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The issue really comes up when you sell the van - more so if it is sold privately. If you list it as a 2005 model (as the dealer did) then you really don't have a problem, as long as you are honest if a buyer asks what is the date of registration. If you advertise it as a 2005 caravan then you have the issue as I already stated of missrepresentation - if the caravan is registered on or up to 31/12/2004 it is a 2004 caravan not a 2005 regardless of when the model year is manufactured. The guy we bought from tried to use this excuse in court but it was dissmissed very quickly. The example someone else gave of car registration in August is a red herring as the same applies - if it is registered up to 31/12/2004 it is in legal terms a 2004 vehicle.

I think the dealer may just have used a little "poetic license" but since they have stated 2005 model year on your receipt I don't believe they have done anything wrong. That doesn't mean that they wouldn't negotiate a little discount.

The major manufacturers have traditionally launched their new models in the Autumn for the following year.  For example, they would have been showing their 2010 models at the trade shows from September 2009.  They usually make spec changes every year - a lot of them alternatate so that they have a major launch/refresh one year, followed by a minor update the following year.  Hence models of two different years would never be exactly the same spec, although you would sometimes be hard pressed to spot the difference!

Bailey started a change to this trend by beginning to launch their new models in June or July - but not necessarily changing the spec every year.  At that point, they started calling their vans 'Series 5, 6, etc rather than a more overt reference to the year.'.

So, as others have said the 'model year' and the 'year of registration' can be different

Quote: Originally posted by Bill Terry on 25/4/2010

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cris will be asking for serial numbers when you reg your van with cris. They know the date when the van was made. just cos you reg your van today dosent mean its a 2010.we all know that... If the s/n on the van say it was made in 2004 its a 2004 model. even if its a 2005 spec.As far as am concerned if a van was made in 2004. its a 2004 van even if its the same as a 2005 van.

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Quote: Originally posted by Bailey1 on 25/4/2010

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It is a 2005 then according to the serial number on the van. The tenth digit is a 5. It was i suppose like many new caravans registered each year as they come out, registered on the previous year, in my case 14/12/04.

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do not agree,trade descriptions act comes into mind.a 2004 registered is a 2004 and a court will uphold this.if i was buying a van and checked with CRIS on the documentation and it came back as 2004 i would not pay 2005 prices.a dealer may well hold this attitude also when you come to sell or trade in.

That is what we thought when the CRIS document came back. When I telephoned CRIS they said many caravans are registered from September onwards that are the next years model. That was my reason for posting this as our first reaction is we have bought a 2004 van and paid 2005 prices. We love the caravan and it has been very well kept and we dont plan on selling it yet but were worried for the time we do sell it. According to the serial number it is a 2005 model. I have emailed the dealer to share my concerns with them - I will post there response as and when.

Thats the problem with the CRIS document it tells you when it is registered 14/12/04 and the serial number. I had to google how to find out what the serial number means as it does not say anywhere on the document it is a 05 model, apart from within the serial number. You have to hope people know how to read a serial number as the first registration date can not be changed.

http://www.vinnumbersearch.net/vin_number_search/vin_decoding.html

Quote: Originally posted by michael on 25/4/2010

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do not agree,trade descriptions act comes into mind.a 2004 registered is a 2004 and a court will uphold this.if i was buying a van and checked with CRIS on the documentation and it came back as 2004 i would not pay 2005 prices.a dealer may well hold this attitude also when you come to sell or trade in.

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