Outdated procedure on engine number

We must retain our momentum in this campaign in line with our "letter a week" until we have the procedure rectified:

I fully agree with your campaign and I offer my full support. Between December last year and February I went through an identical, if not more nightmarish, experience myself. The details follow to substantiate the truth of this incredible procedure.

On December 26, I went for my Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (VRT) for my car. The VRT technician immediately told me the engine number had become unreadable and so he could not certify the vehicle. He filled up a form and referred me to the ADT.

Although the car registration was due to expire 36 days later, I went immediately to the ADT Hall 8 hoping to get the number re-punched. Customer Care filled another form and directed me to the Stolen Vehicles Section (SVS) manned by a police sergeant, who immediately told me that it would be a long procedure and requested me to produce an affidavit and some photocopies by the following week.

I obliged and, taking time off work, I produced all the requested photocopies. The PS was not happy with the wording of the affidavit (which he had vaguely described the previous week) and the language of the affidavit, which was Maltese! I thought it only fitting to request my notary to make me sign the affidavit in my native language.

Anyway, I had the affidavit redone and eagerly called again at the SVS, which at this stage was familiar. Again I took time off work. I thought anyway this was my last visit. How wrong I was!

The PS glanced briefly at the documents and put them away in a new file. What next? I inquired. Do I get the new number? Not today! The PS murmured something about the ADT doing their work and that eventually I would be contacted.

I remarked that the car registration was by now due to expire and, with no VRT and no car registration licence, I could not drive. After all, I had not replaced the engine or intentionally removed the engine number myself. The answer was to garage the car and wait!

I then started insisting with the ADT that they process my file without delay. The Customer Care officer (Mr Hose) was extremely helpful. But to process my file he had to receive it first! The file took a week to 'move' from the SVS to the ADT and this only after numerous phone calls to the ADT and the SVS!

When finally the ADT processed the application, in about a couple of hours, I was requested to call in at Hall B to receive the approval form. This meant more time off work and two hours' queuing!

Back at the SVS I thought the ordeal was finally over. But no, the PS gave me an appointment in eight days' time! By this time it was February, the car licence had expired and so I could not drive the car. So how can I drive the car for this appointment? The PS instructed me to call at the ADT on the day before the appointment and request a one-day permit! This meant another visit to the ADT and more time off work.

On the day of the SVS appointment, I realised that I was not alone in this ordeal. Six other persons gathered outside the section, all recounting similar or even worse experiences. Some took three months to get over this procedure and one particular person took six months.

I also gathered that, in comparison, I did not have as many problems as they had. Others had to bring the engine block, yes the heavy metal thing, on more than one occasion, for inspection! Moreover the number of visits to the SVS were always numerous and the appointments were postponed whenever a drizzle occurred, or a document was not to the liking of the police!

Finally, after two hours waiting in the cold morning, the PS started the job. Photographs are taken of every angle of the car; a new number embossed on an aluminium foil is attached to the engine and new papers raised. But the job is not complete.

Another visit to the ADT is required! Another two hours' queuing are required to get the new logbook showing the new engine number. Naturally, more precious time off work is required for this job!

Then there is a visit to the VRT garage and a visit to the insurance company for a new insurance renewal notice showing the new engine number. Then it's back to the ADT Hall C to pay for the renewed licence. This again requires two hours queuing and, of course, more time off work. The ADT recommended that I pay this licence there and then, rather than posting it, as they had a 20-day backlog of posted renewals to process.

To summarise, this ordeal entails lots of patience and enduring a humiliating process!

Ten visits to ADT or SVS;

Ten hours waiting in queues; and

Two visits to the notary and related payment.

I urge you to raise awareness about this procedure. Rest assured that it is not uncommon. People who, like me, go through this ordeal have to suffer in silence because complaining can only make it a more lengthy process! (Julian Scicluna)

At this stage Gianfranco Selvaggi, CEO of the ADT, has the opportunity to send me his comments accordingly. I must point out that he is really working on the matter which, as I explained last Sunday, will be resolved in due course. In any case once he is in a position to give us any news on this issue we will give him the space he needs.

However, in the prevailing scenario, we have committed ourselves to run a campaign on this issue in line with the three successful campaigns we ran in our column so far. As regular readers know, our campaigns involve a weekly reference to the respective issue.

Therefore I encourage consumers who had similar experiences to Mr Scicluna's to share them with fellow consumers with a view to persuade the respective bodies/organisations involved to review the existing system.