Buying a TDI in mass...... can't give temp tag?

sardo_67

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Location
CT
TDI
2015 Golf SEL 6spd
going to buy a TDI from coastal VW in mass, i am unfortunately in CT and will register it here. the salesman on the phone is saying i they cant give me a temp tag so they wanted to charge me a dock fee of $500 and then $200 delivery fee to drive to CT and meet at the DMV to register the car.


if i don't want the delivery/meet at the DMV then they can register it for me thru a 3rd party company but might take up to 2 weeks and they can't transfer my old plates over to the new car so i will have to pay $200 for a new set of plates.

does that make any sense?

i am not saying they're lying or trying to dick me around as i know mass has stupid laws but even for them it makes no sense
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
I would contact the CT Department of Motor Vehicles and see what they say.
 

gmenounos

Vendor
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Location
Watertown, MA, USA
TDI
'99.5 Golf GLS, '01 Jetta GLX Wagon (TDI conversion)
I had to do a lot of running around 16 years ago when I bought my MKIV Golf. My situation was the exact opposite of yours: I live in Massachusetts and bought the car in Hartford, CT. I had to drive to Hartford, pay for the car, bring the title back to MA, visit my insurance company to get it insured, then go to the RMV to get it registered, then bring the plates back down to CT so I could drive the car home.
 

Rbertalotto

New member
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
Location
Massachusetts
TDI
Jetta SportWagen
Mass does not offer temp tags.....It might be possible to transfer your registration from a trade in if you are out of state. Not sure.

Or simply register it in CT and bring plates to MA to pick it up?

Best advise, call CT RMV....

Good Luck!
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
Don't pay them anything extra unless the drive/hassle prevents you from doing it yourself. As said above, MA does not have temp tags. You'd have to complete the purchase in MA and, with your paperwork is in order, visit the closest CT DMV (Putnam?) to either get new tags or transfer old tags, then back to MA to drive the car home. Yes, having no temp tags or "in transit" tags makes little sense, and RMV couldn't provide me a good reason for it when I asked (years ago)- I've read it formerly stemmed from conflicts with neighboring states, but it just reduces the number of sales in MA (and increases headaches).
 

turbocharged798

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2009
Location
Ellenville, NY
TDI
99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
If you have a large enough tow vehicle, a Uhaul car trailer fixes all these problems. NY is the same way, no temp tags.
 

sardo_67

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Location
CT
TDI
2015 Golf SEL 6spd
well i talked to the GM of the dealership. it is illegal for them to sell a car that isn't registered to someone, they have to register it due to local mass stupid laws. it's extra stupid.

he said he's used to getting yelled at or dealing with out of state customers who think he's trying to pull something over on them as basically every other state is normal.

they have to pay a guy to drive to CT and sit at the DMV for a few hours to register the car for me and so on.

so i am trying to do everything over email/mail then meet the guy at the DMV or something when i actually get the car as total trip from CT to MA dealer will be 6-7hr and i don't have that much time to burn. it's a MK7 TDI golf so unless it smells like an ashtray or baby diaper inside and drives/stops straight i'll take it.
 

TDIDaveNH

Left Lane Coal Roller at Large
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Location
North Conway, NH
TDI
1997 Passat TDI x2 1984 Buick Century 4.3 diesel
This sounds stupid AF...you can't put down a hefty deposit on the car, store it at the dealership for a few days, register it on your own, return with the tags, pay or finance the balance then drive it off the lot? Technically they didn't sell the car if you only left a deposit on it. If they can't do that for you, whatever it is you are looking for.....there will be others.
 

MP517PRCT

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2016
Location
York Co., PA
TDI
2014 Jetta TDI Sportwagen, 2011 Touareg TDI Lux
If you have a large enough tow vehicle, a Uhaul car trailer fixes all these problems. NY is the same way, no temp tags.
I did exactly that when I bought a '05.5 Jetta from a guy in Boston. Drove up in a Jeep Liberty. Bought the car, drove over to UHaul, picked up a trailer and then towed the car back to PA.

