Forecourt security firm Vars Technology has been granted the ability to electronically request vehicle-keeper details from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s main database, allowing the firm to more quickly use number plates to contact motorists associated with drive-offs and no means of payment incidents.
The ability to electronically request details from the DVLA’s Keeper at Date of Event (KADOE) system is tightly guarded, with company directors and other staff having to go through strict vetting procedures that are managed by the Police Crime Prevention Initiative before a firm is afforded this facility.
Prior to gaining the accreditation, Vars had to make postal applications to DVLA to obtain vehicle-keeper records, a time-consuming and expensive endeavour that added significant delays to the debt-recovery process. The firm’s successful vetting follows that of BOSS, which was last month also granted the ability to electronically request details from KADOE.
The accreditation means that when a drive-off takes place at a site kitted out with Vars’ systems, the firm can more easily obtain the address of the vehicle’s keeper, speeding up the debt-recovery process.
Similarly, while people filling out a no-means-of-payment form must provide a phone number, if a false number is given or drivers fail to respond to text messages asking them to pay for the fuel online, Vars can electronically ask DVLA to source keeper details from KADOE, quickly providing the firm with addresses, allowing it to more efficiently escalate the debt-recovery process.
John Garnett, director of Vars Technology, says the company has “a great working relationship with the DVLA”, and access to the KADOE system “means that we can now return fuel money rightfully owed to petrol stations faster and more efficiently than ever before”
He adds: “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.”
