Car advertised with private plates but received standard

Car advertised with private plates but received standard

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Discussion

Ryan94ka

Original Poster:

6 posts

84 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Hi guys,

I’ve recently bought a car from Arnold Clark and it was advertised with a nice private plate. The finance documents had the private reg on them when I looked through it. After a couple of days to think I called the sales advisor and said I would take the car and he said he would send he details over to me. This included the original reg plate but I assumed that I would have to change the plates after buying. When going to pick the car up I asked what happens with the private plates do I just change them myself? And the advisor said oh no you don’t get the private plates. I said that the finance docs had private plate details on t but he said they have taken care of that.

Do I have any chance of disputing this to receive the plates?

Thanks
Ryan

shakotan

10,807 posts

209 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Ryan94ka said:
Hi guys,

I’ve recently bought a car from Arnold Clark and it was advertised with a nice private plate. The finance documents had the private reg on them when I looked through it. After a couple of days to think I called the sales advisor and said I would take the car and he said he would send he details over to me. This included the original reg plate but I assumed that I would have to change the plates after buying. When going to pick the car up I asked what happens with the private plates do I just change them myself? And the advisor said oh no you don’t get the private plates. I said that the finance docs had private plate details on t but he said they have taken care of that.

Do I have any chance of disputing this to receive the plates?

Thanks
Ryan
Just enjoy your new car and get on with your life.

"Private plates" are basically worthless anyway, it won't diminish your new car in any way.

alorotom

12,345 posts

200 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
shakotan said:
"Private plates" are basically worthless anyway,
In your opinion, and one that’s not shared with millions of others

OP - Was there any explicit reference to the inclusion of the plate in the sale?? Or it’s removal??

phil y

557 posts

135 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Most likely that the previous owner was getting the plate transferred off when the photos were taken and when the paperwork was originally done.

Then between you agreeing to buy and collecting, the original plate was put back on the car. So the plate was never for sale with the car, although it looked that way.


tigger1

8,429 posts

234 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
OP, did you at any point (prior to purchase) ask them if the plates would remain?

Ryan94ka

Original Poster:

6 posts

84 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
alorotom said:
In your opinion, and one that’s not shared with millions of others

OP - Was there any explicit reference to the inclusion of the plate in the sale?? Or it’s removal??
There wasn’t any information on this on the website. When I was looking at the car the salesman mentioned that it was a private plate so it takes the age off of the car visually. I haven’t bought a car with a private plate so I assumed that i would but it with the original plates and get it changed after I own it!

Ryan94ka

Original Poster:

6 posts

84 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
tigger1 said:
OP, did you at any point (prior to purchase) ask them if the plates would remain?
I did not ask if they would remain. I never thought that it would be any other way.

I found out that I wasn’t getting the private plates when I asked whilst sat at the salesman’s desk, “what happenes with the private reg do I have to contact DVLA to say I am changing them?” And he said then that I wasn’t getting the plates.

Ryan94ka

Original Poster:

6 posts

84 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
phil y said:
Most likely that the previous owner was getting the plate transferred off when the photos were taken and when the paperwork was originally done.

Then between you agreeing to buy and collecting, the original plate was put back on the car. So the plate was never for sale with the car, although it looked that way.
When I viewed the car it had the private plates, then when I went to pick it up they had changed. I’m wondering if it is some kind of sales technique.

Ryan94ka

Original Poster:

6 posts

84 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
shakotan said:
Just enjoy your new car and get on with your life.

"Private plates" are basically worthless anyway, it won't diminish your new car in any way.
Oh I certainly will enjoy the car, I just feel like I was sold something and didn’t receive it! It doesn’t make a difference to the car but I think that it looked nice and made the car stand out more.

DuraAce

4,270 posts

173 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Ryan94ka said:
When I viewed the car it had the private plates, then when I went to pick it up they had changed. I’m wondering if it is some kind of sales technique.
It is not.

The fault is yours. You should have clarified exactly what was included.
It isn't the 'norm' to get private plates included - majority of owners will transfer them until their new car.
Forget it and enjoy your car.

Ryan94ka

Original Poster:

6 posts

84 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
DuraAce said:
It is not.

The fault is yours. You should have clarified exactly what was included.
It isn't the 'norm' to get private plates included - majority of owners will transfer them until their new car.
Forget it and enjoy your car.
Yeah? That’s fair enough. I didn’t know as I haven’t bought a car with private plate before. Assuming was the wrong thing to do!

Thanks!

phil y

557 posts

135 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
It’s a bit underhand of the dealer to advertise something they’re not selling.

Unlikely to be worth the time and effort to follow it up though.

justinio

1,180 posts

101 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Ryan94ka said:
And he said then that I wasn’t getting the plates.
And you you said....?

Why on Earth are you asking an internet forum now, after the event? Why didnt you say to the salesman "sorry chief, no plates, no sale" if its that important to you.

Pica-Pica

15,033 posts

97 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
DuraAce said:
Ryan94ka said:
When I viewed the car it had the private plates, then when I went to pick it up they had changed. I’m wondering if it is some kind of sales technique.
It is not.

The fault is yours. You should have clarified exactly what was included.
It isn't the 'norm' to get private plates included - majority of owners will transfer them until their new car.
Forget it and enjoy your car.
In Belgium, it used to be that the plates always stayed with the driver.
However, in your case, if there was an advertised photo with those ‘special’ plates on, I would expect that to be the car on offer. I personally would look for undated, anonymous plates. From about £350, last time I looked.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Friday 4th May 15:33

Torquey

1,924 posts

241 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Ryan94ka said:
“what happenes with the private reg do I have to contact DVLA to say I am changing them?” .
So you didn't want them anyway?

However, I'd side with the OP - they should be his. The salesman should have mentioned it or even removed them when the car was for sale.

Nickp82

3,544 posts

106 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
Did the order form have the private plate or normal one?

If the private plate, then combined with the advertised images showing the plate and the finance docs you would have a good case to dig your heels in if you wanted to.

A dealership I worked at had the same situation and to resolve it the customer was bought a very similar personalised plate.

Personally, I would just move on although one thing I would recommend doing is speaking to the finance company and ensuring they have the correct reg number in connection with your agreement. Some charge an admin fee to change it so this would be something you would want to be getting the dealership to cover.

anonymous-user

67 months

Friday 4th May 2018
quotequote all
My current car was advertised (at a main dealer) with private plates on in some of the photos. I didn't even think to ask as I assumed they belonged to the previous owner and would be taken before sale and they were.

Auto810graphy

1,579 posts

105 months

Saturday 5th May 2018
quotequote all
Slightly off topic but I have brought a few cars in auctions where the plate has come with the car. One was a £10k repo Mercedes with no V5 but had a nice 2 digit 3 letter plate on it. I HPI’d on the chassis and the plate was still on it so applied for the V5 and about a month later it turned up in my name with the plate.

Sold the plate about a year later for £7k.

coljoh148

1,878 posts

190 months

Saturday 5th May 2018
quotequote all
This is quite common for cars to be advertised with a previous owners cherished registration.

I would always imagine the car rolls up that way and gets photographed to flip it as quickly as possible having had the reg already transferred by the previous owner.