Help Fight DVLA Money Spinning and Red Tape
Discussion
Hi All,
I don’t know if this is the right section to post this in but I wanted to get maximum coverage to see what the general consensus might be on the following rant and a possible e-petition to do something about this situation.
I’m so annoyed with DVLA right now. I have a personal number plate that was purchased as a gift for me by my dear wife who has since passed away. After she purchased it I transferred it to an MY96 car on which it has remained. The “toy” that the number plate was assigned to has not been a priority for the last few years and therefore has been off the road. Yesterday I decided it was time to get the plate transferred to another vehicle I own so I contacted DVLA who promptly informed me I would have to tax the vehicle currently displaying the number. I explained that this was not economically viable as the vehicle needs far too much work to get through an MOT and such an investment adds little to no resale value if I were to do it, I explained how the plate has very little monetary value but has huge huge sentimental value and the reasons why but they absolutely refused to budge.
The little hope I do have is that the DVLA clerk told me I could apply for the registration transfer with a covering letter but that it was highly unlikely that it would change anything and that the transfer would still most likely be declined. I then asked about worst case scenario, that being to scrap the vehicle and re-purchase the plate but the clerk informed me this was impossible because DVLA are not allowed to sell a number that has already been issued due to legislation.
Obviously I will have to throw away a huge chunk of money and get the vehicle MOT ready but it grinds with me so much that the consumer seems to have no rights to something they paid for and continue to pay for whenever they transfer it from vehicle to vehicle (if they are allowed to). I appreciate that we do not purchase the number but instead the right to display that number but it seems this is not really the case either.
Showing no compassion and refusing to give any justification as to why the currently displaying vehicle must be licensed has really wound me up, regardless of the cost of me getting my MOT I will do this but feel driven to try and change the current situation. I find it absolutely ludicrous that the consumer ultimately has no rights to something that in a lot of cases they have paid *huge* sums of money to DVLA for. I paid for the right to display it, its displayed on a vehicle that albeit isn't on the public highway but it legally declared off the road, I should have the rights to transfer that number to a vehicle that is taxed and tested.
Anyway, I was considering an e-petition if there are enough people here who agree with me. Regardless of how you feel about private plates it’s the principal of the matter. If you purchased a £2000 television but Sony told you that you couldn’t move it to your new house because you hadn’t switched it on for 2 years.... how would you feel?
If anyone has any other avenues to suggest I am happy to listen, is it worth writing my local MP perhaps?
I don’t know if this is the right section to post this in but I wanted to get maximum coverage to see what the general consensus might be on the following rant and a possible e-petition to do something about this situation.
I’m so annoyed with DVLA right now. I have a personal number plate that was purchased as a gift for me by my dear wife who has since passed away. After she purchased it I transferred it to an MY96 car on which it has remained. The “toy” that the number plate was assigned to has not been a priority for the last few years and therefore has been off the road. Yesterday I decided it was time to get the plate transferred to another vehicle I own so I contacted DVLA who promptly informed me I would have to tax the vehicle currently displaying the number. I explained that this was not economically viable as the vehicle needs far too much work to get through an MOT and such an investment adds little to no resale value if I were to do it, I explained how the plate has very little monetary value but has huge huge sentimental value and the reasons why but they absolutely refused to budge.
The little hope I do have is that the DVLA clerk told me I could apply for the registration transfer with a covering letter but that it was highly unlikely that it would change anything and that the transfer would still most likely be declined. I then asked about worst case scenario, that being to scrap the vehicle and re-purchase the plate but the clerk informed me this was impossible because DVLA are not allowed to sell a number that has already been issued due to legislation.
Obviously I will have to throw away a huge chunk of money and get the vehicle MOT ready but it grinds with me so much that the consumer seems to have no rights to something they paid for and continue to pay for whenever they transfer it from vehicle to vehicle (if they are allowed to). I appreciate that we do not purchase the number but instead the right to display that number but it seems this is not really the case either.
Showing no compassion and refusing to give any justification as to why the currently displaying vehicle must be licensed has really wound me up, regardless of the cost of me getting my MOT I will do this but feel driven to try and change the current situation. I find it absolutely ludicrous that the consumer ultimately has no rights to something that in a lot of cases they have paid *huge* sums of money to DVLA for. I paid for the right to display it, its displayed on a vehicle that albeit isn't on the public highway but it legally declared off the road, I should have the rights to transfer that number to a vehicle that is taxed and tested.
Anyway, I was considering an e-petition if there are enough people here who agree with me. Regardless of how you feel about private plates it’s the principal of the matter. If you purchased a £2000 television but Sony told you that you couldn’t move it to your new house because you hadn’t switched it on for 2 years.... how would you feel?
If anyone has any other avenues to suggest I am happy to listen, is it worth writing my local MP perhaps?
Fatboy said:
I'd just find a friendly MoT garage to do you one unoffically tbh...
Indeed, find a nice garage and even offer to leave it with them if they insist, also that they can have the scrap value of the vehicle for their help.Maybe not completely legal, but an alternative to getting a vehicle MOT ready for it to be sold/scrapped at a loss.
Might be of interest http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php...
Frazzly said:
Whilst its a complete pain in the backside what about getting the car a legit MOT, transferring the plate then selling the car? Surely you cant be too far out money wise this way?
Yeah and I will do this if I absolutely have to but in reality the car is worth about 700 quid, im looking at at least two thirds of that and quite possibly even more than the car is even worth to get it through test therefore its money down the drain. I'd be cheaper to surrender the plate and buy it back but I cant do that either 
Obviously due to the sentimental value its never worth not doing it but the whole principle of it winds me up. I think its very wrong that my wife paid for the right for me to display the number plate and without the tax and test I cannot transfer it. It don't see how it makes any odds to DVLA if the old vehicle is licensed or not, it is legally off the road with sorn. I'm clearly the owner of the reg, its been sat on the same car for many years and the car has been registered to me for many years.
