RTA & Rego MessUp

[CraigS]

Here's a classic that just happened to me ..

- Received Rego Renewal (car 1 year old,only);
- Received greenslip renewal notice;
- Paid greenslip fee to insurance company;
- Bank account debited. Receipt received from insurance co;
- Went to renew pay Rego (online) .. said cannot renew this registration contact suppport for further info;
- Rang support .. they say "Your plates have been handed in and we have paid a credit to the person who handed them in".
- I say, "that's funny I'm looking at the plates on my car, right now".
- They say "go straight to an RTA office immediately and show them the plates .. don't drive the car";

- I spend 1.5 hours at the RTA office (queues etc).
- They check and say "Oh .. someone's mis-typed rego details into the system and must've typed your plate numbers by mistake (no apology)";
- I say: "Ok can I renew the rego now you've corrected your problem ?"
- They say "No the greenslip fee hasn't been paid";
- I say "That would be because you deleted it from the system"
- I get a nod and get told to sort it out with my insurance co ....
- I then spend another hour getting my original payment (made 1.5 weeks ago) re-submitted by the insurance co.;

Just goes to show you .. you might be driving an illegally registered vehicle, courtesy of RTA mis-typing, and be blissfully oblivious to it all !!

I should've run a few red light cameras or something .. that would've been 'interesting' to see what would've happened.

Anyone else have things like this happen to them, or is it just me ?

Cheers

[Bassnut (Fred)]

When I was young, I sold a wrecked scooter for $50, plates and all. No papers. What did I know then?, nothin.

3 years later, 2 cop cars turned up at my door step in a big hurry, I was a person of interest in an armed robbery, the getaway vehicle plates were registered in my name............................... .....

[CraigS]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

When I was young, I sold a wrecked scooter for $50, plates and all. No papers. What did I know then?, nothin.

3 years later, 2 cop cars turned up at my door step in a big hurry, I was a person of interest in an armed robbery, the getaway vehicle plates were registered in my name............................... .....

Served time as a result, too huh ?


Cheers

[taminga16 (Greg)]

Hi,
I purchased a car in Feb last year, received a notice sometime later that there was a short fall of $8.00 in the already paid fees, went to pay and was told that the car no longer belonged to me? It took six weeks to sort it out. All on an incorrect key stroke.
Greg.

[CraigS]

Originally Posted by taminga16

Hi,
I purchased a car in Feb last year, received a notice sometime later that there was a short fall of $8.00 in the already paid fees, went to pay and was told that the car no longer belonged to me? It took six weeks to sort it out. All on an incorrect key stroke.
Greg.

!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Greg

[cybereye (Mario)]

My wife bought me personalised plates for my birthday and I had several forms to complete. I drove to the Motor registry office, removed the plates from my car, affixed the new plates and then went inside. Queued, got a ticket, waited and then spoke to a helpful soul behind the counter. Everything was in order, I handed in the old plates and was told a new rego sticker would come in the mail in a week's time.

After a week the new rego sticker arrived but unfortunately the rego number did not match my plates - a number was missing. I decided to call the toll free number and finally spoke to someone. They had to call the office that I'd submitted the paper work at - yes they'd made a mistake and the new sticker would be in the mail.

3 weeks later and no new sticker so I decided to ring the toll free number again. Same story and they tried to ring the rego office (@ Macgregor). No answer from Macgregor as they were busy so I decided to hightail it up there as it's not too far away. Got there at 4:31pm only to be told that the office shut at 4:30pm. "But, but, but......"

I rang the toll free number the next day and was told that for personalised number plates I needed to lodge paperwork and hand in the old plates. "I've done that!!!" "Oh, well let me just call Macgregor.... hello are you there, Macgregor needs to check the paper work. They will ring you back. Bye." beep, beep, beep...!!!!

Amazingly they did ring back in the afternoon, admitted there was a mistake and said a new rego sticker would be in the mail. A week later it appeared!! The good news was that for about a month I could've gone through speed cameras, red-light cameras, etc and my plates would not have registered on their files!! But I didn't.

Cheers,
Mario

[CraigS]

Originally Posted by cybereye

The good news was that for about a month I could've gone through speed cameras, red-light cameras, etc and my plates would not have registered on their files!! But I didn't.

Cheers,
Mario

We could be onto something here, folks !

Thanks Mario - it seems I may not be alone !!

[Allan_L (Allan)]

I sold a camper trailer in January. (to an IIS member)
I filled in the notice of disposal notification slip and personally delivered it to the RTA.

