Buying car with personal plate which needs removing

[rob0904]

Hi, I'm looking at buying an A6 but it still has the person plate on it.

I've never looked into private plates before so no idea on removing them.

Is it as easy as going online telling the DVLA so they can issue a new plate, print or show certificate to get new plates made. Then slap them on the car insure and tax to new plates, drive off and wait for new v5 to arrive.

Is that wish full thinking? Or do you have to wait for the amended 5v to arrive before it's that simple.

Only asking I don't want to get it wrong and end up getting into a mess with dlva/insurance and so on.

Rob

 

[RAF_S7]

You can find everything on here.

You can do everything online. I’m surprised that the owner didn’t retain it, as it may be worth something to someone

 

[rob0904]

Hi, they are going to but I wanted to know where I stand if they haven't taken it off yet.

 

[Terminator x]

If you buy the car you buy the plate; happened to a mate of mine sold his car with private plate, the new owner promised to return it and never did. Last we heard it got removed and sold by the new owner!

TX.

Edit - I have a few private plates and just arrange to get them removed as the car goes up for sale. Doesn't take long for new one to arrive.

 

[rob0904]

The gov site says straight away the new plate assigned but doesn't say if u can drive off with with the new plates on. Is the insurance/tax system updated that fast?

 

[rob0904]

If I turn up and want to buy the car but the seller hasn't taken the plate off the car to save on admin fee at a guess.

If the seller goes online takes the plate off and gets the number plate made up while I'm there, will I be able to insure and tax it to drive it home?

Or will it not show up on the insurance database? I sent want to travel twice if I want the car.

 

[WesT-gefül]

If you buy the car you buy the plate; happened to a mate of mine sold his car with private plate, the new owner promised to return it and never did. Last we heard it got removed and sold by the new owner!

TX.

Edit - I have a few private plates and just arrange to get them removed as the car goes up for sale. Doesn't take long for new one to arrive.

It’s instant now if done online. Retention fee. Just did mine a while back it’s great. Put the original reg of the car back on. Luckily I kept the plates.

 

[WesT-gefül]

If I turn up and want to buy the car but the seller hasn't taken the plate off the car to save on admin fee at a guess.

If the seller goes online takes the plate off and gets the number plate made up while I'm there, will I be able to insure and tax it to drive it home?

Or will it not show up on the insurance database? I sent want to travel twice if I want the car.

Tell him to take it off online. It’s instant. He slaps the original reg back on. If he hasn’t done it in a while it’s all much faster now. As long as the car is Mot’ed when he takes it off.

Once he has done that you can tax the car first and drive off. Tell him to give you the old plates or make them up at his cost. It’s all updated on the system and insurers have access to it. Ask the seller to print or email you the confirmation.

 

[rob0904]

That's what I wanted hear..... turn up, let him sort it online, get some plates made up, while I sort tax/insurance.

Good idea on getting the a copy of the transfer email.

Do I just fill in the normal v5 even tho the plates have changed?

 

[SootySport]

The onus is on the seller to transfer reg number to his new car and replace the the original number on the car he is selling. You can't tax and insure your new car until this done and will probably have to go to the Post Office to do this.
Only know this because I helped a friend buy a car which had a personal plate.

 

[Genius]

The onus is on the seller to transfer reg number to his new car and replace the the original number on the car he is selling. You can't tax and insure your new car until this done and will probably have to go to the Post Office to do this.
Only know this because I helped a friend buy a car which had a personal plate.

As soon as you buy a car you can tax and insure it, nothing to do with the seller no idea why you think you have to go to0 the post office it can all be done online. If the seller hasn't removed the plate you on sale you just tax and insure it under the plate that is on it at the time of sale.

So a few things to note, you can tax a car online if you have just bought it you only need the green slip (new keeper supplement) from the logbook.

You can also now sell a car online so don't have to send the form to DVLA anymore just use the document number off of the V5 to contact the DVLA

No need to go to the post office you can remove the number plate instantly online too.

The only issue with all of this is that once you remove the old number plate is the old logbook becomes invalid as it has the wrong reg on so you cannot receive the green slip to tax the car and the seller cannot use it to notify the DVLA of the change of owner.

I did a removal of number plate and it took 4 days from applying online to the new logbook arriving and allowing me to sell my old car (which I did using the online notification system)

 

[SootySport]

We tried using the doc ref number on the DVLA site but it didn’t recognise it, was referred to the P.O. but they couldn’t tax it either. The car seller had to advise them that he had transferred his private plate to another car before we could tax it. If the seller doesn’t advise the DVLA you can’t do Jack ****.
I assume the reg transfer on your new car had already been started by the seller, therefore progress on line was more fluid.

 

[Genius]

A

We tried using the doc ref number on the DVLA site but it didn’t recognise it, was referred to the P.O. but they couldn’t tax it either. The car seller had to advise them that he had transferred his private plate to another car before we could tax it. If the seller doesn’t advise the DVLA you can’t do Jack ****.
I assume the reg transfer on your new car had already been started by the seller, therefore progress on line was more fluid.

Ahhh I think I understand now and actually it sounds like this opposite way round. If you read my post:

"The only issue with all of this is that once you remove the old number plate is the old logbook becomes invalid as it has the wrong reg on so you cannot receive the green slip to tax the car and the seller cannot use it to notify the DVLA of the change of owner."

The seller of your friends car should have destroyed that v5 as soon as he transferred the plate off yet instead he was a very very naughty boy and used that invalid (and technically now fake/illegal) document to sell the car to your friend.

Hence your friends issues with taxing the vehicle.

Not sure if your seller did it on purpose or just didn't understand that the process is now instant but either way it does explain it pretty damn clearly when you take the plate off online and what he did to your friend was most definitely illegal!

Hope that makes sense now and clears up the issue you had.

RE: my experience I was the seller, as I stated I couldn't complete the sale until my new v5 arrived with the new details on after I removed my private plate.

 

[SootySport]

Took two weeks before he could drive the car. The seller was a a car dealer but selling his own car with a private plate, he should know better. My friend ended up with the 1 years car tax being paid for and next mot paid for as recompense, annoying but sorted out in the end.

 

[Genius]

Definitely should know better as a dealer! But at least he paid for the tax and MOT as compensation.

The moral of this story has to be if you are buying (or selling) a car with a private plate make sure the plate is removed and the new logbook in hand before going to view/collect the car unless you are buying it with the plate still on