Non-legit tax discs - detectable?

Buy one quick

" I can't see how thois could be so. Presumably the DVLA have the tax disc's serial number logged against the car it was issued to. He says his dodgy discs can pass through such a check. "

The other night there was a programme called *Car Wars* on BBC1. The police were driving along, and their system was automatically checking number-plates against the PNC (Police National Computer). The coppers were saying how it checks for wanted, stolen and unlicensed vehicles etc. They were also telling one guy that he wasn't insured to drive the vehicle he was in.

When I get my tax from the post office, I see that they always log the details on a form along with many others. I'm guessing that these forms are sent to the DVLA for inclusion on their database (linked to the PNC). If he is in cahoots with someone at the post office, then they could log down the vehicles on their form when he sells the disc, but that would probably cause anomolies in the post office accounts.

People are obviously breaking the law by supplying these surplus discs in the first place, and if they are managing to register details with the DVLA then they are probably breaking a second law. All counted, there would probably be four or five laws broken in the entire process, so the bloke down the pub can't expect a light treatment if he's caught. I doubt that he can get these discs properly registered anyway, so he's probably a lying git.

I don't see much point in tax discs now, there is a central insurance database so you don't need to show your insurance annually, MOTs will get computerised so that'll be a non-issue. DVLA should just send an annual reminder out to confirm you are still the reg'd keeper that you have to return to confirm / update records.

Absolute load of bull to be honest. The tax disk may well warrant a pass by a passing traffic-warden and a copper ambling by may also think all is well but if the Police were actually checking out the vehicle they would radio in to base and ask for a vehicle check. The computer would immediately show that the vehicle is untaxed regardless of what is actually shown in the windscreen.

Using dodgy tax disks is like playing double-jeopardy. You may get away with it if a passing copper / warden sees it. However, if you are pulled by a copper there's every chance he's already radioed in a vehicle check request and he's going to be mighty interested if you have what appears to be a valid tax disk shown in the windscreen but no record of having bought one via legal methods. Therefore, you might escape PC Plod on the beat but find yourself in even hotter water because PC Jam Butty did a check on your car whilst following and is now going to screw you not only for road tax evasion but fraud aswell. :/

At the end of the day, you could make a carbon-copy perfect match of a tax disk just like people who try to counterfeit currency do but the big difference between the two is that car tax disks are related to a vehicle and checks can be made to ensure that the tax disk in question belongs to that vehicle. If it doesn't, then you're toast! :)

Dave

Do believe what somebody selling stolen tax discs is telling you?! I thought not.

The tax discs are recorded against the car they are sold for. It used to be in a book where it was presumably transcribed at the DVLA offices, but now they seem to be updated through the post office computer system.

I imagine all unissued tax discs will not have a sales record on the DVLA computer. There must be quite a few holes in the system and, up to now, a disc that came up as "not recorded" or whatever might have been overlooked, but with the new computer system a "not recorded" disc was found on a car it might be looked at closer.

Either way the prospective purchasers are far better off getting a laser printed one because for a forged VEL you would probably just get them a fine, but a stolen one will probably get a grilling by the police and something nastier on their criminal record.

Gareth

-- Gareth '85 Chevy Camaro IROC-Z (305 V8) '92 B&W Chevy Caprice 9C1 (350 V8)

Indeed. Someone I know thought it would be a wheeze to stick a false personalised number plate on his car. He didn't own the plate but apparently neither did anyone else. First couple of times he got stopped by the police, he gave them a story about him only just sending the registration documents off - they were probably still in the post and not on the computer system. Over the next week or two, the police repeatedly stopped with increasing frequency - I guess when you get stopped, these things get noted! Needless to say, he got rid of the plate before the coppers took action. He always has been lucky. Probably even more lucky since he put them on over the top of his old plates with velcro. Imagine how that'd look if the police had pulled one off?!?!? Anyway the point of my little story is thus - if you get stopped by a copper who thinks there may be something wrong with your dodgy tax but you manage to weasle out of it, you can bet your life that won't be the last you'll hear of it. My advice - don't bother.

Chris.

I wouldn't mind a couple of bent discs if they look like the real thing - Reason being:

Even though a friend of mine has to pay a supplement towards their parking space (off road private car park) the car also has to be taxed. That's a right pain if the MOT is out, or if cash is tight, or other similar reasons. And the only reason a car would ever be left there in those circumstances is because it would not be needed on the road, and so I am not talking about defrauding the chancellor in all this. Although yes, I am talking about breaking a housing association rule of course..

I have a similar set up where I live, but thankfully the neighbours here don't really give a flying about an untaxed car parked in the car park, and so aren't likely to go running off to the association the minute the tax runs out.

Yup its wrong, when you fill out a renewal for you tax you take it to the post office and they register the tax disc against your car, the details are then sent to Swansea and held on DVLA computers, The police run PNC checks on cars and it will tell them you have no tax, also some of the mobile speed camera's you see are actually tax evasion camera's they have a direct link to Swansea and about 100yrds up the road you "will" be pulled over by mr police man.

It doesn't end there, when you get caught with a dodgy Tax disc, you will then be prosecuted for FRAUD, this means you will receive a criminal conviction, driving with no tax is more sensible., as this is just a fine and a slap on the wrist.

Now since the new Road Fund laws have come out, your car will be towed away if you don't have tax, this doesn't mean a piece of paper it means buying tax and registering your car, or you declare its not on the road Statutory Off Road Notification. If you don't follow these procedures your are liable to get your either A: clamped b: towed away c: crushed.

You may fool a dippy traffic warden but that's about it, they also have use of the PNC.

And you insurance may invalidate any claim as you shouldn't be on the road without tax/Sorn.

Its not worth the hassle, just pay your 90 quid.

HTH

Ronny

With a saving of a mere £80 every six months, why on earth would anyone bother ?

If I were to attempt fraud, I'd at least do it on something that saved you a reasonable amount of cash !

Tim S Kemp ( snipped-for-privacy@timkemp.karooSPAMTRAP.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

And to confirm your bank account details for the Direct Debit?

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

Go down to Halfords and buy a car cover. Problem solved.

Nom ( snipped-for-privacy@Somewhere.Somewhere) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Because it isn't just a saving of £80/6 months.

How about saving £80/6 months, plus a couple of hundred quid to get the car put right for the MOT, plus a grand's insurance per year?

Is that worth the (minimal) risk?

Another bureaucratic dogs breakfast of a system employing 1000's of civil servants to pursue motorists for yet more unjust, uncollectable tax. Would we accept the necessity to invent a special duty payable on the ownership (not the purchase) of any other private possession? Why only on cars? Yet again we see the private motorist being discriminated against :-(

Matt B

Would

It's not a tax on ownership. You only need it if you will be using it on a public road. If you are using a private vehicle on a private road, you don't have to pay.

I wonder what proportion of privately owned vehicles are never used on public roads.

Matt B

Probably not many, but I can think of a few examples: Lots of farm vehicles; parks and estates - I know that Center Parcs, for example, operate a fleet of vehicles that never go on a public road.

Although that's not really the point. You suggested it's a tax on ownership. That is obviously not the case.

The tax discs will become "valid" again after another 5 months as you can buy a 6 month disc.

Just stick to the hooky MOT's

lot less hassle :) well for now anyways

Televisions too.