Cloned car, proof against PCN, and selling in the future?

jay213

I got an ticket for the Dart Charge through the post.  The number plate posted on the PCN looks/is the same as mine.  The picture was dark as it was at night but it reads as mine and the car looks as though it could be the same model although the picture is not clear as it is dark but I can vaguely see the alloys look like the ones on my model.  I think my car reg has been cloned.  What do I do now?  I seen it mentioned to contact the police and the DVLA.  I have an write in parking permit that I used at a friends house on the day 2 and a half hours before the incident and my Google location history tracking for the day that shows I drove to the house and arrived the same time as stated on the ticket.  It also shows that I drove from there to home about 4 hours later.  Do you think this should be sufficient as proof?
Also I have been thinking of selling my car, what affect will all this have? 

AdrianC

If you didn't use the Dartford crossing around that time, then - yes - it quite possibly has been cloned. These things happen.

You've reported it to the police, so they'll be on the look out for it. That may mean you getting stopped - so keep ID with you. Apart from that, you've got three basic options.
1. Make your car more distinctive so that you can show more easily it isn't you in any pics. Something like a sticker in a window.
2. Wait it out. It WILL go away sooner or later.
3. Ask DVLA to change your plate.

It shouldn't affect sale at all.

jay213

Should I be able to get clearer pictures? The ones on the PCN are not that clear.  When I've gone onto the Dart Charge website it only seemed that I could enter the pcn number under the option "pay this charge", I didn't want to click continue in case I was accepting to pay.  

jay213

I don't look forward to getting stopped, I'm planning to inform them tomorrow.  I've been wanting to sell my car so if I sell my car to say wewantanycar could there be any issues? will they knock me down more on the price?  if I sell my car I imagine I should still be able to fight the ticket.

jay213

Called the police. They didnt give me any ref number. Spoke to dart charge and they said to challenge the PCN and add the crime reference number.

The police took my details and then gave me Action Fraud number. Been waiting over 20 minutes on hold and no answer yet.

DVLA took no details and asked me to send them a letter detailing what I told them. Can't do it electronically as you have to sign and post to the address they give.

Why no set procedures to deal with an obviously rising area of crime?

Dart charge said the vehicle had a different number plate on the back, so I would assume it should be easier to get this sorted out.

I've made this whole message on my phone while on hold with Action Fraud

jay213

Home Office Counting Rules set out the circumstances under which we can record a crime and on this occasion the matter you reported to us cannot be classified as a police recorded crime. 

jay213

I feel that even though Dart Charge has a different back number plate that information won't even end up be given to the police or they won't be interested in it, potentially that's the real car owners number plate.  Hopefully the ref number I have will be sufficient in place of a crime ref number. 

jay213

I just got stuck in traffic  behind a very similar car to mine a road away from me. Same colour, same wheels, same year, slightly different model. I wonder if this could be the person who cloned my car? I took a picture and video of the back of his car.

He went into a petrol station and I followed and positioned my car right behind his in an un-natural way so I could record him but just before he came out to go back to his car a van pulled in front blocking the whole video view as I set my camera up in the sat nav holder.

Dart charge said they had a different number plate at the back I wonder if they would confirm or not if it was the same?

Nilrem

Unfortunately unless you drive a really unusual car there will likely be thousands of cars that look very similar to yours, especially if you went with a basic colour.
I remember one of our old cars was the same colour and basic model as what seemed like a good percentage of the local cars at the time, partly because we lived near a factory where the manufacturer made vehicles, and they offered their employees a discount so there were a huge number in use in our area.