Ex-Motability cars - buying them 2nd hand and taxing them

[hurstg01]

My brother-in-law is in the process of buying a new [to him, 2nd hand to everyone else] ex-motability car. Low miles, very few scuffs, quite cheap etc but has no tax....

Now, on his v5 it states the vehicle category is for disability, and he has been told by the garage he is using that he needs to go to a local DVLA office, rather than the normal post office, to get his road tax and get the vehicle category changed from disability to a normal vehicle category.

Has anyone ever done this, and what information does he need to take with him to make the change as hassle-free as possible [I hate to think what he will say to the DVLA if he travels miles to get to his nearest one [Reading I think...] and they tell him he hasnt got all the info needed ]

[TheEnd]

The first car i bought had that, and i don't think i had to go to the dvla.

[Justin-W]

I would expect the garage to sort it out.

[Engineer1]

A colleague bought an ex motability car and had to make the trip to the nearest DVLA office to get the tax status changed. I wonder if you are legal driving the car to the DVLA office as it won't be motability at that stage.

[whitechief]

You can't tax it at a Post office as it needs to be PLG not disabled(free tax) so it's a trip to a DVLA office who will do it there and then I'm afraid.

Edited by whitechief on Saturday 27th March 18:49

[hurstg01]

Justin-W said:

I would expect the garage to sort it out.

That's what I said to him. The garage said that they can do it by Wednesday at the earliest, but he needs the car by Monday at the latest [his old car is kaput], so he wants to do it himself

Engineer1 said:

A colleague bought an ex motability car and had to make the trip to the nearest DVLA office to get the tax status changed. I wonder if you are legal driving the car to the DVLA office as it won't be motability at that stage.

I hope so; just his luck he gets 'done' on his trip to get it sorted.....

whitechief said:

You can't tax it at a Post office as it needs to be PLG not disabled (free tax) so it's a trip to a DVLA office who will do it there and then I'm afraid.

Cheers everyone; now, what paperwork does he need to take? Just the standard MOT, Insurance covernote / policy and the v5?......

Also, a question from me. This sounds like a good idea, hardly used, low miles, perhaps I may look into it for me and my family [can't have him gloating at every family get together on how cheap his car is etc ] What should I look out for when buying an ex-motability car?

[whitechief]

^^^^

Damage! Bumpers get crunched and scraped, wing mirrors bashed, wheels kerbed, wings dented, interiors filthy.

The amount of st condition Motability cars at auction is astonishing.

[swansea v6]

I bought an ex-motablity 106 (diesel!!!) when in uni and I had to go and change the tax class myself. It was the same as taxing a normal car if I remember?? All you need to do is find your local DVLA office and amazingly did not even take that long!!

[Six Fiend]

Or you could end up with one of my old ones which were always utterly immaculate

[dpbird90]

whitechief said:

^^^^

Damage! Bumpers get crunched and scraped, wing mirrors bashed, wheels kerbed, wings dented, interiors filthy.

The amount of st condition Motability cars at auction is astonishing.

Yep, when I was looking for a Panda, we found one for the same price as all the others, but a year newer and 2000 miles less which was ex motability. Test drive felt good, but the car smelled funny inside, the dashboard was scratched up to fk, massive dents in the wheelarches when you opened the rear doors, and the boot was leaking. Unfortunately had to walk away from it in that state, otherwise I'd have had a 55 reg instead of an 04. But I like my 04 one, doesn't smell of pee, and is a nicer colour.

[anonymous-user]

When we were looking to get a Scenic I looked at one which was an ex motability car with 17K on the clock. It was without doubt the worst condition car I have ever looked at and absolutely stank.

My mother in law has had 3 motability cars now and without doubt each one was absolutely trashed when it was given back with hardly and miles on the clock.

[nsmith1180]

Look out for missing trim components. Many cars are adapted then put back to rights, but screw holes under the steering column for push pulls or missing trim pieces from the boot, where a hoist was installed are known to happen.

