Tried to pay VRT under the new system, failed miserably

Owen

I brought my car over on the 9th of April, and phoned straight away looking for an appointment to pay VRT - and got one, for the 27th, yesterday. Already, the new system's worse than the old one as I'd have paid it straight away on the old system rather than almost a month later.

Went yesterday to Blarney NCT centre, had an old pay slip from a job to prove my PPS, an o2 bill to prove my address, driver's license to prove I'm me, Ferry Ticket, MOT cert, V5, and even a hand written receipt from the seller. I also had a stat code print out from the Revenue's calculator with the VRT applicable. Waited a good 20 minutes until I was called, and then a young-ish girl in her late 20's behind the counter told me I couldn't VRT the car, it didn't exist on the system.

Now the problem with this, is that the Revenue being who they were when they were doing the original vehicle models/descriptions for their database screwed up with lots of cars. My particular car is a 2 door, but depending on which model you want to find, it can be listed as a 2 door, or 3 door, it can be listed both as a hatchback and a 'sports coupe', so it takes a bit of drilling down to find the right model and code.

Course, she was having none of this and started to get aggressive "It's twenty past 8, I'm not going to go looking for codes at this hour of the morning, I'm happy the car doesn't exist on the system". So, I asked her if the car doesn't exist on the system, that means that none were ever sold here, and none were imported, right? She agreed, and when I showed her 2 others for sale in Ireland on Irish plates, she got flustered, and kept repeating that it was twenty past eight, and she didn't want to have to be dealing with the likes of this at twenty past eight. Eventually, I just asked her straight out - I have the stat code, do you want to type it in and look it up, or not? And got the same it's twenty past eight, I don't work for the Revenue, your car doesn't exist answer.

So now, I'm left waiting ... again ... and when the NCTS come back to me, it's possible they'll have asked the Revenue to create a new stat code, and incorrectly classify the vehicle, charge me more/less than what should be applicable, and it'll be a battle to sort it out, all because the NCTS are employing people who clearly don't know anything about cars, and shouldn't be working with them on a day to day basis. You'd think someone VRTing cars would need to apply for a job where having an interest in cars is a requirement for the position?

Called the VRO in Rosslare too yesterday to see if there was anything they could do to help out, and they said they were getting calls from all over the country with similar complaints from every NCTS centre.

yop

It doesn't surprise me, this system of VRT isn't working out. Its confusing the buyer and from what I can see the NCTC.
I have yet to heard of a person who went online and got a quote from ROS and then went to the NCTC and got the same.

TestTransmission

What's the car outta interest?

ARGINITE

Did you try making a complaint about her not doing her job to her manager?

ottostreet

Who really cares if its twenty past 8? You're either being paid to work, or not. I hate that 'computer says no' attitude.

Owen

ARGINITE wrote: »

Did you try making a complaint about her not doing her job to her manager?

Yup. Was stonewalled in the NCTS centre in Blarney, and the customer care helpline which you're supposed to phone, doesn't accept phone complaints. You phone them, they send out a formal complaint form which you need to fill in and send back. Defeats the purpose of having a customer care helpline which they recommend for complaints, but I'm going to fill the form in if/when it arrives.

TestTransmission wrote: »

What's the car outta interest?

Smart ForTwo Brabus. And just reading the temp documentation I got from them now, they even noted the mileage down wrong too. How hard is it to copy a number from a speedo?

Alfagtamini

hi paintdoctor,
when i imported my smart roadtser i used the limerick office. the man spent about 40mins looking for the car and couldn't find it. eventually he just picked smart car coupe. to be fair to him he was nice and kept apologising for the delay. the old system was great you went int hey robbed your money all within 24 hours. this new system is painful, i was driving on uk plates for a good 4 weeks.

Viper_JB

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Yup. Was stonewalled in the NCTS centre in Blarney

I've had bad experiences with the Blarney nct crowd before, seems like it's a prerequisite to be entirely incompetent at doing your job before they'll hire you out there.

Owen

Blarney have a terrible reputation alright. I can't figure out why they gave the VRT check to them, and not Little Island.

stevenmu

PaintDoctor wrote: »

How hard is it to copy a number from a speedo?

That could be tricky though, it was only 8:20 after all

yop

stevenmu wrote: »

That could be tricky though, it was only 8:20 after all

Its more a shock they are open at 8.20 "like"

JimmyCrackCorn

When she said it was 20 past 8 and too early I would have lost all calm.

