I've just arranged a new car purchase, and have a personalised plate on my existing car (which I'm trading in). Previously, I've put the plate on retention, had new plates made up for and put on the old car, advised my insurer of the change and given the dealer the retention code so they can register the new car on my plate.
During our chat the dealer said that I can place the personalised plate on retention the day before picking the new car up so that they can register it and I won't need to swap the plates on my existing car. But surely that will mean that I'll be driving to the dealer with illegal plates on my existing car, and potentially not insured because I haven't told my insurance company. Also, surely the log book I have will then be incorrect as it will still have my personalised plate on it?
Am I missing something? I'm going to call into the dealers tomorrow to sign the documents so will clarify with them, but has anyone else swapped plates "on the day" as the dealer is implying?
I've done plate transfers before and I recall the DVLA states something you should change the plates "as soon as possible", but doesn't state immediately or within 24 hours etc.
I've taken a couple of days to put on a private plate onto a car before, rather than removing it, as the paperwork came through during a busy week and I waited until the weekend. No issues.
I'd advise you to call DVLA or check their website rather than asking the dealer
When it’s done online now it’s instant. So you can drive your car to the dealers, and drive your new one home with the private plate on it.
I almost got done for driving with no insurance during a plate transfer.
My new plates hadn’t arrived but the paperwork had gone through, so I had no choice but to attend a hospital appointment with my old plates on the car.... got picked up by ANPR.
Luckily for me, I’d contacted the insurance company, and they advised that I was insured until my new plates arrived..
The police actually rang them at the side of the road, and Norwich Union confirmed I was covered. The policeman said that technically he could report me for displaying incorrect plates, but as I was insured he’d let it go.
I got home and the plates had been delivered..
This was all before you could do it online, I believe it’s pretty much an instant transfer now.
In the days of having to send both cars tax discs, original insurance certificates and mot certificates off to DVLA in order to swap a number plate Royal Mail managed to lose all my documents (both cars), the DVLA never received them. It was a right royal pain sorting that lot out!
All done at click of a mouse now, unfortunately no cheaper unless you can get the dealer to absorb the cost.
When I last changed cars I drive to the dealer in the old car, he then put my plate on retention, drove away in the new car. Then after the paperwork for the new car arrived I then transferred the plate on retention over.
Going to be doing this for the wife this weekend.
Driving to Cardiff to pick the car up. To change the plates with insurer beforehand is an admin fee. So if we drive to dealer, do the plate swap when there (onto retention) and collect new car on new plate to transfer when retention received (not bothered about dealing with there and then and can transfer FOC on insurance within 6 weeks).
However, how do you then do the 'sold my vehicle' online as it asks for a current V5 reference? If we did that transaction first I suspect we couldn't do the plate transfer after but if we do plates first, we won't have the current (new) V5 reference, or can we use the latest one we have which states the private plate?
I recently transferred one, it turned into a nightmare, it wouldn't work online so I phoned DVLA, after a long time and being transferred to three people I was told the reg number wasn't eligible to transfer online, I responded saying how come it has worked online four times before, he responded by saying "the reg number wasn't eligible to transfer online" I asked again and his response "the reg number wasn't eligible to transfer online" I said can you tell me what is wrong with it? he said "the reg number wasn't eligible to transfer online" I told him ha was being unhelpful and he said "the reg number wasn't eligible to transfer online" I would love to ask him face to face, you couldn't imagine a more unhelpful bunch of people. I did it by post, it took seven weeks to come back.Originally Posted by senwar
Oh ruddy hell, that's a nightmare!
That has actually been my worry, it won't go through while we're sat at the dealers.
I’ve had one that wasn’t transferable online, I think it was because the receiving vehicle had not been taxed within so many days of me purchasing, although some DVLA staff may not know the rules and merely repeat what can be see on their screen.
I did one a few weeks ago. All done online, process was as follows:
Using HMRC online system, took my personal reg off current car, approximately one week before I picked up new car. Given retention number online, retention certificate in post 2 days later and new V5 for my current car within about 5 days showing the original reg it had when I bought it (before transferring my personal reg onto it). Told insurer about the change of reg the day I changed the plates.
Went to dealer, handed over my old car with V5 showing original number and the corresponding plates on the car.
Drove home the new car with its normal reg.
Waited approx. 5 days for the V5 for the new car to arrive. Then transferred my personal reg to it online, instantly using the previously given retention certificate number. Fitted personal reg plates to new car, notified insurance company that day and then within about a week a new V5 arrived showing my personal reg against the new car.
In the past, I have had the dealer sort out all the paperwork but this time it wasn’t a local dealer I was using, so did it myself.
Suppose it’s a little easier for us as we’re taking plate off but not putting on to new for a couple of weeks. So fingers crossed the transfer back to original number will work ok in the dealers.
I think this is right
QUOTE=jaytip;4998392]When it’s done online now it’s instant. So you can drive your car to the dealers, and drive your new one home with the private plate on it.[/QUOTE]
You can "test" the transfer. Continue online until the payment page then just stop and close the page. If it cannot be done online you will not get to the said payment page. Done it many many times..
I already had the certificate, therefore it was prepaid. This was the first time it had ever gone wrong, but when it does don’t expect any help from the DVLA
Round about summer 2003 I sold my car, with my personal plate attached, to a trusted friend. Essentially the plate was included in the sale. When I found my new car, we did the paperwork to take the plate off and put it on my new one. I paid for that. Both of our letters from DVLA telling us to put the new plates on arrived at our respective houses on the same day, however his arrived after he had left for work. At 10am I put my new plates on and drove over to his business (a shop) and parked next to his car. It was a strange situation in which both vehicles, side-by-side, were (presumably legally) displaying the same registration number.
Very true. There complains department is very difficult to contact. Iirc if there is a break in the car tax over the previous few years it cannot be completed online.the last approx 30 I have done only one had to be sorted via the postage route.
This is why I stopped having personal plates on my car. Too much hassle at changeover, plus everyone knows where you are!!!
I've always found it very difficult to understand why anyone would generate all this extra hassle in their lives, all for the sake of having a vanity plate on their car.
Vanity pure vanity and investment potential.
Also it is very little hassle to move plates around.
There's a bunch of what I would call hassle posted above, Mick. "Investment", fair enough I suppose, but there must be better monetary investments out there, even vintage Rolex (this is a joke btw).
Hassle is easily sorted with a quick phone call to the right person. Having said that, I have had both of my plates for over 30 years and have found transferring them a piece of cake.
As regards to investment, the values rise up sharply and then go down again, you have to buy and sell at the right time, but I will keep both of mine, so the value is irrelevant.
All was good at the dealers today. All done online with no issue and just have to send the new log book to dealer once received next week.
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