Motoring Discussion > DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up?	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: TheManWithNoName	Replies: 27

New Fri 1 May 15 15:58   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - TheManWithNoName

On behalf of a colleague... Her son, lets call him Ben, bought a van from his former boss. The van was on a cherished plate in the bosses name and a condition of the purchase was that the boss put it through a new MOT. This was done with the cherished plate still on it, however the boss had already set in motion the registration plate changeover. About a week after it was MOT'd, Ben bought it and taxed it at a local post office and produced the old V5 with his details written on it. The post office accepted the payment and sent off the V5 to DVLA. A few weeks later Ben receives his new V5 showing the vehicle details and its new reg number. 10 days later he has received a letter from the DVLA stating there is an anomoly with the identity of the vehicle he has bought. The letter requires him to fill out details of the VIN number etc. Somehow DVLA have now twigged the car was MOT'd as BOSS1, been sold and re-registered as RM14WTF and been taxed as RM14WTF. Presumably the MOT station isn't at fault because they legitmately tested it when it was still BOSS1. DVLA could be at fault for delaying the cherished plate transfer process but have since amended their records because they sent Ben the new V5. His insurer also recognises RM14WTF is the new registration. How does he get a new MOT showing the correct reg number? Can the garage re-issue it? Will they charge him for a new MOT? What can he do? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 16:06   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Manatee

Does he actually need the paper certificate? It's now possible to confirm insurance, VED and MoT online. If it is showing online as having an MoT I'd be inclined to cross out the old reg on the cert and write the new one on it. Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 1 May 15 at 16:08 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 16:09   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - commerdriver

When my lads, both of whom have personal plates have changed their plates the DVLA office has always updated the MOT don't know about the post office option. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 16:10   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Old Navy

Can the MOT / van be linked by the VIN number? It is the van that was MOTd regardless of the plate fitted. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 1 May 15 16:11   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Zero

Is there actually a problem to worry about? If it shows up online as Taxed, insured and MOTd, that is all anyone in authority is interested in. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 16:12   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Manatee

If it is showing online as having an MoT under the new reg, then there is no problem. If not, there is. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 16:27   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - jc2

There is no such thing as an MOT certificate now-all you get is a sheet of A4 with the test results that were forwarded to the DVLA. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 1 May 15 16:31   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Stuartli

The WTF part of the registration seems somewhat appropriate...:-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 22:11   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Rudedog

But you still need to present the paper MoT if you want to have it done early and retain the previous date, so it's not fully electronic. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 22:20   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Ted

I got an MOT on a Swiss Condor bike which had no registration no. The garage was happy to do it on the VIN...as were the insurance co. I found a number M 1234 on the import docs later....as it was an ex military machine complete with gun racks, I took a punt on that being the Swiss reg no, made a CH sticker and ran it for 6 months without a problem.....carrying the docs with me. Your man's VIN will be the same for both reg numbers so shouldn't present a problem. It's the VIN that identifies the vehicle. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 22:57   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - bathtub tom

>> But you still need to present the paper MoT if you want to have it >> done early and retain the previous date, so it's not fully electronic. Not in my experience. The last MOT I had, the testing station knew exactly when the last one was on that vehicle! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 02:16   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Rudedog

Well I'll test this out today, going for MoT about a week early so we'll see if they preserve the test date even though I don't have the original. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 10:46   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Robin O'Reliant

>> Well I'll test this out today, going for MoT about a week early so we'll >> see if they preserve the test date even though I don't have the original. >> They do. When Mrs O'Reliant took her jalopy for it's annual in December she took the existing certificate but the garage told her they didn't need that any more, the new one would automatically start from the date the current one ends. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 11:19   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Cliff Pope

>> But you still need to present the paper MoT if you want to have it >> done early and retain the previous date, so it's not fully electronic. >> No you don't. I have recently put four cars through MOTs a few weeks early. In each case the additional period was added automatically, and I did not need the paper "certificate". Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 12:12   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Rudedog

Yes everything was done electronically, I had a bit of duff info from the reception staff who I booked the MoT with. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 18:06   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - VxFan

>> But you still need to present the paper MoT if you want to have it >> done early and retain the previous date, so it's not fully electronic. The place I take my motorbike to asks for it. He's old school though and doesn't realise that he doesn't actually need it. Since going electronic though, the garage I take my car to have never asked for it. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 1 May 15 22:24   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - No FM2R

I think I might be missing something. Isn't this as simple as a situation a little out of the norm, DVLA picking up its out of the norm and asking you to explain? So presumably if you explain (fill in the forms) it'll go away? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 11:25   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Cliff Pope