NullZer0

The fact that this person will keep their job regardless of how they perform is a joke.

darragh o meara

The whole VRT thing is a joke witht he NCT crowd, Not saying it wasnt a joke beforehand but not as bad. I recently brought in a Passat from the Uk and unlike all the rest of the cars Ive imported in the last few years I had the money to clear is straight away. Heres how my visit went:

Nct person: Hello have you come to VRT your car
Me: Yes I have here is all the details you need
Nct: ok hold on there for a few mins and Ill have a look, Can I have the keys
Me: ok

35 mins later

Nct: Ok Mr O Meara, I have completed the paperwork please check if its right.

I then had a look at the paperwork and nearly dropped when I saw the price on the end,nearly 1000 more than the calculator that morning. I checked further and found she had put it down as 130bhp Highline when in fact it was only a 100bhp highline and had the mileage as 3450 miles(completely forgetting that about the other 100k)

Me: sorry that information is wrong the car is not 130bhp model it is in fact 100bhp as stated on the V5
Nct: That is the nearest I can find to your car so if you want it done today you will have to accept it!!
Me: not a hope love, Here is the printout from the revenue calculator this morning and funny enough it shows the exact model.
Nct: Im trained to use this system and this is the only one I can find, you can always appeal it if you like.

Anyways after a few mins she finally copped that the printout I gave her was on Revenue headed paper ( I work in revenue on and off and it was a blatent misuse of headed paper but completely innocent, I printed it just as I was going out the door and headed paper was all that was in the printer) and she came back out and agreed that maybe the car does actually exist and that she had found it. I paid what was due which actually turned out to be 150 euro less than expected!! I was happy and left, got the car taxed that day and went about my business..

Then going home from work the other evening I was stopped by traffic corp at a checkpoint, The cop comes up to the window and asks me a heap of questions about the car. Turns out the smart bitch in the NCT had my car colour down as Blue and not the obvious Grey that it was!! I explained the situation to him and give him the tax book and low and behold the chassis numbers didnt match up!!!! I narrowly escaped being hauled into the station and the car being taken off me as I had a copy of the original UK V5 in the glovebox and when he checked it against the car he saw the engine number matched both documents and gave me the benfit of the doubt.

I'm now in the situation where I have to change details on the irish taxbook which is not very easy. Im of the opinion that they are trying to make it as hard as they can for people to bring in a car and save a few bob, I know I saved a good 3k bringing the car in from the UK.

Owen

It gets better! I spend the last hour on the phone to Rosslare's central VRO trying to find the right person to speak to, and when I got him, he confirmed that they had processed the enquiry received from the Blarney centre on my vehicle. He asked what Stat code I had, told him, and it turns out that's the stat code they returned too.

Also, not only did she get the mileage wrong on the temp file she gave me, she also has it down as a 4 seater.

I'm really looking forward to going back down to pay my VRT and take all this up with her. She's cost me 2 days wages now, and will have cost me 3 by the time I get this all sorted out.

Mr.Boots

PaintDoctor wrote: »

It gets better! I spend the last hour on the phone to Rosslare's central VRO trying to find the right person to speak to, and when I got him, he confirmed that they had processed the enquiry received from the Blarney centre on my vehicle. He asked what Stat code I had, told him, and it turns out that's the stat code they returned too.

Also, not only did she get the mileage wrong on the temp file she gave me, she also has it down as a 4 seater.

I'm really looking forward to going back down to pay my VRT and take all this up with her. She's cost me 2 days wages now, and will have cost me 3 by the time I get this all sorted out.

Send them a bill for your time...

Seriously though...i had a similar experience with them.
Sent from billy to jack...and then back to billy again.
My situation is the vehicle in question isnt road worthy but i want to register it before i restore it (may take a couple of years )
So nobody in NCT or Revenue can tell me what to do....its like slapping yourself in the face with a brick

Harcrid

darragh o meara wrote: »

Im of the opinion that they are trying to make it as hard as they can for people to bring in a car and save a few bob, I know I saved a good 3k bringing the car in from the UK.

If only that were the case at least it would mean these people were not stupid and would have a good reason for appearing so witless. But it's just down to incompetence and no interest in their job.