BTW... yes, at the price I paid and the miles my wife got out of that car, it was well worth it!
 

sardo_67

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Location
CT
TDI
2015 Golf SEL 6spd
well after a lot of dumb **** i gave up on the mass dealer and found an even better deal/car from a guy off FB and am buying that one.

guess it all worked out in the end
 

onlyinabeetle

Veteran Member - TDIClub Contributor
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Location
wrentham
TDI
2012 Jetta Sportwagen
I had issues living in ma but buying in pa. The dealership was crazy and let me buy my brand new jsw and drive home on a dealer tag, they even gave me a postage paid envelope to mail the plate back in!
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
I had an older couple from Oklahoma buy our MkIV '99 Jetta TDI and drive it home to OKC from Maryland with no plates. They insured it, took the title, and went on their way.
 

sardo_67

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Location
CT
TDI
2015 Golf SEL 6spd
I had an older couple from Oklahoma buy our MkIV '99 Jetta TDI and drive it home to OKC from Maryland with no plates. They insured it, took the title, and went on their way.

i've done that before, i will do something similar when i go to pick up my 15 golf since i'll have a 3 or 4 hour drive back from Burlington VT to CT. so long as you have insurance and the bill of sale i'll wager 99% of cops won't care unless you're driving 120 in a 45 or are just a complete douche to them if stopped.

i am not looking forward to my trip to the DMV tho
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Coastal is the VW dealer closest to us. One of our employees used to work there, and a number of customers have bought buyback cars there. They haven't had the best experience. We're told they don't return calls, tend to not do repairs they promise, and are slow to process paperwork.

They can sell you the car and apply for a MA title. You don't need to register it. But then you'll have to transfer it to CT, and i don't know if you'll have to pay CT tax when you do that.

I bought a '15 earlier this year at Paul Clark VW, (now Copeland), and haven't registered it yet. I have the signed title from VW Credit and an RMV1 (title application) which I haven't processed. It wasn't a problem for them.
 

hskrdu

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Location
Maryland and New England
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 4D 5M, 2015 GSW SE 6M
Pretty sure driving a car with no plates is grounds for impoundment and massive fines.

I was pretty sure, too, coming from states that require a plate in all circumstances. Turns out I was wrong.

I the case of the OK couple, they did get stopped, but not until they were about 200 miles from home, and after explaining the situation, proceeded to finish the trip without a ticket.
 

johnboy00

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2000
Location
Bridgewater,Ma.,USA
TDI
2005 Passat Wagon, 2004 Jetta, 2003 Jetta wagon
Mass RMV is still living in the 70's. Its all about paperwork, getting signatures, and other ridiculous BS.

7 motorcyclist lives were lost in NH in June because the Registry doesn't have a process to suspend licenses after out of state DUI charges. So far, the head of the Registry has resigned and a department head fired as part of the fallout. Maybe some of this BS will begin to change.
 

PeterV

TDIClub Enthusiast, HO5G Doyen & Zen Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Location
So, NH.
TDI
2000 Jetta 5 sp.
The RMV manager did quit her job but was rehired at the "T".

She is still getting a pay check and benefits but it is the Commonwealth rife with politics.

I ride that road in Randolph, N H several times a year. My last trip there was sad.
 

sardo_67

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Location
CT
TDI
2015 Golf SEL 6spd
Mass RMV is still living in the 70's. Its all about paperwork, getting signatures, and other ridiculous BS.

7 motorcyclist lives were lost in NH in June because the Registry doesn't have a process to suspend licenses after out of state DUI charges. So far, the head of the Registry has resigned and a department head fired as part of the fallout. Maybe some of this BS will begin to change.

Ya that guy would have still been driving the truck anyway, he didn't care one bit about his license or not being a scumbag, his arrest and driving record was a mile long, year after year after year after arrest after arrest for the same thing. Bad/dangerous driving while on drugs or drunk, Tx, OH, CT, MA, NH and probably more. the dude should have been in a jail cell or deported back to where he came from after at least the 3rd offense. but nooooooooo have to be nice to people now.
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
...7 motorcyclist lives were lost in NH in June because the Registry doesn't have a process to suspend licenses after out of state DUI charges...
We were recently in New Hampshire and when I commented to my friend who lives there about all of the motorcyclists riding without helmets, he replied "Live Free or Die"...
 
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