Imported car - DVLA wants to inspect
Discussion
I got a bmw from germany a few weeks ago - took it down to the DVLA local office to deal with all the registration/importing paperwork.
I've just received a letter from them saying that they want to inspect the car to look at the chassis number.
My problem is - I've done a few miles in the car (possibly illegally, but with full insurance that was aware the car was unregistered anyways) and so the car will show more mileage than I originally put on all the DVLA forms.
Now I am planning to say that it went down, on a trailer, to a private racetrack where it was nailed around for that many miles.
Anyone gone through this DVLA inspecting vehicle process - what can I expect, what's best to say and not to say? Your help would be greatly appreciated!
I've just received a letter from them saying that they want to inspect the car to look at the chassis number.
My problem is - I've done a few miles in the car (possibly illegally, but with full insurance that was aware the car was unregistered anyways) and so the car will show more mileage than I originally put on all the DVLA forms.
Now I am planning to say that it went down, on a trailer, to a private racetrack where it was nailed around for that many miles.
Anyone gone through this DVLA inspecting vehicle process - what can I expect, what's best to say and not to say? Your help would be greatly appreciated!
All they are interested is that the VIN plate is unmolested and the number matches what you put on the registration certificate. I am pretty sure they aren't interested in the mileage, and even if they did write it down they won't be the slightest nit interested in what you've been doing with the car.
A friend took his for inspection last week and the woman didn't know that the VIN on yanks is in the windscreen and insisted it should be in the engine bay - she had to go away and make some calls where presumably she was told to stop being stupid!
Gareth
A friend took his for inspection last week and the woman didn't know that the VIN on yanks is in the windscreen and insisted it should be in the engine bay - she had to go away and make some calls where presumably she was told to stop being stupid!
Gareth
g_attrill said:
A friend took his for inspection last week and the woman didn't know that the VIN on yanks is in the windscreen and insisted it should be in the engine bay -
Most cars now have the VIN visible inside the windscreen, IIRC. Have had for a few years. Dopey cow!!!
>> Edited by havoc on Wednesday 27th July 10:58
Gareth - awesome exactly what I needed to hear!
I was almost certain that was the case, since my letter has huge bold words to the effect of "Make sure the VIN is visible, unobstructed, and you know where it is."
Thank you for confirming it!
Do you know if your friend got his V5 right then and there, or if he still had to wait for it in the post afterwards?
Cheers!
Ivan.
I was almost certain that was the case, since my letter has huge bold words to the effect of "Make sure the VIN is visible, unobstructed, and you know where it is."
Thank you for confirming it!
Do you know if your friend got his V5 right then and there, or if he still had to wait for it in the post afterwards?
Cheers!
Ivan.
havoc said:
Most cars now have the VIN visible inside the windscreen, IIRC. Have had for a few years. Dopey cow!!!
It's slightly more complicated - the letter states that you absolutely have to show them both the one on the plate, and the actual stamped one on the chassis!
I'm guessing that the American car didn't have one stamped on the chassis - instead it's stamped on another plate inside the engine bay, or not even stamped anywhere at all!
Sorry forgot to mention I haven't actually done any of this, it's all purely hypothetical, there's no M5 - it's all in my head! 
Edited to add: Wait a sec - they've just told me to drive the car to them for the inspection - that means they're either telling me to do something illegal, or I haven't actually done anything wrong at all and I'm perfectly allowed to drive the car!
Any ideas?
>> Edited by FQ400 on Wednesday 27th July 12:20
Edited to add: Wait a sec - they've just told me to drive the car to them for the inspection - that means they're either telling me to do something illegal, or I haven't actually done anything wrong at all and I'm perfectly allowed to drive the car!
Any ideas?
>> Edited by FQ400 on Wednesday 27th July 12:20
Hehe chilled - thanks!
If anything at all comes up - I will tell them that I took the scenic route getting to the DVLA Local Office, and that all the miles were done that morning on the journey up there!
Which is something I'm going to do anyway now - in case they don't give me my V5 and I have to wait another week afterwards to drive it around!
If anything at all comes up - I will tell them that I took the scenic route getting to the DVLA Local Office, and that all the miles were done that morning on the journey up there!
Which is something I'm going to do anyway now - in case they don't give me my V5 and I have to wait another week afterwards to drive it around!
