weldted Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 Hi all, just noticed a lot of sites Eurotunnel, ferries, insurance companies don’t seem to recognise my motorhome reg number when I enter it. The van is now 11 months old 2019 Sept. thought it would be on some databases by now?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 How do these websites react to your motorhome’s registration number? https://www.rapidcarcheck.co.uk/mot-history-check/ https://www.askmid.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weldted Posted August 27, 2020 Author Share Posted August 27, 2020 Thanks for that it shows on both, just wondered why on Eurotunnel it wont accept the reg and on some spares sites it doesn’t recognise the number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 I’ve experimented with the Eurotunnel booking system https://www.eurotunnel.com/book/YourVehicle/(0) The system correctly identified the two registration numbers I entered as relating to my motorhome (FIAT RAPIDO) and car (SKODA ROOMSTER). For a UK registration number there’s a 13 character maximum ‘field length’ and no case or space sensitivity. I tried the registration number of my 1st car (a 1962 vehicle that I sold in the 1980s) on the two websites I gave links to in my first posting above and the number was recognised and correctly identified the vehicle. But the Eurotunnel booking system failed to recognise the number. The simple answer is that the websites that do not recognise your motorhome’s registrationn number use databases carrying information that differs from what’s on the databases used by the websites that do recognise the number. Whether updating of the ‘currently don’t recognise your reg number’ databases might cause your motorhome’s reg number to be recognised sometime in the future is anybody’s guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weldted Posted August 28, 2020 Author Share Posted August 28, 2020 Thank you for the replies, it is a standard two letters two numbers three letter one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 Ted, I have found a lot of websites do not recognise my MH's standard 7 digit 2004 registration number and my assumption has always been because it is registered as an 'AUTO-TRAIL' and that the website does not know what that is so defaults to not known. Is your MH registered as a Ducato(?) or Burstner? That may be the answer. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 It might be thought that any database with vehicle registration details in it should mirror the information held in the relevant DVLA database. My motorhome is recorded in the DVLA file as “RAPIDO S6/DUCATO”. This is what shows if I use the rapidcarcheck.co.uk website, but the askmid.com webpage identifies my motorhome as “FIAT RAPIDO 640” and the Eurotunnel website as “FIAT RAPIDO”. If the Eurotunnel website fails to match a vehicle to the registration number that has been input, the message "We were not able to find a vehicle that matches that registration” indicating that the registration number that has been input is not in whatever database Eurotunnel uses. It will be the case that, when an application uses the make/model of vehicle to provide results (say to identify an appropriate air-filter) if a motorhome’s make/model does not appear in the database that the application uses, the application won’t function - but I would have thought that would be the norm where motothomes are concerned. It’s interesting that I was able to enter my motorhome’s and car’s reg numbers into the Eurotunnel application and both were correctly identified, but this does happen for weldted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 Since the master database for UK vehicle registrations must be DVLA’s (because it’s the only source of currently updated information, they presumably provide access to commercial data users, Who may then sell on an access service. But DVLA cannot he updating well at the moment (attributed to COVID-19) because I bought a car from a dealer three weeks ago and DVLA have only just caught up with the car going into trade so I’m having quite a game trying to get it transferred and taxed. The Dealer told me it’s taking four to six weeks to get a new V5. There is a way to get your newly acquired vehicle taxed in your name without any documents if necessary by ringing DVLA but you have to know how to get past the computerised front end to get talking to a real person. The way to do is to take the option which says you have had a letter telling you to contact them (currently Option 4) Whether that’s true or not. Most if not all the other options take you to recorded information only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 StuartO - 2020-08-28 12:47 PM ...But DVLA cannot he updating well at the moment (attributed to COVID-19)... That may welll be the case currently, but weldted’s Burstner Ixeo motorhome was UK-registered in September 2019 and it’s plain that its registration number is successfully being dealt with by some online procedures. It might be useful for weldted to put his motorhome’s registration number into the DVLA’s "Check the MOT status of a vehicle” application https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status as - even though the motorhome will not require an MOT test until September 2022 - the application should recognise the Burstner’s registration number and display what information the DVLA’s database holds regarding the vehicle’s make and colour. As my owm motorhome is recorded in the DVLA’s database as a “RAPIDO S6/DUCATO (which is what’s on the vehicle’s V5C) but the MID database must be recording the motorhome’s identity as a “FIAT RAPIDO 640”, it’s near certain that the MID database differs from the DVLA file and (I'm guessing) is probably built from information input by UK insurance providers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 By the way, I discovered today that you cannot tax a vehicle in advance, even of the last working day of the month, if you are trying to do it by phone because of a lack of documents which would allow you do it on line, which would normally allow you to do this. So I could not tax my new (used) car wef 1st September today (August 28th, the start of a Bank Holiday weekend) and I have to ring back on Sepember 1st (next Tuesday) to tax the car with effect from September 1st. