Another car question . . sorry

[MoonPig]

Recently bought a second hand car from a major dealership in hull only to find on collection that the salesman had failed to mention that it had a private number plate which wasnt on the car when i bought it. The salesman apologised and said that actually it was a bonus as it would fetch a couple of hundred i sold it. I still agreed to the sale and found that indeed the plate had a value of £200. A month later a dealer from another garage in the company rang and explained that the plate shouldn`t have been sold as it was a young girls who had received it from her parents as an 18th present and could they have it back explaining that they would pay the transfer documents and any alteration to the insurance costs for changing the policy.

What should i do,
1) Do as they ask
2) Ask the dealership to buy the plate back
3) an other

 

[surefire]

How nice are you, how much does £200 mean to you, and how much do you believe the story?

Assuming the story they tell you is true, unless the plate has some value to you, for the sake of £200, I wouldn't upset a young and probably naive girl, who probably didn't realise she had to contact the DVLA to retain the plate before selling the car.

I would probably ask to deal directly with the girl though, and get the money off the dealership for the costs you will incur.
Be aware sometimes the DVLA want to inspect your car before issuing a new (usually its original) plate, so you may have the hassle and expense of visiting your local DVLA office on top of the other costs you mention.

 

[MoonPig]

What annoyed me is that i have already swallowed the cost of changing the policy once as originally it was set up with the cars true plates but agreed that the value of the plate covered this cost and swallowed the cost myself as a gesture of goodwill to the dealer. They also tried telling me that i didnt legally own the plate as it was the girls. If its the girls naivity not a problem, but if its a dealer mess up then they want me to bail them out which im not prepared to do.

 

[CliveW]

How come the car had a different number plate on it before you bought it? All seems a bit fishy to me.

 

[MoonPig]

They had displayed the car with its original plates on hence the reason i set up the insurance with that reg. On collection it had the private plates, same car because i checked mileage etc and therefore had to change the policy incurring costs.

 

[Doc]

That would be full reimbursement for the original policy change costs plus any costs incurred for the latest change plus any additional costs incurred by you.

All paid for by the dealer.

Anything less is not satisfactory.

 

[Mark_G]

This sounds very fishy to me, when we buy a car in on cherished plates, the number plates are kept on the car all the way through until the transfer has been completed. To fit different plates and then refit the original cherished plates just before delivery points to me to a total cock up in the transfer process. If it was me I would request full compensation for any costs incurred and also compensation for the inconvenience.

 

[MoonPig]

The switching of plates baffles me and really annoyed me at the time. The dealership isnt giving me a full explanation as to why the mess up happened. What is leading me to believe that it was a dealership fault as oppose to the girls is that the dealership wanted to "pop" round to my house immediately to retrieve the plates and sort it all out. Either they are at fault or they have excellent aftersales service in wanting to help the girl out.

 

[CMAC]

Sure the plates aren't worth more? Seems a lot of hassle and cost by a dealer for a £200 plate.
Surely when she sold the car to the dealer she would ensure to keep the plates or do the dealers do it when sold on? In which case a dealer error so I agree, dealer pays for all your extra cost and throws in a free service for your inconvenience.

 

[surefire]

The switching of plates baffles me and really annoyed me at the time. The dealership isnt giving me a full explanation as to why the mess up happened. What is leading me to believe that it was a dealership fault as oppose to the girls is that the dealership wanted to "pop" round to my house immediately to retrieve the plates and sort it all out. Either they are at fault or they have excellent aftersales service in wanting to help the girl out.

The more I read, the fishier it sounds.

Why would the dealer come round immediately and collect the plates anyway?
Even if you did agree to this, they can't just come round and collect the plates, until your vehicle has another registration applied to it. It takes time for the DVLA to get there finger out and sort everything.
This I know, because I sold one of my cars in August, and before this I had to contact the DVLA to retain the plate. So far a new plate has been assigned to the car that's now sold, but I don't have the documentation to transfer the old plate to a different car yet.

In fact its this bit that confuses me. Why have the physical plates been changed on the car, at least once, and possibly twice, if the private plate was on the car, before you viewed it. The plates shouldn't be changed until the DVLA give the OK.

Do you have the V5 for the car yet? What reg number shows on that?

 

[MoonPig]

I have the V5 log book and the registration stated is that of the private plate. Im refusing to speak to the dealership at the moment until i have some clarity in my own mind as to where i stand legally and also a better idea of what is going on. Obviously i have spoken to the dealer but they have been very elusive in the fact that they are just giving the story of how the girl had the plates as a present and that she really wants them back. I want to make it clear that i am not cold hearted in anyway but annoyed and suspicious as to why the dealership is spending so much time aftersales to help the girl out if it was no fault of there own. I guess i don`t want to get the dealership out of the proverbial without an honest disclosure of what has gone on and of course some kind of reimbursment.

 

[chris661]

Will it honestly make that much of a difference to your life having those plates and getting bogged down in all the trash that goes with the fight to keep them? You bought the car on the understanding that it had "normal" plates so if the dealer pays any cost to get it back to that then what odds

 

[madandra]

Check the log book and see if the previous owners name is similar to the plate on the car. if its not tell him to BOLT !!!!!!

 

[slugger]

sell the plate back for a wee profit, plus any costs incurred. make sure you get something out of this for your time!

 

[Ken_A]

So the dealership put the cherished plates on the wrong car - no probs, bill them at your work rate for all phone calls and travel expensis, plus get them to pay your insurance fee (for changing the plates) and any additional costs.

If they want it they will agree to pay these reasonable terms - if not then thay can jump.

BTW car dealers are ***** IMHO - I know a few and they love to brag about how they ripped people off (or got 'a bargin')