Missing Post - DVLA

[Misstheo]

Hello

I wondered if any of you hard working royal mail employees can help me.

I changed address last year and updated my details with the DVLA who should have sent me a new drivers licence which I never received. Happy that my address had been changed with the DVLA, I didn't pursue the matter further and forgot about it. Recently I needed an updated licence with my current address for an upcoming driving test and paid £20 reporting my previous licence as lost. The licence was posted to me on the 20th November but still hasn't arrived. I'm now worried that my licence has been stolen or lost in the post. The DVLA will now be sending me a 3rd licence after much ado and explanation that I never received my previous two licences. Now I live in a converted house and the royal mail address finder only states the house number in the database but all our flats have a letter a-d. I thought at first this could be the reason except all my other letters arrive with 40D and my partner's licence arrived after a week when we moved so I'm convinced it's not the address. I've also received DVLA letters from the car department such as logbooks and tax disc so it's a mystery where my licences have gone. I'm now very paranoid that the 3rd licence will go missing and I need it for my new job. What can I do to try and investigate what is going on?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[TeeferTiger]

So did they receive the original (first attempt) at changing the address OK, it just didn't arrive back with you? Or did the first change of address not go through and therefore the 2nd one was done (as well as being registered as lost)?

If the flats have individual letterboxes, they should be classed as separate addresses on RM's postcode address file (PAF) meaning you all get separate unaddressed 'junk mail' (yay!). Usually the council send RM details of the addresses where council tax is paid so it might be worth asking your local licensing and registration department if they've got it listed as separate addresses and if so, could they send the update through to RM for them to update their system with. It's not hard for RM to do, someone at the Delivery Office should be able to do it... I'm not promising they will though.

As for the mail going AWOL before it gets to you, the DVLA would need to put in an issue with RM as they're the ones sending the licence to you and paying the postage. The RM website just states that if you're concerned about mail going missing, to call their customer services dept on 08457 740 740. They might make a note of it, but I expect you'll be told that there are no issues in your area.

[Misstheo]

Thanks for your reply.

The first attempt was successfully changed over the phone but never arrived back to me. The 2nd attempt was done online and I was told by the DVLA that they sent it a few days after but it never arrived. They are now sending me a 3rd one!
My flat only has one letterbox so all post goes through that, however council tax/electoral register and utility companies all recognise our individual flats but I take it as it only has the one letterbox, RM class it as one address? Sometimes it comes up as individual flats on searches for insurance quotes etc but sometimes it's just the one house number '40'. I'm not sure whether to readdress my licence as 40 and not with the flat number after although I've had no problems with letters getting here. I read on the RM website that they have records of multiple occupancies, I'd love to be able to have separate letter boxes but I don't think it's possible as we have one communal door. The joys of city living eh? I guess I'll have to wait and see if the 3rd one arrives.

[TeeferTiger]

Would it be possible for you to have a box installed outside to which only you have the key? RM would class it as a separate delivery point and your mail would be delivered into that box, separate from everyone else's. If it's a communal letterbox, I hate to say it, but are you sure none of your neighbours have picked it up?

Another suggestion might be Mail Collect where you can pick up your mail from the Delivery Office.