WORTH THE PAPER IT’S WRITTEN ON?
V5 logbooks, MOT test papers… Buyers should take care. James Ruppert reports
Paperwork. Don’t talk to me about paperwork. I’ve seen more automotive paperwork than I can shake a V5 at. At the moment, I am rather clued up on just what you should and shouldn’t look for. My general rule when buying a car, since forever, has been to make sure that all the paperwork is there or thereabouts.
I mention this because recently the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) responded to a freedom of information request from Claims Management and Adjusting about the paper MOT certificate. The DVSA said: “The view of DVSA is that the test certificate is a receipt style certificate and it is the database holds the authorative [sic] record… DVSA advice is that if a customer has concerns to the validity of the certificate or wishes to, they can confirm the details via the gov.uk website.”
It is hard to argue with that. Considering that the latest MOT certificate no longer has a watermark, it is basically a printout. I thought absolutely everyone checked a used car online. As you know, it is a neat system where you can check the recorded mileage and any advisories. Instantly, the buyer gets a snapshot history of the car they should either embrace or run away from. If you rely purely on the paper printout without going online, then you are nuts. Glad we’ve cleared that one up.
What about the V5, though? I mean, you really would be certifiable to buy any used car without nailing down the whereabouts of that piece of paper. Well, as you might know, dear reader, I did. I am also glad I did. This was a calculated risk and sometimes you just have to take a chance.
That is all very well, but the car I bought didn’t just have a missing piece of paperwork, but it legally didn’t live in the UK, either. However, the DVLA had a record of it on its system. Indeed, the car had been legally MOTED. I didn’t just have the paper certificate, but it was also online. At that point, I paid for an HPI data check, which is always a wise thing to do when buying privately. The element I wasn’t able to check through HPI’S system was the V5. There was a note that the registration plate had been exported. HPI also indicated it had a four cylinder engine. It was enough to make me recount the plug leads.
What the seller had to do was notify Her Majesty’s tax collectors that it was not liable for VAT, by using a NOVA form. Then it was up to the DVLA to decide whether it could keep the registration plate and get a V5.
The point is: don’t trust any pieces of paper. I had an insured and MOTED vehicle, neither of which meant anything.
If you rely purely on the paper printout without going online, then you are nuts