Dealer not got log book to release car

[Scrubs]

Bit of advice here please. Was booked in to a main dealer today to pick up a (new to me) car which had done a deal on last week.

All seemed well, he went away to look at my trade in, I could see the car I was picking up all prepped and ready to go.

He came back 10 minutes later red faced saying they had a problem. The previous owner had had a private plate on the car which they obviously wanted to keep but said owner had not yet handed in the new V5 to the dealership so they could not let it go. They tried calling the previous owner whilst I was there to chase them for it and I heard them leave a voice mail. Car had been traded in at start of month and plate retention done online so would think previous had it by now.

Anyone got any idea how they sort this if the previous owner does not either hand in the V5 or even calls them to get the reference number needed to tax it? Right pain in the arse. I had changed my insurance this morning online to start on the new car then spent an hour in the dealership on the phone trying to reverse the policy back to my own car which was getting traded in.

Edited by Scrubs on Thursday 25th August 16:01

[twing]

Apply for new V5 at PO and tax at same time

[the-norseman]

had the same issue years ago had to wait for the V5 to appear.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

twing said:

Apply for new V5 at PO and tax at same time

That'll be difficult maybe? If previous owner has put plate on retention does dealer even know the replacement registration number?

It's a bit lax of the dealer. In most cases the dealer should not have bought the car until all the paperwork is in order, including the V5 with the new number on it.

[Red9zero]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

That'll be difficult maybe? If previous owner has put plate on retention does dealer even know the replacement registration number?

It's a bit lax of the dealer. In most cases the dealer should not have bought the car until all the paperwork is in order, including the V5 with the new number on it.

When we px'd our previous car that had a private plate on it, the dealer wanted a £500 deposit if we hadn't got the V5 in the original reg when we came to swap cars. Luckily it arrived about an hour before I was due to leave home.

[twing]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

That'll be difficult maybe? If previous owner has put plate on retention does dealer even know the replacement registration number?

It's a bit lax of the dealer. In most cases the dealer should not have bought the car until all the paperwork is in order, including the V5 with the new number on it.

HPI on the VIN should give the new reg assuming the prev keeper did it online and promptly. Definitely worth a try.
I agree about the paper work but it happens. I usually take £200 extra, refundable on receipt of the V5, it focuses their mind a little

[Scrubs]

Cheers for the replies. The original plate that is now back on the car I was picking up funnily enough shows as taxed until May 2023. Not sure how that has happened.

I have a private plate on the car I am trading in. Dealer said to me that they would go through putting it on retention whilst I was in, then they would ask me to take the new V5 back to them once I got it. Seems like same thing has been done with this car but owner hasn't bothered returning it. Guy said they just really need the number from the new V5.

[georgeyboy12345]

I’d have demanded a courtesy car until sorted.

[nordboy]

Scrubs said:

Cheers for the replies. The original plate that is now back on the car I was picking up funnily enough shows as taxed until May 2023. Not sure how that has happened.

That'll just be because the tax transfers with the vehicle from the private plate to the new numberplate as the previous owner is still shown as the keeper. So the previous owner has paid up til May 23

As soon as the keeper details change to you, the tax will be cancelled. So, you'll still have to tax it yourself.

(But I'm sure you know that, not teaching anyone to suck eggs)

[Pistonheader101]

quite common in the trade

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

nordboy said:

Scrubs said:

Cheers for the replies. The original plate that is now back on the car I was picking up funnily enough shows as taxed until May 2023. Not sure how that has happened.

That'll just be because the tax transfers with the vehicle from the private plate to the new numberplate as the previous owner is still shown as the keeper. So the previous owner has paid up til May 23

As soon as the keeper details change to you, the tax will be cancelled. So, you'll still have to tax it yourself.

(But I'm sure you know that, not teaching anyone to suck eggs)

Surely if the vendor took the trouble to take the plate off he would also have advised the DVLA that he no longer owned the car?

(I'm sure that's what would have done, and indeed did!)

[Dimebars]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Surely if the vendor took the trouble to take the plate off he would also have advised the DVLA that he no longer owned the car?

(I'm sure that's what would have done, and indeed did!)

Not necessarily

If he did the retention online in advance, then technically, he still owns the car until he PX's it days later

[centralscot]

He also has to wait till the new v5 arrives before it can be put in the trade or it mucks up the retention.