A purchase receipt is an important document; it helps to confirm a vehicle’s history as conveyed by you. Information such as the date of sale, who sold it, for how much and the mileage at purchase all help to corroborate your claim and confirm you are the owner. It may also assist with valuation – not something we undertake.
In the absence of a receipt, we will likely wish to speak with the vehicle vendor, the person who sold it to you. Therefore, please do your utmost to ascertain the name, address and contact details (phone number and email) of the vendor.
- Do not delay – make the necessary enquiries asap!
If your vehicle was used for, or in connection with, your business, there is more reason we expect this document to be available; if only for your profit and loss account, the document is important – a vehicle is commonly a large business expenditure and its actual cost, plus the additional maintenance expenses, are commonly offset against income. Records are often required to be retained for years.
Proof of purchase should also be supported, where possible, by evidence of the funds being available, and utilised, such as a bank statement.
Note: in or about 2018, citing GDPR, the DVLA ceased displaying previous keeper details on the V5C. This not only hampered prospective buyers from making enquiries of a previous keeper and removed the indication of how long the current keeper/seller possessed the vehicle, but it also prevented an insurer (or another) from making a simple approach to the party to corroborate the vehicle’s history.