Buying a private reg: not from DVLA

[mickl]

not sure if this is the right forum but anyhow.

I'm planning to buy a private reg of someone privately. He say's he has the reg on a retention certificate.

What do I need to check before I hand the money over to them that it's all kosher?

Any advice much appreciated

ta

 

[BaldGuy]

As long as its on a retention certificate, its all ok, make sure its a genuine certificate with all of the DVLA stamps. Once a plate is on a retention cert you can leave it on a cert for 2 years, then it is £25 for a renewal for another 2 years if you have no car to put it on....

All you will need for transfer is his signature (very important) on the cert to say that its been handed over to you as the new owner, you'll see the section on the form.... Without his sig you will not be able to assign it to your motor...

Most cherished transfers can be done the same day at your local DVLA office, mine is in Reading Berks and I have turned mine around always within the day when I've changed my cars...


HTH

 

[High-Lo]

Once a plate is on a retention cert you can leave it on a cert for 2 years, then it is £25 for a renewal for another 2 years if you have no car to put it on....

Hi Wheelie - I have always paid £25 per year for renewal of a Retention Certificate from the DVLA. I still have two plates unassigned that I have owned for a few years and I get a renewal letter for both once a year. Am I being ripped off by the guys at DVLA?

Cheers,
Steve

 

[mickl]

As long as its on a retention certificate, its all ok, make sure its a genuine certificate with all of the DVLA stamps. Once a plate is on a retention cert you can leave it on a cert for 2 years, then it is £25 for a renewal for another 2 years if you have no car to put it on....

All you will need for transfer is his signature (very important) on the cert to say that its been handed over to you as the new owner, you'll see the section on the form.... Without his sig you will not be able to assign it to your motor...

Most cherished transfers can be done the same day at your local DVLA office, mine is in Reading Berks and I have turned mine around always within the day when I've changed my cars...


HTH

Thanks wheelie for the info, that's great. So as long as he signs over the retention cert then I can give him the money? I've no need to wait around for anything else, I can just toddle along to the local DVLA office?

Does the retention cert have a form no ie. like V5 for the log book and is it simply titled a retention certificate?

He also says there's a £25 charge to change nominee. Is this a standard charge and does it have to be paid?

you can see I've put a lot of thought into this! lol

cheers

 

[Benzowner]

The other thing to look out for, which you have probably thought of, is that the registration number cannot make the car look newer than it is. IMO a big joke. You can discuise the age, but not make it newer

 

[Mozzer]

You need the V750/1 which proves you own the number - so this is the doc you need to see from the current owner and need to transfer the ownership of.

You need a V317 which states you want to change that number to an existing car with an existing number (as stated before you can't make the car "younger").

And you want the V100 which explains all of the processes - this is the doc that will tell you what you need to do if you buy a numbmer from anyone not the DVLA. I think you can get this one from any major PO.

Moving a number from one car to another costs £80.

Good Luck

M

 

[R2D2]

Our nearest DVLA office is Madstone and you need to have hours of free time to go there as the queues are massive! I've bought two numbers and transferred one number but all transactions were done via the DVLA not third parties.

 

[mickl]

just phoned the DVLA and it seems I don't actually buy the plate off the seller, as nominee, I am only granted the use of the registration. If I wanted to put the plate on another car or sell the car with the plate on I'd need the original seller/owners permission to do so, even if it's 20years down the line or else the plate is lost!!

Is this the same with all types of registration? I know the govt is the ultimate owner of the plate but I always thought if you buy a registration off anyone then it 'belonged' to you to do with as you wish? It seems an incredibly bizarre system. or have I just been told a load of bull droppings?

 

[BaldGuy]

I bought my plate from a friend about 8 years ago, it was his dads plate, Now when I got it, it was on a retention cert and I didnt get his dad to sign it, I was unaware that I needed to do this, so I took an hours walk around the local town and went back, obviously I had been back to him to get it signed if you know what I mean
Anyway once all signed it was transfered to my car, now I dont remember having to pay £25 for change of owner but things may have changed by now, however as I change my cars quite frequently I do as many people do and pay the £80 transfer fee....
I have never to this date been asked about the previous owner... This plate is mine and all mine, the old owner has no rights to it whatsoever...

