Assigning a personal number, I’m going to have a full wobble

[vpr]

It ABSOLUTELY drives me insane when time after time it won’t allow me to do this online.

WHY?

When the car is taxed, always has been. It’s a 72 TR6 abd I’m trying to put a non year specific number on it.

Both the car and the retention docs are in my name at the same address.

Seriously, it’s just a waste of time, I hate sending precious docs in the post.

[restoman]

Could be a number of reasons. For starters, what is the message you get? Is the Retention doc still valid?

[vpr]

Everything still current. It’s the later 10 yr retention certificate

[dandarez]

vpr said:

It ABSOLUTELY drives me insane when time after time it won’t allow me to do this online.

WHY?

When the car is taxed, always has been. It’s a 72 TR6 abd I’m trying to put a non year specific number on it.

Both the car and the retention docs are in my name at the same address.

Seriously, it’s just a waste of time, I hate sending precious docs in the post.

You have every reason to worry about sending your docs in the post.
I have had several encounters with them, none good. The worst some years back I sent historic docs to DVLA - by registered post, clearly and politely asking for all to be returned to me, even inc a SAE.
Several days passed. Nothing.

I contact them to see what's happened.

'I'm sorry but we have not received your documents.'

'Really? That's strange because I have the day and the precise time the docs were received and 'signed for' by you.

'Oh. Please hold the line.'

'I'm sorry we no longer have your documents in question, but we can send you photocopies if you wish.'

Argggggggggggggghhh!!!!
F. DVLA incompetents!

[restoman]

dandarez said:

You have every reason to worry about sending your docs in the post.
I have had several encounters with them, none good. The worst some years back I sent historic docs to DVLA - by registered post, clearly and politely asking for all to be returned to me, even inc a SAE.
Several days passed. Nothing.

I contact them to see what's happened.

'I'm sorry but we have not received your documents.'

'Really? That's strange because I have the day and the precise time the docs were received and 'signed for' by you.

'Oh. Please hold the line.'

'I'm sorry we no longer have your documents in question, but we can send you photocopies if you wish.'

Argggggggggggggghhh!!!!
F. DVLA incompetents!

DVLA do not sign for receiving individual letters - they sign for receiving x number of sacks on a particular day. Every letter supposedly in those sacks then gets recorded as being signed for on that day. Of course, they have no way of knowing what is or isn't i n those sacks when they sign for them.

[vpr]

Well this is their reply

Any of you ever heard this. It’s new to me

[droopsnoot]

vpr said:

Well this is their reply

Any of you ever heard this. It’s new to me

That suggests that Alison thinks you want to put the registration from the TR6 onto retention, not that you want to apply a registration you already have onto the TR6.

[agent006]

AFAIK it has been the case for a while that you can't change the plate on a car without an MOT. At least a decade as I remember it stopped a friend keeping the plate from a scrap morris minor.

[TarquinMX5]

Hmmm. That doesn't seem to fit with their own website which just states words to the effect 'must be of type subject to MOT', which isn't the same as saying it must have a valid MOT, but it does say that it must be taxed or SORN (and if SORN >5yrs must be taxed).

There was a thread on here recently where somebody was having problems classifying their car as historic; DVLA gave a completely incorrect response to his enquiry, so they're not always correct.

[austina35]

Did this recently. Car needs to have a current mot to put a plate on it or to remove a plate.

It's been that way for as many years as I can remember.

[vpr]

It’s hard work.

[Niglebick]

I’m in a very similar position with TWO identical transfers with varying results!

Both 1993 cars, laid up 3.5 yrs, both sorn’d throughout. I’ve decided to sell them, as is, but wanted the private plates off. I’m not going to divulge the reg numbers, in case DVLA read this, as I got one through!

Went online to do both. First went through immediately, no issues. Funds taken, retention certificate issued, & received. Safely stashed some 7 weeks ago.

The 2nd, IDENTICAL car referred for ‘ manual intervention’. No further explanation. I tried again at a different time, same result.
So, I filled in & posted off the paperwork. Because I don’t hold a cheque book I got a bank draft sorted ( seemed easier than postal order!).
5 weeks later it’s rejected- because no MOT. And they state they have destroyed ‘ my cheque- for security reasons’.
So, it seems it’s ok for me to post them a Bank draft ( indeed they require it) but NOT SAFE to return it? You couldn’t make it up!

So I went online via Webchat & got the right run around (twice) , both steadfastly avoiding my direct, explicit question. The rules clearly do NOT require an mot - as evidenced online! I got nowhere - except angry.
I have re sent my application, with a lengthy letter (& a friends cheque - Barclays are extremely hesitant to refund the Draft!) & shall see what they say this time.

