renegade_si

Those of you who know Mark W know he's bought M2 RXB from the DVLA.

So Imagine my surprise (and delight?!) to see it available to buy online from www.nationalnumbers.co.uk for £240

So, I told Mark and then bought it online, using my credit card (yes it was secure - well I hope so!)

This is the email I got back :

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Dear Mr.Hadlington,

This email is to confirm that we have received your order for the registration mark M2 RXB.
We check each order carefully as to current availability. If everything is satisfactory, your order will be processed within the next 24 hours. If you have any enquiries regarding your order, please contact us using the details below and we'll be happy to help.

Registration : M2 RXB
Price : £362
Time Of Order : 07 06 2003, 11:20 pm

Assuming everything is in order you will receive the certificate of entitlement (V750 - pink sheet) for this registration in the post.
You should then follow these steps to complete the transfer :

1) You should fill in section 4 on the certificate where requested.

2) Your nearest Vehicle Registration Office (VRO) will be listed in your local telephone directory.

3) Take/post the certificate, your V5 logbook, your MOT (if applicable) and your current tax disc (a photocopy will suffice) to your VRO.

4) They will complete the transfer and issue a tax disc showing the new registration.

5) You will then be entitled to display the mark on your vehicle.

6) An ammended V5 logbook will follow in the post.

National Numbers
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PO Box 20,
The Grange,
Billingham,
Cleveland
TS23 1XY

Tel : (01642) 363738
Fax : (01642) 303030
EMail : sales@nngb.com

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Well I've had a phone call from Robin at National Numbers. Who sheepishly agreed that that number "Has only just been sold".

I asked how frequently their website was updated - he said once a week - I then obviously told him that it can't be and he said that it must have been a glitch.

Interesting now to see if my credit card has been charged as that forms a contract.

But as you suspected, you're safe Mark - which considering you have the V705 isn't a surprise.

I HATE these middle men anyway and love to screw them up.

Point of all this :

I didn't realise also that their websites dont include VAT nor the DOT fee either. Cheeky buggers. So what they sell for £240 (ie £10 less than DVLA on the face of it) is actually £362 !!!!

Si

MarkW

Si,

No worries mate

I would say to anyone who wants to buy a private reg, your first port of call must be www.dvla-som.co.uk

If a plate has never been registered, this WILL be the cheapest place to buy it. Remember the DVLA price includes assignment fee and VAT.

These private reg companies trick people into what looks like a cheaper price and by the time you have added on the extras it costs a lot more. All they do is buy it from the DVLA and then sell it to you at a profit.

It also seems that they advertise plates that hav been sold several months ago, as I bought mine on 4/3/03, so why even advertise it?

If you are after a specific plate that has already been registered however, you will have to go to one of these companies.

Cheers
Mark

morganrogers

Maybe I am just being slow... but I dont get the point here -

If you knew that MarkW had the plate already (as detailed on his sig) then why would you try and buy it ??
Seems kinda pointless...

renegade_si

Because they were advertising it as buy online and as I said I love to make these guys look bad. If they'd charged my credit card, I would have made a contract with them.

Those of you (and I know there are some who frequent the dvdforums) know that once the money is taken, then you have the option for them to get you the item at their cost.

Which would have been funny.

renegade_si

besides

1) It helped me make the main point of the note above - that these guys actually definitely DO charge more than DVLA even when they advertise at £240 (c.f. £250 for DVLA) as it doesn't include effectively £120+ of costs
2) Ensured Marks plate was ok and properly registered to him
3) Made me realise that moving S7 HAD from mt ST24 is a better option than buying something RXB instead. I hate that new "obligatory" typeface as the B is terrible for making into an 8. There are companies that will still do the order typefaces though and do a front and back plate for £30 ish delivered.

I had a read through the DVLA rules on the plates :

Why did the rule on fonts change?

An increasing number of motorists use number plates that are difficult to read. The introduction of cameras for enforcement purposes means that it is more important than ever for number plates to be legible. The new regulations will ensure that there is clarity of numbers and letters through the use of a standardised mandatory font. Click here for further information.

Will motorists have to change their existing number plates to the new font?

The vast majority of motorists will not be directly affected by the regulations. However those motorists who have number plates that are not substantially the same as the new mandatory font should change them for plates that comply with new regulations. Once the new font becomes compulsory existing number plates using any typeface that is not substantially the same as that specified in the regulations will be illegal. Click here for further information.

