Registering a used car in wife's name without her present?

SouthLondonUser

Bureaucratic question: wifey and I have identified two used cars we are interested in (btw, thanks to the forum for some feedback on this). Wifey will be the registered keeper and owner, with me a named driver. Tomorrow we can go to the dealer together and leave a deposit, but the car will most likely be ready in a week or so. By that time, she’ll be away, travelling; plus, even when she gets back, it would be much easier if I could collect the car by myself (my work is closer). Is there any way I can collect the car, without my wife present, and still register the car in her name?

I understand I could be the registered keeper and she could still be the main driver in an insurance policy, but I’m a bit worried that some insurers may refuse this set up, or may charge more for it (insurance pricing is less transparent than MI6…).

Is the only realistic possibility to pay in full and sort out all the paperwork tomorrow, with both of us present, and collect the car after 4-5 days? The paranoid in me would rather pay on collection (we’d be paying cash, as in, we have already sorted out the finance).

Maybe I could theoretically get a power of attorney, but the cost and the time needed to register it don’t make this very practical.

Or maybe she could sign the paperwork tomorrow, but the dealer would only give it to me once I come to collect the car and pay in full? Although it’s not guaranteed they’d agree to it.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some dealers were cool with me effectively faking my wife’s signature when I come to collect it, but, it’s an option I’d rather avoid.

Thoughts? Thanks!

AdrianC

No problem at all. DVLA don't give much of a toss about whether the signature on a V5C matches or not - and there's no signature required if the change is done online.

SouthLondonUser

So - please forgive my ignorance! - how would this work exactly?
Tomorrow we leave a deposit - this site recommends ideally by credit card as this would give us some additional protection -and get some kind of receipt that we paid a deposit of x for car XYZ.
Then, after a week or so, I come and collect the car. ll pay the balance on the spot, I imagine by debit card or bank transfer (faster payments clear immediately). Who signs what? Would I manually sign some paperwork, like the new keeper section from the V5 when I buy from a private individual, or none of that because dealers do it online? If it's done online and I don't get a new keeper thingy, what exactly do I get?

AdrianC

If it's done online, you still get the New Keeper slip (V5C/2) from the old V5C, the rest of which the dealer then lobs in the bin.

facade

Then 6 weeks later when you still haven't received the V5 in your name you use the V5C/2 to apply for a registration document free of charge.

(Been there, done that )

SouthLondonUser

AdrianC wrote: »

If it's done online, you still get the New Keeper slip (V5C/2) from the old V5C, the rest of which the dealer then lobs in the bin.

But , if I understand correctly, the difference vs buying from an individual is that my wife won't need to sign the V5, nor will she need to sign anything else to allow the dealer to do the registration online. This is why I should be able to collect it and have it registered in her name even without her present. Is this correct - is this how it works?

Thanks, guys!

RichardD1970

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

I understand I could be the registered keeper and she could still be the main driver in an insurance policy, but I’m a bit worried that some insurers may refuse this set up, or may charge more for it (insurance pricing is less transparent than MI6…).

Can't say I've ever had a problem with doing this and have changed insurers almost every year for the past 15. Me, owner, registered keeper and insurer, her main driver. In fact it was usually cheaper to have her as the main driver rather than me. (just like to point out she was the person who used it most so no question of fronting of any other dubious tactics )

My current insurers (Direct Line) are different in that the person insuring is always considered the main driver regardless of who actually drives most.

AdrianC

SouthLondonUser wrote: »

But , if I understand correctly, the difference vs buying from an individual is that my wife won't need to sign the V5, nor will she need to sign anything else to allow the dealer to do the registration online. This is why I should be able to collect it and have it registered in her name even without her present. Is this correct - is this how it works?

There's zero difference in what gets done with a V5C buying from a dealer or an individual.


Paper: Fill in back of V5C, scrawl, envelope. V5C/2 to new keeper.
Online: Fill in webform, click. V5C/2 to new keeper.


There's a different process for selling to a dealer, though.