Taxing a Car Without Insurance

[Spinal]

A quickie - usually, when I buy a car I bring along the 7-day free insurance cover and tax it at a post office there and then.

Sadly, aviva don't do their free 7-day insurance for cars over 10-years anymore... m That said, Primo are really nice, and they've already insured my new car... so no need for temporary insurance.

Problem is, while they've been very nice and emailed me a copy of the insurance certificate, it is a b/w scan of the certificate, and reasonably low quality. In effect, it looks like a poor photocopy when printed out.

According to this site Insurance and MOT needed to tax your vehicle : Directgov - Motoring I can't use photocopies.

the following documents aren't acceptable:
[...]
photocopies

So what do I do? Drive it home without tax, and tax it a few days later when the original arrives or tax it online, and get the tax disk sent to the seller?

The seller doesn't have insurance on the car, it's moved to their new E-class... so they can't tax it for me.

Ideas?

M.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

When was the car last taxed?

 

[harrim00]

If you have the renewal, you can tax it on line as you have insurance. You don't need to wait for the document.

 

[The _Don]

Try to do it online the dvla site checks all you need is in place and will not let you proceed if it is not.

 

[Stratman]

Ask them to email you a pdf of the certificate, then print it out yourself preferably on a laser printer.

 

[Deleted member 55947]

If you have the renewal, you can tax it on line as you have insurance. You don't need to wait for the document.

As long as the insurance company have registered it with the DVLA

 

[Spinal]

If I tax it online, the tax disk will go to the seller. Which means I will need to either trust them to mail it to me, or go and collect it (1.5hr drive each way) when it arrives... neither of which I want to do.

Not sure when the car was last taxed, but I presume 4 months ago based on the HPI check (they transferred their personal plate off 4 months ago)

Primo have emailed me a pdf of the certificate, but it's a SCAN of the certificate in b/w; so it in effect looks like a photocopy.
M.

 

[SHAUNE55]

You can't usually tax it online straight away due to the delay in it going on the insurance database, you could ring your insurer to ask them to get it on so you can tax it but as you said the disc will go to the person you bought it off.
At least it will be taxed, but the post office should accept a printout from an email.
Can you not get someone with a better printer to print it for you?

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Can't you just wait until the proper certificate of insurance comes through and then do it?

 

[Spinal]

Can't you just wait until the proper certificate of insurance comes through and then do it?

Unfortunately, I'm collecting the car the day after tomorrow as I'm in a bit of a rush (tired of the probe... too thirsty! and I need to drive to Bristol for a stag do, and then all next week for work... the C180 will repay for itself in a week based purely on fuel)

Primo have been good in the past in that certs arrived within 2-3 days; but I doubt it will arrive tomorrow. Plan is to take a train to work, and get a colleague to bring me to the seller (which is near work).

I may just attempt it with the scan I have; though I doubt it will be sucessful. If not, I may drive back to work (10 miles) and park the car there (private car park) for a few days until I can tax it at a post office. Probably not legal, but better than driving for 1.5 hours in an untaxed car...

M.

 

[d w124]

Have you got the new keepers bit?

 

[Ted]

If you've HPI'd it you get 7 days free insurance.
Does that work?

 

[Spinal]

Have you got the new keepers bit?

I will do...

If you've HPI'd it you get 7 days free insurance.
Does that work?

Nope - hpi use aviva's free 7-day policy, which only applies to cars under 10 years of age. (you can get this without the hpi bit too - it's in the favorites section: Driveaway Car Insurance | Free 7 Days | Quick Cover Note | Aviva and it free for 7 days)

The car is a W202 C180 - planning on using it to cut the costs of driving to work and maybe for another rally.... (either another sahara, or a eurotrip... or maybe both... we'll see...)

M.

 

[Buster'stheboy]

Ask them to email you a pdf of the certificate, then print it out yourself preferably on a laser printer.

This is a good idea. You could put it on a memory stick and get it printed at your local library.

 

[Spinal]

That's not the point - the printers I can use are (much) better quality than the local library has... I can print it on an inkjet (5760 optimised dpi); laser (several of these... don't even know the resolution), plotter (no idea of resolution, but up to A0), and I'm sure we have an old wax thing for printing training booklets somewhere...

The point it, the pdf I received is a poor scan - the issue isn't my printer, but the scan looking like a photocopy.

M.

 

[SHAUNE55]

Me I would ring the insurance company and tell them to either put you on the database now OR email you a copy of the policy that is good enough quality to print out and use at the post office.

 

[markjay]

Been there...

What *some* people might do, is take a risk and drive the car home without tax disc, then park if off public road until the paperwork is sorted.

Some years ago, if you were stopped and showed the policeman that you just purchased the car and are on your way to sort out the tax disc, you would have been let off - not sure if this is still the case.

But my understanding is that cars are now sold taxed - the seller can not redeem the tax disc anymore - which might imply that there are no more concessions for drivers who just bought the car...

 

[SHAUNE55]

Been there...

What *some* people might do, is take a risk and drive the car home without tax disc, then park if off public road until the paperwork is sorted.

Some years ago, if you were stopped and showed the policeman that you just purchased the car and are on your way to sort out the tax disc, you would have been let off - not sure if this is still the case.

But my understanding is that cars are now sold taxed - the seller can not redeem the tax disc anymore - which might imply that there are no more concessions for drivers who just bought the car...

That would have and still would depend on the individual cop that pulled you, but these days all sorts of cameras clock you so you could get a fine weeks later.
This is why when I sell a car I not only date the receipt but I put the time on also, and when I buy.
Also if you get stopped on the way home from a purchase for no tax disc they might not believe you have insurance and if they can't get hold of the company will tow the car.
If a seller wants to surrender his disc before he sells the car he can do although it's easier to sell a car with tax.

 

[Spinal]

Been there...

What *some* people might do, is take a risk and drive the car home without tax disc, then park if off public road until the paperwork is sorted.

Some years ago, if you were stopped and showed the policeman that you just purchased the car and are on your way to sort out the tax disc, you would have been let off - not sure if this is still the case.

But my understanding is that cars are now sold taxed - the seller can not redeem the tax disc anymore - which might imply that there are no more concessions for drivers who just bought the car...

Really? Why can a seller not redeem tax? (as someone that redeems tax after every summer on the 4x4, I'm annoyed )

I'm thinking I will just drive to work - it's 10 miles away, off-the road and on private land, and I can then sort out the documents...

Only issue is, the office is LITERALLY behind a police station . To get here, I drive in front of the station, and turn into the parking lot just after it... may be tempting fate here!

I'll definetely carry a printout of my scanned certificate, as well as the original policy for the other cars (it's primo, so they're all under the same policy! Really love primo, but they need better scanners )

M.

I'll still try the post office - maybe bringing my laptop and showing them the "original" pdf... wish me luck! (and remember, don't send me oranges when I'm in jail! I prefer cakes, it's easier to hide a file inside )

 

[Dieselman]

Been there...

What *some* people might do, is take a risk and drive the car home without tax disc, then park if off public road until the paperwork is sorted.

Some years ago, if you were stopped and showed the policeman that you just purchased the car and are on your way to sort out the tax disc, you would have been let off - not sure if this is still the case.

I would just drive it home then tax it when possible.
the police aren't interested in tax, they just report you to DVLA.

I bought a car that had been off the road six years, it had a new MOT, I insured it then drove 200miles home and taxed it a few weeks later.

Never heard anything from DVLA.