Cloned plates, oh joy
Discussion
Had the car 2 weeks. Two blimmin' weeks and I've just received a PCN from Euro Car Parks for overstaying at a Restaurant 90 miles away from where I live. Definitely not me guv, I was working till 7pm (and the notice advises the driver arrived at 6pm). I have only recently bought this car so I'm assuming some low-life heat seeking throbber has just picked up the reg off autotrader. The image they have sent is definitely my plate, but you can't see any of the car/driver in the picture.
I'm waiting on a call back from the Police (for a reference number really, obviously not a lot they can do) and I've sent an email to Euro Car Parks advising of this, however their phone lines for enquiries are not available due to Covid.
Is there anything else I need to be doing or can be doing? Do I need to be gearing myself up for a fight with ECP? I hope not as I have neither the time, nor the crayons, to explain plate cloning to them.
I'm waiting on a call back from the Police (for a reference number really, obviously not a lot they can do) and I've sent an email to Euro Car Parks advising of this, however their phone lines for enquiries are not available due to Covid.
Is there anything else I need to be doing or can be doing? Do I need to be gearing myself up for a fight with ECP? I hope not as I have neither the time, nor the crayons, to explain plate cloning to them.
I had this a while ago, it was however a speed offence and a red light offence.
Both occasions I had security camera footage from work proving my car was nowhere near the offences.
I checked on here and was advised to contact central ticketing office which I did.
They asked for evidence which I sent and advised me to forget it.
Some time later I was summonsed for failing to fill out the 'who was driving the car' form.
I attended court and explained I was unable to supply the drivers name as it was not my car.
Found to my surprise that not filling in the form was an offense in itself, not being in possession of the information led to me being let off the offence.
With parking eye expect it to generate a few threats if however it goes to court and you are asked to fil out the driver detail form then return it blank with a covering letter.
Or more sensibly contact agtlaw on here who will probably tell you the above is a load of s
te.
Both occasions I had security camera footage from work proving my car was nowhere near the offences.
I checked on here and was advised to contact central ticketing office which I did.
They asked for evidence which I sent and advised me to forget it.
Some time later I was summonsed for failing to fill out the 'who was driving the car' form.
I attended court and explained I was unable to supply the drivers name as it was not my car.
Found to my surprise that not filling in the form was an offense in itself, not being in possession of the information led to me being let off the offence.
With parking eye expect it to generate a few threats if however it goes to court and you are asked to fil out the driver detail form then return it blank with a covering letter.
Or more sensibly contact agtlaw on here who will probably tell you the above is a load of s
te.Hol said:
Buy a cheap plate from DVLA, for £250, and sell it again for £400 when you finally decide to sell on the car.
Its more expensive than a sticker, but guarantees you never get another ticket for the current reg, or waste anymore time writing letters etc...
Who’s going to buy a £250 plate for £400? Its more expensive than a sticker, but guarantees you never get another ticket for the current reg, or waste anymore time writing letters etc...
It's also £80 to get the plate off and the cost of replacement plates varies on quality.
Ebay is awash with plates, however, that gullible people are buying without realising the same plates are £250 direct from DVLA, including the fee. Thousands of the plates for sale on there aren't owned by the seller, often like some of the cars....
Ebay is awash with plates, however, that gullible people are buying without realising the same plates are £250 direct from DVLA, including the fee. Thousands of the plates for sale on there aren't owned by the seller, often like some of the cars....
stitched said:
I had this a while ago, it was however a speed offence and a red light offence.
Both occasions I had security camera footage from work proving my car was nowhere near the offences.
I checked on here and was advised to contact central ticketing office which I did.
They asked for evidence which I sent and advised me to forget it.
Some time later I was summonsed for failing to fill out the 'who was driving the car' form.
I attended court and explained I was unable to supply the drivers name as it was not my car.
Found to my surprise that not filling in the form was an offense in itself, not being in possession of the information led to me being let off the offence.
With parking eye expect it to generate a few threats if however it goes to court and you are asked to fil out the driver detail form then return it blank with a covering letter.
Or more sensibly contact agtlaw on here who will probably tell you the above is a load of ste.
No not a load of sBoth occasions I had security camera footage from work proving my car was nowhere near the offences.
I checked on here and was advised to contact central ticketing office which I did.
They asked for evidence which I sent and advised me to forget it.
Some time later I was summonsed for failing to fill out the 'who was driving the car' form.
I attended court and explained I was unable to supply the drivers name as it was not my car.
Found to my surprise that not filling in the form was an offense in itself, not being in possession of the information led to me being let off the offence.
With parking eye expect it to generate a few threats if however it goes to court and you are asked to fil out the driver detail form then return it blank with a covering letter.
Or more sensibly contact agtlaw on here who will probably tell you the above is a load of s
te.te, as has been said many times on here before, irrespective of the offence, always fill in the S172 form, sign it and return it on time even if it's just to say that you don't have any informationKungFuPanda said:
Hol said:
Buy a cheap plate from DVLA, for £250, and sell it again for £400 when you finally decide to sell on the car.
Its more expensive than a sticker, but guarantees you never get another ticket for the current reg, or waste anymore time writing letters etc...
Who’s going to buy a £250 plate for £400? Its more expensive than a sticker, but guarantees you never get another ticket for the current reg, or waste anymore time writing letters etc...
Apparently, he was a gullible fool, but he was very happy none the less and it would solve the OP's problem, even if it cost him £250 max.
I had somebody steal my personal details to take out fake online car insurance, causing me to get their speeding tickets in three different constabularies, that took a long time to resolve, as each case required a new response. I wish I could have just solved that with a plate change.
Edited by Hol on Friday 13th November 13:51
Hol said:
Buy a cheap plate from DVLA, for £250, and sell it again for £400 when you finally decide to sell on the car.
Its more expensive than a sticker, but guarantees you never get another ticket for the current reg, or waste anymore time writing letters etc...
You don't even need to spend £250 - You can get cheap plates from @ £110 (including VAT and £80 transfer fee)Its more expensive than a sticker, but guarantees you never get another ticket for the current reg, or waste anymore time writing letters etc...
Given the option of buying a cheap personal plate, or having to put up with month after month of claims for parking tickets, speeding tickets, petrol drive-off's and whatever else (and having to try to convince the authorities that my car has a sticker on the rear end somewhere), I'd just get another plate - Far less stressful.
In addition, if you simply put a sticker on your car, your registration number is still in circulation, so the clone car will not instantly raise an alert if spotted by the Police (if both cars are the same make, model and colour).
If you put a personal plate on your car, your original registration number gets taken out of circulation for the period that the personal plate is on your car, so any car being used on the road, carrying your original registration number should instantly alert the Police that the car is not legal.
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