Obviously the car the plate is being transferred to should be road legal and I have absolutely no problem with that but its absurd that I cannot move my plate without the old car having tax and test. Its just red tape, I see absolutely no justified reason for this stupid rule other than to generate more income for the department of transport... Like I don't get shafted enough for running my cars.
I also have someone who might be interested in purchasing it for said price as the car stands so where does DVLA leave me with that, I cant sell it because I cannot take the chance of either the new owner never putting/getting it through mot or getting a valid mot and running off with my plate.
It's a case of having rights as a consumer, who else can get away with "kind of" selling you something? I could go down the other MOT route but that requires someone putting their MOT station at risk, for such a stupid rule.
Fatboy said:
I'd just find a friendly MoT garage to do you one unoffically tbh...
Yeah unfortunately friendly garages are difficult to come buy and ultimately it defeats the purpose. I wanted to know, if, with enough people behind me I couldn't do something to get this stupid condition removed, DVLA were unable to justify why they require this which is so frustrating. "Just because we say so" basically. Technically I do not see any legitimate reason for them requesting that the old vehicle has been licensed within the last 12 months.tezza77 said:
...it's absurd that I cannot move my plate without the old car having tax and test. Its just red tape, I see absolutely no justified reason for this stupid rule other than to generate more income for the department of transport...
I think it's a hangover from the days when number plate dealers used to transfer plates to old mopeds in order to keep them until sale. Back then the DVLA seemed to view this as cheating and the rules became more restrictive. IIRC, for a while, it was illegal to transfer a number from a four-wheeled vehicle to a two-wheeled vehicle. As you say, it's difficult to see why it would be a problem to transfer a number between vehicles that were not taxed and tested, but logic has never had a hallowed place in the workings of the DVLA.
Edited by gareth_r on Friday 22 February 02:42
All very sad!
I purchased a reg number off another owner for xxxx amount of money. It took a bit to get the errr...ownership of the plate transferred to me, but I have had it on retention for about 6 years. The plate was put on one of my cars for a while till I sold it, and it went back on retention. This year I plan to put it on my Ultima once it passes it's IVA xxx fingers!
Hindsight is all well and good, but it seems the DVLA's rules are obscure and hard to anticipate, so it looks like if the OP had put the plates on retention prior to putting the Toy off the road there would not have been a problem....
...I think the DVLA are wrong on this, but I feel sorry for the OP!
I purchased a reg number off another owner for xxxx amount of money. It took a bit to get the errr...ownership of the plate transferred to me, but I have had it on retention for about 6 years. The plate was put on one of my cars for a while till I sold it, and it went back on retention. This year I plan to put it on my Ultima once it passes it's IVA xxx fingers!
Hindsight is all well and good, but it seems the DVLA's rules are obscure and hard to anticipate, so it looks like if the OP had put the plates on retention prior to putting the Toy off the road there would not have been a problem....
...I think the DVLA are wrong on this, but I feel sorry for the OP!
evoivboy said:
i did it but it was only 3 months after the mot expired
Yeah, they dont state the the car must have MOT, they state that the plate can only be transferred within 12 months of the tax expiring. Then of course you need both.Breadvan72 said:
OP, I am sorry for your loss of your wife, but, stepping back, is a number late really worth getting bothered about? Dealing with ay rigid bureaucracy is likely to be annoying.
Thanks but I will get the plate back, ultimately at whatever the cost may be. It may not seem that important to someone on the outside but it is hugely important to me elanfan said:
Suggest you get an appointment at your MP's local surgery and discuss. Hopefully they will agree with you and perhaps issue a letter of support to DVLA and eventually get the rules/law changed too!
First things first im going to get all of my paperwork together and try my luck in my local DVLA office but regardless of the outcome I will still speak with my MP and I also have a query in with trading standards about it.mat777 said:
So what happens if the car is scrapped, stolen or otherwise lost? Do they still insist on an MOT before they will transfer it then?
Stolen and not recovered and you lose the plate. It just happened to someone I know. So just imagine if you were the guy who spent £7 million on the number plate "1" and had your car thieved!If you scrap a car with the plate on you are essentially surrendering the plate and since DVLA (apparently) only sell a plate once, its gone for ever.
Not sure how you "otherwise" lose a car!? ;-)
Again they do not insist on an MOT, they insist the vehicle has been taxed in the past 12 months. Past that of course you need the MOT to tax it.
tezza77 said:
Stolen and not recovered and you lose the plate. It just happened to someone I know.
Turns out this isn't true, I've just been speaking to my pal and he's been in contact with a local office manager only to find out he was given the wrong info by DVLA staff, he can get his plate back if his car is not recovered but not for 12 months.tezza77 said:
tezza77 said:
Stolen and not recovered and you lose the plate. It just happened to someone I know.
Turns out this isn't true, I've just been speaking to my pal and he's been in contact with a local office manager only to find out he was given the wrong info by DVLA staff, he can get his plate back if his car is not recovered but not for 12 months.My grandad had accumulated a selection of logbooks over the years for cars that don't really exist any more (beyond chassis and engines at best). They were all pre age registered number plates, so they all have relatively valuable numbers, to put it mildly. Quite a few of them were ones he picked out himself, back in the days where you pretty much just made up your own registration number! The reason the MOT is required is to stop people selling a bit of paper that just represents a valuable cherished reg with no physical vehicle.
You don't really have much to complain about, rules is rules, this is how the system works, and it's always been this way (for a very long time at least). It's a bit like complaining about getting a speeding ticket because you didn't know the limit.
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