[JQ]

Got to disagree with some of the above. Bought a 3 yr old C-Max at auction last year which was ex-motability - it was like brand new. There was not a mark on it, inside or outside. Completely irrelevant really, as since then my wife has completely wrecked it.

[xrv]

whitechief said:

^^^^

Damage! Bumpers get crunched and scraped, wing mirrors bashed, wheels kerbed, wings dented, interiors filthy.

The amount of st condition Motability cars at auction is astonishing.

The good ones that come back are often bought back by the supplying dealer and traded on. Only the ones dealers cant sell go to auction. Thats why they are all damaged and stink of piss.

[freecar]

There is a lot of prejudice here about motability. Probably because it is a benefit and people think others shouldn't be given help when they need it.

Many people who get motability cars would have no reason to do any damage to the car as they are just like you and me, except they don't have the energy reserves to walk more than 6 yards. The vast majority of motability cars would have never been modified for the driver and a huge amount will have been driven by someone's carer not the disabled person themselves.

[Rich_W]

95% of Motorbility customers are scum! They just trash the cars, then hand it back and go again. I would argue that maybe 1/3rd of the motorbility customers ACTUALLY deserve the car too! Scams left, right and centre! Also they are invariably not properly serviced. Just an oil and filter rather than the proper regime. just to get the stamp in the book.

AVOID like the plague!

[wolf1]

Rich_W said:

95% of Motorbility customers are scum! They just trash the cars, then hand it back and go again. I would argue that maybe 1/3rd of the motorbility customers ACTUALLY deserve the car too! Scams left, right and centre! Also they are invariably not properly serviced. Just an oil and filter rather than the proper regime. just to get the stamp in the book.

AVOID like the plague!

I love it when people spout such absolute garbage. Don't let the facts get in the way of your opinion.

[Rich_W]

wolf1 said:

Rich_W said:

95% of Motorbility customers are scum! They just trash the cars, then hand it back and go again. I would argue that maybe 1/3rd of the motorbility customers ACTUALLY deserve the car too! Scams left, right and centre! Also they are invariably not properly serviced. Just an oil and filter rather than the proper regime. just to get the stamp in the book.

AVOID like the plague!

I love it when people spout such absolute garbage. Don't let the facts get in the way of your opinion.

Really? So all those Golfs and Polos I've done are imaginary then? Where they want a Lube service not a VS1 or 2?

[wolf1]

If you're refering to the recipient of the motability car then yes you are talking codswallop as the motability scheme pays for the servicing etc. If it was the dealership then that's fraud and I'm sure we'd all like to know which dealership it was that is taking funds that come from our taxes.

[Rich_W]

wolf1 said:

If you're refering to the recipient of the motability car then yes you are talking codswallop as the motability scheme pays for the servicing etc. If it was the dealership then that's fraud and I'm sure we'd all like to know which dealership it was that is taking funds that come from our taxes.

Yeah, Well done for not understanding!

Car comes in to dealer. Dealer phones Motobility and says "Can we have authority to service your car. It will cost X for a Y service"

Motorbility, then say "No, but you can do a lube service (oil and filter)"

Dealer does as instructed. Check the stamps in the book. It's VERY rare for Motorbility to authorise much more than the absolute bare minimum. They are even worse than Lease companies in that regard. Generally lease companies get the work done (at a reduced labour rate) except anything the customer has damaged (though this varies) and they don't generally authorise tyres. Even when they are illegal! They get tyre places to do them as hey get better rates.

EDITED TO ADD

other thread said:

My fiat went back with the 'Dynamic' badge missing on one side, a huge scratch on the wheel arch, & knackered engine.

Still got my good condition bonus!

the motability checks are a lot more relaxed than other lease / finance condition checks.

And herein lies the problem! Motorbility as a typical Gubberment funded venture, staffed by ttty Civil servants. Simply DOESN'T CARE about the condition the pikies return them in. And of course, we all know that if Pikey A smashed st out of his (heavily subsidised by me and you) car and doesn't get a financial penalty then do you think he'll look after his next car in the way PH would approve of?

Edited by Rich_W on Saturday 27th March 21:54