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 As I had to sort out an inconsistency in the information relating to my car, which caused it to appear as a different model on many, but not all, insurance company and quote engine websites - a task that took a substantial amount of time and was only resolved after an employee of one of the organisations concerned, and one which incidentally had the correct information recorded for my car, took it upon himself to go above and beyond in finding a contact with the knowledge to investigate and request amendments on my behalf, I feel that I have a reasonable understanding of this situation. The various websites that use search engines to find or populate the details of your vehicle, whether to obtain insurance quotes, find spare parts or other reasons, invariably buy the complete search engine as a package from one of a number of vehicle information data resellers, of whom there are several, although mainly three who provide the information to businesses in the UK. Whilst, as you might have guessed, the backbone of the information they resell is obtained via commercial agreement with DVLA and consists of anonymised information from the DVLA vehicle register, it is also blended with information from other sources before forming the package that is resold to end users. In my case the issue turned out to be an incorrect code entered in a data file supplied by the SMMT, itself an amalgamation of information from vehicle manufacturers and retailers, which had then been blended with the DVLA obtained data in such a way that it was allowed to overwrite the DVLA data when an inconsistency was discovered. There can be other issues in how often the reseller or aggregator receives or updates the information that they buy from DVLA and their other sources, as well as the accuracy of the information. So although, for instance, resold DVLA data would normally be expected to be updated fairly quickly to include new registrations or "cherished transfers" between vehicles, that matters little if the end user is only buying the information once a year. The information that comes out is also only as good as the information entered by the supplier, which is why none of these engines has as yet been able to show me the correct engine oil for my 3 year old Volvo, and some still incorrectly identify service parts for my 4 year old motorhome Ducato base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 It’s clearly pot-luck whether, or how accurately, a website’s search-engine will handle a UK registration number. This website rejects my motorhome’s reg number bur accepts my car’s https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsLn8nYy-6wIVDOztCh0daABEEAAYASAAEgIqO_D_BwE whereas this website accepts both reg numbers and accurately identifies the specification (petrol, diesel, etc.) of each vehicle https://www.partshark.co.uk/find-used-car-parts-by-registration-number/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamRienza Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 Living in N. Ireland can be a bit hit and miss with online bookings etc. My 4 year old Motorhome has 3 letters followed by 4 digits is recognised by eurotunnel as a Fiat Ducato, however many other commercial parts sites do not read it. The same happens with my UK (N. I.) drivers licence which is not recognised by insurance comparison sites etc. Davy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 What A Ministrone Soup you Have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted August 29, 2020 Share Posted August 29, 2020 Probably depends on how the database is purchased, then / when ? updated. , or if it is interactive with the DVLA database. All this data is purchased commercially, and a choice is made as to its effectiveness within the application requirements. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 29, 2020 Share Posted August 29, 2020 Commercial applications will not interact directly with the DVLA’s computer systems. The DVLA can ‘sell’ vehicle-related data as described here https://www.gov.uk/data-requests-dvla and the significant data sets’ content is described in these two documents https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/824212/bulk-data-set-information-for-vehicle-buyers.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/873575/v995-anonymised-data-set-information-for-vehicle-buyers.pdf If an on-line application is intended to (say) provide information about parts appropriate to a vehicle (eg. an air or oil filter) and the application includes the option to identify the vehicle by its registration number, there will need to be a cross-link between the information on the data set that carries the registration number and the vehicle’s ‘technical' specification (make, model, age, etc,) and another data set that carries information about parts. Where motorhomes are concerned, it’s not in the least surprising that entering a registration number into such applications may result in the registration number not being recognised and, even when the number is recognised, there is a high risk that the parts being suggested as suitable will be the wrong ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weldted Posted August 29, 2020 Author Share Posted August 29, 2020 Many thanks for all your replies, just thought it was unusual as our last four motorhomes all bought new have always shown correct identification when entering reg on ferry or tunnel bookings. (Such is life) all stay safe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HymerVan Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 I recently contacted a local(ish) Citroen garage to arrange for work to be done on my 2107 Citroen Relay in relation to a recall or as the trade call it a "campaign" which I think is a species of voluntary recall. The nature of the recall was to "check security of brake pipes" and replace if necessary. I came across the recall information on a motorhome forum (I forget which one) . My vehicle was originally suppled by Robbins & Day in Glasgow to ENC the converter. R&D are a national Citroen dealer (and incidentally are I think owned by PSA the parent company of Peugeot/Citroen) My van was initially registered under a "normal" number and then a cherished number was transferred. That cherished number was the same number on my previous three vans the last being a 2012 Citroen Relay. Robbins & Day still contact me about servicing etc with reference to the original number however I actually use a more local dealer. The very much on the ball service administrator in my local Citroen dealer had sorted out anomolies on their trade database regarding my "new" vehicle last year when the van was being serviced then but when registering the recall work recently she couldn't initially process it because the database was again coming up with references to the 2012 vehicle. Exactly the same make model and colour as the 2017 one which added to the confusion. Despite having the VIN and the original Reg No she had difficulty getting the vehicle particulars on the database changed even though they had previous been changed to the correct details 18 months before. This suggests that trade databases are being dynamically updated to uncorrect (if that is a verb) previously correct information. On another occasion a third party struck my stationary car and agreed to pay for the damage amicably. The car was repaired by an agreed dealer at an agreed price. When I got the invoice everything was correct except that my BMW had changed into an Audi A3 (a car on the same cherished number which I had traded in 5 years previously). The dealer initially refused to amend the invoice "because the system had no means of doing that" I said that if the invoice was going to be paid it would have to be correct as the third party would not pay for a repair ostensively for the wrong vehicle. I went on to say that if that meant the invoice had to be written out by hand so be it. The dealer found a way and agreed to have the database amended however for several years after that I still got mail shots from the Audi dealer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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