There seem to be two sets of rules, and it’s luck of the draw which side you fall.

[rovermorris999]

restoman said:

dandarez said:

You have every reason to worry about sending your docs in the post.
I have had several encounters with them, none good. The worst some years back I sent historic docs to DVLA - by registered post, clearly and politely asking for all to be returned to me, even inc a SAE.
Several days passed. Nothing.

I contact them to see what's happened.

'I'm sorry but we have not received your documents.'

'Really? That's strange because I have the day and the precise time the docs were received and 'signed for' by you.

'Oh. Please hold the line.'

'I'm sorry we no longer have your documents in question, but we can send you photocopies if you wish.'

Argggggggggggggghhh!!!!
F. DVLA incompetents!

DVLA do not sign for receiving individual letters - they sign for receiving x number of sacks on a particular day. Every letter supposedly in those sacks then gets recorded as being signed for on that day. Of course, they have no way of knowing what is or isn't i n those sacks when they sign for them.

IIRC they also don't routinely handle actual paper anymore. Everything that comes in is scanned using OCR and worked on from there which is why they said they no longer had your originals but could supply copies.

[vpr]

Niglebick said:

I’m in a very similar position with TWO identical transfers with varying results!

Both 1993 cars, laid up 3.5 yrs, both sorn’d throughout. I’ve decided to sell them, as is, but wanted the private plates off. I’m not going to divulge the reg numbers, in case DVLA read this, as I got one through!

Went online to do both. First went through immediately, no issues. Funds taken, retention certificate issued, & received. Safely stashed some 7 weeks ago.

The 2nd, IDENTICAL car referred for ‘ manual intervention’. No further explanation. I tried again at a different time, same result.
So, I filled in & posted off the paperwork. Because I don’t hold a cheque book I got a bank draft sorted ( seemed easier than postal order!).
5 weeks later it’s rejected- because no MOT. And they state they have destroyed ‘ my cheque- for security reasons’.
So, it seems it’s ok for me to post them a Bank draft ( indeed they require it) but NOT SAFE to return it? You couldn’t make it up!

So I went online via Webchat & got the right run around (twice) , both steadfastly avoiding my direct, explicit question. The rules clearly do NOT require an mot - as evidenced online! I got nowhere - except angry.
I have re sent my application, with a lengthy letter (& a friends cheque - Barclays are extremely hesitant to refund the Draft!) & shall see what they say this time.

There seem to be two sets of rules, and it’s luck of the draw which side you fall.

Absolutely mind boggling

And as you say, the whole outdated cheque thing too.

Total ballache, make it up as the go along

[sixor8]

Niglebick said:

I’m in a very similar position with TWO identical transfers with varying results!

Both 1993 cars, laid up 3.5 yrs, both sorn’d throughout. I’ve decided to sell them, as is, but wanted the private plates off. I’m not going to divulge the reg numbers, in case DVLA read this, as I got one through!

Went online to do both. First went through immediately, no issues. Funds taken, retention certificate issued, & received. Safely stashed some 7 weeks ago.

The 2nd, IDENTICAL car referred for ‘ manual intervention’. No further explanation. I tried again at a different time, same result.
So, I filled in & posted off the paperwork. Because I don’t hold a cheque book I got a bank draft sorted ( seemed easier than postal order!).
5 weeks later it’s rejected- because no MOT. And they state they have destroyed ‘ my cheque- for security reasons’.
So, it seems it’s ok for me to post them a Bank draft ( indeed they require it) but NOT SAFE to return it? You couldn’t make it up!

So I went online via Webchat & got the right run around (twice) , both steadfastly avoiding my direct, explicit question. The rules clearly do NOT require an mot - as evidenced online! I got nowhere - except angry.
I have re sent my application, with a lengthy letter (& a friends cheque - Barclays are extremely hesitant to refund the Draft!) & shall see what they say this time.

There seem to be two sets of rules, and it’s luck of the draw which side you fall.

They randomly do require a visual check of a vehicle. It's a 'sort of ' check that people aren't retaining reg numbers from a V5c with either a pile of bits, or sometimes no actual car at all! V5c documents sell on their own, especially for old cars getting 're-shelled.' I doubt they did any at all last year so perhaps have started up again. Manual intervention may mean an inspection not just manual document checks.

When I transferred a registration off a Morris Minor back in the 1990s, I had to take it for an inspection of the VIN and stamped chassis numbers at a local DVL office. But they've all gone now, so not sure where they'd be done. I've transferred over a dozen registrations on and off vehicles since and never had your issue. Seems you've been a bit unfortunate.

[Turbobanana]

I guess it doesn't help that they're on strike at the moment:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56977799