Print out online insurance cert ok for road tax?

I use Swiftcover, cheaper than anyone else (for me) by a large margin. All done on the internet, print your own certificate etc. I like it..

It's pointless, isn't it? Not exactly a hard document to fake, it's almost pointless requiring one for road tax. It's about time the post office started checking the DVLA database.

The message from Bob contains these words:

Why not get your tax online?

Dunno but virtually any one will fax it to you if you need it in a hurry.

In my experience yes, I've taxed cars with a printed-off cover note at least twice. And I know someone who got tax with a faxed copy of their certificate.

Why don't you do it online though ?

That's not unusual, especially if it's the trade taxing a car for a customer. I'm pretty sure they shouldn't do it though.

Takes enough days to get the tax disc that you'd almost be as well waiting on the insurance ceritificate coming in the post.

The message from "David R" contains these words:

Mine arrived in three days.

David R (david snipped-for-privacy@ntlworld.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Ummm, yes, the post will take a couple of days whether it's a tax disc or an insurance certificate...

BUT - if you're waiting to use the car, at least the delay whilst the tax disc is in the post will be a delay when ANPR cameras don't flag up that your car's being used naughtily. Yes, you can still be nicked for failing to display a tax disc, but at least you ARE taxed.

Because you have to have a computerised MOT

it takes 5 days to arrive during which you can't drive the car (assuming it's a new-to-you currently untaxed car)

they charge £2.50 for credit cards

The insurance has to have made it to the database, which takes a day or two

I'm sure there's more reasons too, but that was enough to put me off.

You're only going to nicked for that if you really enjoy pissing off the fuzz

Don't use a credit card?

More boring, I'll give you, but again, you've got to try to get done for not having road tax on a new car.

PC Paul ( snipped-for-privacy@bitrot.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Which have been issued from _all_ test stations for the last six months - and from the vast majority for _well_ over a year.

I get my MOTs done at a small rural garage - they've been doing computerised tickets for about 18mo.

No longer than the insurance certificate will take to get to you. And in the meantime - at least it IS taxed, though.

But they don't charge for debit cards.

Really...?

Really.

John

Paul Cummins ( snipped-for-privacy@spam.vlaad.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Vosa think so.

As you cannot pay for your car tax by credit card at the Post Office anyway it makes no point complaining about it. You can still pay by debit card without any charge, and it's the same price as via a Post Office if you do it that way.

"If you apply for a Motor Vehicle Licence at a Post Office? branch or by post, you can pay by:

• Cash* * Cheque payable to Post Office Ltd * Post Office? saving stamps* * Debit cards * Postal Order * Sterling Travellers Cheques"

Most important reason - if POs stop issuing MVLs, then they will close.

News ( snipped-for-privacy@nospam.demon.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

You think selling tax disks is enough to keep 'em open?

Nope. I got spotted driving to a prebooked MOT with an out of date disc by a patrol sat at the side of the road. I was doing absolutley nothing wrong, just in a line of traffic at 5-10mph below the limit.

They said they saw it by the colour of the disk - it wasn't a currently valid colour. And it had a big '00' on it when it was '01' by then.