The Gardaí, checkpoints and An Post.

Big Balls

I bought a new car on Monday.

Before leaving the dealer I called my insurance company to transfer the car.

The next day I applied for motor tax on the internet (Tuesday).

I still have neither the insurance disc or the tax one.

This morning I drove into a checkpoint along Spencer Dock heading for Sheriff St.

"Where's your tax and insurance disc, how long have you the car?" Since Monday I said, I've applied for everything, waiting for it in the post.

"It's an offence to drive a vehicle without tax and insurance" was the reply. Well guard, I've paid and applied for everything, the post is out of my control and anyway, as I understand it, you have three weeks to display documents with a new car. "Well it's an offence but most guards will let you off...".

Right, well like I said guard, I've applied for everything, I'm sure it'll be in the post soon I said while letting the clutch start to bite and he grumbled something to the effect of "go on".

Have they NOTHING better to be doing? My reg is almost 65,000, he could clearly see the car was new.

I'm sure there's nice guards out there but I'm getting pretty tired waiting to meet them....................................

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

some day before you die i sure you'll meet one...
but just like a hole in one... its pure luck if you meet a sound guard and if you do , don't expect to meet another one.

preilly79

when you pay for your tax online you have the option of printing te last page for your records. print it and keep it in the car as 'proof' that your tax is paid and that the disc is in the post. i got stopped once and the guard accepted this as proof of payment.

aphex™

Jesus, talk about whinging.

What is the point of this thread?

Fair play for them badgering you to get the tax and insurance discs. Why didn't you print out that page like preilly79 said?

Wah, wah, wah.

& Boo-hoo too.

MercMad

Funny, I was waved through 2 checkpoints this week, I have no disc on my car, it is taxed though ................and insured obviously !

There is no logic to it, but at the same time how do we expect them to catch unisured drivers if they dont try !

scargill

Big Balls wrote:

Have they NOTHING better to be doing?

Nothing better than stopping a car and questioning a driver about the lack of tax and insurance discs ?

Reckon he's just doing his job tbh.

Henry Ford III

What new car did you buy BB?

junkyard

I'm waiting for a VRT cert for the last six weeks from Shannon, ownership is transferred but still waiting for the cert, try explaining this to the new owner. I can't understand that you can't go into the local post office or Garda station, pay your money and get your stuff there and then. Considering the post office and Garda station has a computer and printer in this day and age It would make things so easy.

Savman

aphex&#8482 wrote:

Jesus, talk about whinging.

What is the point of this thread?

Fair play for them badgering you to get the tax and insurance discs. Why didn't you print out that page like preilly79 said?

Wah, wah, wah.

& Boo-hoo too.

Have to agree. .There's some things worth ranting over, this really isn't one of them. You've no discs on your car and you're complaining 'cos you got asked questions at a checkpoint?!?! :rolleyes:

The way they see it, you shouldn't be using the car without these documents (or even proof of these documents), you can get tax done in 20mins at a Motor Tax Office and you can get your insurance company to fax you something to say you are covered, not that hard chief...

dubtom

I bought a new car last week too, they put a disc in the windscreen saying tax applied for, passed a couple of checkpoints no problem.I taxed in the office and got the book within a couple of days.Who says the interweb is faster;)

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

aphex&#8482 wrote:

Jesus, talk about whinging.

What is the point of this thread?

Fair play for them badgering you to get the tax and insurance discs. Why didn't you print out that page like preilly79 said?

Wah, wah, wah.

& Boo-hoo too.

i think the point of this thread is to show that a little common sense is definitely not a requirement to join the guards. in fact it a big disadvantage.

rondeco

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

i think the point of this thread is to show that a little common sense is definitely not a requirement to join the guards. in fact it a big disadvantage.

Why are the majority of your posts critical of gardai. You come across as narrowminded and pedantic.

edited for possible abusive term.

netwhizkid

junkyard wrote:

I'm waiting for a VRT cert for the last six weeks from Shannon, ownership is transferred but still waiting for the cert, try explaining this to the new owner. I can't understand that you can't go into the local post office or Garda station, pay your money and get your stuff there and then. Considering the post office and Garda station has a computer and printer in this day and age It would make things so easy.

