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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask this favour?

33 replies

EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:08

I'm genuinely not sure if IBU so here goes:

I bought a car about 5 months ago. Private sale via a local Facebook group, I had quite a bit of contact with the seller before and after and she was really lovely. The car had a private reg which wasn't for sale, I'm not sure why she didn't swap the plates before advertising the car but I'm hardly Miss Organised so I'm in no place to judge. I had the car for about 2 months while she waited for the new plates/reg form to arrive from the DVLA, when it finally came she swapped the plates and crucially left me with the reg form.

Every other car I've bought the seller has sent off one part of the reg form while I've kept a small slip to prove I'm the new owner. What I hadn't realised was that the seller had given me the entire form, and it was still in her name. I should have checked obviously, but I just shoved the whole thing in the 'important documents drawer' and forgot about it.

Until it came to renewing the tax disc. Which I did online. And then I sat back and waited for it to arrive... After a week I checked and realised my mistake, the tax disc has gone to the seller who is still the registered keeper of the car, arghhhhh.

I got in touch with the seller and she had the new tax disc, I offered to drive over to her to collect it at a time/place of convenience or reimburse her for the postage if it was easier for her to send it me. She said that was fine and she was happy to help.

We tried to arrange to meet at the beginning of the week but that didn't work out so I asked her to post it instead, she said she would do that after work on Tuesday.

Four days later I've had nothing in the post and she is not replying to my (increasingly frantic) messages. I appreciate she is doing me a favour but I'm now driving round without displaying a valid tax disc and I'm 8 days in to the 14 days grace period. If I have to buy another one that's £200 written off potentially just because she couldn't be bothered to find a post box.

So AIBU for getting annoyed that a virtual stranger won't do me a favour that would take her a few minutes but could cost me hundreds of pounds?

WIBU to send her message explaining that if I have to buy another disc then I can't take the kids away next weekend because that's all our holiday spending money gone (she knows I have 3 small dc) or is that laying it on too thick?

OP posts:
MaidOfStars · 08/08/2014 12:10

If you're OK driving the car without tax, why not just pop over to her house?

mydoorisalwaysopen · 08/08/2014 12:13

Have you tried contacting the DVLA and explaining your situation. They might just charge a small fee to reissue. Perhaps lie a little and say you thought the old owner had sent off the docs when you bought it.

Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:13

Because she's not answering her phone/FB messages Maid, I could just turn up and camp on the doorstep until she lets me have the disc I suppose!

OP posts:
MaidOfStars · 08/08/2014 12:14

I could just turn up and camp on the doorstep until she lets me have the disc I suppose

I think that's what I meant. How far away is she from where you live/work?

Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:17

I did wonder Mydoor - I'll ask one more time then give the DVLA a ring to see if they could help, even a small reissue charge would be better than forking out again or paying the fine.

I'm just disappointed I guess that the seller isn't inclined to help.

OP posts:
Waitingonasunnyday · 08/08/2014 12:17

I wouldn't buy a new one.

Can you contact DVLA and ask them to send a replacement to your new address? They must have some sort of procedure for discs getting lost in the post.

You have done the most important bit - the car is actually taxed and that would show on computer database.

Failing to display a tax disc is an offence but I think you'd be really unlucky to be picked up on that.

impatientlywaiting · 08/08/2014 12:17

When I lost my car tax disc I went to the local DVLA and they replaced for £7.

Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:19

About 20 minutes Maid, and the dc have all come down with d & v today. Although that might be a good tactic, give me the disc or my poorly kids will vomit on your doorstep...

OP posts:
Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:21

Looking up my local DVLA now - thank you for all the practical advice, I'd clearly just got stuck on blaming the seller rather than proactively sorting it out!

OP posts:
YoniMitchell · 08/08/2014 12:22

Isn't the issue if her still being the registered keeper (official owner?) a problem (for either of you)? Have you managed to transfer the car to you now?

Andrewofgg · 08/08/2014 12:24

Put a letter through her door with a stamped addressed envelope?

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 08/08/2014 12:27

I think it's equally important to sort out the paperwork though - as far as the DVLA are concerned, she is still the registered owner so they wouldn't be able to reissue to your address?

MaidOfStars · 08/08/2014 12:28

If she is the registered keeper, are you properly insured? Especially if you have told your insurers that you ARE the registered keeper.

Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:30

I've sent off the form Yoni so as soon as that is processed I will be the registered owner. I guess it would have been an issue if she had been receiving speeding/parking tickets but luckily I'm a pretty conscientious (slow) driver.

That's a point actually, until the change of ownership is registered if I did get a fine for not displaying the disc wouldn't it go to her (not that I would dream of trying to duck it but she doesn't know that).

Stamped addressed envelope is a great idea. I love MN.

OP posts:
Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:31

Shit, yes, insurance! Hadn't even thought of that. Now I'm nervous.

OP posts:
MaidOfStars · 08/08/2014 12:42

Your insurance may actually be the bigger problem here. Did you tell them you were the registered keeper?

If so, your policy is almost certainly invalid. You'd need every ounce of their sympathy for them to uphold it, and insurance companies don't work on sympathy.

Even if you now become the registered keeper, they'll claim that you took it out on false details and invalidate.

However, if you phone and explain, might that be a black mark against you, because they'll think you tried to defraud them.

How long do you have left on your policy?

Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:49

7 months Maid! Although I'm not sure I'm going to keep the car that long as I bought it to allow me to do some freelance work that comes to an end in November, but still at least 4 months. Can I cancel my current insurance and start again with another company? Or double insure it?

OP posts:
Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:50

I'm pretty sure I said I was the registered keeper because I didn't realise I wasn't until last weekend!

OP posts:
TestingTestingWonTooFree · 08/08/2014 12:51

I think double insuring is a big no no.

Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 12:55

I'm surprised the insurers don't check with the DVLA but presumably they do check with each other so I'm not going to be able to pass it off as a new purchase.

Arse arse arse arse.

I'm just going to have to sell up and start again aren't I.

OP posts:
araiba · 08/08/2014 12:55

wow maidofstars- way to make mountains out of molehills

get the paperwork sent off to dvla pronto and dont worry about it

Pipbin · 08/08/2014 13:03

Run up a load of speeding and parking tickets. They'll all go to her. That'll get her to get her shit together.

Deelish75 · 08/08/2014 13:09

Have the DVLA sent through the new vehicle registration documents (V5 I think). Do you still have any of the documents that the previous owner should have given you at time of sale.
You need to speak to DVLA urgently. If you get stopped by the police you may have your car impounded for not having correct documentation.

MaidOfStars · 08/08/2014 13:15

wow maidofstars- way to make mountains out of molehills

Just trying to think of potential issues that perhaps the OP might need to address. It's called "being thorough" Wink

Of course, none of it will matter if the OP doesn't need to make any insurance claims before the end of the policy.

Original poster
EliandmE · 08/08/2014 13:16

Deelish I've got the new keepers slip (from the log book) that the seller left me the day I bought the car. However because of all the business with the private plates it turns out the seller never sent off the rest of that log book. I also have the new seller slip from the new log book with the non private plates because I have just sent off the rest of the form to the DVLA.

OP posts: