Plus, as we now know the passport office is to be abolished with the head there losing his job. Passports are to be brought under the direct control of the home office. There, I bet that makes you feel so much better about the future efficiency of the operation.

not the best example but I think you know what I mean

Home Office....hmm, maybe we will all be microchipped

The problem may be when you travel to look at a car you will potentially buy. Currently, if you decide on the spot to buy it, you can ring up your insurance company to start the cover and drive it away there and then. Now you are also going to have to get online somehow to arrange the tax. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

There is a 24/7 auto phone number you can use.

Since transfer of ownership isn't instant if you drive it away on the day of purchase the tax system is going to think it's still owned and taxed (assuming it was taxed) by the previous owner. It would be different if you were to be stopped by the police and they checked driver's details, etc, but I wonder how many people would just risk it.

wizking wrote:

There is a 24/7 auto phone number you can use.

It's automated!

Is it actually automated under these circumstances though? For 'normal' renewals, yes, but for a drive away on the day scenario where new owner information, etc, will be required I'm not so sure. Unless you know different?

it is good to know as just taxed the wifes and sons motors and there is no information regarding this type of info TIME WILL TELL ,if another government idea turns to the normal botch job with whom should be blamed

I sold my D2 to a chap from France, who drove it straight to Dover and across the channel. He apparently had insurance, but taxing it for the journey might have been a bit awkward, as he's a French resident. Ex AA Series III LWB Safari - Gone
300TDi Disco (bought new - terrible car) sent back after 18 months
Freelander 1 Estate - leased, given back at end of lease
200TDi Disco (bought from a mate with 100,000 on the clock) - Gone
Disco 2 TD5 - sold and exported to France
FR2 TD4 GS - Gone
FR2 SD4 HSE - Now changed for a DS
New model ex-demo Evoque S 180 in white
Unable to order a new DS, so gave up. Now have a Volvo S90 Recharge.

pab wrote:

Is it actually automated under these circumstances though? For 'normal' renewals, yes, but for a drive away on the day scenario where new owner information, etc, will be required I'm not so sure. Unless you know different?

I would imagine (and I'm guessing) that the automated service simply needs the registration of the vehicle, and not any details about the existing (or new) owner.

This can be handled very easily by voice recognition (in the same way as it currently is in some car parks where you pay by mobile phone).

It's the car being taxed, not the (new) owner/keeper.

wizking wrote:

pab wrote:

Is it actually automated under these circumstances though? For 'normal' renewals, yes, but for a drive away on the day scenario where new owner information, etc, will be required I'm not so sure. Unless you know different?

No special knowledge, just what it says here;

You can tax the vehicle using the New Keeper Supplement (V5C/2) part of the vehicle registration certificate (V5C) online or by using our automated phone service - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0300 123 4321.

My car was added to our fleet insurance policy on a Friday, taxed that day using our cover letter already in place, it was the following Thursday before it showed as insured on the MID database.
The automated system won't give a cursory glance at an insurance document, it will be a straight yes or no.

Agreed - on the face of it, it would appear that unless the insurance companies start updating MID in near-real time, then the "see it today, drive it away" concept that some car supermarkets tout will be a thing of the past.

I would imagine that as time progresses, demand from dealers/consumers such as this will necessitate insurance companies being a bit more "lickety-split" with updating central records - however, it would appear that isn't the case at the moment.

Thinking out loud.....

If you were buying a car and wanted to drive it away that day, you'd be OK with a private sale assuming the seller still had insurance in place on the car. MID would show the car as insured and therefore allow you to tax the vehicle. If the seller doesn't have insurance in place then you're stuffed......although I would wager that scenario is pretty rare (although not impossible).

You'd also be OK from a dealer assuming that the dealer had specifically listed the car on its own insurance - again it would show as insured and allow you to tax the vehicle.

Thinking it through a bit, I'm not sure it is going to be substantially different, in practice, from how it currently works really. Just a bit of potential extra admin for dealers whilst it beds in - which might I guess, be reflected in pricing.