It's been an ongoing topic in MCN and it even made it onto Watchdog last night about bikers sending in their licence's to the DVLA to be updated and them coming back without the the motorcycle entitlement. The DVLA denies all responsibility for the fault and it is up to you to prove to them that you have passed the motorcycle test. If you can't you've got to do the whole thing all over again.
A piece of advice that I may have seen on this site or read in MCN. When you send your licence back, keep hold of the paper part of the licence and tell the DVLA you have lost it, then if the licence comes back without the motorcyle entitlement at least you have proof that you had it before.
watched it myself last night vinnie, even the mechanic who services the police bikes had to resit his test after 27 yrs of riding, dvla would not even accept police letters on his behalf,
the whole thing stinks...
good advice regarding paper part!!
If you take a photocopy and have it certified by a lawyer that will be good enough..problem is that if you don't know a friendly lawyer it could cost you several £££s. But as long as it's less than a refresher course for a new test, plus the extra insurance you'd pay as a "new" rider, then maybe it might be money well spent. Has the opposite happened ever, I wonder? Licence comes back with car entitlement gone missing? Or other entitlements mysteriously added?
Why do you need to send old licence in first place. As it is invalid when out of date surely they should just be able to send out new licence then if any parts missng you will have proof
Yes, there was one lad in the watchdog report who car entitlement and it came back without that but with bike entitlement instead and he'd never been on a bike in his life.
That was also one of the points brought up about not having to send your licence off or at least for the DVLA to send your old one back with the new one as the passport office does when you renew your passport.