TonyNesta

I thought the point Clarkson discussed on TG last night was a good 'un; DVLA are selling registrations for some ridiculous amounts of money, many of which can only be read if the spacing or font is altered.

For example; B347LES would read 'Beatles' (£22k!!!!!) etc. etc. etc.

However, if you were to adjust the spacing, font etc., you could quite likely end up in trouble with the Police for making your plate unreadable, or whatever crime it is. Get caught three times, and you lose the plate with no refund.

How is it that an official Govt agency can sell you something (for massive profit !) that will only mean anything if you illegally 'adjust' it, but that you can then be nicked and fined for ???

Its like putting a massive tax on ****, then produce adverts to discourage the practice of actually smoking them, and then give smokers a hard time when they go to hospital to utilise the NHS which they have effectively paid for ?

Discuss.

I'll get me [flameproof] coat ready.

T

The Zohan

Quite!

One rule for them and another for the tax payers.

shoddy and ill concieved and excectued, sounds like a New Labour idea!

Dracoro

The answer is simple. Don't buy the plate! If you have to 'adjust' it then don't buy it.

The DVLA are just selling a plate, it's market forces (i.e. US) that determine whether it's worth £100 or £100,000.

It's also a chance to 'make some easy money' and any government agency will always try to make some cash by fair means or by foul.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

This is a bit like Sony too: they spend huge amounts of cash in r&d for devices able to record perfectly, then want the law changed when people buy THEIR devices to record music they also sell[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

It's called "having your cake and eating it", and loads of large companies, and ALL governments do it[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]


Alcazar

Leslie

Even I was surprised when I saw that. Comes to something when a government is openly conning the public in such a way. Wonder what answer they will give to that accusation, if any!

Les

Dazza01

They do actually tell you BEFORE you buy that its illegal to alter the plate.

DOUBLE STANDARDS I THINK ITS CALLED !!

The Terms and Conditions of Sale will be read to you by one of our sales agents when you have decided to purchase a DVLA Select Registration.

"You are about to enter into a legally binding contract with the Secretary of State for Transport. Please stop me at any time if anything is unclear.

You have an initial period of 12 months to assign your registration at a DVLA Local Office, but the entitlement period can be extended shortly before expiry upon application and payment of a fee.

Your registration can only be assigned to a vehicle, registered, or about to be registered in mainland Britain. At the time of assignment the vehicle must be licensed, of a testable type and have a test certificate in force, if applicable.
Please note you cannot make the vehicle appear younger than it actually is, and it is an offence to mis-represent the registration number.

If the vehicle to which this registration is to be assigned is not registered in your name you should let me have the name of the registered keeper so that I can include them as your nominee. After the contract is formed a nominee may only be added or changed upon application and payment of a fee.

Finally, if you have any doubt whatsoever concerning your choice of registration then please say so now before the contract is confirmed as you will not be able to cancel or exchange your purchase.

Do you understand and accept the Terms and Conditions of Sale"

I now confirm your contract with the Secretary of State for Transport.




[Edited by Dazza01 - 11/17/2003 2:00:43 PM]

Freak

I can assure you that is not the case......

Ive been warned/fined/stopped many many many more than 3 times over the last 7 years.......im not alone in that either...

Its an idle threat and never actually happened to anyone as far as im aware

Boro

iTrader: (1)

I agree with Tony. Its taking the Pi$$. If they dont want people to mis-represent number plates then dont encourage the same people to buy them, knowing that they only look and are worth the money when mis-represented.

I mean, you would really have to **** around with B347LES to make it look anything like BEATLES. Then first time on the road, you'd get nicked.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

It's an issue that's alway irritated me, I mean even before the DVLA started their plate sales.

It always irritated me when I looked in the back of the papers/autotrader to find companies advertising plates spelling words, but physically (and legally) have very little resemblance to the actual word it's trying to represent. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] False advertising IMO [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Now for the past few years the DVLA have started doing it [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] And blatantly advertising it!

It's a bit of a sore point with me, as my old man is a number plate obbsessive, so I hear no end of it. And he got fined for having his plate wrongly spaced (and it didn't even spell anything ) so I get this rant almost every week when a car with illegal plates drives past :rolleye:

If I'm the car I normally turn up the radio....he sometimes gets the hint

unclebuck

Strikes me that if you subsequently got done, you would be in a strong position to sue DVLA who told you it was OK to do it in the first place.

UB

dsmith

When the DVLA sell direct I disagree - they're setting the value. other wise theyd sell all plates at he standard £299 or £499 prices

Dean

medders

...but surely if no one bought them, the prices would drop ?

yoza

Freak,

If the DVLA recieve three photos of your none conformist plate they have the power to reclaim it from you, then they re-issue you with a standard plate.

When a copper pulls you for the plate, if He/She is doing his job to the (jobsworth) letter of the law. He/She will fill in a ticket, give you a £30 fine and take a photo of the plate. The photo gets sent off to the DVLA along with your details. They store it and cross referance it with any other photo/tickets taken.

Three times and your out.

So far as I know it hasnt happened to anyone as yet.

Later Yoza

Freak

yoza- i know that they can do it...

God knows ive been told it so many times...also photographed before

I Was just making the point that its threatened a lot- but never actually happened to anyone.....

Spoon

I had mine taken from me.

Well the police took the plates with them, the DVLC didn't though, nor did I get a fine.

magepaster

iTrader: (2)

posted by alcazar Having your cake and eating it is an easy thing to do.
It should actually be "You can`t eat your cake and have it"

But I`m a pedantic git

CrisPDuk

I've always thought that was a particularly pointless statement. Why on earth would you have the ******* cake in the first place, if it wasn't to eat it

Dremel

A little bit of info.........

The DVLA don't actually directly sell the plates, it's done through a third party - Premier Motorauctions Leeds Ltd -
They organise the auctions & website, you pay your money to them and not directly to the DVLA.
Maybe it's Premier who is sending out the press releases, obviously they must be on commission for each plate that is sold.

Jon.

NACRO

quote: "Its like putting a massive tax on ****"

it's exactly like that ie an idiot tax, along with the lottery etc. The best thing about the number plates is that firstly you can identify who is an idiot at a glance and secondly it's totally voluntary.
If people are stupid enough to buy a private plate then I'd like them to pay as much as possible to DVLA for them. Then the police can extract further idiot tax when they space them illegally. Sounds great to me, pay for your stupidity.

pugoetru

NACRO always down to earth

unclebuck

CO3 NER

How much for that one?

[Edited by unclebuck - 11/18/2003 12:11:20 AM]