NEW MOT checks on number plates

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  • maple41
    maple41 Posts: 153 Forumite
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    We got caught out with this when the car went in on the 27th September 2007 to the same garage that has done the MOT for the past 2 years with the same number plates that have been used for years and transfered from prevous cars and have passsed before - they are not misspaced by the way just personal plates. Garage had the cheek to say needed new plates, at £35! Discovered afterwards that they were jumping the gun by 3 days and that the new plates that they fitted were missized on 2 of the characters and space by 1mm. Made them provide a further set of new plates and refund the cost of replacements. So do check!
    Moneysaving is get a set of new plates off Ebay first.
  • Wig
    Wig Posts: 14,139 Forumite
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    I just added something I missed from the OP, next to the BSAU 145d bit there has to be some other Identifier of the plate manufacturer, a small name or a few initials.

    My car passed MOT today :j
  • goldspanners
    goldspanners Posts: 5,910 Forumite
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    this is a farce,the mot is meant to be there to make sure your car is in a road worthy condition,just because your plate doesnt display a british standard or a postcode it is deemed unroardworthy.
    my car failed on plates in march (due to incorrect spacing) so i asked if i could put on the originals (which were cracked) and he said they were ok and it passed with cracked plates.
    ...work permit granted!
  • honest_guv
    honest_guv Posts: 85 Forumite
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    My car has also failed today for not complying with BS AU 145d although the numbers / spacing etc is all fine, and the garage has passed them for the last 2 years. I haven't heard anything about the law changing in October, so was pretty surprised and p*ssed off. Thought they were trying it on till I found this thread.
    It's a personalised number plate made by Halfords in 2003.
    Should they have known that they would fail the MOT now, and do I have any recourse to get them to replace the plates?
    The garage has quoted £25 for new plates to pass the MOT - is that reasonable?
  • Inactive
    Inactive Posts: 14,509 Forumite
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    The thing about this change is the fact that the DVLA seem to have only passed the information on to MOT Stations, and not us, the poor old gullible public, surely they could have included this advice in with their Road Fund Licence reminders.

    It is the DVLA themselves that live off of the cream of personal number plates, selling them in the full knowledge that they make up desirable words/names.
  • arnie&caseysma!
    arnie&caseysma! Posts: 1,822 Forumite
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    My local force is running an ongoing operation regarding number plates where characters have been mis-spaced/altered by design to say something else and displaying fancy fonts. This has resulted in them applying to DVLA to revoke private registrations on quite a few vehicles after both a written warning to the registered keeper and then a ticket if they didnt change it in 14 days.
    Everyone knows there is a standard font out there but some folk are too smart for the law.....but it is only a matter of time.

    BTW - I have a private plate that does say part of my name but it is perfectly legal!!!
    "Life may not always be the party you wish for, but whilst here you may aswell dance"!!!
    Murphy's NMPC Memb No 239!     Dippychick's De-clutter club Member No 6! - onto room no 2!
    My Avatar? Arnie and Casey, proud parents to Storm and Tsu born 19/01/2009!!! - both now in new homes and called Murron and Burger!
  • roddydogs
    roddydogs Posts: 7,478 Forumite
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    Another Farce aimed at "Honest" motorists-what about all the illeagle plates out there that just get swapped over when the MOT is due-you see them every time you go on the road.
  • Wig
    Wig Posts: 14,139 Forumite
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    honest_guv wrote: »
    My car has also failed today for not complying with BS AU 145d although the numbers / spacing etc is all fine, and the garage has passed them for the last 2 years. I haven't heard anything about the law changing in October, so was pretty surprised and p*ssed off. Thought they were trying it on till I found this thread.
    It's a personalised number plate made by Halfords in 2003.
    Should they have known that they would fail the MOT now, and do I have any recourse to get them to replace the plates?
    The garage has quoted £25 for new plates to pass the MOT - is that reasonable?

    Sorry I didn't spend much time in MSE yesterday, missed your post.

    Are you sure the Halfords plates are not legal? What have they specifically failed on? Because if you read the OP I do mention that Halfords plates have the information written in white text, on the rear it stands out ok, on the front you have to look closely to see it read it, but it is there and should not fail.

    If they are genuinely wrong, then in answer to your question, yes, when halfords sold you the plates they were illegal and not suitable for road use, they should have known, the regulations have been in force since March 2001 and Sept 2001 (different bits of the regulations came into force at the 2 different dates).

    If I were you I'd take the plates back to Halfords and ask for free replacements.

    A couple of posts above since my last post have said something along the lines of "We weren't told of these new regulations/laws" "my car passed last year etc".

    The point is the laws came into force in Sept 2001.
    The MOT was required to check they complied with the laws only from October 2007.


    You will only get a free retest today, so hope you read this, before going to Halfords to get new plates.

    £25 for new plates.... That's roughly what Halfords will charge, but Halfords use good quality plates, The MOT station might use cheap nasty plates (which fail after 2 - 3 years), Other places like motor factors would sell you a set for around £16. You can always use the cheap plates just for the MOT, changing them before and after, thus keping them in good condition.
  • honest_guv
    honest_guv Posts: 85 Forumite
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    thanks for the reply Wig. Unfortunately we've got 2 small kids, and my wife needed the car today, so we've gone with the new garage plates. They only ended up being £15 + VAT, but I haven't seen the quality yet.
    I think my point, and that of others, is the lack of information. I had no idea about the law change, and initially thought the garage was trying it on.
    Not that it would have made a difference - I still would have needed new plates - but knowing about it beforehand would have prepared me.
  • stamford
    stamford Posts: 5,175 Forumite
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    arnie&caseysma! wrote: »
    My local force is running an ongoing operation regarding number plates where characters have been mis-spaced/altered by design to say something else and displaying fancy fonts. This has resulted in them applying to DVLA to revoke private registrations on quite a few vehicles after both a written warning to the registered keeper and then a ticket if they didnt change it in 14 days.
    Everyone knows there is a standard font out there but some folk are too smart for the law.....but it is only a matter of time.

    BTW - I have a private plate that does say part of my name but it is perfectly legal!!!


    :T That is good news there should be a nationwide crackdown on the t0ssers with mispaced letters and illegal fonts
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