What is a DVLA reseller?

As we know the DVLA offer many millions of combinations for sale via their sale of marks business and the DVLA registrations website. The DVLA recognise the wide appeal of numberplates and the commercial impact of the numberplate market and the many dealers now creating multi million pound turnover from buying and selling numberplates.

With this in mind the DVLA allow numberplate dealers to become DVLA resellers- a DVLA reseller basically pays the DVLA a fee to have access to the full and up to date DVLA database of available numberplate combinations. They can then offer these numberplates for sale on their own website and charge a higher price if they choose.

The idea is that when a plate is bought from the dealer they in turn purchase this plate from the DVLA and the difference in the buying and selling cost results in a profit for the numberplate dealer.

Pitfalls

Although a perfectly above board and legal practise it seems to not be in the best interest of the numberplate buying public as some numberplates available from the DVLA directly with all fees paid appear on so numberplate dealer websites for £245 which seems cheaper- but the VAT and DVLA fees are added to this- meaning in some cases it can cost hundreds of pounds more to purchase your numberplate from a dealer.

When the plate is purchased from the DVLA- the numberplate dealer appears as the "purchaser" on the retention document if the plate doesn't immediately get transferred to a car. The actual buyer of the plate becomes the nominee- when the plate needs to have it's retention period extended only the purchaser (the numberplate dealer) can do this- and they charge an admin fee to send off the forms- on top of the £25 DVLA fee.

See also..

How to avoid the numberplate rip off

what is a nominee?

what is a grantee or purchaser?