As for the £25 per year to keep it on a retention cert High-Lo.. things may have changed as it used to be every 2 years to renew this....


I hope this helps you all...

 

[SimonsMerc]

As for the £25 per year to keep it on a retention cert High-Lo.. things may have changed as it used to be every 2 years to renew this....

It is now once a year - and on the "new style" retention certificates (form number V317 IIRC) it actually says "you must assign this number to a car by [Date]" which is a year away from when you paid for it to be retained ;-)

-simon

 

[marc777]

I have just bought a private plate from someone and its on a retention certificate - this is the process:-

First, they need to put your details on the form as NOMINEE. They then send the certificate to DVLA, with £25, who then process it and send it back to him. I am told that this is within 8 weeks.

Only then, with you as nominee on the certificate, can the seller sign the certificate and hand it to you.

You then trundle along to local DVLA and get it onto your car.

Hope that helps.

Marc

 

[Dieselman]

So do you then own the plate or are you still the nominee?

 

[High-Lo]

I have transferred various car plates over ten times in my time. My understanding is that you don't own the plate as a nominee until you get it transferred to your vehicle. The grantee is the one who owns it and the nominee has no rights at all until the form has been signed and your name is on the V5.

The seller will have either a V778 or V750 certificate holding the cherished number and will have to pay £25 to get the nominee details changed to your name. When DVLA send the revised certificate back to the seller with your name as the nominee you will not actually own the number until it goes onto your car. When you then take a trip down to your local DVLA office with the retention form, your current V5, insurance, and MOT certificate (if applicable), they will change it while-u-wait over the counter - it takes about 5-10 minutes. Make a note of the expiry date of you current tax disc as they will also print out a replacement. They will give you an authority letter to go to a Halfords, etc. to get the new plates made up. They will also give you a form and envelope to send your old tax disc back to them when the transfer is complete and the new number is on your car.

About two to three weeks later, you will receive your new V5 with your new registration number shown at the top. This is effectively when you will 'own' the plate. If you ever wish to put it back on retention yourself then you will be the grantee as well as the nominee. The retention process actually costs £105. £80 is the transfer fee and the other £25 is the admin charge.

So to summarise the costs:
Transfer fee £80
Admin fee £25 (for transfer)
Changing nominee details £25
Renewing the certificate upon expiry £25 (every 12 months)

 

[mjrennie]

the entire plates thing with the dvla is, imo, a farce. i have transeferred many times and it has never, ever, ever been smooth. i alos pay 105 notes for each subsequent farce. i hate them.

 

[Brian WH]

My private plate has been on three new cars now.

It was bought when I ordered a new car in 1997 and the Dealer ordered and processed it, and the Dealer has had the aggro of transferring it to my new cars every time. I just pay and sign the relevant paperwork.

 

[Benzowner]

Who gets the plate if your car is written off? If you have additional accessories on your car, you are supposed to declare them to your insurance company, alloy wheels etc etc. But what happens to the plate. If your plate is worth thousands and the car is written off , who gets it you or the insurance company

 

[Dieselman]

Who gets the plate if your car is written off? If you have additional accessories on your car, you are supposed to declare them to your insurance company, alloy wheels etc etc. But what happens to the plate. If your plate is worth thousands and the car is written off , who gets it you or the insurance company

You own the plate, it's not classed as an accessory on the car and it hasn't dissapeared if the car is a write off, it will go onto retention.
Reg numbers are not used for write offs, the VIN number is used.

 

[marc777]

I had my car stolen, complete with plate (obviously). The car was never recovered, and so I had to wait 12 months before I was allowed to resume use of the plate.

By the way,, Brian, like you, I have transferred my plate from car to car a number of times, and rarely has it been a problem. This is the first time however that I have acquired a plate by way of a Retention certificate, and it is messy. No ownership until your name is on the V5, and the seller/grantee can change their mind atr any time. Irksome if they have your money. There is alsot of trust required when buying from a private seller as you cannot simply walk off with a certificate in your hand.


Marc