ChaosMS
Active member
Hello all, just a quick message to pass on some painful info recently acquired!!
Now that the DVLA has shut all its regional offices the once relatively straight forward process of getting a VIN number to stamp into your vehicles chassis has changed and with all things to do with a government organisation has become a slllloooooooowwwwwww painful experience!
Why bother requesting one I hear you shout when you can make one up all it is is 17 random digits - err no its not actually, and recently I have read some horror stories of the DVLA not providing documentation if the VIN number is not in the correct format ! ! so fair warning...
Anyway after quite a lot of trawling various sites i found an address (Several actually) and a number at the DVLA to speak to regarding the process, the number had changed (big surprise) so I ended up calling the default contact number and was told by a rather abrupt DVLA official that i could not speak to anyone, and I had to request a VIN number in writing from the following address:-
Kits & Rebuilds
Longview Rd
Morriston
Swansea
SA6 7JL
The DVLA number is 0300 790 6802 - this is the standard number and you need to go through the automated call handling before you get to speak to anyone!
The letter you send should cover the request for a new VIN, what you are building, who built it, what donor was used if its mostly a single donor etc also include your full home address, phone number and email address - word of advice send the letter recoded as mine seemed to get lost inside DVLA!
When I had not heard from them after 3 - 4 weeks I called the number above to chase it, I stated the letter had been sent and also i had a proof of delivery, eventually i got passed through to a very helpful lady who went through to the Kits and Re-builds section and asked what had happened to my request (as she could see on the system that my letter had been logged) - after a few mins she came back to tell me that for some reason it had taken a long time to get the letter through to the correct team (i have no idea why) but it was now on the way to another section that approved the release of and generated the number, this final bit of the process should take a further week.
Just over a week later I got a letter from the DVLA stating that as I was building a kit car or Rebuilding a vehicle that did not already have a VIN and therfore I needed one and I should have the following number stamped into my chassis and added to a VIN plate attached to the vehicle - once the chassis was stamped I then needed to get a garage to sign the letter and stamp it to prove the VIN number was applied and then the whole letter was to be returned to the DVLA (envelope provided)
The address on the return envelope is slightly different (and includes a department code)
Kits & Rebuilds
D4
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1ZZ
Anyway, i now have a VIN number which starts with DVLA - I have spoken to my local Garage (who have loaned me a 6mm high stamp set!!) who have agreed to sign off and stamp the letter for me once ive stamped the chassis. RESULT!
One step closer ........
Rich
Now that the DVLA has shut all its regional offices the once relatively straight forward process of getting a VIN number to stamp into your vehicles chassis has changed and with all things to do with a government organisation has become a slllloooooooowwwwwww painful experience!
Why bother requesting one I hear you shout when you can make one up all it is is 17 random digits - err no its not actually, and recently I have read some horror stories of the DVLA not providing documentation if the VIN number is not in the correct format ! ! so fair warning...
Anyway after quite a lot of trawling various sites i found an address (Several actually) and a number at the DVLA to speak to regarding the process, the number had changed (big surprise) so I ended up calling the default contact number and was told by a rather abrupt DVLA official that i could not speak to anyone, and I had to request a VIN number in writing from the following address:-
Kits & Rebuilds
Longview Rd
Morriston
Swansea
SA6 7JL
The DVLA number is 0300 790 6802 - this is the standard number and you need to go through the automated call handling before you get to speak to anyone!
The letter you send should cover the request for a new VIN, what you are building, who built it, what donor was used if its mostly a single donor etc also include your full home address, phone number and email address - word of advice send the letter recoded as mine seemed to get lost inside DVLA!
When I had not heard from them after 3 - 4 weeks I called the number above to chase it, I stated the letter had been sent and also i had a proof of delivery, eventually i got passed through to a very helpful lady who went through to the Kits and Re-builds section and asked what had happened to my request (as she could see on the system that my letter had been logged) - after a few mins she came back to tell me that for some reason it had taken a long time to get the letter through to the correct team (i have no idea why) but it was now on the way to another section that approved the release of and generated the number, this final bit of the process should take a further week.
Just over a week later I got a letter from the DVLA stating that as I was building a kit car or Rebuilding a vehicle that did not already have a VIN and therfore I needed one and I should have the following number stamped into my chassis and added to a VIN plate attached to the vehicle - once the chassis was stamped I then needed to get a garage to sign the letter and stamp it to prove the VIN number was applied and then the whole letter was to be returned to the DVLA (envelope provided)
The address on the return envelope is slightly different (and includes a department code)
Kits & Rebuilds
D4
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1ZZ
Anyway, i now have a VIN number which starts with DVLA - I have spoken to my local Garage (who have loaned me a 6mm high stamp set!!) who have agreed to sign off and stamp the letter for me once ive stamped the chassis. RESULT!
One step closer ........
Rich