The changeover from a previous vehicle to a new vehicle should be a simple and exciting process for customers. However this process can become more complicated and frustrating if the customer forgets to undertake one of the actions listed below. In order to make the process as hassle-free and simple as possible, ensure you have completed the following steps before delivery of your new vehicle and disposal of your traded in vehicle.
1: Current registration papers
In order for dealers to change a vehicles registration, Vic Roads’ online system requires the dealer to know the name that the vehicle is currently registered in, and provide the identifying information for the individual or company for that name (a licence number or ABN/ACN number). As customers can often have vehicles registered in their own name, in their partners name, or in their business name, providing the Vic Roads registration papers for the vehicle clearly provides this information to the dealer.
Providing the most recent registration papers, along with the ABN/ACN or licence number for the registered operator of the vehicle can ensure you avoid any follow up calls from the dealer to get the correct information.
2: Service books, spare keys and user manual
The resale value of vehicles can be significantly affected if the vehicle does not include the service books or spare keys. Customers are hesitant to purchase a vehicle without the vehicle service history or more than one key, and spare keys with remote locking can cost $500 or more to replace. Therefore it is very important to ensure the vehicle includes all of these items at the time of changeover to avoid further calls from the dealer trying to locate them, unless you advised the dealer at the time of vehicle valuation that it is missing.
3: Insurance
Before receiving your new vehicle, you should advise your insurance company that you are changing vehicles to ensure that your new vehicle is insured and you are protected as soon as you start driving. Registering your new vehicle with your insurance company well before the date of delivery can ensure this is not overlooked during the vehicle delivery process.
You do not require the registration number of your new vehicle to organise insurance. Insurance companies will insure a vehicle based on the VIN and engine number, which can be provided at a much earlier date than the registration number for new or unregistered vehicles.
4: Council parking permit/E-tag
If you live in a council that requires you to display a parking permit on your vehicle, inform your council before the changeover of vehicles to ensure you receive your new permit as soon as possible. Tollway permits such as the E-tag often have accounts linked to registration plate numbers. As most new vehicles are registered the day before they are delivered, advising the council/tollway pass provider of the change of vehicles before it occurs can help prevent any nasty and unwanted fines.
Also ensure you remove your previous registration number from any council parking or tollway accounts to avoid fines/tolls accrued by new drivers of your previous vehicle.
5: Remove all items out of vehicle (including e-tag and CD’s)
While most customers believe they have removed all items out of their vehicle at the time of changeover, they are often still chasing up items they realise they have forgotten weeks later. The most common items forgotten are tollway passes such as e-tags, and CD’s in the vehicles CD player. While these items can usually be recovered, vehicles that are sold to a dealer can often be pre-sold to a wholesaler. This means your traded in vehicle can often be picked up within an hour of the vehicle changeover, making recovering these items much more difficult.
Ensure you double-check every storage compartment, the CD player, and the top of the windshield for any tollway passes or permits to avoid the hassles of recovering forgotten items from your traded-in vehicle.