Number’s up for collector of rare vehicle plates
Last updated 15:55, Tuesday, 22 July 2008
INVESTING money normally involves shares or property development, but for one Barrow resident, collecting rare number plates has always proved a fruitful enterprise.
In 2005, Mr Wright bought the registration number S11 GTL on Ebay.
As he did not plan to register it to a vehicle, earlier this year he applied to the DVLA to renew the certificate.
He was asked to send the certificate to the DVLA in Swansea, but when they denied receiving it, Mr Wright got in touch with Action Desk.
Mr Wright, of Abbotsmead Approach, said: “The whole system is very archaic.
“The person who originally bought the registration is the grantee, who can then sell the number to a nominee.
“As far as the DVLA is concerned, the nominee has no official right to that number until the registration is applied to a vehicle.”
Action Desk spoke to the DVLA, who said it was unable to discuss Mr Wright’s problem. They did agree however, to contact the original owner of the registration number on Mr Wright’s behalf.
Mr Wright said: “They have said they will send him a letter but they stressed this was an exception and is not something they normally do.”
The DVLA told Mr Wright that if the man who sold him the number does not respond to the letter, there is nothing more they can do.
Karen Joseph, spokeswoman at the DVLA, said: “Registration numbers are not items of property in their own right and they are assigned to, and may be withdrawn from, vehicles by the Secretary of State.”
Mr Wright says the experience has put him off investing in rare number plates.
He said: “It has made me more aware that this problem exists. It has made me realise that perhaps it is best to buy number plates direct from the DVLA.”
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