F reg number plates what’s the big deal?

You may or may not have heard…. the DVLA are finally releasing F prefix registration numbers in October this year.

Anticipation of the release of the F registration numbers has been building for quite some time – the DVLA have received thousands of enquiries.

So what’s the big deal about F registration plates?

What difference does it make?

The DVLA have never made available F number plates for sale. When E registration numbers were released, there was a flurry of activity , and the best ones were snapped up so quickly your head would still be spinning! And F registrations will be no different.

F registration is the last of the prefix registrations to be released. Numbers F1 ??? to F20 ??? will be available on general sale in October. And that will be that.

If they’re not released yet, how come some number plate dealers are selling them already?

I’ve seen one dealer in particular offering F registration number plates for sale. However, the DVLA have not released them for sale yet.

I raised this with Steve Taylor at the DVLA. He told me “We’re still working on the pricing at the moment. No decisions have been made”. So it looks like some number plate dealers are taking a chance and applying some guesswork. And taking payments from customers on this basis.

Number plate dealers do not have special access to the new F registration number plates – they have to fight it out with everyone else who wants to buy. And the DVLA will only sell you one number plate at a time when you get through.

Some F number plates have been sold.

Some of the best F reg number plates have been sold at various DVLA auctions over the years. Especially those that make a whole word, such as F1 LES, F1 FTY, F4 TTY, and F1 ONA.

Don’t think about it too long

If you’re thinking about buying an F reg number plate, make your plans now. Decide what you want to buy, and what you would choose as an alternative. And get dialling as soon as the lines are open. These personal number plates won’t be around for long.

Share this:

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

 

How to buy the right personal number plate

I’ve chatted to many clients over time, advising them on personal number plates. I’ve helped them choose the right cherished registration number, for themselves or as a gift for a loved one.

Buying a personal number plate isn’t always straightforward. I don’t mean the paperwork – that’s just paperwork. I mean choosing a registration number. There are just so many to choose from – especially under around £1500.

The trouble, I find, is emotion. Buying a private number plate is usually an emotional decision. Very few of us are dispassionate when we buy a personal number plate. Though there are some who just buy purely for investment.

Even when the decision is purely emotional, and there are no plans to sell the numberplate, there is always an assumption that it will go up in value. And if we don’t buy wisely… it comes as a bit of a shock when we find it hasn’t. Unfortunately, not all number plates go up in value. I’ve blogged previously about buying a personal number plate for investment so I won’t repeat myself here. Save to say that a little careful thought can make a difference. And it doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money.

Here is an example:

A client contacted us, having decided on the private number plate he wanted to buy for his wife. I won’t tell you the exact registration number, but it was similar to OK03 SUE. I asked him the age of his vehicle (standard practice!) – it was ‘54 registration. A quick check revealed that registration number OK04 SUE was also available for sale… at the same price. Compare the registration numbers: OK04 SUE is a much better registration number (do I need to explain why?), which is likely to sell more quickly when it goes back on the market.

In the meantime, I’m sure this gentleman’s wife was very happy with her anniversary gift.

There’s more detail, with some hints and tips on buying a personal number plate.

Share this:

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

 

Personal number plates dodgy dealings

To the innocent buyer of a personal number plate, it’s easy to fall prey to unscrupulous activities. After all, most of us buy a personal number plate occasionally…. so we’re not aware of the potential pitfalls.

Today I received this query from a lady, who (understandably) was rather upset….

“…if the grantee on a retention document cannot be contacted or has moved house, how can i now use a number plate i have purchased if i cannot get the grantee to fill out the retention document ….”

The answer, in short, is… you can’t.

The ‘grantee’ on a number plate retention document V778 must add the buyer to the retention document, as a nominee. It requires the grantee’s signature to do this. As a buyer you must make sure it’s done at the time of purchase. Once you’ve been added as the nominee, you can assign the cherished registration number to your car.

Unfortunately, that’s not the end of the story. As the buyer of the personal registration number, even if you’ve had your name added as nominee, you’re still vulnerable. The grantee still has the rights to assign the registration number to vehicle of his own – even though he has sold it to you. An unscrupulous seller may just do this. In fact, this happened to my brother some years ago.