In saying that I had my car VRT'ed in Limerick recently and the guy there was very good and the whole process went smoothly. Then again it was a pretty standard car.

Our man in Havana

Who exactly do NCTS answer to?

CJhaughey

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Who exactly do NCTS answer to?

They are run by a Spanish Crowd called Applus+. Feckin private sector wasters:D

darragh o meara

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Who exactly do NCTS answer to?

God

Soarer

Mr.Boots wrote: »

Send them a bill for your time...

Seriously though...i had a similar experience with them.
Sent from billy to jack...and then back to billy again.
My situation is the vehicle in question isnt road worthy but i want to register it before i restore it (may take a couple of years )
So nobody in NCT or Revenue can tell me what to do....its like slapping yourself in the face with a brick

Billy's an idiot though and Jack's retiring next month, so he obviously has no interest.;)

mickdw

PaintDoctor wrote: »

It gets better! I spend the last hour on the phone to Rosslare's central VRO trying to find the right person to speak to, and when I got him, he confirmed that they had processed the enquiry received from the Blarney centre on my vehicle. He asked what Stat code I had, told him, and it turns out that's the stat code they returned too.

Also, not only did she get the mileage wrong on the temp file she gave me, she also has it down as a 4 seater.

I'm really looking forward to going back down to pay my VRT and take all this up with her. She's cost me 2 days wages now, and will have cost me 3 by the time I get this all sorted out.

Assuming you have your original time stamped quote with statistical code same as they have now come up with, you can surely go down there very annoyed.
Most 12 year olds could do that job on the button as they would have an interest in models etc. These workers should have to have similar knowledge.
Alot of it is pig headedness, that nonsense about it being 20 past 8 is just unbelieveable.
Since I witnessed 2 revenue officials looking at a landcruiser and guessing whether it was a long or short wheelbase, I believe anything is possible.

Owen

Have a reg number, finally. After talking with Rosslare and establishing that my stat code was right, and that they'd sent the same stat code back to Blarney, I went out at lunch time without an appointment. Informed her that both the mileage and number of seats were incorrect on her file that she'd given me a copy of, and waited for her to process the VRT. Got my Reg, and asked her why I had to come back out 2 days in a row, when she could have used my stat code yesterday morning. The answer was "I won't have my job dictated to me, and if you complain about me, I'll complain about you".

Mr.Boots

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Have a reg number, finally. After talking with Rosslare and establishing that my stat code was right, and that they'd sent the same stat code back to Blarney, I went out at lunch time without an appointment. Informed her that both the mileage and number of seats were incorrect on her file that she'd given me a copy of, and waited for her to process the VRT. Got my Reg, and asked her why I had to come back out 2 days in a row, when she could have used my stat code yesterday morning. The answer was "I won't have my job dictated to me, and if you complain about me, I'll complain about you".

B1tch!!!

Padraig Mor

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Have a reg number, finally. After talking with Rosslare and establishing that my stat code was right, and that they'd sent the same stat code back to Blarney, I went out at lunch time without an appointment. Informed her that both the mileage and number of seats were incorrect on her file that she'd given me a copy of, and waited for her to process the VRT. Got my Reg, and asked her why I had to come back out 2 days in a row, when she could have used my stat code yesterday morning. The answer was "I won't have my job dictated to me, and if you complain about me, I'll complain about you".

She needs to have a serious complaint lodged against her. With so many people out of work, she doesn't seem to appreciate having a job.

Our man in Havana

I wouldn't be worried about her threat to complain about you. Who exactly could she complain to? The dog sitting outside scratching his balls?

Mr.Boots

Our man in Havana wrote: »

I wouldn't be worried about her threat to complain about you. Who exactly could she complain to? The dog sitting outside scratching his balls?

She might tell his Ma :eek:

stephendevlin

I have a car off the road this long time and would like to get it going. Might just feckin sell it in the north or get a cous to register it and drive it. too much bother for me. I dont have anything to say when it was taken over from england. :rolleyes:

Our man in Havana

I dont have anything to say when it was taken over from england.

Is that strictly necessary?

stephendevlin

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Is that strictly necessary?

Not sure now tbh. does say when I aquired the car on the reg doc.

galwaytt

paulryanmini wrote: »

hi paintdoctor,
when i imported my smart roadtser i used the limerick office. the man spent about 40mins looking for the car and couldn't find it. eventually he just picked smart car coupe. to be fair to him he was nice and kept apologising for the delay. the old system was great you went int hey robbed your money all within 24 hours. this new system is painful, i was driving on uk plates for a good 4 weeks.

