Buying a cherished plate - Private seller

[sicasey]

Can someone please educate me in the process of buying a cherished plate from a private seller, without getting stung?

There’s a considerable amount of money on the line.

Cheers

[Hatson]

The ownership can be changed and the payment made online. Safest would likely be to meet at a solicitor’s and do just that!

[Griffith4ever]

Meet up in person and do ethe exchange together both sat at a computer/laptop. Once in one of your houses the other is hardly going to leg it once you've done your half.

Or... get him to xfer the plate, and show 100% proof its done, then pay him. The onus is on him - he's the seller.

[sixor8]

The physical ownership of a retention certificate is swapped all the time, I've a couple myself. If it's still on a vehicle, this makes it trickier but not insurmountable.

But the name of the keeper of the car it came off will always be present (although a 'nominee' can be added) until it is transferred onto a vehicle in your name. The present owner can do this once paid. The safest way is to transfer the reg onto a car (only the certificate number is required to do it online, I'm surprised how many sellers leave it displayed in photos) and if you want to retain it, pay £80 to take it off again. The DVLA guidelines seem good enough to me:

https://www.gov.uk/personalised-vehicle-registrati...

N.B. You are not permiited to make a vehicle look 'newer' which is why dateless plates are so popular.

[Chubbyross]

Hatson said:

The ownership can be changed and the payment made online. Safest would likely be to meet at a solicitor’s and do just that!

If there’s a lot of money involved I would do just this.