As the named nominee on the number plate retention document, your rights are limited.

What you can do as the nominee:

• Assign the registration number to your vehicle. That’s it.

What the grantee can do:

• Remove your name as the nominee
• Renew the document when it’s due to expire
• Change the address details
• Claim the document is lost

As the nominee you have no right to do any of these.

There’s a big hole in the cherished registration transfer scheme which leaves the buyer open to being swindled. The way to minimise the risk is to assign the personal number plate to your vehicle straightaway. Once you have assigned it, the grantee has no more rights to the registration number.

Unfortunately, buying a personal number plate is not without its risks.

In summary, my advice…..

• Use a reputable company to manage the transfer of the number plate for you. Even if you’ve purchased the registration number privately.
• If you’re not purchasing via a company, have your name added as the nominee before you hand over payment
• If you can, assign the registration number to your vehicle as soon as possible

.

Share this:

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

 

Private number plate – an alternative Christmas gift?

What do you give to the person who has everything? I’m finding more and more people are turning to personal number plates as an unusual gift. So what’s the big deal?

Customers are telling us that, as each registration number is unique, it’s a distinctive and personal gift. And we know from experience that people do keep their private registration number for years, sometimes decades. Every number plate, it seems, has a story… and that’s the appeal. Our clients have spent many hours choosing just the right one.

“My parents gave me my number plate for my 21st”….. “My family bought this for my 40th birthday“…… “My fiance bought me this as a wedding present”….. the stories are as individual as the the registration numbers.

So is a private number plate a good gift? Well, that depends. If chosen well, then absolutely. They start from around £150. And, unlike the latest gadgets, can be kept a lifetime.

A good number plate will be kept for many years. Take care to get it right though! It’s not unknown for someone to buy a private number plate for their partner, only to find that their partner doesn’t even like personal registrations! So make sure you test the water first.

 

Lose your car, lose your number plate….?

I was chatting to a guy yesterday, who was telling me his tale of woe about having lost his personal number plate. He’s still battling with the DVLA to get his personal number plate back.

Why?

Well this was his story.
His car had been in an accident, and declared a written off by his insurance company. And he didn’t want to lose his personal number plate with the car.

He did everything according to the DVLA rules. He obtained a letter from his insurance company which stated they had no interest in the private number plate and sent in the appropriate forms to retain his number plate.

Unfortunately, his application was declined. He’s not entirely clear why his application was not successful. I suspect that the car insurance company were a little quick off the mark in disposing of the car. A Certificate of Destruction (CoD) had been completed for the vehicle, before the the application to retain the number plate had been processed by the DVLA. And once a CoD has been issued, the registration number is ‘retired’.

Which means his personal registration number has been lost. And so far pleading his case with the DVLA hasn’t helped. The rules are very black & white, and there’s little room for flexibility in their application. The DVLA have told him his number plate has been ‘retired’ and will not be re-issued.

Although his number plate wasn’t particularly expensive, that’s not the issue. This would have been the case, whether the number plate was worth £50 or £500,000! A rather vulnerable situation.

So be warned. If your car is written off, act quickly to retain your number plate. Before the vehicle is either declared destroyed (on a CoD) or sold on by the insurance company. Or you risk losing your cherished registration!

More on what to do with a personal number plate when a car is written off.

 

Choosing number plates for investment

Do all private number plates go up in value? And if they do, does that mean that all number plates are a good investment?

The truth is that not all number plates are an investment. If you want to buy a number plate with investment in mind, here are 5 tips to help you along your way…..

1. Choose carefully. Buy the best ‘quality’ registration number you can afford.
2. Consider who might want to buy your number plate. Choose one that will appeal to the widest possible audience.
3. Compare prices with other number plates similar to the one you are considering investing in.
4. Your number plate may drop in value initially, particularly if you bought from a dealer.
5. Allow for DVLA fees, which apply when transferring or renewing your registration number.

Number plates are not suited to everyone’s investment portfolio. So you need to be sure it’s right for you!

Read more about investing in number plates….

