Duration of insurance for getting tax...

I've read soemwhere that downloadable single-day certs are not valid for VED, but it worked for me when my cover note hadn't turned up.

Downloadable certificates for annual policies now appear to be acceptable - unless I just got a lenient assistant.

I bought insurance for a day once and the downloadable cert had instructions on it for the post office not to accept it as proof of insurance for the porpoises of VED.

Got any mates with trade policies they'd stick it on for a while?

I've had only downloadable certificates for the last five years. No objections from anyone, not even the Carabinieri.

On Sun, 13 Mar 2011 15:37:52 +0000, Lordy.UK ranted:

Maybe insuring it with More Than might help? You can do it online, you're covered immediately - they don't take a deposit, just the first monthly payment within 14 days. You also have 14 days to cancel...so insure it, wait a couple of days so it shows up on the MID, tax it online, cancel policy, cancel direct debit, pay More Than a couple of days insurance.

Worked for me ...

Yea, download insurance certificates are fine - that wasn't the issue. I've used downloaded forms to get tax before; it specifically states on the V10 form these days that downloaded certificates are perfectly acceptable, so the monkeys at the Post Office counter have no argument that they aren't acceptable.

The official DVLA line information is that the car must be insured on the day that the tax comes into force - which is technically/obviously the 1st of the month - so in theory a 1 day certificate *could* be refused (but then for that matter; using the same logic so could a certificate for a year long normal insurance policy!), so I'm guessing on this instance it may depend on the 'leniency' of the counter assistant. Fortunately I'm on good standing with my local post office as I use them a lot (they let me drop off loads of eBay parcels, then pay the bill the next time I come in).

Due to the daft rules that have recently been brought in you now need to either have the car sorned or taxed and insured. Just having it taxed now results in a =A3100 fine.

James

I've seen lots of posts about this being daft / stupid etc.

But I can't see what the issue is.

Why would you have a taxed car on your drive, unless you planned to drive it at some point? - and if you planned to drive it, you'd need insurance.... the only people this will hit are those who take out monthly policies to buy their tax, then cancel it as soon as they have a valid tax disc in their windscreen.

If I buy a new car my old one would sit on my drive until it was sold, with the insurance transfered to the new one. I know it's hardly a problem to insure the old car on a short term policy but it shouldn't be needed if it's not going to be used. The other example is classics or rarely used cars which just come out occasionally. In the past you could keep it taxed and just insure it as needed. Now you need to go through the hassle of sorning and retaxing, or just keep it insured at all times.

James

So you'd leave a car sat on your drive uninsured? - what happens if it's stolen or catches fire?

I've also read the stuff about people claiming they have some classic tucked away that only gets used a few times a year - which they also seem to park up without insurance - but take out insurance when they need it..... well, that's just bullshit - if you have a classic, it'll be insured all year around, 'cos the cost of insuring it for a full 12 months will be so negligible, it's not worth pissing about doing anything else - 3 or 4 days of 'daily insurance' will insure my classic for a full year, ffs.

All I've seen are people making up scenarios so they can stamp their feet and claim 'but it's so unfair', when all it's doing, essentially, is tightening up existing legislation.

Oh ffs, that's ridiculous.

Well, the one I was referring to is up for sale, I don't plan to drive=20 it so am not currently insured on it...

--=20 Lordy.UK

Then you don't need tax, do you?

Still can't get my head around parking something up without insurance cover.

Erm, yes.

For a start, a taxed vehicle is more attractive to potential buyers than an untaxed vehicle. And a buyer is also going to need tax when they come to collect it in the evening (at which time the Post Office is shut and they can't tax it online because they've only just insured it and it's not appeared on the MID database yet).

Sounds like you're finding a scenario that fits the 'not fair' claims to me.

I can't remember the last time I had an uninsured vehicle on the drive / in the garage.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (SteveH) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I can. Umm, now.

There are currently four uninsured vehicles registered here. It was five until I sold one a couple of weeks ago. Then there's another two without UK registrations, but also uninsured.

I suspect none of those are in a taxable state.... and if they were, they'd be insured.

I really can't get my head around people having tax but no insurance, unless they've scammed a tax disc and are driving around uninsured.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (SteveH) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

At least one just needs taking for a ticket. I will admit, though, that others are in... ummm... slightly greater states of projecthood.

Nope, nor I. Cash the bloody thing in.

My Disco is ..

Off-road while I replace [1] the sills, insurance came up but we knew we wouldn't have it done for a while, mot similar, so it still has tax but no insurance. To be remedied shortly so no point cashing in the tax for only a couple of months. It's not being driven round, it's on the yard.

Unless you've not taxed it yourself and the previous owner taxed it of course. Refunds are only available to the person who originally "bought" the tax...

Unc