# DVLA Auctions & Private Plates



## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

I've never been to an auction, or used an auction site of any kind and I'm wondering if any of you have bought a private plate from a DVLA auction.

There is a date in November and the price for each plate is already set online. Is this a guide price or a minimum reserve price, where on the day, the price could go up to whatever a buyer is prepared to pay. Could the plate sell for less than the figure showing online at the moment, or would DVLA refuse to sell it below that figure.

Do you have to attend the venue, or like eBay, can you buy online ?

Ken.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

You can do it online, a few years ago I registered for a sale, didn't get it, it went for £37,500 


tony


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

It's a few ears since I last bought one from the DVLA but AFAIR.............
The price stated will be the starting price (reserve) an they won't sell below that level.
You can send in a commission bid where you specify a maximum price and they'll bid for you up to your commission level.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

It'll depend what you want. Anything very special will go to auction.

I always buy registrations for our vans from Wilsons Auctions who sell them online at fixed prices for DVLNI. They are UK plates and can be transferred in the usual way. I do that mainly just so that the plates don't give the age of the van away. I generally get what suits for my purposes around £250.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I did buy a cheap one some years ago for £250. Had it on retention for a couple of years at £80 a year and then just let it go.
Waste of money really and brought home to me just how extravagant buying a 'personalised' plate was.

Ray.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

You obviously bought the wrong one if it was to make a profit.You are correct though it is not always easy to make a profit the market is very fluid.

cabby


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## randonneur (Jan 25, 2007)

Don't forget that although your "Buy" these plates they aren't actually yours, they still belong to the DVLA. You have to keep them on retention even if you don't use them. We found this out when we moved to France, the Discovery we had had a personalised plate on and because it was deemed exported then we couldn't keep the plate, the plate was never given to another vehicle so we asked if we could have it back and they said no because it didn't actually belong to us although we paid for it.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

randonneur said:


> Don't forget that although your "Buy" these plates they aren't actually yours, they still belong to the DVLA. You have to keep them on retention even if you don't use them. We found this out when we moved to France, the Discovery we had had a personalised plate on and because it was deemed exported then we couldn't keep the plate, the plate was never given to another vehicle so we asked if we could have it back and they said no because it didn't actually belong to us although we paid for it.


You only paid to use it on a UK registered vehicle as a "keeper", as soon as the vehicle was no longer UK registered the registration mark reverted back to it's owner.

You should have put it on retention and exported the vehicle on an "ordinary" plate, that would then have been the registration mark that reverted to the owner - the DVLA.

You would then have retained the right to retain the mark on retention or assign it (for a fee) to another keeper.


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## deefordog (Dec 31, 2013)

At least there's no annual retention fee these days https://dvladigital.blog.gov.uk/201...ess-to-retain-your-personalised-registration/

Whereas previously, you'd have to pay a retention fee of £25 a year, since March 9th 2015 there has been no fee to renew the retention of a vehicle registration number on a yearly basis. So, currently, the retention certificate will be valid for 10 years and you can renew it completely free of charge once it has expired.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I had a plate made up years ago, but never got around to buying the number, £250 but it's been on sale for about 15 years now at least, it was £180, why keep increasing the price of none descriptive numbers, it was a K prefix number for obvious reasons.

I love to see the waste of money plates such as BMW *** duh it's on the back of the car already :roll:


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## chilly (Apr 20, 2007)

I bought a plate at auction once. It was on behalf of a pal of mine who couldn't attend (long before internet bidding). I think he gave me a ceiling price of £6000.
I ended up buying 'MOU5E' for £5000 plus auction fees :surprise:


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

What is a MOU and is 5Euros a fair price for one?


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

erneboy said:


> It'll depend what you want. Anything very special will go to auction
> .


That's the problem, what I want and what I can afford, or am prepared to pay are two entirely different things :wink2:

I'd like KEN prefixed or suffixed by any number, but lower the better, or year of birth. Similar around two or three of my initials.

Ken.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I'd guess that anything with Ken in it will be very expensive.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Suppose ARM 1 would be a bit expensive >


tony


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

We have three 'XX PRE' numbers, plus the number off our first new van we bought in Rushden has been on three vehicles in the family and currently resides on the Discovery. 

None were expensive. One has now gone onto the Mercedes, one is on Rita's Astra and the other is on the remaining Trafic.

Peter


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> I had a plate made up years ago, but never got around to buying the number, £250 but it's been on sale for about 15 years now at least, it was £180, why keep increasing the price of none descriptive numbers, it was a K prefix number for obvious reasons.
> 
> I love to see the waste of money plates such as BMW *** duh it's on the back of the car already :roll:


There are 2 locally who have settled for BWM - I suppose it could be their initials, but on a BMW it just looks like they are Dyslexic Cheapskates.


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## deefordog (Dec 31, 2013)

Blizzard said:


> That's the problem, what I want and what I can afford, or am prepared to pay are two entirely different things :wink2:
> 
> I'd like KEN prefixed or suffixed by any number, but lower the better, or year of birth. Similar around two or three of my initials.
> 
> Ken.


Cheapest I could find for "KEN" is £1018 inc. all fees, plates and paperwork https://www.primoregistrations.co.uk/search/results?term=ken&year=&price=&style=#page-300 :surprise:


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Why go to the private sharks?

The DVLA have plenty of current style plates for most recent years from £599.
http://dvlaregistrations.direct.gov...currentupdate&start=40&sort=price&sortdir=asc


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

erneboy said:


> I'd guess that anything with Ken in it will be very expensive.


Especially Bro Ken > >


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

When I bought my only new bike, a Heritage softail classic in 97, I was offered a choice of numbers, one of which was P69 YUM, well I couldn't not have that one, a close friend had P11 LOK put onto a HD I sold him, I think I have the tax discs for both somewhere.


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

Ken try this site
http://www.plates4less.co.uk/private-number-plates/KEN/#SearchAnchor
Don't forget that you have to pay £80 (odd) for DVLA registration on top. Plenty on there for £500 or a bit less. If you find a number you want try the DVLA site as they sometimes include the transfer fee in the price.

Terry


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Thanks for the advice and the few links that have been provided, but just to clarify that when is said "I'd like KEN prefixed or suffixed by any number......" in post #13 , I'm not looking for prefixes that include letters as well, which as expected, pretty much eliminates the cheaper plates.


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

That will be your commutation gone then :grin2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Blizzard said:


> Thanks for the advice and the few links that have been provided, but just to clarify that when is said "I'd like KEN prefixed or suffixed by any number......" in post #13 , I'm not looking for prefixes that include letters as well, which as expected, pretty much eliminates the cheaper plates.


How about just Ken £670 all in.


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