Car registered with backdated registration number??

[rix]

Looking at a car for my daughter and came across a supposedly 2020 car but registered on an 18 plate. DVLA data confirms first registration date of 2020 and no evidence of plate change. Seller states car was bought in 2020 from a main dealer on the 18 plate with delivery miles. Does this ring alarm bells? Irrespective of when manufactured, why would it not be registered with the then current (20) registration plate? I thought it was common for stock cars to sit around in storage compounds etc before being registered as "new'so wonder why this one would be any different?

[Alex_225]

Sounds like it was pre-registered. So it was bought "new" with delivery miles but had been registered by the dealer on a 2018 number plate. That's how I read that but could be wrong.

Is the model of car itself only from 2020 onward?

[smokey mow]

Was it first registered overseas in 2018 but then imported and registered in the U.K. in 2020.

[CanAm]

The DVLA website also shows the date of manufacture. Tyres (if original) and glass also year codes on them.

[Riley Blue]

smokey mow said:

Was it first registered overseas in 2018 but then imported and registered in the U.K. in 2020.

Very possible I think. My O/H bought a Fiesta that first been registered in Jersey then two years later re-registered on the mainland with a registration for the import year.

[rix]

That is actually the story - it's a fiesta and the seller says, when it was bought from the main dealer in 2020, they said it had been in Jersey beforehand, but presumably not used as it only had delivery miles at that point. Why would it be registered and then not used? I guess I would need to be satisfied that it was indeed delivery miles when registered in the UK in 2020 and not having clocked up a load of miles before being sold in the UK

[CanAm]

rix said:

That is actually the story - it's a fiesta and the seller says, when it was bought from the main dealer in 2020, they said it had been in Jersey beforehand, but presumably not used as it only had delivery miles at that point. Why would it be registered and then not used? I guess I would need to be satisfied that it was indeed delivery miles when registered in the UK in 2020 and not having clocked up a load of miles before being sold in the UK

Lots of Hire Cars in Jersey. Obviously in view of the size of the island, mileage tends to be low. As mentioned above, they used to be given the current registration on import to the mainland, rather than from the year of first registration in Jersey. A local Ford dealer used to do a roaring trade in low-mileage Jersey imports.

Put yourself in a buyer's shoes if/when your daughter were to sell the car; would you believe this story, or would you just look elsewhere?

[Sheepshanks]

rix said:

That is actually the story - it's a fiesta and the seller says, when it was bought from the main dealer in 2020, they said it had been in Jersey beforehand, but presumably not used as it only had delivery miles at that point. Why would it be registered and then not used? I guess I would need to be satisfied that it was indeed delivery miles when registered in the UK in 2020 and not having clocked up a load of miles before being sold in the UK

Why didn't you say that in the first place?

It's already 8 yrs old, how long are you likely to keep it? If the seller seems iffy, then move on.

[Rough101]

MIL bought a brand new Fiat 500 that was super cheap but would only come on a backdated reg as part of the deal, reason being it was last years model and if you wanted this years it was £5k more.

They had a batch of 20 to look at, all unregistered at the time of viewing.