re-assigning a reg plate

[levemircento]

Mrs has an MG ZR and she has a personal reg on it

she has now bought a pug 308

got the reg document back in her name on the 308

been on the dvla website, and done a retention on the personal reg, all ok.

tried to assign it to the 308, but keep getting "This registration number cannot be assigned"


I read read somewhere in the notes that the car must be taxed or sorned, it was neither. so I sorned it [the pug, she is still using the MG] and tried again, still no luck

phoning no good, department is closed due to covid


any of you who trade cars must have this same problem, am I just being impatient and just need to give it a couple of days?

it took half a day for the MG to go back its original reg.


the personal reg is an old R prefix, so older than the MG it was on, and of course older than the 308, I know that you cant make a car seem younger with the use of a personal reg.


any info would be welcome

 

[AndyRKett]

When I’ve transferred my own plate I have only ever done it from one car to another and never put it on retention. I wonder if putting it on retention is the problem here. If the dvla is not working at full capacity then the systems may not quickly update to show the plate is available to go on the new car yet. Sadly getting in contact with them on the phone may be the only way. That must have a department open somewhere for this sort of thing as traders frequently do this sort of change for customers.

You can still do it with a paper form so maybe at the moment that maybe the only option

 

[levemircento]

it had to be removed from vehicle, and adding it to another is a seperate thing

would have been ideal if if could have been switched from one to the other, believe me when I say we couldnt do it that, we couldnt! its not a very good system


a few years ago Mrs bought an MX5, she bought her reg just after that and put it into the 5, back then we were able to go into the local DVLA office and sort it with a real person, I think we even did that when she switched it to the MG, I dont think DVLA has any offices now for things like that.

its outragious that a government department is closed too, and yes - car traders are going to suffer - I hope somebody in the trade can pop on here to give an opinion.

 

[levemircento]

its gone through today, so all good!