Yesterday, my car was clamped. I was rather surprised because it was correctly parked, but it seems that the tax was out of date. I didn't know it was out date because I never received the relevant renewal form with the magic numbers on it from DVLA. They told me when I rang that many of these forms were not delivered due to inclement weather. So what were the consequences of the DVLA's failure? I have to pay a £100 clamping fine. I have to wait for the vehicle to be unclamped. I was there so long I expected to get a parking ticket as well. I have to pay a £160 surety deposit. Worst of all, to get that money back, I have to produce my new disc within 14 days in person at a 'local' DVLA office in Luton or North London. (I live about 40 miles from either.) DVLA admits that thousands of the relevant renewal forms were not delivered but it took four phone calls to four different departments in Swansea to find even one person who knew what a surety deposit was.