countryman

Hi, I am after a bit of advice re MID requirements as I'm a bit confused (in fact even more so after speaking to my insurance company!) and would be interested to know what you all do. Currently, I only put cars on the MID that are to be used on the road (or were still taxed under the old system), but I read somewhere that any vehicle that has been in my possession for more than 14 days meeds to be on there, even if they are just sat on my forecourt for sale. I had thought that if vehicles were 'in trade' (i.e. yellow slip sent off) then the 'continuous insurance' regulations didn't apply? It was my understanding that untaxed vehicles that are to be used on the road with Trade Plates did not need to be on the MID? My confusion is further compounded as I have a number of vehicles on SOR, both from the 'public' and other dealers - speaking to my insurer this morning, it appears that they also need to be on my MID as they are in my possession, albeit not my ownership? Does anybody have a definitive answer?

When I started with them it was free! It was called the free Stockbook edition! Now I don't mind anybody having a profit, we've all got businesses to run, but I am really p****d off!! Yes, they do seem to have adopted the AutoTrader greed - that's why I don't advertise with AutoTrader and I shall on longer be using Dragon2000.

Hi all, I need some ideas/advice as it seems I need a new DMS due to the outrageous greed of Dragon2000. I have received a letter from them today, and it appears they have decided that it's OK to charge me £89.95 + VAT per month to continue using Dragon2000 (I currently pay them £39.95 + VAT per month), with one month's notice! Obviously whatever software I get needs to be able to integrate my existing records (which go back years). I am only a 'small' independent retailer and do not have a workshop. Any ideas?

Ha Ha! Glad somebody said it...

There's currently a similar thread to this on the Auto Trader's 'Community' pages and they seemed to have gleaned some more information from the DVLA - most of which we seem to know, so I won't bother to copy and paste the whole thing here. However worryingly, the final Q&A relates to the point that I raised ages ago and their answer is as follows: If a car is "in trade" before 1st October 2014 and the current tax disc expires after 1st October, what will happen? Any taxed vehicle currently in the trade where the tax disc expires after 1st October, will result in the tax being terminated at the point the vehicle is sold to a new keeper. No refund will be paid if the vehicle is registered as disposed to trade. Only if the trader is registered as keeper will a refund be paid. My reading of this is that it appears that any vehicles that are 'in trade' (i.e. yellow slip sent off) and taxed will ceased to be taxed after the 1st October ONCE SOLD. In other words, the new keeper will have to tax it, however NO REFUND WILL BE MADE on the unexpired tax. Is it just me, or is this outrageous?

Ha Ha - that's a funny one ... I was an Estate Agent up until the property market crashed in 1989 - I never know whether I moved up or down the social scale!

The issue of whether a vehicle that is taxed and 'in trade' on October 1st remains taxed is, to me, one of the most important and remains as yet unanswered. It seems quite extraordinary that, with a little over a month to go before sweeping changes to the way vehicles are taxed is introduced, that we are so much in the dark. The 'Motor Trade' must be without doubt the DVLA's biggest customer, generating a huge amount of revenue on ther behalf. I also was privileged to have one of my questions from the forum posed to the DVLA Chief Executive. His answer seemed to be that it is up to the Dealers to help customers arrange their road tax prior to taking delivery. This is all very well but will undoubtedly make the payment of this tax another 'bargaining' point for the customer; no doubt they will expect us to pay for it. To rub salt into the wound, they will be sitting at the computer that I have paid for, using my internet connection in my office. Furthermore, this is a service that we carry out for the DVLA completely free of charge. Even the Post Office receives a payment for every tax disc they issue. I am strugglng to think of anyother area of my business where I provide a product or service for no reward - whether it be parts, warranties, MOTs they all have a 'trade discount' or a 'commission' to make it worth my while.

So now we know how the DVLA are communicating the changes to their customers:

WOW! Are you sure that was each? They only charge me between £40 and £75 (+ VAT) each depending on the size of the wheel?

No - because the current month is not a 'full calendar month' - and yes, if the vehicle is sold in the same calendar month then they get paid twice for that month!

From a post on Twittercardealers by Jason Llewelyn from DVLA ( http://twittercardealers.ning.com/forum/topics/tax-disc-abolution-from-dvla-faq ): How will refunds be issued to the keepers who transfer vehicles to the motor trade? Refunds will continue to be made to registered keepers, when DVLA receives notification of a change on the Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C). Refunds will also continue to be made when a keeper makes a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). How will refunds be issued to the motor traders whose vehicles are registered to the motor business? Refunds will continue to be made to the motor trade business registered with DVLA, when a notification of change is received on the Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5C). Refunds will also continue to be made when a motor business that is registered as a keeper makes a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). What must the seller do? The seller must notify DVLA that the sale/transfer of the vehicle has taken place. A refund payment for any full months of vehicle tax outstanding will be sent to the seller upon notification of the sale from the seller. Is it possible that the refund is sent to the wrong person? The refund will always be paid to the person on the DVLA vehicle register. In the case where a vehicle is sold, the refund will be paid to the seller once DVLA receives notification that a vehicle has been sold.

No, it won't be - but the customer will have only received a refund for each full month unexpired. 'If you sell a vehicle after 1 October and you have notified DVLA, you will automatically get a refund for any full calendar months left on the vehicle tax.' As for a TV campaign, my bet is they expect us to educate the general public for free!

GreenGiant, as I understand it in your first scenario (where the customer trades in on the first of the month), they will lose that whole month - as they do at present. 'Win Win' for the DVLA as they will have to tax their new car for the whole of that month also. So, if they trade in on the 1st August they will lose the WHOLE of August on their p/x vehicle PLUS they will have to pay for the whole of August for their new car! The elderly couple with the cheque book will still be able to tax their vehicle at the Post Office on the green slip. The DVLA's advice re movement of customer's cars seems to be use trade plates - great, but not everybody has them / enough of them

I use 'The Wheel Specialist' and they are very good. It's a franchise - the chap we use is in East Grinstead, West Sussex but there are other locations. Details here: http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/

I have two questions (for the moment!): First, what about a situation where the vehicle is 'in trade' (i.e. the yellow slip on the V5 has been sent off to DVLA by the registered keeper) BEFORE 1st October but the current tax disc expires AFTER 1st October? Surely DVLA cannot refund the balance of the tax to the previous owner as they no longer have title to the vehicle, nor are they the registered keeper? Also, when a customer wants to pay for their tax by monthly Direct Debit, how is the dealer able to arrange this for them prior to them collecting the vehicle? I would have thought that they would need at least the V5C to do this, which I would not be comfortable in handing over until they have paid for the car in full. I know that dealers will still be able to tax cars using the V5C at the Post Office as we do at present, but that would presumably require full payment?