Fleets receive cars and vans with wrong number plates

Fleets are receiving vehicles with number plates showing the wrong registration, or even with different plates on the front and rear.

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has seen an apparent rise in the number of cars and vans being delivered with the wrong registration plates and is urging operators to check they are correct.

Paul Hollick, chair of the industry body, said: “We’re hearing from our members of an increasing incidence of this problem. It’s quite an easy thing for fleets to miss on delivery and there are reports of cars and vans driving around on the wrong plates for months or even years.

“In some cases, the error only comes to light when fleets find that the vehicle has been stopped by the police. Operators need to start identifying the problem earlier on by making their own checks on delivery.”

He says that the error was being made by manufacturers or dealers when the vehicle was being prepared for delivery.

“This is something that should be picked up during the pre-delivery inspection but, from what we are hearing, this is happening less and less often,” he added.

“If a problem subsequently arises and there is a financial implication, there is then the question of who is to blame? Certainly, in those circumstances, dealers don’t seem too keen to take responsibility.”

He hopes that the issue can be tackled in a revised version of the AFP’s Dealer Standard, designed to ensure that fleet cars and vans are delivered in excellent condition to the end user, who is then shown the fundamentals of how to operate the vehicle and treated courteously.

“The original Dealer Standard has been pretty successful since it was launched in 2022, having been adopted by several major dealer groups, and we are looking to re-examine the document in the light of newer developments such as the registration plates issue.

“Certainly, there is a perception within the AFP that dealer relationships with fleets have probably worsened in recent times and could be improved. The Dealer Standard could play a useful role in changing this situation.”

Fleets are becoming increasingly frustrated with falling customer service levels for new vehicle deliveries, according to the latest Fleet News at 10.

Panelists expressed their frustration with electric vehicles (EVs) arriving with little charge and internal combustion engine (ICE) cars with only a small amount of fuel.

The issue appears to be confined to those manufacturers that have switched to an agency model, which fleets say results in reduced incentives for the local dealers to maintain a high level of service to fleets.