IvorETower said:
One reason that DVLA gave for closing the regional offices was to offer a better, faster service.
I don't have a private plate but from what I read, the service although "centralised" (is Swansea central to anything?) is getting worse not better
DVLA service has always been appalling:
a few years go you could go to a local office and wait to have a transfer done.
then it was changed to having to go to an office, leave your paperwork there and it would be posted back
now you have to post all of your paperwork to them, hope it gets there and they will eventually post it back to you in a few weeks or so however sometimes bits were missing or they would claim they hadn't received all of it, no phone call to let you know so then you have to start the whole process again once you have found the missing paperwork or obtained duplicates as you know you sent it however the DVLA have lost it.
Why this can't be done online in the 21st century is anyones guess; the DVLA want you to purchase private plates however make it so difficult to transfer them.