Private reg. numbers
Author
Discussion

saleen836

Original Poster:

12,512 posts

239 months

Saturday 18th August 2012
quotequote all
There is a number plate i'm after, I know what car it resides on but am unable to find out the owners details,after a quick google the reg plate came up showing for sale on a number plate website which transfers registrations wink
The price they have the plate advertised is £7495 so last night I made a VERY cheeky offer via their website of £1500 which was automatically denied, I left it there and thought no more of it untill earlier today when I received a phone call from the company (approx 5.30pm) confirming my offer and informing me they would put it to the owner, they then went on to say they have had another offer of £6400 for the same plate which they will also be putting to the owner and will get back to me later in the week.
Do these companies think I'm going to increase my offer because they say they have another offer on the table?! Do they really think people are silly enough to believe them when they say they will put my offer to the plate owner after telling me they have had another offer that is four times my offer?!
Still, I guess I will find out in the week if I get anpther phone call! rolleyes

northandy

3,540 posts

251 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
Just sit tight, as you said they wouldnt out your offer forward if there was really one already on the table for £6,400

Or be very cheeky and phone back and offer £1,400 now.

Viperz888

561 posts

188 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
Or get the owners details from DVLA for £2.50 or whatever it is and offer the owner £1497.50
I'm sure it'll be more than what the regi company offered!

MrReg

1,939 posts

252 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
No decent company in their right mind would accept a £1,500 offer for a plate advertised at £7,500. Where we have plates advertised on behalf of a customer we have to balance what we believe is a good price for them, and a good price for the buyer. We would automatically decline an offer like that (we get a fair few per day) as 999 times out of a 1000 they just don't materialise into anything anyway. Don't forget that the company will want to take their share out of that £1,500 so the buyer will be left with even less.
Good luck with getting it at a decent price though.

amirzed

1,789 posts

206 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
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Mr Reg is there a way to contact the owner of a number plate directly?

Seen one I like but the co. were putting me off saying it would be v expensive, I didn't fancy much talking to them about it anymore...

tbc

3,017 posts

205 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
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as wise man once said

"It won't make your car go any faster"

fair enough if you can afford it but I see people driving bangers with expensive numberplates and just can;t get my head around it

the plate is worth £10 -25k minimum and yet they are driving around in a skip

and at the end of the day what have you got a few numbers on the back of your car for someone to go ' wonder what there name is'

the mind boogles

in saying that i saw DI MNH for £189 which is exactly my title and initials so might be worth a punt as my cars as fast as it can possibly be :ROFL:

GALLARDOGUY

8,160 posts

249 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
You want them to behave impeccably and professionally with such a derisory offer?

You are wasting their time and they are wasting yours.

saleen836

Original Poster:

12,512 posts

239 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
Viperz888 said:
Or get the owners details from DVLA for £2.50 or whatever it is and offer the owner £1497.50
I'm sure it'll be more than what the regi company offered!
It isn't that easy going that route or I would have gone that way already.

MrReg said:
No decent company in their right mind would accept a £1,500 offer for a plate advertised at £7,500. Where we have plates advertised on behalf of a customer we have to balance what we believe is a good price for them, and a good price for the buyer. We would automatically decline an offer like that (we get a fair few per day) as 999 times out of a 1000 they just don't materialise into anything anyway. Don't forget that the company will want to take their share out of that £1,500 so the buyer will be left with even less.
Good luck with getting it at a decent price though.
Indeed, as soon as they said about the other offer I thought they are talking rubbish,and with my offer being auto declined via the website I was a bit shocked to receive the call. I do wonder if the plate owner even has it for sale and the company are chancing their arm by advertising it, if I did offer anywhere near the price advertised I wonder how much the owner gets told the offer is!


Pothole

34,367 posts

312 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
tbc said:
fair enough if you can afford it but I see people driving bangers with expensive numberplates and just can;t get my head around it

the plate is worth £10 -25k minimum and yet they are driving around in a skip
maybe they think it's safer than a bank? Easily hidden asset, not obvious to receivers etc? Easily liquidated if the time comes?

EddieFelson

1,168 posts

244 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
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Well I've seen my plate for sale on such sites and I've no intention of selling. I've asked for it to be removed, such low morals on selling plates they don't even own/havnt been asked to sell.

TallPaul

1,524 posts

288 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
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saleen836 said:
I do wonder if the plate owner even has it for sale and the company are chancing their arm by advertising it, if I did offer anywhere near the price advertised I wonder how much the owner gets told the offer is!
I'd think thats the most likely scenario, the owner isnt interested in selling, reg company offer it for sale, buyer offers £7500. They contact plate owner via DVLA (who are more than happy to sell on the details), telling him we can sell your reg for £6500, interested? Owner says "Yes", deal is done, reg company make £1000 with no outlay/ risk. Owner says "No", reg company tell you plate is no longer for sale, nobody is out of pocket.
The more I think about it, the more I think I'm in the wrong game!

