OT Private plate questions

[DavidL]

Can anyone tell me what happens if you buy a plate on retention and keep it on retention.
The retention certificate needs renewing but do you then need to involve the grantee or as nominee can you do it all. They won't have any interest I'm sure.
Also although you have paid for the plate the grantee will still be on the V788 so could they, in theory, manage to register the plate to their car.
It all seems a bit vague!

It looks as though I'd be better off getting it onto a car asap but what happens to the original nos. In theory if I put it back onto retention 6 months later do I automatically get the original plate back?
Thanks all.

 

[Parisien]

Am interested in this question/answer too!


P

 

[MAF260]

My understanding - If you buy a plate on retention the seller (current Grantee) needs to make you the Nominee. There is a £25 fee for this which they will have hopefully agreed to cover. You are then able to transfer the number to a car you are the registered keeper of. Only at this stage does the current Grantee lose the right to the number.

 

[Trev Latter]

Pretty much as above. Until the grantee's name is off the form, he/she could change/remove the nominee and take the plate back. Best bet is put it on a vehicle asap. If you wanted to keep the plate on retention, you'd then become the grantee after you remove it from the vehicle, but not until that point. The original number will be held back by DVLA until the cherished number is removed again at which point it'll be re allocated to the vehicle.

 

[DavidL]

As Trev and MAF have said.
I spoke to one of the dealers. Basically you need to get the v778 form and send it off to the dvla immediately with you on as nominee and details of your vehicle to get it transferred.
The grantee can, in theory, request a new v778, which dvla will send to them, and then allocate the no to their car even if you have paid for it.
So it seems get the form off the seller and get it allocated to your car asap. Only once you have a letter back with the seller removed as grantee is the no safely yours.

 

[outrun]

Yes, at least allocate it to a car then put it on retention again if you like to complete complete control of ownership.