Sounds like a sound guy. Sometimes, just sometimes, the multiple Stat code works in your favour. It's why I'd never disclose it until after I hear how much they want, first. One code is invariably cheaper than the other. Hey, I didn't invent the system, I just play with what I'm given

It's why I'd have let them put down the most basic, cheapest Smart - having Brabus Special X,Y,Z on the VLC is................well, irrelevant, frankly.

CJhaughey wrote: »

They are run by a Spanish Crowd called Applus+. Feckin private sector wasters:D

Worse. Spanish private sector. And before ya go nuts : I have direct personal experience of dealing with it: awful.

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Got my Reg, and asked her why I had to come back out 2 days in a row, when she could have used my stat code yesterday morning. The answer was "I won't have my job dictated to me, and if you complain about me, I'll complain about you".

Please, please, please file a complaint. And, put a time-to-respond on it as well. If they don't, send it to DoE and escalate it. This sort of **** needs to be stopped dead. And I don't give a fig if she loses her job over it or not - -plenty of nice, professional people out there happy to take her place.

Owen

I hate getting anyone in trouble, I really do. I worked retail for years at the receiving end cause I was a teenager who didn't know how to properly look after customers, thankfully I'm older and wiser now, but it still kills me to escalate any complaint. I always worry if it's someone having a bad time at home, and I got the worst of it.

I'm going to sit on it over the weekend, and if I still feel the same on Tuesday, I'll complain. Thanks for all the positive feedback though lads, appreciate it. Photos too when I fit the boot extension

Tragedy

She was rude and unhelpful to you on two separate days, and threatened you on the second day you were dealing with her.

Disappointed to hear about the issues with VRT'ing a car now, did it twice under the old system and my only problems were with the car valuations in Rosslare - Tallaght VRO staff were always nice.

mickdw

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I always worry if it's someone having a bad time at home, and I got the worst of it.

There is that but it seems in this case she is just an idiot bitch.

colliggal

I actually thinks its awful, that ye all could bad mouth someone so badly on this... the girl was only trying to do her job and you have the cheek to bitch so badly about her, seriously have you nothing more to worry about in life.. I mean whats to say her mom, dad, sister, boss, or even herself doesnt read this, seriously awful!!

skyhighflyer

colliggal wrote: »

I actually thinks its awful, that ye all could bad mouth someone so badly on this... the girl was only trying to do her job and you have the cheek to bitch so badly about her, seriously have you nothing more to worry about in life.. I mean whats to say her mom, dad, sister, boss, or even herself doesnt read this, seriously awful!!

You'd want to head to bed love, not getting enough sleep must be what has you so grumpy at 8:20 in the morning

colliggal

Well theres only one girl in Cork doing the VRT and I happen to know her, so apologies for being a bit defence.. doesnt matter if what he says happened at 8.20am or 17.00pm it is a bit unfair dont ya think..

Owen

Not particularly. If someone can't do their job professionally, and admit they need help when they don't understand something, then they shouldn't be in a customer facing environment.

colliggal

Well its actually my sister your talking about.. and believe me she's dealt with the public for years... and I know her, she wouldnt have given you grief if you hadnt given her reason to. I just think its awful that you could bad mouth someone so badly and blacken them, without even knowing them.. im sure you'd feel as defence if the shoe was on the other foot!

Jaysoose

colliggal wrote: »

Well theres only one girl in Cork doing the VRT and I happen to know her, so apologies for being a bit defence.. doesnt matter if what he says happened at 8.20am or 17.00pm it is a bit unfair dont ya think..

There is no excuse for the way she treated a customer, she shouldn't be in the job if she is either incapable or just plain not bothered to do the job to the most basic level.

colliggal

Fair enough, but it takes two to tango...! Where you there....??

Damien360

colliggal wrote: »

Well its actually my sister your talking about.. and believe me she's dealt with the public for years... and I know her, she wouldnt have given you grief if you hadnt given her reason to. I just think its awful that you could bad mouth someone so badly and blacken them, without even knowing them.. im sure you'd feel as defence if the shoe was on the other foot!

