Buying a plate

R

ronk

Lifer
 Durham
I went thro the process of selecting a plate from a "reputable" or so I thought, dealer.

They advertised it and even showed the retention certificate. I went thro the credit card purchase and even phoned to check with them by telephone.
"Yes its being processed" I was told but as I had not got any reply via e-mail I conntacted them the following day - The plate was not available!

What a hic outfit - now the search is on again, this time with the DVLA!

Rant over :x
 
No, they only took a £1 "tester" as the credit card company called it. Even that has been refunded so nothing lost.

The main gripe is the fact that they advertised something that they did not have for sale.
You know what its like trying to decide on "the" plate and just when you think that you've found it and the company says that you've got it, to be told that they didn't have the registration to sell in the first place, makes me very annoyed!

Oh and not a word like sorry!

Never mind, its not the end of the world or life threatning eh?
 
Hi just getting a plate all going ok everything now with DVLA expecting it done by 11/1/11 the companey is http://www.regtransfers.co.uk have a look the do all the transfer etc for you. :thumbsup:
 
I'm still looking for "the" new plate!

I have a D5 and an E5 and was going for the F5 all with the same three letters, so the "fleet" would have looked ok. To be fair the F5 plate had been on the DVLA site for some time but piddled about for too long.

Thanks for the web address, I'll have a look at that one.
 
Most of these companies advertise plates they don't have, in fact most of them are still for sale on the DVLA site. They just copy the DVLA lists to their website and charge a premuim over the DVLA price. Trouble is if you express an interest in a particular plate they will buy it immediately from the DVLA, meaning they are then the only place you can get it from......and it will be dearer.

Always check the DVLA first, then check listings on all the private site and you will see the same plate advertised at a mark-up.
 
I got burnt by one of those 'registration transfer' companies a good few years ago.

I thought I'd found a bargain on the DVLA site for the forthcoming 'V' registration (1999/2000 IIRC). The plate was still available on the DVLA website, however as I'd never bought a private plate I naively thought I had to buy the plate through one of these 3rd parties, and asked this company to buy it for me and paid for the plate up front.

Was about a week later when the plate became available, and I got a call from them stating that the reg had been pulled by the DVLA and was going to one of their auctions. Oh well I thought, nothing I can do about that, and I got my money refunded.

For weeks I checked the DVLA website looking for the auction date that this plate would be sold - purely for info, as I assumed it'd go for a lot more than I was willing to pay. Anyway, after about 3 months I called DVLA to check, and they said it had been sold immediately on the day of issue to a 'registration transfer' company.

Sure enough, when I checked the company I'd asked to buy it for on my behalf, they had it for sale for 10 times what I had agreed to buy it from DVLA for.

NEVER will I use one of these companies again - even if I win the lottery and they have a legal number plate with RT SUCKS ARSE on it.
 
would it not be easy to get your own back and show interest on loads of garbage plates, if they buy them all they will soon be out of pocket
 
Taz x said:
would it not be easy to get your own back and show interest on loads of garbage plates, if they buy them all they will soon be out of pocket
Click to expand...
I did spend a while making up plates that they didn't have and asking them to 'find' it for me for a nice 'finder's fee', but unless it's a plate that will make them a quick profit I don't think it works.

My guess is that they don't own the majority of plates they advertise, they just act as a shop window for private sales. Just like a sale or return system when you use a local dealer to sell your car for you.

They simply give people wishing to sell a plate a decent valuation, and then anything they can get above that valuation is their profit/margin/commission.

BTW, the reg I had by eye on was V33 DUB, which at the time was appropriate as I had been driving one VW or another for 6 years or so and the new Beetle was coming out, so thought this would be a good investment. Unfortunately for me someone else decided to take the profit for themselves.
 
I have used the DVLA direct twice and found them to be excellent and to complete the change yourself is dead easy .... especially if a DVLA office is close-by ..... when i got the form through went into to see them all documentation changed straight away new MOT certificate printed.... honestly one of the best experiences I've had of a dealing with a government agency.
 
No they are a bunch of fecking shysters the lot of them. I once bought a plate for a car I was buying that fell through, so couldn't guarantee being able to use it...cancelled order within four hours (ordered at about 7pm and cancelled by 11pm)...the bastards didn't respond and when I phoned they claimed to have had 'email problems'...they had debited my card the next day and bought the plate from the DVLA then claimed DSRs didn't apply. Barclayfeckingcard agreed and although I am certain I could have turned them over in court I just lost the will to live.

But I did buy one more plate later (elsewhere) when I paid £99 for D10RNE. Some of you will no doubt do your usual "oh how sad its got a 1 in it why bother?" routine, but not interested LOL.. :rofl:

But the sucking of teeth when I asked them to assign the plate to my wife Dorne was a joy to hear LMAO!

I'd go with DVLA direct every time now frankly.
 
Regtransfers are still advertising a plate I sold 4 years ago. It was on an M3 when I bought it, I contacted them for a price and they 'added it to their database'. I sold it privately through the M3 forum and its been on somebodies car for years now...but they still have it listed as for sale.

If the plate you want is new and has not a genuine transfer but a from scratch purchase, i would avoid transfer agents like the plague, just go to the DVLA site and buy direct
 
i have bought 5 plates over the years, all from dvla, would never buy from anywhere else


edit: 6 plates
 
I bought my D5 and E5 from the DVLA and only wish I'd done the same with the F5 plate wen I had the chance. I should not have dithered about! :(

I should say that the transaction with the DVLA was first class and went without a hitch - I was in and out of the local place with tax disc, Mot Cert whithin 30 mins :thumbsup:

Nowits a search for a plate again - I'm starting to think it will have to be E6 in the series as C5 and F5 have gone.
 
Having bought over 20 plates for friends and family over the years. I would say the DVLA is the place to buy them from. BUT and a big but some of the best plates are already out there with company's just be careful when you deal with them, not all are rip off's. If you go to the DVLA site and register they will send you the next dates and location for there auction it is worth going to as all plates held back are normally released through their auction eventually.
 
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