Swapping names on logbook every year

onthewayout

My wife and I share her car after I sold mine just over a year ago, but we both have no claims discount that we don't want to lose. If we swap names on the logbook and insurance every year, will we have any problems insuring the car? Its road tax expires in a different month so I hope that won't be an issue.

Any other looming pitfalls would be good to know about in advance... :-)

cambermam

I would imagine that if you want to sell the car in years to come the log book would say its had a load of previous owners which would strike a potential buyer as dodgy.

Also, what's the point of keeping the no claims if you don't need to be a main driver anytime soon? You should work out realistically how much you'd save in x amount of years on a policy against the time/costs of swapping providers/changing the details/losing value on the car due to having loads of owners.

I don't think you'd need to change the logbook anyway, i don't think it matters if the registered keeper isn't the main driver does it?

onthewayout

Yes, we know it would run up the list of previous owners, but we plan to keep this car for a long time. If we own it for another 8 years, would the difference in value really amount to much by then? It's a very ordinary 09 reg Golf.

Are there other likely costs involved, or any catch-22 based on the time it would take the DVLA to update their records?

Been told down the pub that while there's no legal requirement for the registered keeper and main driver to be the same, insurance is massively more expensive if not. Is that true?

If I don't keep any NCD, won't I always be in the £3k teenage insurance bracket?

cambermam wrote: »

I would imagine that if you want to sell the car in years to come the log book would say its had a load of previous owners which would strike a potential buyer as dodgy.

Also, what's the point of keeping the no claims if you don't need to be a main driver anytime soon? You should work out realistically how much you'd save in x amount of years on a policy against the time/costs of swapping providers/changing the details/losing value on the car due to having loads of owners.

I don't think you'd need to change the logbook anyway, i don't think it matters if the registered keeper isn't the main driver does it?

GAZ237

Its best to keep changing insurance providers as they don't do you any favours at renewal time. When it comes to selling the car if you keep it that long, the loss on value will not matter at that age. Save all your insurance certs to show the buyer how long you have owned it.
When we used to exchange policy,s to keep our NCB intact. The car was in joint names. I,m not sure if you can still do that. But ring the DVLA to check.

Aretnap

If you don't keep your NCB you won't find yourself being charged 3K as if you were a teenager - premiums are based on things like age, occupation, driving experience which change as time goes by, not just on NCB. But you will still find that you pay more with no NCB than if you keep it. So if there's any chance of going back to two cars in the future, it's worth hanging on to your NCB.

As for the RK not being the main driver, it depends on the insurer, and what your relationship to the RK is. Direct Line for example, require you to confirm that "The car is owned and registered by you, your spouse, partner or civil partner(not business partner)at your address... and you or your spouse, partner or civil partner (not business partner) will be the main driver." So they seem to be fairly chilled about whether it's in your name or your wife's name - they just don't want you insuring a car registered to a non-relative, or worse a teenage son. Best way to find out how it would affect your premium is not to ask a bloke in the pub but to get some quotes and compare the effect of switching the RK. If you find it makes a big difference it's probably worth doing, but if not it probably isn't.

You're right that if ou keep the car until it's 10+ years old it won't have much resale value anyway - but a large number of past keepers may still affect whatever value it does have.

OddballJamie

Aretnap is correct, there's a lot of insurers who are fine about a spouse owning the car. If yours isnt then change every two years not one.

BTW the resale will be affected, a decent one owner 12 year old Golf will still be worth a good. Much more than a 9 owner one.

Tigerprint

Surely you can just swap the names every year without adding an extra keeper each time. As long as you don't keep ticking the new keeper box then I'm thinking DVLA will just change the name.....
E.g. Every time an address is changed of a car's keeper & you inform DVLA, it doesn't keep adding an extra keeper :think:

However, why don't you put Mr & Mrs .........., then it will be registered in both your names?

paddedjohn

If you did go down the route of changing names on the v5 then you will only need to do it every 2 years, most insurance companys will recognise them after 2 years.

daveyjp

No need to change the logbook. My parents swap insurance between them every year. You just state on the proposal who the registered keeper is, you do not have to be the RK to insure a car.

Herzlos

daveyjp wrote: »

No need to change the logbook. My parents swap insurance between them every year. You just state on the proposal who the registered keeper is, you do not have to be the RK to insure a car.

Yup, there's no need to change the logbook owner, the registered keeper doesn't have to be the owner or primary insurer.

I've got insurance in my name on a car where the registered keeper is my dad, as we swap fairly regularly, and whilst there was a minor increase in premium (£10-20 I think), it keeps the previous owners down come resale.

hillcats

Alternate the insurance policy holder every year. (NCB are still valid for transfer within two years I believe)
Just make sure you are both named to drive, and be factual about the MAIN user.