Presumably when you went to DVLA office and did the V55/5 and stuff, they gave you a registration number there and then. That's what they've always done when I've registered an import. Get plates made up and bolted on and it's fully legal, the V5 follows in the post a few weeks later. I've done about 6 and been lucky so far, but they ask to check about 1 in 10.
All they want to check is that it is a geniune import and not a ringer you are trying to make legit. The VIN will be on the plate, under the windscreen and stamped in the shell somewhere (usually under the bonnet and often in the boot too). They just want to check that the same number appears everywhere it should and hasn't been tampered with.
Of course, you could be unlucky and find that the VIN was reported stolen in Germany and you've bought a German ringer.........
All they want to check is that it is a geniune import and not a ringer you are trying to make legit. The VIN will be on the plate, under the windscreen and stamped in the shell somewhere (usually under the bonnet and often in the boot too). They just want to check that the same number appears everywhere it should and hasn't been tampered with.
Of course, you could be unlucky and find that the VIN was reported stolen in Germany and you've bought a German ringer.........
gilbertd said:
Presumably ........... Get plates made up and bolted on and it's fully legal, the V5 follows in the post a few weeks later. I've done about 6 and been lucky so far, but they ask to check about 1 in 10. .......
You are supposed to produce the V5 in order to buy plates now.
kenp said:
Presumably ........... Get plates made up and bolted on and it's fully legal, the V5 follows in the post a few weeks later. I've done about 6 and been lucky so far, but they ask to check about 1 in 10. .......
You are supposed to produce the V5 in order to buy plates now.
There's a long list of things you need to produce to get plates and one of them is the temporary slip you get given when DVLA first issue you with the registration number. Got given one a few months ago when we transferred a number plate from one car to another. Went straight out and, armed with slip from DVLA office and passport, got the new plates made up for the old car.
See Q13
www.dvla.gov.uk/faq/faq_register_numberplate.htm
Excellent - that's just made my day!
I've already got the plates that I'm going to put on the car (private reg + I use a company that makes "show plates" and hence doesn't require a V5, but also doesn't stamp the necessary number on the bottom right of the plate, which I think makes them illegal for road use. Haven't had a problem yet though, and it's the only place I've found that still happily does illegal spacings!)
I'm a bit worried about the fact that the DVLA now have all my documentation. In my excited rush and since I wasn't expecting them to take everything away, I didn't take photocopies of any documents - so now I have no proof of purchase and no german reg document!
All I have is a letter from the DVLA saying they'd like to inspect the car! And the insurance cover note!
If I get pulled by the police - they'll check their database and see the reg is on retention, and that the vin has never been registered! Would I not then be royally ****ed?
Thanks for your help!!
I've already got the plates that I'm going to put on the car (private reg + I use a company that makes "show plates" and hence doesn't require a V5, but also doesn't stamp the necessary number on the bottom right of the plate, which I think makes them illegal for road use. Haven't had a problem yet though, and it's the only place I've found that still happily does illegal spacings!)
I'm a bit worried about the fact that the DVLA now have all my documentation. In my excited rush and since I wasn't expecting them to take everything away, I didn't take photocopies of any documents - so now I have no proof of purchase and no german reg document!
All I have is a letter from the DVLA saying they'd like to inspect the car! And the insurance cover note!
If I get pulled by the police - they'll check their database and see the reg is on retention, and that the vin has never been registered! Would I not then be royally ****ed?
Thanks for your help!!
Hmm, don't know why they've still got your docs. Whenever I've registered an import they've written the new reg number on the MoT and insurance docs, stamped them with the official stamp, photocopied them and then handed all the originals back. Maybe you've complicated matters by putting a plate that was on retention on it rather than just getting an ordinary number.
It depends on the registration office. SOME do "over the counter" registrations, some only do that at certain (quiet) times, some take all the documents and then process it within a couple of days.
When I registered a car at Portsmouth they said it would be done within a few days, I drove all the way there, got back to the office and within an hour they called to say it was ready!
I would recommend copying documents though - I have heard of them losing things and then denying all knowledge.
Gareth
When I registered a car at Portsmouth they said it would be done within a few days, I drove all the way there, got back to the office and within an hour they called to say it was ready!
I would recommend copying documents though - I have heard of them losing things and then denying all knowledge.
Gareth
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