The industry body the British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS) is hailing that it’s become the first fuel debt recovery agency to be accredited by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) for its scheme for forecourt retailers and cost recovery agencies. Now BOSS can make electronic requests for the registered keeper details of vehicles in cases of suspected fuel theft using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) Keeper at Date of Event (KADOE) service. Pictured front, Allan Harder of the UK police company Police CPI, presents Claire Nichol, BOSS manager, with their DVLA KADOE accreditation certificate. Rear: Carmel Campbell, Bruce Nichol (BOSS), Sandra McNiven (Police CPI), and Naomi Wood (BOSS).
Background
BOSS estimates the UK has more than 1.5 million unpaid fuel incidents a year. Many criminal cases unresolved due to pressure on police time. Using the DVLA KADOE API service means BOSS can initiate unpaid fuel debt recovery within 72 hours of a report, which BOSS anticipates could lead to a ten per cent improvement in fuel debt recovery. As background, BOSS takes on incidents of Drive-Off (bilking) and ‘Failure to Pay’ (drivers giving a story to the forecourt why they are unable to pay for fuel). In 2010, BOSS launched Payment Watch, for fuel debt recovery. Forecourt operators are thereby recovering about £35m a year. BOSS estimates that forecourt crime costs UK fuel retailers £100m-plus annually.
To gain accreditation to access KADOE data, BOSS underwent a security and data protection assessment, by Police CPI, to see that it met requirements for governance, IT security checks, policies and processes, and infrastructure, including BOSS staff being security vetted by the police. Claire Nichol, Executive Director of BOSS, said: “This accreditation marks a major step forward in our efforts to support forecourt operators and recover money owed for unpaid fuel. By requesting DVLA vehicle data directly, we can act swiftly and lawfully to recover unpaid fuel costs, improving recovery rates and deterring repeat offenders. Forecourt operators will also see money returned to them faster than is currently possible.”
Allan Harder from Police CPI added: “BOSS has demonstrated the highest standards of data management and security. Their systems meet the stringent requirements of our assurance framework, ensuring responsible and lawful use of DVLA data associated with fuel theft.”
And Gordon Balmer, Executive Director of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), added: “I am extremely pleased that the work that the PRA put in on this campaign on behalf of its members is now paying off. The new process, which is an improvement on the cumbersome paper-based approach, will speed up the recovery of monies associated with non-payment for fuel.”
About Payment Watch
BOSS reports its scheme achieves recovery rates of over 80 per cent for ‘No Means of Payment’ cases and more than 90pc for valid Drive-Offs. Being able to request information via the DVLA’s KADOE service, Payment Watch will be able to operate with greater speed and precision, the body says. Visit www.bossuk.org.
