Licence problem - Help!

[Hearn]

Ok, I have now been passed my test over 2 years - I passed on 05/09/00.

Now, when you pass your test you get 2 years in which to apply for your full driving licence by sending away your pass plus cert. and ?17.00

Ok, I left it til the last minute and applied on 04/09/02 - 1 day before the 2 year period expired. After phoning Swansea they said that it had to arrive there on or before the 5th - Or I would have to sit theory and practical again - :o

So I went up to my local DVLA office in Inverness and explained my problem, the girl on the desk went and got the manager guy who dealt with my problem. He said everything would be ok, I filled out the form, paid my ?17.00 and he stamped the application so that Swansea would see I had it there on the 4th of sep - he assured me it would be ok.

Now I have received a letter advising me that I need to sit my theory and practical test as I never aplied within the 2 year period!!! They also included a cheque for ?17.00 - it's taken them over a month to inform me of this!

So what do I do now? I'm going up to the Inverness office again today to see if they can do anything because the manager there gauranteed that It would be fine.

Am not happy with this, just when my insurance was getting cheaper this goes and happens - I know it's mainly my fault for leaving it so late - however I definately submitted my application within 2 years of passing me test. What do ya's think will happen, they will admit they never looked closely on the application to see the stamp and apologise and sens me my licence? :D

Or be tell me where to go and re-sit :x

Now I don't know what to do, I drove to work this morning - I know I probably shouldn't be doing so, in fact im driving illegally at the mo. And I was about to buy another car this weekend - was well looking forward to it.........

[d0gz_bollox]

your not insured when driving now mate. which reminds me I best send mine off soon.

[Rusty 16v]

What on earth did you leave it so long for? I sent mine off like the day I got it!

[jkhilton]

I know when I passed my test, the last thing I was thinking was, oh I must fill out these annoying forms and send off some money!! all I was thinking was DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE!!!! WWOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!! :)

I left it nearly a year till I sent my details off and I only sent them then cos I found them and thought Sh1t!!!!

Hopefully they will realise there mistake mate and things will be alright. otherwise, good luck with your test again!! and forget all the bad habits passing a test creates!

[Hearn]

Well I just phoned DVLA in Swansea, they say I'll have to send my Licence back with a covering letter to some team there.......
And I can expect to wait 2 weeks for an acknowledgement!!!!!!!!

This just aint good enough!! Raging now, I'm in the right, I submitted within 2 years! There is no way im doing my test again.

[Anonymous]

shit i have 2 months left to psot mine and i cant find it :lol

[ade]

if they stamped it the day before it was due to expire thats good enough. The stamp is a seal confirming the receipt date - especially if it was done by a dvla office - if they have internal post, it would have been at their head office the next day. It doesnt have to arrive at dvla before final date. What if it had been lost in the post/delayed due to postal strike etc.

The fact that another dvla office had stamped it should be good enough.

I'd go to citizens advice and check with them - compensation wise prob not a chance of getting owt - maybe get ?17 waived?

Just make sure that when you contact them you are friendly and nice - lat thing you need now is to wind them up and end up getting someone who deliberately loses yer paperwork coz you pished them off.

Ade

[Hearn]

Cheers for the advice.

I called them yesterday afternoon - and got conflicting information from each person I spoke to..... some were saying that the stamp did not matter - others said I had to write and appeal, then I got a nice welsh woman (maybe thats coz the DVLA is in Swansea) and she said she was gonna try and get the decision overturned.

I cudn't be bothered waiting for her to call back so went back to the local office - who called through and confirmed the stamp was on the form - with one day to spare.

Now all I have to do is send the provisional licence back, plus the ?17 cheque and is should be sorted :D