 

Number plates for companies

Are personalised number plates just for private owners? Not any more….

Businesses are turning to registration numbers to give their company brand a little extra. And companies all sizes, big and small, are doing it….using a registration number to enhance vehicle graphics. And it disguises the age of the vehicle – an inexpensive way to keep a fresh image.

So where do you start? Company name is a good place, of course. A local builder’s merchant (John A Stephens) has a fleet of lorries, all of which carry a JAS number plate. And there are lots of lorries!

But company name is just one (immediate) option. Apply a little imagination, and humour… and the end result can be more memorable. Make people sit up & take notice with something a little quirky. Pick a theme for your number plate and go with it. But make sure there’s plenty of options if you’re expecting to have lots of vehicles…. be sure to think ahead.

If they make me smile, they work. Go for a fun number plate, within a theme. Flex your humour muscle and have a little fun. Here are lots of number plate ideas.

 

Why are number plates so expensive….?

The obvious answer is supply and demand…… isn’t it? After all, there only a few combinations of letters and numbers to make a MARK number plate (or whatever other name you’re aiming for). And how many Mark’s do you know that would love to have their name on a personal number plate?

But is it really that simple? I’d say not. It’s true that high demand and short supply of any product will push up the price. And personal number plates are no exception. So the best registration numbers wil always be the reserve of those with the deepest pockets. But that’s not the whole story.

You see, there’s the small matter of the dealer’s commission. Commission on the sale of number plates can be as much as 50% of the advertised price. And there can often be more than one dealer in the chain between the buyer and seller.

The result? Artificially inflated number plate prices. And who pays? Everyone. Buyer and seller alike. The buyer is paying one or more dealers’ commission fees, and the seller gets a ‘trade’ price for the number plate sold. And that’s the way it’s been for more than 2 decades.

The only way to avoid this situation is to sell a number plate privately. But that’s difficult and expensive. A single insertion in a national magazine or newspaper can cost up to £50. Online, there’s the auction format. Online auctions don’t suit number plates as the search options are too generic, making it difficult to find a specific number plate.

A website for advertising number plates privately is the best solution. The Plate Market offers commission-free online advertising just for number plates.

 

Kick Off with a cool football number plate….

Personal number plates now appeal to so many that they’re no longer restricted to exclusive cars. You’ll find them on small runarounds, and even lorries and vans. And where budget doesn’t allow, it seems that’s replaced with false screws and black tape. The use of screws and tape to alter a number plate (therefore misrepresenting the registration number) is illegal, and definitely not to be recommended.

Popular names and initials are always in demand, making them difficult to attain. So in the absence of budget or simply the limited supply of a particular name, a little more imagination is needed.

Some registration numbers can make a much stronger statement than a simple set of initials. One such example is registration number 77 KO, which needs no interpretation. The obvious theme here is boxing. Here there’s a host of candidates like Lennox Lewis or Frank Bruno to name a couple. But that’s not all. A kick-off football number plate, perhaps? Or just simply a knock out number plate for a knock-out car.

It’s a dateless registration. So it would look equally striking on a new vehicle or a classic car.

The Plate Market offers some number plate themes for inspiration. Dare to be different!

 

Audi R8 – what’s the verdict?

.

The new Audi R8. A mid-engined sports car that hits the spot…..

It was released by Audi in 2006. Audi stopped the first version, releasing a new model in 2007 which shared some of the parts from the Lamborghini. The four-wheel drive car is proving to have real appeal.

Says Jeremy Clarkson: “I can safely say the R8 is one of the best surprises of my motoring life. It is one of the truly great cars and the only hesitation I have in giving it five stars is that, ideally, I’d like to give it six.” Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Audi R8

msn cars’ opinion…? “….it’s right up there with its intended competition, over-delivering in the exotic stakes with four-wheel-drive, its mid-engined layout and aluminium structure. But the biggest compliment it’s due is that we’d seriously consider one over a 911.” Full review.

And The Plate Market has 2 superb Audi R8 number plates available. Each can be purchased directly from the owner. That means no vat, and no inflated dealer prices. The perfect accessory.