| Negotiating a Better Price When You Buy |
24 Mar |
Car sales are not the only times when you can bag a good deal on a new car. Even when a dealer is not advertising a sale you still stand a chance of getting a great discount on your dream car.
One of the least known tricks is to make sure you time the purchase of your new car correctly. Sales staff at dealerships always have monthly or quarterly targets to meet and may be willing to offer extraordinary discounts if they are about to miss their sales target. If you can manage to talk to a sales representative desperate to close their sales period within their target range you could very well convince them to part with the car at a much lower price.
Another timing tip is to buy a new car just before the registration plates change in March and September. At these times dealers are keen to sell existing stock with the current plates on them. Keep in mind, though, that this might affect the car’s resale value later on.
Those able to pay for their car in cash, or with pre-arranged loans, can also count on a solid discount. If a sales rep knows that you are able to pay straight away instead of having to wait for a loan arrangement they may be more willing to offer a substantial discount.
Remember that car sales can sometimes offer fantastic discounts and freebies, so keep an eye out for great deals directly from the manufacturers. Time it right and you can get an extra discount on top of what is already on offer.
read comments (0)| The British Standard Involved in Displaying Registration Numbers |
16 Sep |
In a prior article entitled “The Correct Way to Display a Registration Number in the UK”, we discussed the specific criteria as well as letter and number measurements where this is concerned. On the other hand, the physical characteristics are laid down in what is referred to as the British Standard. These characteristics are set up in accordance with three aspects:
- Reflectivity
- Strength
- Visibility
The following information must also be marked on your number plates according to the British Standard:
- BS AU 145d is currently the British Standard Number
- The component supplier’s or the manufacturer’s name, trade mark, and any other applicable identification information
- The supplying outlet’s name and postcode
- The Euro-symbol containing national identification letters and a non-reflective border are optional additions
- NO other markings or materials are allowed to be displayed on your number plates
Additionally, there are a few other rules and regulations to be aware of where adhering to the British Standard is concerned. First of all, the manufacturer must be registered DVLA’s RNPS (Register of Number Plate Suppliers). For proof of registration use you must provide your personal ID with photo and a V5 logbook.
If you just assigned a private registration number to your vehicle, you will not receive your registration documents right away. However, you will be issued a document giving you the authorisation to have your number plates manufactured. More information about this is posted at the DVLA website or contact them in person or by telephone.
| Personalised and Cherished Number Plates |
2 Sep |
While all of us have registration plates on our vehicles, the ones that catch your eye are generally the plates that have either very low numbers on them, or relay some sort of messages. These are likely either personalised plates or cherished number plates.
Personalised plates are those that are created by the owner and usually reflect something to do with that person’s name, occupation or family. For example, boxer Amir Khan has the plate “BOX IIIG” on his vehicle, while someone named Sonya might use the combination “SON 7A” to spell out her name. By using numerals in place of letters—for example 3 for E and 5 for S—thousands of specialised words and phrases can be formed. Several companies, along with the DVLA, offer search services so you can see if the plate you desire is available. Plates with the middle digits of “60” are often fancied because they could substitute for the word “GO”.
Cherished plates, on the other hand, are plates with numbers that typically denote a vehicle with some history. Owners of cherished number plates that have special, historical or significant value attached to them definitely cherish these plates. Over time the value of these plates has increased exponentially, and many people will hang on to these plates ahead of just about anything else.
Because of this, cherished plates can command quite a high price. When someone does decide to sell a cherished number plate, it can fetch quite a price. For example, back in 1989 when the previously unissued number plate 1 A was sold at auction, it fetched £160,000. Imagine the price should it become available today!
| Creating your Personalised Plates |
27 Aug |
Personalised plates are becoming very fashionable in the UK, and more and more people are seeking them out as ways to add that ‘special something’ to the vehicle in which they spend so much of their time. The number you seek must, of course, be unregistered already, but there are plenty of websites that will allow you to search for a number, including DVLA’s own website.