(BTW: I also own a box trailer).

April I get a Trailer Rego renewal and renew as normal for the box trailer. (At that time my box trailer is on loan to my brother who is moving). I send him the new rego label to affix to the trailer.

Some weeks later I get a letter from the RTA to say my trailer number plates have been handed in to police and my registration will be cancelled unless I contact them.
(At that time my trailer is still on loan to my brother, and who is notoriously careless with other peoples stuff). I assume he has lost the plates and not noticed or not told me.

I ring him and tell him thanks for losing my number plates. He checks.
The plates are still on the trailer. ???

I ring the RTA and tell them this and they say it is not uncommon for someone to mis-type plate numbers handed in. and I should just advise RTA.
Then... Upon second check, the number plate quoted is different.???

The Rego I paid, and the letter about the plates being handed in were in relation to the Camper Trailer I had sold months previously EVEN though I submitted the notice of disposal form.

The RTA confirm that the disposal form does not do anything in its own right and that unless the other party does a transfer request, the rego stays in your name.

Here is the annoying bit, the other party did get the rego transferred into his own name. BUT in Victoria! (I am in NSW). The RTA confirmed that NSW and VIC RTA are not linked !!!

Can I get a refund of the rego paid unnecessarily? NO we do not do refunds on trailers.

Yeah! Right! Lesson Learnt!

[CraigS]

Geez Allan .. thanks. A real tale of woe !!
No linkage between NSW & Vic, eh ? (yeah ...right !)

Cheers

[Barrykgerdes]

What would you expect from a beaurocracy that earns its money from fines and spends most of it on itself.

I guess I am lucky. The only problem I had was when I replaced the damaged plate on my trailer (old TR B&W)
They supplied me with two plates instead of one. I left the extra one with them. Maybe I should have kept it.

Baz

[CraigS]

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

What would you expect from a beaurocracy that earns its money from fines and spends most of it on itself.

I guess I am lucky. The only problem I had was when I replaced the damaged plate on my trailer (old TR B&W)
They supplied me with two plates instead of one. I left the extra one with them. Maybe I should have kept it.

Baz

Maybe it ended up on eBay ?
(or down at the local pub !!)

Cheers

[Kal (Andrew)]

My sister is a fleet manager and she is always telling me stories of cock ups at the RTA. As an example, they will insist that a vehicle with such and such plates is a minibus, even though my sister is looking at the vehicle right infront of her as a camry sedan.

[Spanrz (Brett)]

I've learnt that in today's world, the only way to fix the issue, is to cancel and restart again. When it's a software thing (changes to accounts)
I know it's hard to figure out why and what happened, but easier for oneself to go through pain once than just add to the pain.
The problem is, that it's seems to be "our" (the consumer's) fault for mistyping a character. (yeah right)........


I had a misfortune a few years ago. Slightly related.
I owned a VK commodore wagon and sold it to a wreckers.
About 12 months before I wrecked it, I bought a rebuilt engine from Repco, and did a swap with the old engine.
I had forgotten to tell VICROADS about it (serial number - when I installed the new engine).
The wreckers pulled the engine out of it and installed it to another car, then sold it off.
Got a call a few weeks later from the cops. "where did you get that engine", said that I got it from Repco, as a trade in/swap/exchange unit for a rebuilt one.
Cop was miffed. Found out, that the engine I got off Repco was stolen from Adelaide. LOL! they had been looking for this engines for ages.
I bet if I had of issued VICROADS with the details, I would have had an impounded car, to no fault of my own (I suppose "Stolen Property").
Shows Repco don't do their checking either. They might have changed in recent years.

Now Repco would have had to come to the party with a new engine, but that would be so hard to organise and get them to "justify it" would be a nightmare.

[CraigS]

Kal;
Sounds like your sister has got the same problem as I had !

"DTA" policy at the RTA (Don't Trust Anyone ! ... including the victim !!)

Brett;
Lucky you forgot to tell VICROADS ! That one could've gone real ugly !!


Thanks for the feedback everyone. Helps to solidify my hypotheses about the RTA !

Cheers & Rgds.

[GrahamL]

I knew a guy that sold his ute many years back , handed the rego papers over with the paperwork and expected the new owner to change things over in due course which was pretty much the done thing back then .

