Driving with incorrect Reg plate - Dealers fault

[whatnow]

I bought a new car from a main dealer last week, and they took mine in part exchange.
When I picked up the new car, I didnt notice that the reg plate was different to all the paperwork, including the V5.
I already had my insurance in place with reg number *X** ***, but the car has the plate *K** *** (a 'K' instead of an 'X').
I have been driving it for a week now, and brought it to their attention today. They have asked me to go in and see them this afternoon.
I assume my insurance is invalid? Are there any other consequences of this, and should I give the dealer hell?

[nellyleelephant]

Isn't it just a case of a pair of new (correct) plates and ring the insurance to change the letter??

[oldcynic]

Sounds like a pretty stupid mistake, but what registration is your car insured against? If the only thing wrong is the displayed registration then surely the only possible consequence is being charged with displaying the incorrect registration. If the insurance is against the displayed registration then this obviously needs amending - and yes you were driving uninsured. What's on the tax disc?

[911motorsport]

Any number plate displaying asterixes in place of letters or numbers will be illegal. I'd give them hell.

[Flintstone]

911motorsport said:

Any number plate displaying asterixes in place of letters or numbers will be illegal. I'd give them hell.

That's Gaullist.

[HD Adam]

Flintstone said:

911motorsport said:

Any number plate displaying asterixes in place of letters or numbers will be illegal. I'd give them hell.

That's Gaullist.

It's a load of old Berlix.

Getafix as soon as possible.

[Deva Link]

oldcynic said:

- and yes you were driving uninsured.

The insurance would be fine. This has come up before and it's surprisingly common - it's regarded as a clerical error.

Some friends of ours had the wrong plates put on their new car and only realised when they got a parking ticket in the post some months later which the car with their plates on it had picked up.

[y2blade]

oldcynic said:

Sounds like a pretty stupid mistake, but what registration is your car insured against? If the only thing wrong is the displayed registration then surely the only possible consequence is being charged with displaying the incorrect registration. If the insurance is against the displayed registration then this obviously needs amending - and yes you were driving uninsured. What's on the tax disc?

it is not as uncommon as you may think

the tea-boy/apprentice/lacky is usually the one to make the numberplates in a dealership (new or secondhand car-lot)...I've seen a few in my time come back with numbers either mixed-up or incorrect

[whatnow]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Calm down Dear, t'was a joke.

To be fair, the dealer has been excellent in any other way, so I have no intention of kicking up a fuss, I just wondered what the insurance implications were.

[whatnow]

To clarify;

The tax disc, V5 and my insurance doc has the letter X.
The car has the letter K.

As most people have said, sounds like a simple admin error, but I just wanted to make sure I wasnt in line for 3 points and a fine.

[cal72]

What would be the consequence if the car vin number didn't match the plate registered number if you were stopped at a later date?
Would you have the car confiscated.
Is it possible they stuck the plates on the wrong car?

[whatnow]

cal72 said:

What would be the consequence if the car vin number didn't match the plate registered number if you were stopped at a later date?
Would you have the car confiscated.
Is it possible they stuck the plates on the wrong car?

the guy I dealt with was good as gold, so I'm hoping all we be explained and cleared up when I go in to see him later

[J-Skid]

You should be fine. It's just a clerical error.

We had a car (company) issued to one of my fellow directors years ago which had the wrong plates on it for a full year - was only when the tax needed renewing that it was noticed.

[58warren]

I bought a car some years ago and the dealer had put new plates on. The last three letters should have been NWO, but the dealer had mistakenly got MWO. When I discovered this, the MOT station asked me to re-present the car for inspection to check the VIN number etc was correct before they would re-issue the amended certificate...

[whatnow]

J-Skid said:

You should be fine. It's just a clerical error.

We had a car (company) issued to one of my fellow directors years ago which had the wrong plates on it for a full year - was only when the tax needed renewing that it was noticed.

Yeah, thats the feeling I get. But knowing how bad some insureres are, I just wonder if they would try and get out of any claim. Not that there will be a claim, touch wood.

[mightymouse]

y2blade said:

it is not as uncommon as you may think

I've also known cars to have completely different plates on the front to the ones on the back, (or is it the otherway round)

[N5 NRO]

I transferred a private plate to my car when I bought it, phoned and informed insurance but the person I spoke to didn't record it properly and it kept being insured on the old number plate. Only noticed when my renewal arrived and never caused me any problems.

[Jaguar steve]

Who has your correct plate - soon to be put on your car - and what have they been doing with it?

[Ari]

Jaguar steve said:

Who has your correct plate - soon to be put on your car - and what have they been doing with it?

There is no correct plate in existence, they made up the "correct" plate with a letter wrong.

[Ari]

N5 NRO said:

I transferred a private plate to my car when I bought it, phoned and informed insurance but the person I spoke to didn't record it properly and it kept being insured on the old number plate. Only noticed when my renewal arrived and never caused me any problems.

Similarly, I transferred a private plate to my car and completely forgot to tell the insurance company, didn't even think about it.

Only realised when transferring the original plate back and someone said "don't forget to inform the insurance you've swapped the plate back to original". D'oh!

Often wondered whether I drove for six months uninsured...