Please tell me you are Joking?? 4 weeks from Shannon. :eek: :eek:

Is this the cert you need for to Tax your car here for the first time. I have spent the last 4 four weeks waiting for the DVLA to send me a certificate of Permanent Export from the UK as my dozy dealer sent back to swansea instead of giving it to me, I being a noob to UK importing thought it was the correct thing to do.

And alas am waiting for it to arrive after they sent the V5 (Tax book) this got lost in the post and I am now waiting for certificate of permanent Export. I have a good mind to get registered to the north and drive it here permanently with Yellow Plates.

$Leon$

MercMad wrote:

Funny, I was waved through 2 checkpoints this week, I have no disc on my car, it is taxed though ................and insured obviously !

There is no logic to it, but at the same time how do we expect them to catch unisured drivers if they dont try !

A couple of weeks ago I was driving a car from work without an insurance disc and was just waved through a check point. Think they were looking for someone though. about 25 gurads including about 10 armed.

jhegarty

$Leon$ wrote:

about 25 gurads including about 10 armed.

they must have found out someone was doing 51 in a 50 zone....

sneakyST

Everytime I have purchased the car the dealer has given me a piece of paper to stick in the window stating when the car was purchased to go along with the print out of the tax paid online and your insurance policy number. I think the guard was entitled to ask you a few questions if you had nothing displayed and could not produce any documents........

The Muppet

aphex&#8482 wrote:

Fair play for them badgering you to get the tax and insurance discs. Why didn't you print out that page like preilly79 said?

Wah, wah, wah.

& Boo-hoo too.

Jesus the self rightousness around here is getting worse by the day,

Can you apply for tax on the internet for a new car, I thought you could only renew as you need a pin number to get it.

The op has done everything possible to have everything legit. He could of course have been carrying a printed copy his receipt but he would still be breaking the law for not displyaing a tax disc. The guards need to display a bit of common sense in such instances.

MrPudding

The Muppet wrote:

Jesus the self rightousness around here is getting worse by the day,

Can you apply for tax on the internet for a new car, I thought you could only renew as you need a pin number to get it.

The op has done everything possible to have everything legit. He could of course have been carrying a printed copy his receipt but he would still be breaking the law for not displyaing a tax disc. The guards need to display a bit of common sense in such instances.

They extended the system recently to include new cars.

Savman, yes, of course you can simply go to the tax office and get it sorted but unfortunately not everyone can find the time to do so. That is why the online system is there, for convienience.

MrP

_Kaiser_

The Muppet wrote:

Jesus the self rightousness around here is getting worse by the day,

Can you apply for tax on the internet for a new car, I thought you could only renew as you need a pin number to get it.

The op has done everything possible to have everything legit. He could of course have been carrying a printed copy his receipt but he would still be breaking the law for not displyaing a tax disc. The guards need to display a bit of common sense in such instances.

I completely agree with this post...

Big Balls

To the usual suspects that replied in this thread, there is nothing in the constitution telling me to carry around a bloody bit of paper printed off the net to say I taxed my car.

The guards catching people without tax and insurance is one thing, a gleaming 06 D car with the tyre dressing still applied and two clearly gaping holes in the tax and insurance holder is another.

I have no problem with them asking about it, I had nothing in the windscreen but the interogation over it was not required.

You can now do your new car on the net too, the chassis number, or part of it, is your pin.

Henry, got another GTI, just a few toys on it this time.

Big Nelly

Big Balls wrote:

To the usual suspects that replied in this thread, there is nothing in the constitution telling me to carry around a bloody bit of paper printed off the net to say I taxed my car.

The guards catching people without tax and insurance is one thing, a gleaming 06 D car with the tyre dressing still applied and two clearly gaping holes in the tax and insurance holder is another.

I have no problem with them asking about it, I had nothing in the windscreen but the interogation over it was not required.

You can now do your new car on the net too, the chassis number, or part of it, is your pin.

Henry, got another GTI, just a few toys on it this time.

When you bought the car you should have been given documents with the car saying it was just bought etc which you are supposed to produce if stopped by the Garda to show its a new car, I know whenever I got a new car the garage gave me these documents and told me to carry with me till the tax came in

Also when you insured the car did your insurance company not give you a temp badge? I know when I got mine I called into the office and they gave me a temporary badge to use till my new one arrived.

Henry Ford III

Big Balls wrote:

....Henry, got another GTI, just a few toys on it this time.