From 1 September 2001 all new number plates must display the new mandatory font. Combined with the new format registration mark, number plates will become clearer and easier to remember.


Number plates fitted before 1 September 2001 need not be changed provided the character font used is substantially the same as the one shown above.

Number plates must be replaced if they have been customised with:

Stylised letters and/or figures such as italics
Number plate fixing bolts that alter the appearance of the letters and/or numbers

THE LAW
The law states that,

You must not alter, rearrange or misrepresent the letters or numbers
Characters must not be moved from one group to the other (e.g. A242 ABC must not be displayed as A242A BC).
Offences may result in any or all of the following:

A fine of up to £1,000
The registration mark may be WITHDRAWN
The vehicle may FAIL the MOT test

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Interesting that I put S7 HAD on my mondeo in July 2000. If I move the exact same plates from this car to the '8 then they become illegal from the above as they are using a now illegal font (which wasn't at the time) I cant remember the name of it but it was the hi-line ones that even Halfords did.

Hmm, maybe I'll move them across anyway....

Si

morganrogers

Been through the same thing with the B and 8 thing....

All I want is the previous 'normal' font where the B does not have the little 'sticky-out-bits' on the top and bottom.

Try getting them made up though....

Nowhere will do it. They need the logbook before they will make a plate , and even then it has to have the name of the place you had the plate made on the plate.
I have been looking into 'show-plates' (i.e. not for road use) and this seems to be getting harder to get all the time as well.
If you find somewhere - let me know.

Morgan.

MarkW

I got some 'show' plates for my previous Impreza that had a private reg from www.gtgrafix.com who made them up to my specifiacation. Worth a try.

Mark

morganrogers

Nice site - but the plate builder only user 'the' font I am afraid... :-(

MarkW

Morgan,

Did you look here ??http://www.gtgrafix.com/designerstyl...gnerplates.htm

Mark

KEF

A lot of garages came under pressure to stop making plates without the log book after a spate of false plates were used in robberies. (one local dealer I know got caught out by somebody else fitting false plates to one of their hire cars, the car in question was recovered by the police after being used in an armed robbery in spain?!)

my MX-6 failed it's MOT at the last effert on account of the lettering being too narrow. (the plates were made up by the importer simply to fit the japanese size front plate, up until that point i'd assumed they were perfectly legal)

rael

I would be interested to see how the dealers react to a request for special plates.

I am not really interested in changing the font drastically but would like something that make the B look similar to the 8. If you guys come up with a good (& legal) source (as a number of us have private plates now) let's see if we can get a group order.

rael

AnilS

Rael, I bought A5 RXB (AS RX8) from the DVLA, as MarkW has already stated. Its the cheapest and (most) honest place to purchase. I was lucky enough to be informed that it would be impossible to purchase show plates after 18th April 2003. so I managed to get mine on that date, whereby the company put a mark up for those desparate (me) enough to want one. Indeed the B does look like an 8. However I think you will struggle to find anyone to do it now.


AnilS.

rael

Just for my clarification, does that mean that we can only have our plates printed in one specific standard font? I did not intend to have any drastic done anyway but just one close to the bog standard but with a closer B/8 fit.

Having said that, once seen on the car the connection between RXB plate and RX8 badge should be swift.

rael

Contigo

A bit of white and yellow slime will do the trick :D

AnilS

Contigo, you ought to go a see a doctor if its white and yellow!:D



AnilS.

MarkW

Now my reg plate has become famous, anyone want to offer me £5000 for it :D :D :D

KEF

no thanks. I've already got my cut price DVLA model,

just a thought though, for those that jhave actually seen the car, is the number plate holder full width, I was hoping to get a 5 digit plate fitted tight to the characters (at minimum legal spacing) and centred on the grille.

The full width 7 digit 03 plate on the group test model looked awful.

rael

I'm with you KEF, smaller the better.

rael

CyberDude

I'd have thought the smaller number plate would look better, but I remember reading somewhere that the small plate gives the car a bugs bunny look.

Just my 2p..

AnilS

Cyberdude, the bugs bunny look will come from a square plate, i.e. two characters above three characters, in the same way some imported cars have.


AnilS.

CyberDude

Ok, thats cool. I thought that maybe thats what you meant.

Cheers..