Day insurance in order to tax a car, does this have to be in new owners name?

[goatywoaty]

Hi everyone, I'm wanting to collect a car we have bought for my wife but having trouble figuring out the best way to go about it.

I just want to insure it for a day to get the thing home then once it's back it can sit in the drive till her old car sells. No point in swapping insurance to it until the old car sells as no one would be able to test drive it otherwise.

Firstly I've read that you can insure a car for a day to tax it, but that's not guaranteed to work as the insurance companies can take a while to update the insurance database which is checked automatically by DVLA when you tax online... Anyone else done this and can recommend a company that update the database quickly?

Secondly I want to drive the car back so I can give it a proper test drive and determine any work needed, so insurance will be in my name but I read somewhere that for tax purposes the insured party should be the same as the person named on the v5 or new owners slip, anyone know if this is right? If so, it scuppers me as I want to insure it but it will be registered in my wife's name.

Seems an absolute pain in the backside this nonsense, I just want to legally get the car home! Anyone done this a different way? Hopefully I'm overthinking this!

Any comments welcome

 

[mjn]

You can usually have a cross over period. Speak to your insurance company.

 

[noiseboy72]

The insurance doesn't need to be in the same name as the person shown on the V5. My car is leased and the V5 is held by the leasing company, but the insurance is in my name.

Why would your insurance cover someone else who wants to test drive your car? Your insurance will only cover named drivers on your car and possibly for named drivers to have 3rd party cover on other cars.

If you don't insure your new car, it needs to be parked off road, taxed or not.

 

[goatywoaty]

Thanks chaps, my insurance won't cover someone who wants to test drive the old car, but it means that they can drive it third party if they have that cover on their policy which is pretty commonplace. That third party to drive other cars is usually dependant on the car being owned and insured by someone else though, hence why we need to keep it insured.

The new car doesn't need insuring until it's being used (i.e. when old car sold), will be kept off the road till then

 

[shahedz]

https://www.cuvva.com/

You can use this for day insurance , know a few people have used this with no issues .

 

[mjn]

And you’ll need a month’s worth of VED as well.

 

[goatywoaty]

Thank you, yes I know it will be a full months worth, I just need to be able to buy the tax in the first place! They don't make it easy for people that's for sure. It's ok if you are buying a car from a dealer but privately it's a real pain

 

[mjn]

Never had a problem TBH. I thought it was a simple process.

 

[goatywoaty]

Thanks, so you have bought day insurance and it's gone on the insurance database right away so you could buy the tax no problem? That's what I keep reading could be an issue because they don't update the database right away...

 

[mjn]

Thanks, so you have bought day insurance and it's gone on the insurance database right away so you could buy the tax no problem? That's what I keep reading could be an issue because they don't update the database right away...

I sorted insurance on the day, taxed it after making payment, drove it 230 miles home.

Doesn’t matter if it is on the database, you have e-mail receipts to show if you’re stopped.

 

[goatywoaty]

I was under the impression that it won't allow you to purchase tax if it's showing up as uninsured on the insurance database, if it still allows you to then that's great I shouldn't have an issue

 

[mjn]

I was under the impression that it won't allow you to purchase tax if it's showing up as uninsured on the insurance database, if it still allows you to then that's great I shouldn't have an issue

Didn’t have a problem. Probably an hour or two between me insuring it and buying tax. This was a Saturday as well.

 

[RBZ5416]

Is the vehicle currently taxed? If so, just ask the seller to post the V5 rather than transfer it online. That will give you a few days "grace" while it's in the post as the vehicle will still show as taxed online.

 

[mjn]

Is the vehicle currently taxed? If so, just ask the seller to post the V5 rather than transfer it online. That will give you a few days "grace" while it's in the post as the vehicle will still show as taxed online.

That as well.

 

[RBZ5416]

Also look at Veygo for temp insurance, they will insure by the hour.