If your job is customer service and you fail to provide this service in a professional manner then you should be removed from your job. It happens to all of us in the private sector and I fail to see why a public servant should not have the same logic applied to them.

I deal with the public every day and even when I want to punch someone, I cannot. I still have to be courteous even when they are not.

colliggal

She's not employed by the public sector... do you know what there's no point in saying anymore, obviously Owen is God, and everyword that comes out if his mouth is the gospel truth!! At least the people who know her, and im sure 99% of the rest of her customers know that she's not the bad what is it idiot bitch that shes been made out as on this!

Owen

colliggal wrote: »

Well its actually my sister your talking about.. and believe me she's dealt with the public for years... and I know her, she wouldnt have given you grief if you hadnt given her reason to. I just think its awful that you could bad mouth someone so badly and blacken them, without even knowing them.. im sure you'd feel as defence if the shoe was on the other foot!

I've worked in the motor trade for a very long time, I've probably VRT'd more cars than your sister has - I did a few hundred in 2008 alone when Dealers were importing cars from the UK to fulfill demand. I know the system backwards, upsidedown, inside out.

She most definitely did give me grief - but there was a reason, and the reason was that I knew more about her job than she did, and was able to supply her the code for my vehicle which she claimed didn't exist. Because of that, she got her back up.

Anyone on here who's met me in real life - and there's a lot of them - know I'm an easy going kind of guy. It takes a hell of a lot to stress me out, but this was ridiculous.

And in case you think it's just me, I know 2 other people who've had the same problem in the same place, one with a normal car, one with a classic.

For what it's worth, I never did send in the formal written complaint. It's still sitting in my office waiting to be posted, but I didn't have the heart to do it. I just think that if someone doesn't know enough about their job to carry it out, and they're offered help - genuine help - they should be willing to take it. I'm the first person if I don't know what I'm doing to phone someone who knows more and ask them. Asking for help and taking help are not terrible things to do.

Bearcat

only in Ireland this could happen where a poster pertaining to be a bro/sister of the lady in question throws their iron into the fire. Like it or not this lady is representing the revenue commissioners that allegedly verbally threatened a taxpayer...... if they saw this stuff being posted re family members wading in.......this lady will be codigating her navel on a full time basis very soon and the time 8:20 will become irrelevant.

JerCotter7

Owen wrote: »

I've worked in the motor trade for a very long time, I've probably VRT'd more cars than your sister has - I did a few hundred in 2008 alone when Dealers were importing cars from the UK to fulfill demand. I know the system backwards, upsidedown, inside out.

She most definitely did give me grief - but there was a reason, and the reason was that I knew more about her job than she did, and was able to supply her the code for my vehicle which she claimed didn't exist. Because of that, she got her back up.

Anyone on here who's met me in real life - and there's a lot of them - know I'm an easy going kind of guy. It takes a hell of a lot to stress me out, but this was ridiculous.

And in case you think it's just me, I know 2 other people who've had the same problem in the same place, one with a normal car, one with a classic.

For what it's worth, I never did send in the formal written complaint. It's still sitting in my office waiting to be posted, but I didn't have the heart to do it. I just think that if someone doesn't know enough about their job to carry it out, and they're offered help - genuine help - they should be willing to take it. I'm the first person if I don't know what I'm doing to phone someone who knows more and ask them. Asking for help and taking help are not terrible things to do.

Send it in already. If it was once off they will realize that from lack of complaints.

Gary ITR

colliggal wrote: »

Well its actually my sister your talking about.. and believe me she's dealt with the public for years... and I know her, she wouldnt have given you grief if you hadnt given her reason to. I just think its awful that you could bad mouth someone so badly and blacken them, without even knowing them.. im sure you'd feel as defence if the shoe was on the other foot!

Owen was there, you weren't, he has facts, you don't. No offence or anything but your sister clearly hates her job and should find a new one, preferably one that starts later than 20 past 8

Blazer

what a klunt..definitely make a complaint against her

argosy2006

I for one can understand why she got flustered, It is a rare car he tried to pay VRT on

Voodoomelon

At least some good might come of this, word might actually get back to this girl to catch a grip.

Bob Cratchet

Bearcat wrote: »

Like it or not this lady is representing the revenue commissioners that allegedly verbally threatened a taxpayer......

Actually she is representing a private Spanish company making money from the Irish taxpayer.