New car reg
Author
Discussion

CooperS

Original Poster:

4,580 posts

249 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
Hey guys, I've got a new 1 series on the way in March. When my parents bought a new car 10 years ago I remember them picking plates. Does this still happen? I know which plates I'd like but don't want to get fobbed off by the dealer when they respond with the no cant be bothered potential response.

Anyone done this?

ryanp

5 posts

170 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
My mother had a new car about ten years ago and we were given a list of available reg numbers to pick from. I've had three new cars since then but have never been given a choice - I've just had what I was given. Maybe it depends on the dealer?

Swifty Stig

641 posts

198 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
Five years ago when the Swift was being first registered there was a choice of plates offered when it was bought. I always thought it would be an option from dealers providing it was within restriction and not personal style plates. Just my thoughts.

Swifty

BFG TERRANO

2,172 posts

178 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
My mum had a choice of several for her new picanto recently.

Petrolize

324 posts

204 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
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Was given a choice of 4 plates a new A4 4 years ago.

Fun Bus

17,911 posts

248 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
Am I correct in thinking its the last three letters only that you're given a choice of? Or do some dealers offer different variants to the area identifier - I.e. In Nottingham being offered FE/FN or whatever else was available.

CooperS

Original Poster:

4,580 posts

249 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
So I'm buying in Edinburgh so it would be SO13 .....obviously some have already been taken off by Dvla like SO13TOM and my wife SO13LOT (Lotty).

But if it doesn't cost why not get something which is our initials

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

276 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
I believe "choosing" dates back to the paper-based registration system where dealers would have a stock of numbers pre-allocated to them.

Now that it's all online I think when the dealer first registers your car the DVLA system just allocates a number and that's your lot.


Butter Face

35,019 posts

190 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
The dealer will have a set list of registrations they can register from, if you ask them they may let you choose from their list, but you can't just 'pick' a plate, does t work like that unfortunately.

Golaboots

369 posts

178 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
Worth doing, I had a colleague who went to pick up his brand new company car.
He wasn't impressed when the number plate was KN05BER, we all thought it was great though.

KingNothing

3,345 posts

183 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
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I picked mine off a list of about 8 when I bought my bike in 2009.

Triple4

94 posts

167 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
The dealers got a bunch of plates to use depending how many new cars they're due. So if they've got 7 new cars due in then they'll have 7 plates to choose from.
When we got the Mini they had about 12 plates we could choose from, all with the same start but the last 3 letters were different and all irrelevant so we just chose a random. The plate you want will unlikely to be allocated to that dealer.

georgejoshington

423 posts

192 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
Golaboots said:
Worth doing, I had a colleague who went to pick up his brand new company car.
He wasn't impressed when the number plate was KN05BER, we all thought it was great though.
That definitely happened.

Golaboots

369 posts

178 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
georgejoshington said:
That definitely happened.
It might not have been exactly that plate but it definately looked read like it. It was a grey Jag X-type.

nipsips

1,167 posts

165 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
I got a choice when I ordered my new Fiesta

HTP99

25,330 posts

170 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
We get a list to choose from and when that list is used up we get another list, generally we allocate a reg to a car and that's that, sometimes if it's not too buy and you are in admin's good books you can ask to see the list and would they mind holding on allocating a reg whilst I check with the customer which plate they would like out of the list.

Obviously if its a busy period, such as March and there are three branches and 11 salesmen between them with 30 odd cars needing to be registered in the first few days of March, asking admin to hold on allocating plates for the other 10 sales guys cars whilst I check with my customer which one they would like isn't likely to happen and I wouldn't ask anyway.

I generally tell people that they are allocated automatically.

BFG TERRANO

2,172 posts

178 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
Fun Bus said:
Am I correct in thinking its the last three letters only that you're given a choice of? Or do some dealers offer different variants to the area identifier - I.e. In Nottingham being offered FE/FN or whatever else was available.
This, exactly this

jimmy156

3,834 posts

217 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
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We were given a big choice of plates when my OH got her mini last year, but we couldn.t just pick anything

She originally picked one ending in GYZ and as we left the dealer she said to me "It couldn't mean anything bad could it" to which i replied well some people might read it as "jizz" hehe . We phoned the dealer and changed it after that.

fjord

2,143 posts

167 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
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Mate of mine picks up a brand new XC90 in a week or two.

He was given a choice of 5 or 6 plates to choose from.

CooperS

Original Poster:

4,580 posts

249 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
quotequote all
Thanks guys, I'll ask nicely and see what the response is. biggrin