Temporary Car Insurance | 1 hour-60 days | Veygo By Admiral

Temporary car insurance gives you flexible, short-term cover to drive a car. Get hourly, daily or weekly cover and be on the road in minutes.

www.veygo.com

 

[mh123]

Would it not be cheaper/less aggro to have it moved on a flatbed recovery truck? No insurance or tax needed then.

 

[goatywoaty]

Would it not be cheaper/less aggro to have it moved on a flatbed recovery truck? No insurance or tax needed then.

I want to drive it home so I can check if any repairs need doing, I can do them whilst we wait for the old car to sell. Only had a smallish test drive.

The new car is sorn so won't show as taxed...

Thanks for all the info chaps

 

[nvingo]

It's ok if you are buying a car from a dealer but privately it's a real pain

Would it not be cheaper/less aggro to have it moved on a flatbed recovery truck?

I want to drive it home so I can check if any repairs need doing,

I guess if you knew someone with 'trade plates' you wouldn't have come here to ask, but any 'garage' should have them, gives them capability to move vehicles untaxed and covered by traders' insurance.

 

[MarkyPancake]

I used Tempcover once for an emergency and was quick and easy to use:

Tempcover | Short Term Insurance | Flexible UK Insurance

Fast, flexible and affordable short term insurance from Tempcover, a leading provider. Get short term cover for your car, van or bike today!

www.tempcover.com

 

[maxwell]

I bought a car last Sunday and did the tax online first then sorted out transferring my insurance over to it.
The tax went through in seconds so it seems that insurance is not checked anymore

 

[MarkyPancake]

Insurance and tax are linked somehow, because for example you can't leave a vehicle taxed, not even when kept on private land, if it doesn't have valid insurance. Also, if it's going to be left uninsured, it must be SORN as well, otherwise you'll be chased/fined by the MID on behalf of the DVLA.

 

[booyaka]

Why would you only insure it for a day?

If it gets damage/nicked etc without any insurance - your screwed....Even sitting on your drive way/in a garage etc - if it's uninsured and goes awol then you've got nothing to claim on.

Also - you've bought the car but you want to drive it home to check if it needs any work doing/repairs? That makes no sense - Why would you buy a car that potentially needs repaired immediately ?

Check all that out before you buy it surely?

 

[Roger More]

Insurance and tax are linked somehow, because for example you can't leave a vehicle taxed, not even when kept on private land, if it doesn't have valid insurance. Also, if it's going to be left uninsured, it must be SORN as well, otherwise you'll be chased/fined by the MID on behalf of the DVLA.

Dearest Heart whilst insurance is required at the time of taxing a vehicle, if it lapses that doesn't automatically invalidate the tax. The 'MID' is a database that has no ability to fine anyone.

 

[nvingo]

Quite.
If you enter a month with a vehicle taxed and insured, and park it off the highway during that month whilst the insurance cover lapses; if you have to SORN it before the insurance lapses then tax it again once new cover is in effect before that month ends, that would mean paying twice for tax for the same month. I'm sure DVLA wouldn't be party to such a robbing scheme.

 

[MarkyPancake]

I'm guessing there's a small grace period, but several years ago I let my insurance lapse on a garaged vehicle that was taxed and was nearly caught out by this situation. It was the first time I had ever not immediately renewed insurance in years of driving/riding and as it was garaged on private property, I didn't think anything about the tax, as I didn't know it had to be SORN under this circumstance (I'm sure in the tax disc era you could do this).

I can't remember how long it was after the insurance had lapsed, but I received a letter from MID on behalf of the DVLA to notify me that I was the registered keeper of said vehicle and that it was taxed whilst uninsured and if I didn't insure it or SORN it, then I would be fined £100. That's when I checked and discovered that you can no longer leave a vehicle taxed without valid insurance. I immediately set it SORN and never received the fine, which was lucky, because the letter arrived about two weeks before I opened it.

As a careful and honest motorist, I was annoyed with myself for not being aware about this, as why would I purposely not SORN it and get the remaining months tax refunded and instead risk a £100 fine.