in.

Finally got an email saying the Senior examiner will change the MOT without seeing the vehicle. Phew!

[angusgrooby]

Re: DVLA are doing my head in.

That's excellent news, pleased you got it sorted.