BFG TERRANO

2,172 posts

178 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
There was a story here a while ago about a guy at auction chasing a plate he wanted. At £1500 he reached his max and lost it. A dealer bought it and advertised it for £7500!!!! He watched it for 18 months and it didnt go. Called them up explained that he seen it go at auction for £1500 and that was his only offer and got it!

northandy

3,540 posts

251 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
EddieFelson said:
Well I've seen my plate for sale on such sites and I've no intention of selling. I've asked for it to be removed, such low morals on selling plates they don't even own/havnt been asked to sell.
Blimey, how can that be right?.

BFG TERRANO

2,172 posts

178 months

Sunday 19th August 2012
quotequote all
northandy said:
Blimey, how can that be right?.
They get a feel of what it would fetch then offer you somewhat less in the hope you part with it.

littleredrooster

6,412 posts

226 months

Monday 20th August 2012
quotequote all
Viperz888 said:
Or get the owners details from DVLA for £2.50...
Why do people keep repeating this internet myth?

DVLA will NOT give out details to private individuals without spectacularly good reason.

Ari

19,826 posts

245 months

Monday 20th August 2012
quotequote all
MrReg said:
No decent company in their right mind would accept a £1,500 offer for a plate advertised at £7,500. Where we have plates advertised on behalf of a customer we have to balance what we believe is a good price for them, and a good price for the buyer. We would automatically decline an offer like that (we get a fair few per day) as 999 times out of a 1000 they just don't materialise into anything anyway. Don't forget that the company will want to take their share out of that £1,500 so the buyer will be left with even less.
Good luck with getting it at a decent price though.
I'd have thought that as the owners agent, you'd be morally obliged to put any offer forward. You don't know how desperate the owner is.

Apart from that, anything is only worth the most anyone is willing to pay. If its seriously for sale and the only offer is £1,500 then that is all it is worth.


Ari

19,826 posts

245 months

Monday 20th August 2012
quotequote all
BFG TERRANO said:
There was a story here a while ago about a guy at auction chasing a plate he wanted. At £1500 he reached his max and lost it. A dealer bought it and advertised it for £7500!!!! He watched it for 18 months and it didnt go. Called them up explained that he seen it go at auction for £1500 and that was his only offer and got it!
Perfect example.

Very high handed of any company to sit and judge what anything is worth on behalf of their client.

Different if they own it themselves of course, but from the OP's response it doesn't sound like that is the case.

jdw1234

6,021 posts

245 months

Monday 20th August 2012
quotequote all
The online offer thing just auto rejects anything below 10% I think.

It is just a marketing tool to get your number so they can contact you.

If they have the plate on balance sheet they may be open to a low ball offer (their annual accounts state they are looking to "destock" due to the economic environment).

Otherwise, they can only go as low as the owner will let them (plus their profit margin).


MrReg

1,939 posts

252 months

Monday 20th August 2012
quotequote all
Ari said:
MrReg said:
No decent company in their right mind would accept a £1,500 offer for a plate advertised at £7,500. Where we have plates advertised on behalf of a customer we have to balance what we believe is a good price for them, and a good price for the buyer. We would automatically decline an offer like that (we get a fair few per day) as 999 times out of a 1000 they just don't materialise into anything anyway. Don't forget that the company will want to take their share out of that £1,500 so the buyer will be left with even less.
Good luck with getting it at a decent price though.
I'd have thought that as the owners agent, you'd be morally obliged to put any offer forward. You don't know how desperate the owner is.

Apart from that, anything is only worth the most anyone is willing to pay. If its seriously for sale and the only offer is £1,500 then that is all it is worth.
No we are morally obliged to get the best return for them. We would not phone the customer up and say will they accept an offer of £1,000 on a plate that we had said we would return them £7,000 for instance - If we did, then we would soon have that reputation of other companies which is often talked about on here. The only exception I can see in the above though is when a plate is vastly overpriced in the first place where we have valued it at £1,000 but the customer has said that they want £7,000 for it. However, in those instances I've never known an offer to come in on them.

MrReg

1,939 posts

252 months

Monday 20th August 2012
quotequote all
northandy said:
EddieFelson said:
Well I've seen my plate for sale on such sites and I've no intention of selling. I've asked for it to be removed, such low morals on selling plates they don't even own/havnt been asked to sell.
Blimey, how can that be right?.
Someone, at some time, will have asked for a valuation on your plate and authorised it to be sold.
Could be a previous owner, could be a typing error from someone selling a number close to it etc.