Compliance Plates

[Russ59]

HI All,

Does anyone know if VW Australia are directly responsible for supplying and fitting of Australian compliance plates on their vehicles ? If not, who is ??

Thanks
Russ

[gtimk5]

I think VW in Australia fits them,
I recently had a Mk4 GTI in herewith the compliance plate fitted for a Bora that was in S. Aust!! It had to be rectified by VW.

[BarneyBoy]

I used to work for a company who manufactured compliance plates which we supplied directly to the importers/manufacturers (eg Ateco, Mitsubishi &c).

We didn't make them for all the manufacturers, so I can't say definitively whether VWA are directly responsible for THEIR plates, but based on other manufacturers, I'd say that they are.

We'd supply batches of blank plates that had all the basic info for each model printed on them, with the individual numbers being added by the client (or someone else).

Hope this helps.

[Russ59]

Thanks for the responses guys, to cut a long story short, just purchased a 2007 Comfortline from a dealership in Melbourne. I purchased another vehicle from VIC. once before and was advised that the easiest way to get the rego sorted out for transfer was to have the VIC. rego cancelled and a permit issued which allows you to get the vehicle from A to B for the re registering process in NSW. All you need to do then (in most cases) is to go to your local inspection station and have a blue slip inspection done. The car arrived here (by carrier) on Wed. 14th Jan 09 I arranged an inspection for last Thursday 15th Jan. and the vehicle was knocked back due to an incorrect Australian compliance plate being attached. Everything matches except one number is missing from the plate and has obviously been this way since it was first registered in VIC 18 months ago.

I have been in touch with the dealership I purchased the car from but so far they have been unable to sort it, I have been into my local dealer in Wollongong NSW (was asked to take a photo of the plate and email it them) which I did, I was then informed by the service manager that all was sorted and a new compliance plate was on order from VW Aus.

The dealer said that once the new plate arrived I would just have to take the car to them at the dealership, the old plate would be removed and sent back to VW and the new plate would be refitted and a blue slip inspection would be carried out. Yesterday I get an email from the VW dealership informing me that VW Aust. have requested that I take the vehicle to them so that the plate can be seen and photographed by one of the dealers staff to confirm it. I have since informed them that I can not take the car to them as the permit will not allow it (also expires today) and that the fact that it was obviously VW Aust. stuff up in the first place that they will have to send someone to my home to view and take a picture of it. I am totally at the fact that my word and a photograph of the plate would not be sufficient evidence. The fact that they will have to remove the old plate and send it back to VW and then refit the new plate should be enough surely. What the hell can I possibly be getting out of this besides a headache and inconvenience !!! Anyone ever had a similar issue ?

Russ

[KWICKS]

T I am totally at the fact that my word and a photograph of the plate would not be sufficient evidence. The fact that they will have to remove the old plate and send it back to VW and then refit the new plate should be enough surely. What the hell can I possibly be getting out of this besides a headache and inconvenience !!! Anyone ever had a similar issue ?

Russ

Don't be about it, be happy the auto industry is doing everything it can to prevent car re-birthing in Australia. Your insurance premiums are lower becasue of these efforts. But I agree that the photograph will be redundant once they have the plate.

So it's not what you are getting out of it, it's what they are stopping anyone else getting out of it (I assume the car was brand new to you?). Never had a similar issue but if it was bought new by you it really can only be VW Aus's stuff up and they should fix it promptly at no inconvenience to you.

[Russ59]

Don't be pi$$ed about it, be happy the auto industry is doing everything it can to prevent car re-birthing in Australia. Your insurance premiums are lower becasue of these efforts. But I agree that the photograph will be redundant once they have the plate.

So it's not what you are getting out of it, it's what they are stopping anyone else getting out of it (I assume the car was brand new to you?). Never had a similar issue but if it was bought new by you it really can only be VW Aus's stuff up and they should fix it promptly at no inconvenience to you.

I know where you're coming from with this and yes the prevention of rebirthing is a good thing, however, as this car was already registered in Victoria and had been for the past 18 months since it was purchased new by the previous owner, I don't think I would get too excited about how great the security side of things is handled when you consider that the vehicle should not have even been on the road in any State whilst the compliance plate didn't match the car. Obviously someone stuffed up big time and trying to sort it is an absolute joke. I have just contacted VW Aust. again and am now waiting for yet another reply just to get a new compliance plate (correct one) issued and fitted so I can get the car on the road.


Russ

[KWICKS]

Slight technical difference, it is the issuance of a new, genuine compliance plate that is causing the hesitation - they want to be 100% certain they are not rebirthing a car themselves. What has been done in the past is probably irrelevant to their decision today.

[Russ59]

Slight technical difference, it is the issuance of a new, genuine compliance plate that is causing the hesitation - they want to be 100% certain they are not rebirthing a car themselves. What has been done in the past is probably irrelevant to their decision today.

There is no irrelevance to the situation that should affect their decision anyway, simply put, they stuffed up 18 months ago by putting the incorrect compliance plate on the car and at the moment everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else trying to lay blame and nothing is getting done to resolve it. If you read my post you would see that I have taken a photo of the compliance plate which is attached to the vehicle now and that has been sent to VW, the part that is getting up my nose is that if a picture supposedly paints a thousand words then why am I still writing trying to sort it out!!

I just got off the phone to yet another one of VW Aust. customer service people who said they will contact the dealer (in Wollongong) to see what they can come up with. I told him short and sweet, the only way to rectify the problem is to send the correct compliance plate to the dealer, I will then take the car to them, they will remove the old plate and replace it with the new one. The old plate will then be sent back to VW and all will be OK, it's not rocket science but you'd think it was !!


Russ