VARS Technology awarded DVLA electronic access to combat drive-offs

Blackpool based VARS Technology have been received accreditation from the Police Crime Prevention Initiative (Police CPI) to allow digital requests to the DVLA records of registered keepers, specifically for the recovery of fuel costs following drive offs.

Digital access using the DVLA’s Keeper at Date of Event (KADOE) system will significantly reduce the time between a drive off being reported and letters being sent out to drivers, speeding up the recovery process and returning the money owed to forecourt operators more quickly than ever.

KADOE will replace the existing, paper-based system for organisations that hold accreditation.

Pursuing the cost of drive offs is an ongoing frustration for many forecourt operators, with figures earlier this year from Forecourt Trader showing that investigations into drive offs were closed with no suspect identified in up to 94 per cent of cases.

Freedom of Information requests showed £6.55m in stolen fuel costs reported to police over the past five years, but with many forecourt operators no longer reporting drive offs, the real figures are much higher.

VARS Technology recovers around £3m in stolen fuel costs annually for fuel retailers.

With a lack of police support, the process of requesting driver details from the DVLA can be time-consuming and frustrating for operators, while recovering the money owed is a further challenge.

As a result, growing numbers of forecourt operators are turning to debt recovery specialists like VARS Technology to recover costs on their behalf.

With no current plans for the DVLA to open the KADOE link to forecourt operators, and the extensive accreditation process also making it impractical, working with an accredited partner is the fastest and most efficient way of recovering stolen fuel costs for forecourts.

John Garnett, VARS Technology director, said: “We have a great working relationship with the DVLA, and access to KADOE means that we can now return fuel money rightfully owed to petrol stations faster and more efficiently than ever before.

“With 40 current employees the testing and vetting procedure required for accreditation did take some time, but we are delighted to have been awarded it. As well as allowing us to provide a better service to forecourt customers, a streamlined process also provides a smoother process for drivers as they are notified of any charges more quickly.”