Cloned plates

[Jonny Wishbone]

Got a London congestion charge PCN in the post today.

The PCN correctly identifies that my registration links to a BMW M240i. They then supply a photo of a sodding silver panel van towing a trailer sporting my plates. I realise that the system is automated and a human being almost certainly hasn’t eyeballed this, but it is still a bit annoying.

Obviously I have contacted TFL online and submitted the Shaggy Defence and I assume that as soon a a sentient being looks at the PCN they’ll bin it pronto; I’m not concerned about that. In fact I’m not overly concerned at all since I’m due to part exchange the car later in the week so any future fines won’t be my problem.

That being said, the question is, do I need to inform anybody? My cursory online research suggests some people report to the cops and others contact the DVLA. I can’t imagine either lot would be especially interested as they’ve got more than enough real work to do. Thoughts?

[Cold]

Is it possible the plate in the photo has been misread by the penalty-bot?

[Jonny Wishbone]

Cold said:

Is it possible the plate in the photo has been misread by the penalty-bot?

You made me go back and have a look and whilst the algorithm has correctly read the plate on the trailer - it’s unambiguously my registration and it’s the plate they’ve highlighted - the van it’s attached to has a different plate, by one letter - LX vs LV. If I’d spotted that earlier I could’ve included the observation in my slightly sarcastic missive in response to them.

[Cold]

In that case it doesn't sound like a deliberate cloning, just a Friday afternoon at the number plate manufacturers.

[Jonny Wishbone]

Cold said:

In that case it doesn't sound like a deliberate cloning, just a Friday afternoon at the number plate manufacturers.

Good point I think you’re right. Checking the van’s reg flags up a grey Renault Trafic, which checks out. Deliberately cloning the plate of the trailer only would be monumentally dense.

[GibsonSG]

Takes me back to buying a nearly new Subaru WRX from a Subaru dealer. The reg was HV10... when it should have been HJ10... I was highly confused when I tried to sort out insurance for it after agreeing to buy it!

[Limpet]

GibsonSG said:

Takes me back to buying a nearly new Subaru WRX from a Subaru dealer. The reg was HV10... when it should have been HJ10... I was highly confused when I tried to sort out insurance for it after agreeing to buy it!

I bought a ZX7R from a dealer which had a small, and very illegal plate on it. Part of the deal was a fresh MOT, and they'd fitted a nice new (legal) plate obviously for the test And got a digit wrong. Which they'd also duplicated on the MOT certificate (pre computerisation). I wouldn't have noticed for ages had they not left the old illegal plate under the seat.

Red faces all round, correct plate fitted, MOT re-issued with the correct registration number, and a £50 voucher to spend in their accessories store for the hassle.

[Hol]

GibsonSG said:

Takes me back to buying a nearly new Subaru WRX from a Subaru dealer. The reg was HV10... when it should have been HJ10... I was highly confused when I tried to sort out insurance for it after agreeing to buy it!

I once HPI checked a tow years old Silver STI and it came back as blue, in the results. .
The owner checked the logbook for me and that said Blue as well.

It appears that it was an outlier amongst all the Blue ones being registered for the first time and whoever was doing the typing made a mistake.

[CRA1G]

Back in the seventies my mum had a slight collision in her near on new MGB GT to which a new front plate was fitted by the supplying dealer it wasn't until part exchanging it some three years later at the same dealer that it was noticed it had an incorrect letter so front and back didn't match and no one had noticed it in three years...!