A vehicle's identity depends on it's VIN, not its registration number. For example, to register an imported or new kit car an MOT must be obtained prior to registration. So a car does not need a registration number for an MOT to be carried out. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 12:02   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - sooty123

So a car does not need a registration number for an MOT >> to be carried out. >> I didn't know that, I thought they were checked at the MOT? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 12:33   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - jc2

I insured a car in the past on it's chassis number. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 12:44   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Harleyman

When you import a vehicle from outside the EU, you need a current MOT certificate in order to get it registered. You are permitted to use said vehicle on a public road to travel to and from a PRE-BOOKED MOT test and you not need trade plates or anything else apart from a valid certificate of insurance for this. To get it insured you inform your insurers of the VIN number and in my case they covered that vehicle for road use for 28 days. This reverts to full cover as soon as you inform them of the newly issued registration number; you cannot legally use the vehicle on the road again until you've got this. You also need to get a certificate from HMRC stating that all customs duties have been paid. This is what happened when I imported my ElectraGlide from the USA; different rules may be in place for vehicles imported from within the EU. Last edited by: Harleyman on Sat 2 May 15 at 12:45 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 13:34   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - jc2

Mine was within EU and just needed a form to say VAT had been paid. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 16:01   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - TheManWithNoName

As some have posted, is there anything to worry about? Well if it was me who'd bought a car, then yes, I would be concerned. This chap is young and just starting out as self employed. He has a young family and he doesn't want to fall foul of the law or have aggro completing forms or hanging on for hours in a phone queue trying to sort it out. Some have posted that everything is checkable on line and an MOT is just a bit of A4. Well if that's the case why on Earth is DVLA writing to HIM about the vehicle rather than checking their own records? It's like they have ballsed up but want him to justify and explain why. That's joined up Government for you I guess. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 16:49   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Bromptonaut

>> Some have posted that everything is checkable on line and an MOT is just a >> bit of A4. Well if that's the case why on Earth is DVLA writing to >> HIM about the vehicle rather than checking their own records? It's like they have ballsed >> up but want him to justify and explain why. That's joined up Government for you >> Is it about the MoT at all? In your OP you say the DVLA's letter states that there is an anomaly with the vehicle's identity. My reading of that is of something in the change of owner/re-registration etc process has thrown up a question - compiter has said no for some reason. It may be just a mistake over VIN numbers etc or it might be something more worrying about the van's history. Is its full history known to the ex Boss and if so has he been wholly and fully honest with Ben about it? . I think Ben will have to bite the bullet, fill in the forms and see what happens. No harm though in ringing DVLA and asking them for more detail of the 'anomaly'. If there needs to be finger pointing about who's messed up that can come later but in meantime it won't go away just because somebody's asserting a cock up. Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 2 May 15 at 16:53 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 17:21   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - sooty123

> Some have posted that everything is checkable on line and an MOT is just a >> bit of A4. Well if that's the case why on Earth is DVLA writing to >> HIM about the vehicle rather than checking their own records? It's like they have ballsed >> up but want him to justify and explain why. That's joined up Government for you >> I guess. More than likely just a check to make sure everything is as it should be. Does anything on the form ask him to ring up or that he shouldn't drive the van? Or is there anything to suggest it's a scam of some description? If not, the form doesn't sound too time consuming I'd just fill it in and send it back like they ask. Possible an audit to make sure it's ok. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 2 May 15 17:33   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Bromptonaut

>> More than likely just a check to make sure everything is as it should be. Until recently one had to present vehicle and all documentation at the DVLA local office as part of the reg transfer process. That process, while a pain for all, provided a forum to iron out minor glitches/discrepancies. A common source of these was likely to be mistakes made by dealers at first registration. It may be something as simple as that. Advice to Ben remains JFDI Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 2 May 15 at 17:36 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 7 May 15 13:19   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - TheManWithNoName

The latest on this saga is Ben's boss had already transfered his cherished plate to the original plate long before MOTing and selling the vehicle to Ben. What the boss failed to do however was physically change the plastic bits at each end of the van, so for months the van was being driven around with Boss1 instead of RM14WTF. The van is now having to go through a new MOT which Ben's boss is hopefully going to cough up for! Once they have the new cert, they'll send it back with the letter from DVLA. It still means the MOT tester didn't spot the van being tested had the wrong reg plates. Don't they have an obligation to check before issuing the MOT? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 7 May 15 13:45   DVLA, MOT garage or post office mess up? - Bromptonaut

So basically the Boss cocked up and everyone tries to blame the DVLA? The MoT tester was presnted with paperwork for Boss1 and a vehicle registered Boss1. If they were of different models he should have noticed but then perhaps Ben should have noticed if the model on the Boss MoT was wrong. Reply to this message | Report message