Author Topic: Cars  (Read 271540 times)

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Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Cars
« Reply #495 on: April 30, 2015, 05:31:17 pm »
SDQ ,  they are great  guys, you can follow Mike on Facebook, which is how we knew the event  was  on.  D)
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Offline Nemesis

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Re: Cars
« Reply #496 on: April 30, 2015, 06:36:33 pm »
Whoo. you jammy pair.......I'm jealous too !
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Offline Hugo

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Re: Cars
« Reply #497 on: May 13, 2015, 05:51:34 pm »
Is there a classic car rally going on in North Wales today as I've seen loads of them going from Betws Y Coed in the direction of Capel Curig?
There were some nice E Type Jags amongst the other cars but I didn't notice the Blue Reliant on the road.

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Cars
« Reply #498 on: May 13, 2015, 05:59:14 pm »
The blue Reliant  was out and about yesterday Hugo!
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Offline Hugo

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Re: Cars
« Reply #499 on: May 13, 2015, 10:01:00 pm »
It's looking very smart indeed, I bet the car had many admiring glances yesterday.   

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Cars
« Reply #500 on: May 13, 2015, 10:44:54 pm »
Yes, it does get a lot of attention! ☺
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Offline SteveH

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Re: Cars
« Reply #501 on: June 08, 2015, 12:51:36 pm »
Paper driving licence counterparts scrapped by DVLA: What it means for you
The paper counterpart of your driving licence has been scrapped. It took effect as of midnight overnight on Sunday/Monday.
The counterpart shows a driver's record, including offences and endorsements. It is being replaced by an online service.
The move plans to save motorists millions of pounds and change the way they share their information with employers and car hire companies.
Last year, the DVLA had to replace around 445,000 counterparts because drivers had lost them, for which they were charged £20 each to cover the cost.
RELATED: The censored number plates the DVLA won't allow on roads
From now on, penalty points will only be recorded electronically, and will not be printed or written on either photocard licences or paper driving licences.
However, there are concerns about whether car hire firms abroad will still request to see them.

Offences will still be fined and if necessary, the photocard licence will still need to be submitted to a court.
The information about your endorsement status can be viewed online, by phone or post.
There are 46.4 million licence holders in Great Britain and 37.7 million of those have a photocard driving licence.

What does this mean for you
If you already hold a paper counterpart, after June 8 it will no longer have any legal status. You should destroy your paper counterpart after this date but you still need to keep your current photocard driving licence.

What do I do if have a paper driving licence?
Paper driving licences issued before the photocard was introduced in 1998 will remain valid and should not be destroyed.
If you need to update your name, address or renew your licence, you will be issued with a photocard only.

What if I have penalty points on my licence?
From June 8 new penalty points (endorsements) will only be recorded electronically, and will not be printed or written on either photocard licences or paper driving licences. From this date, if you commit an offence you will still have to pay any applicable fine and submit your licence to the court but the way the court deals with the paperwork will change.
For photocard licences, the court will retain the paper counterpart and only return the photocard to you.
For paper licences, the court will return it to you but they won’t have written or printed the offence details on it.

This means that from Monday neither the photocard driving licence nor the paper licence will provide an accurate account of any driving endorsements you may have. Instead, this information will be held on DVLA’s driver record, and can be viewed online, by phone or post.

How about the impact on theory tests?
You won’t need to take your paper counterpart with you when you go for your theory or driving test. You must still take your photocard, or your old-style paper licence - your test will be cancelled and you’ll have to pay again if you don’t.

I’m going for a job and need to confirm my driving record to my employer, what do I do?
If you drive for a living and you’re asked to provide evidence of your driving record (entitlements and/or penalty points), you can do this online for free by accessing the DVLA’s online Share Driving Licence service.

The service should be used by both paper and photocard driving licence holders. You can generate a ‘check code’ to pass to the person or organisation that needs to view your driving licence details.
Alternatively you can call DVLA on 0300 790 6801 and leave permission for your driving record to be checked verbally by a nominated person/organisation.

What do I need to know if I’m going to hire a vehicle?
Drivers needing to show their driving record to car hire companies will need to have viewed their licence information online and to have generated a check code so details can be shared with third parties.
The DVLA said car rental companies in the UK and abroad would be well aware of the changes.
You may wish to check with the hire company what they need to see when you hire a vehicle.

The code lasts for up to 72 hours and will allow the hire companies to make any necessary checks. You can also request a code by calling 0300 083 0013. This also applies if you have a paper licence that was issued before 1998.
Not all vehicle hire companies will ask for this information.