Best of luck with it. Did you go for a white one?

samo

MrPudding wrote:

They extended the system recently to include new cars.

Savman, yes, of course you can simply go to the tax office and get it sorted but unfortunately not everyone can find the time to do so. That is why the online system is there, for convienience.

MrP

wish I'd known they extended this to include recently purchased cars (am assuming includes second hand as well) spent the morning sitting in Naas motor tax office to get my tax

On that note though, the car I purchased was last taxed in October 05, I got it in April 06 and have been waved numerous checkpoints despite having a tax disc 8 months out of date at one point!!

(There was a 6 week hold up as VLC certs etc got lost in the post and tax office wouldnt let me tax it until it was in my name but had RF100 stamped by them in case I was asked!)

samo

Ah ok, just re-read first post and this applies to brand new cars - thought it was a bit to good to be true that it was second hand as well!

maidhc

Big Balls wrote:

Have they NOTHING better to be doing? My reg is almost 65,000, he could clearly see the car was new.

I doubt if many people notice the current number the reg plates are at. I get bored of it after Jan.

Big Balls wrote:

I'm sure there's nice guards out there but I'm getting pretty tired waiting to meet them....................................

He didn't fine you, so he was nice. As far as I am aware the RTA contains no saver for new cars (I may be wrong), so he could have fined you if he chose.

Be careful about parking in pay parking zones until you get things sorted out. I know of many people who got tickets for not displaying tax/insc.

Black Sky

The Muppet wrote:

Jesus the self rightousness around here is getting worse by the day,

Can you apply for tax on the internet for a new car, I thought you could only renew as you need a pin number to get it.

Yes you can... 24 hours after car has been registered by dealer/seller.
bought a car (Jap import) last friday afternoon from a garage. Got a RF100 document from the dealer with details incl chassis no's. etc
Pulled in a round the corner, started up the laptop and GPRS connection and logged in using last 6 digits of chassis number as PIN.
Tax disc arrived Wed morning in the post.
See: https://www.motortax.ie/mtoapp/staticContent.do?page=faq

Was in the insurance office to transfer my insurance on friday as well, and still don't have my bloody disc a week later....

michaelanthony

They are all thick as ****e. I was breathalysed after they saw me drinking from a can of coke in Terenure. Two of the thicks didn't even see that my tax and insurance dics were expired. My license was expired too.

Anan1

michaelanthony wrote:

They are all thick as ****e. I was breathalysed after they saw me drinking from a can of coke in Terenure. Two of the thicks didn't even see that my tax and insurance dics were expired. My license was expired too.

Let me get this straight. You were driving with expired tax & insurance discs, and with an out-of-date license, and you call them thick?

Big Balls

maidhc wrote:

I doubt if many people notice the current number the reg plates are at. I get bored of it after Jan.

He's not a normal person, he's a guard. You'd like to THINK they have their finger on the button and can tell roughly what reg numbers are new.

If he had've fined me it would've been a complete case of young guy in a nice car and his Superintendent would've been waiting for him on his return after getting a pretty irate call from a member of the public. You can rest assured that an older guy driving a similar car wouldn't have had to put up with that crap.

I've had six new cars now and never before have I experienced such rubbish over missing documents at a checkpoint.

Henry - united grey.

Nelly - never heard of it.

I'll arrive home this evening now and the documents will be there (probably), my point which a lot of you seem to be missing is, 299 euro has left my bank account for the tax, Hibernian have my car covered, why should I be treated like I've done something wrong???

unkel

Was the Garda very young? It probably takes a year or so experience to cop on that a car is brand new and there are delays in getting the required disks. Showing the Garda the invoice from the garage should be enough

If the Garda wasn't very young, he must have been thick asking why you're not displaying the discs. He should know that an 06D64xxx is brand spanking new

overdriver

Unfortunately the traffic cops give the rest of them a bad name, as they seem to be, for the most part, swaggering bullies. All they want is to make you squirm about some minor point of the RTA, get you to " yes Guard, No Guard, 3 bags full Guard" for a bit, then let you go. This is all doen under the guise of " catching uninsured drivers" or whatever. In reality, it's a revenue collecting excercise, and a chance for them to feel powerful.

there are good ones too, to be fair, but I don't meet many of those.
Sorry and all.