[RagingKileak]

Now then,

New car came with a private plate which I dont really care for/want...

What liability for costs do I have here? Now it is on... can it stay there forever and I never need to worry about it? I just tax the car as normal etc, and never worry about 'retention' or whatever?

If I want rid - can I sell it? Presumably I would make a deal like 'you give me X cash, and pay any costs and its yours' and I then ring the DVLA and they sort it out for me/the new owner?

I am liable for any expense to return to a normal plate? Obviously, buying the plates yes, but anything else?

Does anyone know of a service where I could part ex this plate for another?

I suspect this one is a bog standard '£275' plate, and it has no relevance to any specific car etc, its just useful for people with certain initials!!

Cheers
Matt

[E902717]

if you don't mind leaving it on the car you don't need to do anything just treat like any other plate.

if you want to sell it you need to have it put on 'retention' then you can advertise it or try and flog it to one of the number plate sites/brokers.

[rogerxp]

As said above, if you're happy it being on your car, you don't need to do anything or indeed pay anything. It's just like a normal plate.

You could sell it via any one of the reg plate sellers online. Someone like RegTransfers will ask you what you want for it, say £200, and stick it on their website for £400. Whatever they sell it for, they pay your £200, and they pocket the rest. The higher the figure you want the higher the figure will be on their website and the less likely you are to physically sell it. You can do all this whilst leaving it on your car I think and only start messing around if a buyer comes along. This service doesn't cost anything.

It'll cost you £105 to put in onto retention which you'd have to do once you sell the plate.

The other alternative is to stick it on ebay. Bear in mind it'll cost you £105 to put the the plate onto rentention so pitch the price above that sufficient to make a tidy profit.

Sometimes, because of the cost to change, and the likely price the plate would fetch, it's just best to leave it on the car. Don't forget you'd have to get new plates made up (the original reg plate of the car is returned once the private plate is removed or a new one issued if the car was initially registered on the private plate). They don't cost much but do eat into your profit.

[RagingKileak]

Aye its a right pain, someone should offer a service which takes all the hassle away and does it for you...

For example, I see a plate I like for £3XX all in (plates, registration, the lot) and they can take mine for £50 in my pocket after all the messing about - discount the £50 off the plate I want, sell my old one for a million quid if they like... simples.

Anyone want in on a business venture?

Matt

[rogerxp]

I'm sure someone already does this. Pretty sure RegTransfers would take a plate as a part-ex for another plate but it would either have to be a decent plate or you accept a pretty low price for it (no different to a car really!!).

Once a plate is on retention there is an annual fee of £25 if it's not placed onto a vehicle. If someone like RegTransfers took it on, and it wasn't a great plate, they'd have to factor this future potential cost into the equation. Probably why they offer to advertise it for you instead. Costs them bugger all to add it to their website and you foot the potential costs (unless you leave it on your car of course).

[RagingKileak]

I thought that as soon as I posted... I guess its the DVLA who make it difficult...

Or there might be a good reason why retention costs quite a lot of money... I am sure it will become apparent...

Maybe...

Matt

[rogerxp]

The £125 retention fee actually includes the usual £80 transfer fee and £25 which is the annual retention fee. You can only transfer a plate between cars if you are the registered keep of both. The ownership of the plate passes to the registered keeper which could be dangerous if a planned car purchase goes pear-shaped once you've transferred the plate. There's something about adding a nonimee to the retention certificate too if you sell the plate which costs about £20 too I think.

And, YES, it's the DVLA who are absolute swines throughout the whole process and a giant money making scheme for the government. That said, they can sometimes be pretty quick, my plate has just gone onto retention and it took under a week for the docs to arrive back.

[RagingKileak]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

The £125 retention fee actually includes the usual £80 transfer fee and £25 which is the annual retention fee. You can only transfer a plate between cars if you are the registered keep of both. The ownership of the plate passes to the registered keeper which could be dangerous if a planned car purchase goes pear-shaped once you've transferred the plate. There's something about adding a nonimee to the retention certificate too if you sell the plate which costs about £20 too I think.

And, YES, it's the DVLA who are absolute swines throughout the whole process and a giant money making scheme for the government. That said, they can sometimes be pretty quick, my plate has just gone onto retention and it took under a week for the docs to arrive back.

Might just keep it then...

Keep your eyes open for someone with the initials NTB

Matt

[rogerxp]

Matt, just change your name, it's a whole load less hassle!!!

[themetz]

http://www.elitereg.co.uk do 'basic' registrations and will part-ex and do a straight buy from you.

[M3-FAST]

If you advertise the plate, say on ebay, whilst it is still on the car and then find a buyer, you would not need to put the plate on retention at all. Once someone has purchased the plate, all you need to do is send the paperwork off to the DVLA and change the 'nominee' to the purchaser. The paperwork will get returned to you (god knows why!!) with the purchasers details on - he can then register whetever car he likes with that plate then (age depending if it is an age related plate).

You can then go to the licencing office and re-register your vehicle with it's original plate. If it was supplied new on a private plate, they will issue a 'new' age related plate for it - not sure on costs.

If you decided to re-register first then yes, you would need to put the private plate on retention.

[rogerxp]

Originally Posted by M3-FAST

If you advertise the plate, say on ebay, whilst it is still on the car and then find a buyer, you would not need to put the plate on retention at all. Once someone has purchased the plate, all you need to do is send the paperwork off to the DVLA and change the 'nominee' to the purchaser. The paperwork will get returned to you (god knows why!!) with the purchasers details on - he can then register whetever car he likes with that plate then (age depending if it is an age related plate).

That rings a bell. I sold a plate on ebay a year ago and remember nominating the guy who bought it on the retention certificate. I'd had it up for sale with RegTransfer for nearly 12 months whilst it was on retention with no luck and sold it just before I had to fork out £25 for a years extention to the retention.

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

That rings a bell. I sold a plate on ebay a year ago and remember nominating the guy who bought it on the retention certificate. I'd had it up for sale with RegTransfer for nearly 12 months whilst it was on retention with no luck and sold it just before I had to fork out £25 for a years extention to the retention.

I think it is the cheapest way of doing it. This is how I purchased my current plate. The seller had an M3 'vert and advertised the plate whilst he still displayed it. Once I paid for the plate he sent off and added me as the nominee. I think it cost £25 to do that? He then sent me the paperwork in my name (well as the nominee anyway, he was still the owner until I actually put it on a vehicle). I then changed the way I was funding the car from a PCP to a lease so then had to return the doc to the seller for him to send it off and get the nominee changed to BMW contract hire. The car was then registered with the plate from new. The only downside is that BMW now legally own my plate but apparantly it is common place and they will place it on retention for me at the end of the lease period.

Hope this helps Matt!!

[RagingKileak]

Hi all,

Thanks for your help guys,

I am not sure it is 'what I wanted to hear' etc, but it's certainly been an informative thread!!

I will more than likely just let it go then to be honest, it didnt cost me anything, and I hardly think 'N13 NTB' is going to set the world alight!

Matt

[rogerxp]

That's worth fuck all anyway. If you're wanting a private plate yourself just get one and stick in onto your car. N13 NTB will just go back into the 'pool' but at least its not cost you anything. You could always offer it to whoever you were to by a plate off, they may give you £25 for it!!! If you just want rid of it stick it on ebay for 1p stipulating that the buyer picks up all associated costs.