Number Plates

[chriswastle]

I didn’t want to get on my high horse as it were but I thought this thread was a little ` off target`

1. It is obviously extremely easy for tossers to copy any genuine number plate and put it on a similar vehicle, for all of the purposes discussed on here.

a. Bank job

b. Congestion charge

c. Sell a cloned vehicle as genuine

I know you would be extremely unfortunate for this to happen to you and I know that it’s not impossible, but I think we may be missing a point here.

If it did happen to you (which means you didn’t have to put a picture of your car on (believe it or not) an obscure website)

What’s the worst thing that can happen? It is IMPOSSIBLE to clone a vehicle with out the chassis number.

If some tosser thinks they can copy your number plate and go to London for the next 6 months for free, how much trouble is that going to cause you? (I don’t work in London officer... full stop)

If you want to with hold your Reg plate that’s fine personal choice and all that, but its makes bugger all difference

[felixthecat1]

<font color="white"> ----------------------------------- </font> oh forget it.

[RedRobin]

Hi Tian....I sent you a PM in response to your "come on, tell us" last night but when I visited My Home this morning I see Private Messages > Sent > 0. My path was to click your name above your avatar in your post and then select 'Send a private message' from strip below. I did the same for PM to simkna. Everything subsequently loaded as expected to tell me message was sent.

If it has not worked it's something I should report to TSN webmaster. More for the sake of TSN functionality rather than knowledge of my plate, would you please inform me if indeed you received my PM.

Many Thanx

[RedRobin]

Tian & simkna....Scrub my messages here....I've got both your PMs and will reply. It's as if my PM box had been switched back on just now....All's Well That Ends Well

[Hopsta]

Messages will only be in 'Sent' if you choose to keep a copy of the PM, by default this is not switched on.

As for the riginal topic, it's just a matter of privacy, and not wanting to give out more info than nessecary imo. You wouldn't put your full address in your location now would you?? Most of the cars on here as 'nickable' in scum eyes, so anything that can be done to stop that has to be a bonus.

Graham

[RedRobin]

Many thanks Graham....It helps to learn how it works. I must say that the more I use this site, the more I find that it works well from a UserFriendly/UserInterface point of view....Thanks TSN

[GTiMK5]

RedRobin, whats ur plate then mate? Intrigued to know.

[RedRobin]

Still on the subject of Number Plates....

In spite of the rules which DVLA publish about letter/figure spacing on plates, we all see numerous examples of breaking those rules. My new plate will still look good on bog standard spacing but would look even better if I slightly spaced only between the second and third characters.

Does anyone know how to achieve a minor bending of these rules if/when going through the stealer-dealer please?

Thanks

[lagrian]

I remember my old boss had this done on his Audi, he had all the spacing removed all together. He just asked the stealer to do it on his new car. They advised him about the legalities but still did it for him.

[M8CKN]

I have no spacing on my numberplate (as per my username), and it has drawn a few second glances from the police, but never been pulled for it.

The car went through the MOT with this plate on aswell, not sure if it should have though!!

[aswall]

I also have a plate which spells my name when there is no space in the middle. I have had this on 3 cars (soon to be 4) and have a friend who is a traffic cop who told me that they wouldn't bother pulling me for the spacing, but would add it to the list if they were doing me for something else. Using non standard fonts or changing the look of letters/numbers with bolts is fair game for them though, and although he gives an unrecorded warning as a first offence, (if the driver is polite!) not all of his colleagues are as easy going

[RedRobin]

Thanks lagrian, Macca, and Aswall....

I'll insist the stealer does it and let him tell me the legalities and accept responsibility. Mine would only be adding one standard space after first two letters and next two numbers....all very discreet.

I understand that MOT testers consider the size of plates and materials and fixing but not the spacing or even style of lettering. Some might pass comment but not record anything.

Mister Policeman doesn't seem to bother to pull just for such plate irregularities but, as you say, if you get pulled for something more serious....it's a different matter.

BTW, my research today took me to a web based plate maker who allows you to simply tap whatever letters&numbers you want into a 'Constructor', select border such as GB etc, select lettering styles both standard legal and very fancy, add to shopping basket and receive legal size plates in about 2-3 days for £23....No certificate of registration or proof of ownership needed. So who would need to nick a plate?

The site's small print states the plates are for "off-road" use but on another page it says some may be legal for on-public-road but legal responsibility is (of course) all yours.

[aswall]

RedRobin, the dealer will not mis-space your plate as they could get fined for it. They will straight out refuse. I always have mine made up by these guys http://www.sunset-solutions.co.uk/platebuild.asp

[RedRobin]

Thanks Aswall....Sunset appear to be an excellent solution. It seems that some stealers will bend the rules but most won't. My plate will still look cool with standard legal spacing throughout so it's something I may consider later as 'aftermarket'. I'm sure my local MOT guy will turn a blind eye to only one space irregularity on a plate with standard legal font style....The state of one's tyres is FAR more important!

Thanks

[aswall]

You've got 3 years 'til you need to worry about MOTs anyway

[bazza_g]

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

I blank out my plate and the plates of anyone else's car in the pic just in case there is a nasty plate cloner browsing the site

[/ QUOTE ]

....Oooo!! Nice Boxster, VERY nice!! So the "Big hair" comes from driving an open car at speed ? Or from hairdressing ? M16 too!! You've come here too late....You just missed that prowler I found.

So, do I understand that if I posted pix on TSN showing registration you would Photoshop them to blanks ?

I'm also (naively) wondering what do plate cloners gain from their dark art ?

Sorry for all the quezzies so early in the morning....It's just my mind's thread.

Cheers

[/ QUOTE ]

cheers - the big hair small car was reference to my bouffant and my VX220 Turbo

All posts above answer anything I was going to add - just for reducing the risk a little of anyone cloning my plate. My R32's plate was cloned and I had some little scrote running around the Brighton&Hove area getting speeding fines and parking tickets all other the place !

[skifly]

jumping back to the CC and cloned plates there is a little exception to the rules here - If the situation arises where someone effectively copies your car and plate and goes into the zone regularly without paying you will get lots of PCN's but if you sign a legal statement declaring that this was definately not you then CCLondon will stop sending you the PCN's and the plate will be registered to be tracked. This does take some time though and you effectively have a period of time where you could also use the zone and possibly "accidentally" forget to pay and no PCN will be issued. Well that is until the on-street enforcement people start tracking your plate (on the dodgy car or yours) through the zone and come to take it away!!

Also i have had dealers supply 2 cars now with my plate with no spacing without me asking for it - i got pulled for it (wouldnt admit the speed i was doing as they didnt get a chance to clock me) and luckily had a spare set of plates in the boot (got with car for towing etc) all marked with the dealer stamps so claimed that i had been trying to get it sorted and the dealer just sent the same plates again... just had to take car in to see mr nice copper to show him correct plates a few days later (before switching back of course!).