What's the law on buying a used car ?
 

I plan to buy a used car from either a car sales place or from a private seller, if i find one i like i'd want to drive it back, insuring it there and then isn't a problem as i'll do that over the phone. What about it having no tax, would you be able to drive it back with no tax ?

It's just to get it home as i can sort the tax out online when i'm back.

You have to have both Tax and insurance to drive it straight away.

No Tax, and you are theoretically uninsured, and should you have an accident while without tax, the insurance company will just walk away.

You can do it online at the dealer or with the person you're buying it from. Just go to:

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax

You'll need the code from the new owners tab of the V5, person that bought my Civic did it on her phone, not sure if the person you're buying it from has to cancel it in their name before you can tax it.

Ok, cheers lads. Looks like i'll have to do the tax there and then as well.

Just tax it buy new keeper part ref number there and then. the dvla will refund seller by looking at sale date of car and will get sent a cheque.
Theoretically if vehicle is already taxed it won't ping the anpr when driving it home, as it won't remove tax from system till the v5 has been recived at dvla for processing, but that would be illegal to do that :). At your risk.

Personally I would not worry about road tax, I just make sure i have all the paper work and tax it the next day

That's just me, and it is what I did when I bought a car last month

But theoretically the car can be taken off the road if you're caught.

theoretically - but the chances are so small I would not worry about it

(but that is just me)

Not sure I see a point in taking the risk? for the sake of going online (on your phone even) or calling up.

A dealer won't let you leave without tax either.

Id like to see then try and stop me!

Very mature but they won't give you the keys, pretty simple really.

I'd imagine you could sign something to remove their responsibilities, but I don't get why you'd be that awkward?

Because it is nothing to do with them what i do or do not do.

Could you clarify what responsibilities you think a dealer may have to force you to buy a tax disc?

They have no responsibility for that vehicle as soon as it is sold. And they have no power to stop you doing anything you like with it, much less to hold you against your will by refusing to hand over keys to your property....

typically they just fine you the back duty.

When I bought my car privately, the seller left it taxed until the end of the month. You don't get refunded for a part-month so he cancelled it on the last day instead. That's what I'll do from now on when I sell as well.

It might not be a legal requirement (I have no idea) but I have purchased three cars from dealers since the new regs came in with two being from a main dealer and they would not complete the sale and hand over the keys until the tax was valid.

I didn't see an issue with it, being that it would be illegal for me to drive out without tax anyway. I don't understand your aggression?

People trying to force you to do something they have no right to force you to do gets my back up :thumb: especially psuedo self important faux bully tactics to force you to comply with something that isnt true....

You cant tax a car that is legally not yours so the sale has to be complete before you can tax it anyway! Once the sale is complete the car is yours and you can do as you choose.

I may be arkward but i wont be taken the piss out of and forced into anything...

Forced to comply with laws?

I'd say it was pretty responsible of the dealership to push this, if they didn't and you drive home uninsured and hit me I have to spend months fighting for the repair bills.

Too many scummy ****ers not paying tax or insurance these days and getting the pathetic 6 points.

And what mandate does a salesman have to enforce laws? He is an average joe the same as you and i with no rights to make you "comply" with anything.

Its people thinking they have some god given right to enforce anything on anyone else.

:Suspiciou

Next youll be advocating vigilantes for cars with no mot or tyres below the wear markers....

:wonder: I'd be all for that, anything that puts my life in danger or costs me money.

Unless you plan to drive around illegally, there is only benefit to a dealer supporting tax on a car and unless you're an idiot reporting a car with bald tyres or no MOT is common sense.

How dare they ask me to tax my car whilst I'm in the show room, I will tax it in the car park as is my god given right. :rolleyes:

Its my right to tax it where ever i so please..... in what ever manner i so please. And some prat in a suit spouting bollocks aint gonna change that....

Did a salesman abuse you at some point?

Not that i am aware of. Are you a salesman?

No salesperson has ever asked or checked if a car is insured when they sold it me, even if they did a MID check it wont show if I insured it 30 minutes ago, MID admit it can take 7 to 28 days to update,
the salesperson isnt liable for any recourse, so why would they care, they just want the sale and your cash.

God no, can't stand them

Tax son, we're talking about tax

No car leaves our showroom without proof of insurance, valid tax and a copy of the purchasers driving license.

This is part of our 'duty of care' as a retailer to ensure that we have done all we can to ensure that the car and driver are on the road 'legally' when the vehicle drives away from our dealership.

We make this clear at point of sale, if the customer is not happy with this, they are more than welcome to purchase elsewhere.

Not a law though. A self imposed set of terms and conditions for a false sense of self righteousness.

Actually, no.

As a dealership, we have some liability if we do not take all reasonable precautions to make sure that the vehicle and the person driving it are entitled to be on the road.

As an example, if we let someone drive away without checking that they actually have a valid driving license and they run someone over on the way out of the dealership, we could be considered as liable because we never asked whether they are able to drive.

In the same way, if we allow someone to drive away without checking that the vehicle is insured, we are failing in our duty of care.


I cannot understand why you would even try and argue the point ?

Vehicles must be taxed and insured to be on the road, the person driving must have a valid license, this is a fact !

Taking this into account, why would you have a problem with someone wishing to confirm this before you drive away ?

Because you have no right to that information. It has diddly squat to do with you. You are not thr police force and cannot physically stop me from doing any of those IF i so chose.

I DONT. But its my choice if i do or not. Yes it must have these but you are not the police force and there is the sum total of diddly squat ypu can do to stop someone.

Once the deal is done, money paid, the car is no longer your concern. I very much doubt you could stop someone taking it away, in fact id love to see you try. Call the police or whatever if they leave without tax but you cant make them do squat.

I could tax it infront of you. Get the keys and immediately cancel it, tell you, and laugh as i drive away in it.... Your process is a joke lol