VIN Numbers and where to get one from

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
 

Phaeton

Moderator
Staff member
Nice one Rich, isn't it funny that they work for us but we have to jump through the hoops for them

Alan
 

ChaosMS

Active member
Hi Alan,

Yeah tell me about it, the first guy i spoke to was a real unhappy soul ... if you get my meaning lol

Rich
 

Phaeton

Moderator
Staff member
Sure do, I once had a talk in the Sheffield office, the guy hated private plates & admitted he made it as hard as possible for people to get them on their car whenever he could.

Alan
 

Mini Mad Max

Active member
Hooray, yet more hoops to jump through! :p It's great to hear from you Rich, as it's been a while. Shall we look forward to seeing any progress on your project soon? :)
Max

Edit: I didn't look properly and now realise you already have updated your build thread. ::)
 

Lilspeed

Member
Good to see you're making headway again Rich!

But sorry to hear about your DVLA experiences. I wondered if I was just unlucky with the problems I had registering mine but unfortunately your story sounds VERY familiar. The only way I got them to do what I wanted in the end was by making a complete nuisance of myself. >:D
 

Phaeton

Moderator
Staff member
Bought a MK3 MR2 a few weeks ago with a couple of issues, resolved those, got the MOT & decided to put it on the road from 1st October to see if we can get on with it (getting old & getting in & out is interesting). It's currently on SORN by the previous owner, arranges insurance & on 27th Sept goes on the DVLA website, tries the new Beta software, it finds the car & tells me that the VED will start 01/09/2014, so stuff that for a game of soldiers, tries the old software, same result. Tries again on the 29th same result, just tried it again 5 minutes ago same result, what planet are these numpties on that they think that on the last day of the month I would want to lose 30 days VED. Do these morons work for us or do we work for them? And breathe

Alan...
 

ChaosMS

Active member
Thanks Guys, yeah good to be back again, I am just hoping that it does not take as long when I request any other paperwork through the DVLA!!

Alan, - Breathe mate ;D - it sounds like the developers were as much a quality team as the rest of em eh!!!

Lilspeed - what problems did you have mate? is it in your thread if so ill take a look - always good to know what pain is around the corner!!

Max - Hello buddy, good to be back, we need to catch up hows the buggy etc and hows student life??

Rich
 

Lilspeed

Member
I haven't detailed the hassle I had with VOSA and DVLA on here, but to cut a long story short it took 3 weeks to even get my registration application started, when the paperwork and the website state that an application should be processed and the tax disc and documentation to get plates made returned within 10 working days.
It was nearly 4 months in total for me between applying for IVA and getting on the road, and that was with one retest only 2 weeks after the test. Got to say though the guys at the testing station were great, it was dealing with the offices that was a PITA.
 
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