Well the new owner was quite busy and didn't get around to it
but he did maanage to organize a boat full of drugs from OS to come ashore on a lonely stretch of NQ beach and ,when the boat was unloaded ashore and when the ute had its first load secured
..... Federal and State police swoop in and arrested the lot of them.

My friend whos blissfully unaware of all this and , incidently has missplaced the receipt from when he sold the car
Is about to get quite a loud knock on the door one morning

Well it worked out , but wow they sure had a gool look at him

bagged him out for years on this , another friend suggested hey lets go
down the station and demand your car back , the regos still in your name and the other guys don't need a car anymore

[CraigS]

Interesting story there Nightstalker !!

I've maintained for years now that the only proof of ownership of a vehicle is the register kept by the RTA. (Forget the receipt of purchase .. that always seems to get lost anyway). If they mess it up .. there goes your proof. Look at Greg's story below he was "told that the car no longer belonged to me".

The ultimate record is in their hands and a typo can take your vehicle away from you !!

[Jen]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

When I was young, I sold a wrecked scooter for $50, plates and all. No papers. What did I know then?, nothin.

3 years later, 2 cop cars turned up at my door step in a big hurry, I was a person of interest in an armed robbery, the getaway vehicle plates were registered in my name............................... .....

oh bugger is that what you got up too on a big night on the town

[GrahamL]

Make a complaint to the ombudsmans office Craig or the relevant
RTA complaints dept .. this nonsence in your case could of been nipped in the bud very early imo if just one employee had refered it to a superviser or used a little disscretion to look at what you were saying a little closer.

My big issue with govt depts or agencies these days is there all about
paper complaince and have not the slightest ability to act otherwise.

mass sackings if I ever get to drive the bus

[CraigS]

The person I spoke with over the counter at the RTA did go off to 'consult' her supervisor. She was very professional (especially about keeping me in my place .. but that's another story).
I'd say they knew exactly what caused it and kept it quiet from me.

Its over now. Need to get on with life & fun things !!

Thanks everyone !!

Cheers & Rgds.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Three registrations stories from me

1. I used to build Hot Rods many years ago, back when Victoria didn't have personalised plates.
I wanted personalised plates on my 1947 Ute.
I made my own out of Masonite and built up the letters with thick card and painted them in the colours I wanted (Blue with yellow text like California plates).

Then I took the Hot Rod into Carlton Vicroads for registration. No-one batted an eye when they read the Reg plates were 47-UTE on a 1947 ute.
And no-one even checked to see if my plates were real (which they weren't). They didn't even come up on the system as a non-existant issue.
But they registered it with those plates for me.

2. I bought a Vintage Harley-Davidson from the Trading Post but wasn't rego'd.
I went to Vicroads and registered it, then about 3 months later I sold it to a mate.
Then a week later I had 2 giant gorilla bikers turn up at my door from South Australia demanding their stolen bike back (Vicroads system must be connected to S.A. system).
I told them I had sold it and where to find it.
The minute they were out the door I rang my mate and told him to ride it around here very fast and why. He did.
We then took a quick trip to Melbourne to buy another left-side engine case for it (the part with the engine number on it).
Spent the night stripping the bike down, replacing the engine case, then he rode it home.
Several days later the gorilla's found him (they were certainly persistant) and checked the bike. "Hmmmm . . . wrong engine number" so they left and were never heard from again.

3. I sold my Mitsubishi Van to my next-door neighbour. It was out of rego but I left the plates on it for him (my big mistake).
He lent it to a bloke to use for carting hay around his paddocks.
That bloke lent it to his neighbours (a Mother & Son with a bad rep around town) and they packed it up and skipped town.
Then a few months later the fines starting rolling in to me.
Not paying Toll fees in NSW, speeding camera fines in Brisbane, Speeding Camera fines in Townsville, etc etc.
I tried every avenue through Vicroads and they said I have to pay all the fines coz it was still in my name.
I went to the Police and they said the same thing.
I wasn't allowed to report it as stolen coz it wasn't stolen from me, it was stolen from my neighbour, but because he never transfered the ownership I was still reponsible for it.
Then the Court cases dates started coming in.
I made my neighbour report it as stolen to Bob the local cop (He didn't want to coz he didn't want to get anyone in trouble). But I made him report it or he will have to pay all the fines and appear in court with me.
Bob turned up, took the particulars and said "just don't pay the fines. If anyone hassles you, send them to me".
The Van is now reported stolen, they are after the ones that stole it and we never heard any more about the fines. ONYA BOB!

End of the Novel