If you only decide to hire a car once abroad and the hire company asks to see your record you will need to either log on to GOV.UK to get it or call the DVLA on 0300 790 6801. You will need your national insurance number.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/paper-driving-licence-counterparts-scrapped-9408091

Offline Ian

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Re: Cars
« Reply #502 on: June 08, 2015, 03:23:29 pm »
Quote
You should destroy your paper counterpart after this date but you still need to keep your current photocard driving licence.

I would strongly advise against that course of action. Horror stories are starting to emerge of people having to retake tests because the bureaucracy has fouled up.  Keep the paper copy and make copies of it.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

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Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Cars
« Reply #503 on: June 08, 2015, 04:54:20 pm »
I remember stories on BBC Watchdog a couple of years ago, people would send off the old driving licence for change of address etc, then when the new licence arrived they found that they were no longer entitled to drive a car or motorcycle! So for some years I have photocopied everything I send to DVLA and send everything to them  by recorded delivery.

Just today I had a letter about retaxing a car that I sold about 6 weeks ago! Luckily I had kept the note from DVLA thanking me for telling them that I had sold it! Plonkers!  &shake&
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Offline SteveH

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Re: Cars
« Reply #504 on: June 09, 2015, 09:47:15 am »
DVLA apologises after drivers left frustrated by glitches on new website's first day

The DVLA has been forced to apologise after many motorists trying to access information online to be able to hire a car found the website had crashed.

The Swansea-based Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency implemented a series of changes which came into force on Monday.

Driving licences’ paper counterparts have been abolished, meaning all penalty points will now be recorded electronically.
Drivers looking to hire a vehicle have to visit the Government’s gov.uk website to show hire companies what penalty points they have and which vehicles they are permitted to drive.

But many vented their frustration on Twitter after being unable to access the website on Monday.
John Spence added: “It’s only Monday but I can’t see anyone beating the DVLA to this week’s prize for incompetence.”
Edmund King, president of the AA, said the new system had got off to a shaky start.

“There have been problems for some of our members,” he added. “We have heard that a number have found the DVLA website very slow.”

He also said many drivers had been left stumped after being asked for their national insurance number as part of the new means of hiring a vehicle.
Oliver Morley, the DVLA’s chief executive, has apologised to motorists who have experienced problems with the new system but said many others had been able to access the site.
He said: “We are currently experiencing exceptionally high demand for this service. We are aware some customers are experiencing issues with the website and we are working very hard to resolve this as quickly as possible. We are sorry for any inconvenience.”
REFwalesonline

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Cars
« Reply #505 on: June 09, 2015, 10:58:36 am »
I do not know why they need a national Insurance number? I never have a clue what it is?
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Offline DaveR

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Re: Cars
« Reply #506 on: June 09, 2015, 12:30:47 pm »
I do not know why they need a national Insurance number? I never have a clue what it is?
I assume its so they can tie all the various Govt records together.

Offline Ian

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Re: Cars
« Reply #507 on: June 10, 2015, 08:20:59 am »
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I do not know why they need a national Insurance number? I never have a clue what it is?
I assume its so they can tie all the various Govt records together.

It is indeed, and its a worrying part of their drive to monitor the activities of everyone. A couple of days ago it was revealed health records - which are highly confidential - are being passed around between government organisations and that includes those who've opted out of this arrangement.

The problem is that government agencies have a deplorable record with regard to security and care of records, so it will only be a matter of time before your innermost secrets are laid bare to all and sundry because your sexual health history, your mental health history, your spent convictions, your school behaviour and a lot more become available for anyone to read in the SUN because some careless employee has left their laptop on the tube. It was bad enough when they were all on disc, with DHSS employees losing them, or sending them to newspapers 'in error'.  Fun times ahead...
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Offline Bosun

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Re: Cars
« Reply #508 on: June 10, 2015, 11:05:26 am »
Getting back to the subject of cars, Mrs B and I are trying to decide on a new car and trawling various dealerships - with hilarious results (if it wasn't so sad) and comments of the so-called 'car salesmen'.

The salesman at the VW dealers at the Junction didn't know what a Passatt looked like and showed us a Golf full of fish and chip papers. The child at the Audi garage couldn't walk upright and speak at the same time, whilst the chap at the Volvo garage in Lancashire told us that the XC70 was much better off-road than a Discovery.  The Jaguar salesman in Bolton did not know how to open the boot and wandered off; I had to get him back from his coffee to assist us.

That's just a brief selection, some of the utter and complete bolxxxxs they talked was unbelievable. It would make a good TV show with a 'secret shopper' with a camera and mike....

I'm fortunate in having some motoring knowledge and experience, but it must be a minefield for some.
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Offline DaveR

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Re: Cars
« Reply #509 on: June 10, 2015, 11:49:01 am »
Always best to try and do your own research. Fortunately, we have the Internet these days to assist us!