The website at www.newreg.co.uk will allow you to search by first name, surname, as well as plates beginning with ‘Miss’ (MI55) or ‘Ms’ (M5). If the plate you seek is not found, you’ll know immediately. Most sites, including www.PremierPlates.co.uk, offer suggestions for other letter and number combinations if your first choice has already been taken. Keep in mind that the new numbering scheme in effect since 2001 offers more possibilities, since there are more numbers and letters on the new plates.
Websites such as www.regtransfers.co.uk and www.carreg.co.uk also offer to handle the registration of your new plates as well – although keep in mind the new identification procedures still need to be followed. However it’s often more convenient to have the same company issuing your plates take care of the registration at the same time. They’ll handle the paperwork expeditiously and you’ll have your personalised number plates in a much shorter time, allowing you to place it on your vehicle and start driving legally.
Using the websites will allow you to search for the number plate you desire, avoid disappointment, and let a company with knowledge of the process take care of the DVLA proceedings.
| DVLA Registrations – the 2-Part V5 Registration Document |
23 Aug |
Whenever you are selling your vehicle here in the UK, both you and the purchaser will have to fill out certain sections of a car registration certificate or document and notify the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) immediately the sale and transfer have been completed. One of these forms is the 2-part V5 Registration Document. The details below contain the proper procedure that you need to follow should you be required to use this particular form.
The section entitled “notification of sale or transfer” should be completed, detached, and then posted to the DVLA immediately (DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR). Be aware that the new car registration certificate will not be sent out immediately. If you do not do this, you will receive inquiries as to the subsequent use of the vehicle. You will need to provide the purchaser with the top portion of the certificate. Should the sale of the vehicle be a private one, the DVLA must be informed as soon as possible once the purchaser takes possession of the vehicle; you should remind them of this fact to be safe.
Typically what happens once the DVLA has been informed of the sale and transfer is that you will receive an automatic acknowledgement letter within about four weeks. This letter will confirm the sale and transfer, as well as relieve you of any further reliability for the vehicle. Just be patient as it can take up to four weeks for this to work through the system at the DVLA. Do not contact the DVLA before the four week waiting period has expired.
| Fun Plate Numbers |
6 Aug |
Are the registration plates on your car. . . boring? Are they the standard ones issued by the DVLA? Have you seen personalised plates on cars about town and thought about what fun it might be to have them on your own car? Did you know it’s easier than ever before to create your own fun number plates?
Many websites allow you to input plate numbers and see if they’re available. For example, input a choice of one letter, one number, and then three letters and see if they are available. For example, the plate registration PR05 PER (prosper) would be one that would follow the current registration format and be fun to drive with, as well.
Fun registration plates are also viewed as investments by many people. Obviously, each plate or set of registration plates must be unique, so if your registered plate is the older, suffix-model of JEN 11E, you can be assured that is the only plate of its kind on the road. Uniqueness, of course, has always been valued. Should you decide to part with your personalised plates, you can be sure a good price would be likely at auction.
The more unique your plate is, yet with widespread appeal, the higher the price you are likely to receive. Cherished number plates, especially those with older origins, are valued the highest and can be sold for tens of thousands of pounds. In many cases, the appreciation of personalised registration plates far outstrips that of many other investments.
Also, as DVLA changes their numbering scheme, those plates with an older style will increase in value because they will no longer be issued. Just as the original dateless number plates issued after the original 1903 Motor Car Act are highly prized, so too are today’s numbers likely to be when their style is no longer available.
| Importing a Vehicle into the UK on a Temporary Basis |
28 Jul |
If you are visiting the UK you can import and operate a vehicle with foreign number plates for a period of up to six months, provided that you have paid all of your home country’s motoring taxes. You can also do this for shorter periods within a 12 month period. Just be aware that if a police officer stops you and you have foreign number plates on the vehicle, you will have to show proof that you are allowed to operate it in the UK without DVLA registration or taxing it.
In order to operate a non-EU vehicle in the UK temporarily, the driver will need to contact the HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) upon entering the UK. It is up to the HMRC to allow a vehicle from outside of the EU to be operating on UK roads. If the vehicle is going to remain in the UK, you must obtain a UK DVLA registrations certificate and pay the appropriate vehicle tax.
