How to: Buying private plate on retention
 

Hi all, I am looking for advice on buying a private plate possibly from eBay, which currently on retention. I do have few confusion on how this thing work.:confused::confused:

1) how do I transfer this plate to my name once is sold to me?
2) how do I then transfer it to my car?
3) how long does the whole process take? And risk factor if any?

Seller will need to pay £20 to add you as a signee

Send all paperwork to Dvla or go to your local office you will need
Log book mot and copy of tax and the retention slip they will then apply the plate there and then

Risk is the same as ever with eBay will the other party send out the goods when you have paid

Whats the number. Ive got one of my plates on there for sale currently.

Its easy he signs the bit to add you as a nominee and you send it off to the DVLA with your paper work and the £25 for the addition of you to the paperwork.

Thanks, I will try to get the the seller to send this over to me first? Then I send this off myself? Once I received the paper works back under my name then I take my documents to local Dvla to get the plate onto my car?

The plate I am looking to buy is a,888 plate. Nothing special..:luvlove:t

It is pointless asking the seller to send you the retention certificate so you can then send it off to be added as a nominee. The seller will remain the grantee and so the certificate will be returned to him anyway.

First, negotiate who pays the £25 nominee fee (he might have included that expense in with the price). If not, send him the plate cost plus nominee fee and he can add your details to the certificate and send it away. The seller will then receive the certificate back with your name added as a nominee. He can then send it on to you. The seller will still be shown as grantee and will remain so until you assign the plate to a vehicle. Only then does the original seller lose all entitlement to the plate.

Should you put the plate back on retention you will then be shown as grantee.

If your putting it on a car straight away then you fill in the nominee details and the seller signs it. Then just send your £25 and your docs off and it will be assigned.


If you are leaving it on retention then the seller will receive it back as he is still the legal owner.

If the seller sign it and send this back to me then, could I personally take this to my local dvlato get this assign to car car straight away? Or do I have to send it off to officially add my name as nominee first before I could carry out the rest?

Yes you can take it along. I dont think DVLA do it over the counter any more. I know Maidstone wont. You hand it over and wait 3 or 4 days.

Ive take one plate off a car last week and this week another plate is coming off my wifes car and going on her new car. Ive also go a new car coming at the end of the week and that will have a number attached to it. So its a busy week for me and number plates.
I just do it all by post, cant be bothered with the hassle of going to DVLA

they did it over the counter several weeks ago in Nottingham for me/my dad.

Ok.. will have to get the seller send the sign paper over it me then. Will try to do it over the counter in Manchester.

have your plates made up and ready and dont forget to tell your insurance ;)

No problem, thanks

Atm seller refused to send me the retention certificate, as he claimed this is unsafe for him to do so. If he send this off yo dvla, with my name and address as nominee, that way will this a certificate comes back to me or the seller?

It goes back to the seller.
Your the one taking the risk, he's risking nothing even by sending it to you.
As legally while his name is on the retention cert he is the legal owner.


Welcome to the nightmare that is personal plate paperwork

so you think still the best way is for the seller to sign the paper and send this to me to process in person:Suspiciou:Suspiciou:Suspiciou.