A boring question about buying a car and tax. Sorry

[RogueMnerHidesUnderABigHat]

I've brought a new to me car from a dealer.

Toyota, if that makes a difference.

Salesman rang me today to arrange about pick up, and lightly dropped in that I can't drive the car away as the previous owner had the car taxed as a mobility vehicle. Presumably at a different rate.
So before I can take it on the road, I have to go to an actual post office, not online and (at my expense) tax it as a non mobility vehicle.

The weird thing was, although I'm part exing my existing car, I have to drive the salesman's own personal vehicle to get to post office and do this.

Anyone else think this is odd?

Should I be demanding that they tax the vehicle for me? Or just swallow it?

Nowadays you have to tax a car when you buy it. I did it. My son did it. But we did it online, in the showroom as part of the purchase work and not driving anywhere.

This is due to cars not coming with the balance of tax anymore. New owners have to buy their own.

Was the post office run around thing simply because it had been mobility before?

Just bought an ex-mobility car and yes, garage said had to tax at PO instead of online. Had the car delivered to home. Luckily my village PO was walking distance so just a 30 min job to get there, tax the car with a special form and back. Could then drive straight away. For some reason the PO needed the VIN number so ask the garage for this before you go.

Until the car is taxed, it's illegal to drive it on the road. It's strange that they're not letting you drive your own car to the post office, but I suppose that depends on the legalities of when you stop owning your car. Maybe the garage sees it that as soon as you tax your new car, they own your old car, so you wouldn't own it for the trip from the post office to the garage? The car they're letting you use will be owned, taxed and insured by the garage, for anyone to use.

If there wasn't the mobility vehicle complication, you could tax the car on your phone when you collect it. You would have had to do this anyway, it no longer transfers between owners.

However, due to this, you have to do it at the Post Office as they have a form to fill in. There could be a fee of £25, just to warn you, so you may wish to negotiate this cost with the dealer, but check what the price you've agreed includes.

Thank you.

That’s very helpful