EU vehicles that are imported into the UK can be operated in the country for up to a six month period within any 12 month period. You will not have to obtain a car registration certificate or pay the vehicle taxes provided that you can show proof that you have complied with these requirements for the vehicle’s country of origin. It is the driver’s responsibility to provide proof of how long the vehicle has been in the UK. Usually, ferry tickets are proof enough.
| What Does My Car Number Plate Mean? |
28 Jun |
For almost as long as there have been cars on the road in the UK, there have been car number plates, or vehicle registration plates, attached to them. Each of these plates displays a seemingly random series of letters and numbers, usually in reflective material unless the plate is extremely old.
On many plates you’ll see the EU Country Identifier at the far left. The identifier for Great Britain is a vertical blue band with a circle of stars on it, and beneath the circle the letters “GB” for Great Britain. Following the Country Identifier are two letters, commonly known as the Area Code, or memory tag. These indicate the local registration office: the first letter identifies a very broad area, and the second letter identifies the registration office within that area. For example, plate identifiers beginning with A were issued within Anglia, those beginning with P were issued in the Preston area. Within Preston, for example, you’ll find 18 issuing offices, each of which is indicated by the second letter.
The following two digits are the age identifier. If the plate was originally issued between March and August of a year, the digits of that year will be displayed: 11 for plates issued between March and August of 2011. If issued between September and February of the following year, the numbers would have 50 added to them. So plates issued between September of 2011 and February of 2012 would display a 61.
| Trade license plates – who is eligible to use them? |
22 Jun |
Many businesses, such as car dealerships, buy and sell cars at a rapid rate, and it is simply not practical for them to go through the plate registration process at the DVLA for every car they own. This is an expensive administrative burden and the vehicles are rarely used on public roads, staying on the forecourt for the majority of the time.
The two main categories of businesses that are eligible for trade license plates are motor traders and vehicle testers. Motor traders are businesses that specialise in selling, manufacturing or repairing vehicles or those who have cars in their possession solely for collection or delivery. Vehicle testers are defined as businesses that use public roads to carry out short term tests, on vehicles that belong to others.
Trade plates can only be used on vehicles, if the vehicle is temporarily in the possession of a business that has the right to use trade plates. As soon as the vehicle is transferred or sold to another party, the trade plates can no longer be used on the vehicle, unless the new owner has a similar license. Vehicles which are part of a trader’s stock are considered under temporary possession, regardless of the period of time that the vehicle spends on the forecourt.
Applying for a trade license is relatively simple and requires form VTL301 to be completed and sent to the DVLA. Licenses are however time-limited, usually lasting only six months before the application needs to be renewed.
| Special Plates for Special People |
17 Jun |
For quite some time you could only display the number plate attached to your vehicle when you purchased it. But the times, they are a changing. Now you can select a personalised registration plate for your car that reflects you and your lifestyle. The DVLA has been issuing personalised plates since 1989, and their new website allows you to search the plates already issued, ensuring your plate is still available. The DVLA registrations process is an easy one to complete.
Personalised plates are a wonderful gift for yourself or someone special in your life. Know someone who loves dogs? Include the combination “K9” in it. List your nickname or the name of your spouse on the car; the variations are almost endless.
The plates can be quite expensive, however. Be sure to do a search on the DVLA’s website or via another provider. You may find that the plate you desire is extremely expensive—some of them can cost into the tens of thousands of pounds! Short plates command the highest prices, so if you cherish something like 3P or M4, be sure to do your research first. If very lucky, when checking number plates for sale in your area, you may find the one you want at a reasonable price.
Some of the most popular plates are the “Miss” plates. Start with MI55, and then choose the last three letters as your name, nickname or shortened version of the same. “MI55 AMY” or “MI55 CDY” are just some of the options you have. You can also create your last name on a plate: W1LC0X and others can be created with a little imagination.
Plates can be purchased as a gift as well. Simply inform the DVLA of that at the time of purchase. They’ll note it on a form and you can present your gift to the lucky recipient. It’s something that will last for years to come.