Car Reg vs Car Model - What system do garages use to find this info? 1 March at 10:48AM in Motoring 8 replies 346 views

FrankRizzo

Hey,

Any help appreciated! The person (a friend) I bought my car off had a private reg and which they previously had on their other car - since its my friend I know thats definitely the case.

When I book my car in for a service etc, the garage asks for the reg to lookup the car details, however it always comes back as my friends other car make/model (which was a Nissan X-Trail diesel), my car is unleaded and different make/model.

I don't want this leading to problems in the future e.g. wrong part ordered etc. What system do garages use for looking up these details?

Note - when I search on the GOV website for MOT, etc, it finds the correct make/model all ok.

Thanks!

diystarter7

Hi

IMO its just down to poor practices EG not updating their systems fully as one of our cars, the newer one get the private place after a few months on the road. We still have the car and the main dealer still has problems at times finding the car. Often, when the original reg is mentioned they find it straight away. However, the last service on the car a few months ago, I did not get this problem.

If you remain worried, ensure they have the correct model etc and tell them about the reg change.

Btw, never had a problem with on line pricing, insurance, road tax etc etc

Good luck

Wonka_2

Is this the same garage (or even dealer group) that they used to use i.e. it's internal systems history rather than a centrally held database they're accessing or is it an entirely unconnected business

The first is solved by telling them/asking them to update their systems, the 2nd is less easily solvable and may be a rogue database somewhere
 

MikeJXE

Use the vin number unique to every vehicle

diystarter7

Wonka_2 said:

Is this the same garage that they used to use i.e. it's internal systems history rather than a centrally held database they're accessing

The first is solved by telling them/asking them to update their systems, the 2nd is less easily solvable and may be a rogue database somewhere
 

Hi

Sadly, many garages like many other businesses have numbers stored in different places, hence your plight.

You get the same with the phone numbers, told my gp several times to remove my works landline and mobile, took several attempts to get this done, Same with the car and private reg ar main dealer. Then there was a question of misspelling my first name very incorrectly, two calls and two emails and the service plan still shows the wrong first name. It happens but as i said, double chack when getting work done.

Btw, brought an audi tt from a main dealer but not an audi dealer about 8 years ago, car was sold a few years ago - a few times a year we get cold calls etc from that dealer inc letters/invites to new car launces etc even though we tell them every time we no longer have the car and please remove our details - often the response, "right away sir.."

It is what it is

Thnaks

forgotmyname

Your looking up the reg and finding the correct details but that system was updated when you informed them of a plate change.

Post the plate change form off and then check online, it may take several days for it to arrive and get processed. Garages will not check
the system daily. It maybe updated Monthly or longer.

If they can access the Manufacturers system or several other systems they will get the info from the VIN number instead which is
far more accurate.

Put my reg in and it gives my cars make model etc but use the VIN and it tells me what options it had when new.

FrankRizzo

Its definitely a centralised system which garages are using, as I have called random breaker/parts companies and they also find the wrong car.  My friend has never never contacted these companies. 

Yeh i can still give the old reg or VIN without issue, but it would be nice if i could figure out what centralised system they use. 

Grumpy_chap

How long ago was the registration plate change processed?
I suspect whatever centralised system the garage subscribe to is ultimately linked to the DVLA database.  That data cascade likely takes some time - possibly monthly or quarterly update cycle.

FrankRizzo

6+ months.