Audi TT - Reg transfers - garage is being a b*****

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Wed 2 Nov 2011 09:45
Audi TT - Reg transfers - garage is being a b***** - Clusters

Hi guys,

I'm new, so be gentle please and forgive the length - it's worth reading.

My friend (who is not too knowledgable in the world of motoring) recently bought herself a lovely second hand Audi TT (not from an Audi garage). At the time she bought it, it had a private plate on that she was told would be transferred back to the original owner.

Well, she bought the car, with the private plate on still, and has the V5 form, so officially, the car and private plate are registered to her.

The car needed a bit of work doing so she took it back to the garage, they have had it for 3 weeks to replace the master cylinder in the clutch (which is a joke in my opinion, but hasn't affected her too much as she broke her arm and can't drive at the moment anyway). They dropped it back at her home yesterday while she was out at work and posted the keys with a note through her door.

The note said that they have changed the plates back to the original plates, and that she will need to let her insurance know and sort out a replacement tax disc etc.

Now then - I think they are absolutely out of order. Although she had agreed to swop the plates when she bought the car, they have just taken it upon themselves to dump her with plates that may not be correct (if the DVLA have already re-issued that particular one. I have no idea if the previous owner put the originals on retention or not). There is no mention of them covering the cost of transferring the plates over, potential admin fees from the insurance or anything.

Plus, if the private plate is registered to her, surely the previous owner needs to have a form filled in, or such like to be able to transfer it back to them??!!

Can anyone shed some light on where she stands please??? (Taking into account that she is willing to let the private plate go even though it's now legally hers)

Thank you!!

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Wed 2 Nov 2011 10:08
Audi TT - Reg transfers - garage is being a b***** - pd

If she's got the full V5 in her name (which she will have got about 3 weeks after buying the car) then only she, as the registered keeper, can make the plate change.

Either the plate change was submitted to the DVLA or not. It is a yes/no thing. If it wasn't, and she now has the full V5 in her name with that plate then that is the one which should be on the car.

You get a new tax disc and new MOT with the "new" number on from the DVLA when you do a plate change.

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Wed 2 Nov 2011 10:35
Audi TT - Reg transfers - garage is being a b***** - Clusters

Thanks for your reply -

She has the V5 form with the private plate on it, so she is the registered keeper of the car with the private plate, not the original, but the garage has taken the actual number plates off her car with the private reg and put the original number plates on it.

(I know that the car is still registered to the private plate, so in theory, she could go and get new private plates made and put them on the car. But she is OK to transfer the private plates back)

What does she need to send off, ot take to the local DVLA office to get this done as quickly as possible and any idea about the transfer costs? Are they still £80?

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Wed 2 Nov 2011 11:40
Audi TT - Reg transfers - garage is being a b***** - pd

She can either keep the private plate and simply put the number plates back on the car or take the V5, tax disc (or copy of), MOT to a local DVLA office and fill in the form to retain the number plate then they will issue a new number for the car together with replacement tax disc & MOT. After about 2 weeks she will get a new V5 back with the new number on plus a retention certificate with the private number on in her name.

This costs £105. I'd then keep hold of the retention certificate and demand the dealer pays the transfer costs plus something for the inconvenience and then grant the private plate (simply fill in a box on the retention certificate) to the previous owner.

I find it quite incredible that a dealer does not know how to transfer a number plate.

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Wed 2 Nov 2011 12:21
Audi TT - Reg transfers - garage is being a b***** - Clusters

That was what I was thinking of suggesting to her, just needed someone to back it up in my mind!!!

I am shocked at the garage and when I call them later, I plan to tear a strip of them. Either he is incompetent as he doesn't know what to do, or he has seen a pretty blonde and thought - she won't know any better. Either way, it's a bloomin' disgrace.

Thank you for your help!

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Wed 2 Nov 2011 13:03
Audi TT - Reg transfers - garage is being a b***** - IanJohnson
She is firmly in control and the garage cannot change the number without her signing the form. Would be worht checking the reg no on the tax disc in the car.

She needs to be careful as the car will still be registered with DVLA on the private plate and she won't know if the car the new plate belongs to is taxed/insured . . .

With ANPR around she needs to be wary of driving with the "new" number on the car until she knows.
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