sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

this is a long one so i will make it short.

i am driving a courtesy car and the number plate has been 'doctored', (maybe innocently) so that laser cameras wont pick up the registration.

i found this out at a campsite in Yorkshire at the weekend when trying to gain access to the site through a number plate recognition system (laser camera).

the police tell me that i am liable to fixed penalty notices etc if i am caught driving the car. the company that provides these cars to non fault drivers say that i have to prove the car is illegal before they will swap the car.

the company have thousands of cars and they all carry the company number plates....dodgy or what

i have reported this to trading standards and the police, i am at a loss as to what i am to do now.

my daughter is registered disabled so i need a car asap.....

i know you lot can help me here

Leslie

Hi SS, been a bit worried about you, the last you said was that you had a hospital check up. Hope it all went well for you.

I would insist on a written statement from the car firm that the car is fully legal in every way so that if you are caught you can show that so that the blame goes on to the car firm.

Les

Snazy

Whats actually wrong with the plate ?

Les, written agreement or not, caught driving the car would leave Sara liable not the owner. Its the drivers responsibility to ensure its roadworthy
Replace the plates but get agreement from the company to reimburse you ?

Dr.No

Dunno what a 'laser camera' is anyway???

Either it's a laser, or a camera, but as far as I'm aware there's nothing called a 'laser camera' thats used to read numberplates????

If it's reading number plates it'll just be a regular CCTV camera with some clever ANPR software - There'll be nothing 'laser' about it, and as long as it's visible I can't see anyway that a plate can be doctored to stop a CCTV camera from reading it.

Very odd situation indeed... I'd get clarification from the police as to what the problem is, and from the car company as to the legality of the car / plate.

Snazy

I think ANPR is the system in use.
Would not always trust a private ANPR set up to define something as illegal.

JTaylor

If your daughter wasn't registered disabled would you not need a car as soon as possible?

what would scooby do

You fire a "macrovision" signal at any digital CCTV system using CCD's and you stop them processing.

I'd guess the plates have that silly diffuser / defraction film on them ??

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

right, as i understand it is that a hand held gun would not be able to detect the registration. the system at the camp site only showed a blank plate. they told me that you can put a film on the plate or spray it with something, either way my plate is invisable. they have had a few instances of this before.

i am not under contract to the company so i am the one in trouble if i am caught driving it. i have been given a URN reference from the police but they are not going to investigate. 18000 cars could have the same problem.

les, sorry i didnt get back to you, i have pleurisy, not the dreaded 'C' word i was imagining. just glad to be feeling much better now

and yes i do need a car asap and i am going to explode with frustration if i cant get it sorted

Leslie

Big relief here about the results SS.

That is a difficult stuation over the car as has been explained by others. With luck it may not come to anything though.

Les

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

big sighs all round Les

looks like i am stuck with the car for another couple of weeks

strange dilemma to be in



and if anyone has seen a silver Titanium Focus flashing at them its me

RA Dunk

if thats the case then sarah could kick up a fuss with the car owners for giving here an un road worthy car surely?

Coffin Dodger

Don't really see what the problem is. Sounds like it's only the fact that you went to this "high security" camp site that your any the wiser.

On the outside chance that you do get stopped by the pigs and they say the plate is dodgy just inform them it's a courtesy car and deny all knowledge of it. You have paperwork etc. to prove it's not your car. Can't see they would bother to prosecute or that any court in this land would uphold the prosecution unless it was directed towards the company loaning out the cars, not yourself.

Therefore why bother making a mountain out of a very small mole hill

Jamie

Oi less of that star wars sh1te

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

one of the reasons that i want the car changed is that i am going back to the same camp site. every time i wanted to get in or out i had to queue up and wait till someone could let me in. loads of hassle in the rain and mud.

plus, have you seen how many cameras are in Yorkshire?!! i dont want the hassle of having to explain it, and why should i?

i think the security system is in most sites now, stops paedos etc.

the system is called Auto Focus, i think its infared but i am not sure

lozgti

First reading the Thread I thought the hire car was a chavved up saxo from 'hire cars4u'

Can't imagine Hertz or anyone dishing out 'stealth'hire cars

Tell them you will be sending the police round to investigate if they don't give you some form of admission

jono300

iTrader: (8)

Intrigued as to what is actually on the plate to avoid detection ??!! its obviously not this anti flash spary that was doing the rounds at one time as that was purely for reflecting the flash from any gatso cam, so okay then what is it thats is seemingly working so well ??!!

Snazy

Could be something as daft as incorrect spacing with some of the cheaper ANPR things out there.

And yes Acid, a fuss should be made once its determined WHAT exactly is wrong with the plate.

boomer

Why on earth are the campsite involving the police - interfering busy-bodies

Once you are off the public highway, remove the plates and tell the site to eff off - if someone i was paying for a service behaved that way i wouldn't be paying them for much longer!!!

BTW, does the courtesy car come from a company with the initials DA by any chance?

mb
p.s. if the car is being provided through your insurance, i am very sure that they would be interested in knowing about "suppliers" who are providing illegal vehicles!

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Lets have a look at the plate then, show a photo - unless it comes out blank on the camera

Mog

Myth Busters on Sky TV recently did a test on no. plates and found that none of the "methods used to hide plates" actually fooled a camera !!!!!

jono300

iTrader: (8)

Which exactly baffles me why there is suddenly something that appears to work ??!!

sorry and no offence to the original poster but something just doesnt add up with this story ??

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

DA is the one

have you had problems with them before, ****e customer services


the car has been taken away this morning for further investigation. i have made a secret mark on the numberplate so they cant deny anything, the police are involved now .

i went to Cayton village caravan park in Yorkshire. they seem to know more about the number plate than me, they have had it happen a few times apparently.

i want to know what is going on with the plate as well, might come in handy sometime

boomer

I have never had any dealings with them myself, although a good friend walked out of a new job in one of their call centres after a day because she felt like a "flaming battery hen"!!!

Just search the Interweb for their name and check out some of the hits - especially consumer websites. Some not-so squeaky-clean activities in the past that cost their "customers" dearly, although allegedly this has all been sorted out.

Can't find anything so far about "invisible" number plates though.

mb

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I had that once.

The doctor listened to my breathing when I said I creak when I breathe. She said "Oh yes, you have dry pleurisy."

"Dry?" says I, "Is there a wet version?"

"Oh, yes. It's easy to spot the difference."

"How's that?" I ask.

"Well," she says "if you had wet pleurisy. You'd be dead. Bit of a give away."