Blanking out Reg Number

[GrumpyGranddad]

When people post pictures of their Cali, some blank out the number plate, others like me don’t.
is there any reason or value in editting out the reg. no. ?

 

[Calimili]

Couldn't you find out the registered address from the license plate ?
Then you could find out where somebody lives, or where such Cali is parked/available for being nicked

 

[WelshGas]

When people post pictures of their Cali, some blank out the number plate, others like me don’t.
is there any reason or value in editting out the reg. no. ?

None that I can think of.

 

[sapto]

Here you can type in the number of some Kantone/States from Switzerland and get the Adresses: https://www.viacar.ch/eindex/login.aspx?kanton=zh

Sometimes useful often unwanted

 

[WelshGas]

Couldn't you find out the registered address from the license plate ?
Then you could find out where somebody lives, or where such Cali is parked/available for being nicked

Jo public can’t in the U.K.

 

[Meoncoast]

Clone - unlikely with Cali more and more tolls congestion charges. Forecourt - drive-offs without pay, Driving uninsured, Speed camera's, to name a few.

 

[Calimili]

Here you can type in the number of some Kantone/States from Switzerland and get the Adresses: https://www.viacar.ch/eindex/login.aspx?kanton=zh

Sometimes useful often unwanted

In Germany, any insurer will tell you within seconds , who a car plate belong to.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Couldn't you find out the registered address from the license plate ?
Then you could find out where somebody lives, or where such Cali is parked/available for being nicked

Not easy to do that as I understand it @Calimili.
It requires a completed application to the DVLA and a bona fide reason for enquiring. Point is, anybody can read the registration number when your driving the vehicle or when it‘s parked up, so i’m just trying to understand the point of blanking it out in photos. There may well be a good reason?

 

[Stu@rt]

When people post pictures of their Cali, some blank out the number plate, others like me don’t.
is there any reason or value in editting out the reg. no. ?

Some will be fearful that another could put their plates on a similar vehicle to avoid detection of speeding offences/parking tickets/something more serious. If the colour/year/vehicle match, it might take a while before detection. More of an issue for red fiestas, or blue golf's maybe?

 

[Stoneybroke]

In Germany, any insurer will tell you within seconds , who a car plate belong to.

And I though we had Data Protection rules that were universal across the EU... UKs haven't changed post Brexit and the EU hold us to account on sharing data.
However, do that in the UK and it's job loss time and even jail (Misuse of Computers Act)

 

[GrannyJen]

When people post pictures of their Cali, some blank out the number plate, others like me don’t.
is there any reason or value in editting out the reg. no. ?

I do. Initially when I started off I was nervous, being a single woman on her own, and I did not want to advertise to all and sundry what van was mine.

 

[Calimili]

I do remember in the UK it being more difficult, now that you and WG mentioned it..

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Clone - unlikely with Cali more and more tolls congestion charges. Forecourt - drive-offs without pay, Driving uninsured, Speed camera's, to name a few.

Ah!
OK I get the cloning thing @Meoncoast and as you suggest more likely with vehicles other than Cali’s.
Maybe best to have some subtle personalisation on the van that the ‘cloner’ might find difficult to reproduce.

 

[Joker 1299]

Ah!
OK I get the cloning thing @Meoncoast and as you suggest more likely with vehicles other than Cali’s.
Maybe best to have some subtle personalisation on the van that the ‘cloner’ might find difficult to reproduce.

Watch out for them cloners on Kamino; they have nasty sabredarts

 

[EddieEagle]

It’s useful for legitimate reasons to have a number to check the mot history and mileage covered.

 

[GrahamB]

Ah!
OK I get the cloning thing @Meoncoast and as you suggest more likely with vehicles other than Cali’s.
Maybe best to have some subtle personalisation on the van that the ‘cloner’ might find difficult to reproduce.

Like a personalised number plate maybe

In all seriousness if someone wants to try and clone my two tone van with a personal plate and a combination of various identifiable accessories and non standard wheels, good luck to them. I reckon it could be done but it would cost them over £70k and a very long wait to achieve it. And surely the risk on toll charges, speeding and parking fines is mitigated by the disputable photographic evidence (which they would need to prosecute). Life is too short to worry about such minimal risks imho. But I totally get why others might see otherwise and am not criticising them for blanking their plates on their Cali pics

 

[andyinluton]

Like a personalised number plate maybe

In all seriousness if someone wants to try and clone my two tone van with a personal plate and a combination of various identifiable accessories and non standard wheels, good luck to them. I reckon it could be done but it would cost them over £70k and a very long wait to achieve it. And surely the risk on toll charges, speeding and parking fines is mitigated by the disputable photographic evidence (which they would need to prosecute). Life is too short to worry about such minimal risks imho. But I totally get why others might see otherwise and am not criticising them for blanking their plates on their Cali pics

They don’t need to go to those lengths, as long as it looks like a vw California and is the same colour as your logbook says, the chances of it being stopped / pinged by ANPR are virtually zero.

The different wheels etc are just useful to you to prove it wasn’t your van in the photos.

 

[Hamish S]

Jo public can’t in the U.K.

DVLA form V888, request for owners details. You need to give a convincing reason for needing the details i.e. an accident and you get the details. This is in the public domain so I'm not giving away secrets.

 

[GrahamB]

They don’t need to go to those lengths, as long as it looks like a vw California and is the same colour as your logbook says, the chances of it being stopped / pinged by ANPR are virtually zero.

The different wheels etc are just useful to you to prove it wasn’t your van in the photos.

Ok so they might get away with driving without tax or insurance? What risk does it pose to me?

 

[Mr T]

Like a personalised number plate maybe

In all seriousness if someone wants to try and clone my two tone van with a personal plate and a combination of various identifiable accessories and non standard wheels, good luck to them. I reckon it could be done but it would cost them over £70k and a very long wait to achieve it. And surely the risk on toll charges, speeding and parking fines is mitigated by the disputable photographic evidence (which they would need to prosecute). Life is too short to worry about such minimal risks imho. But I totally get why others might see otherwise and am not criticising them for blanking their plates on their Cali pics

If someone steals a white over bay leaf green Cali they could use your number plate to help avoid detection, private plate or not, it’s just a number plate on a specific vehicle, of a specific colour.
Maybe unlikely, but it does go on unfortunately.

 

[Stu@rt]

Ok so they might get away with driving without tax or insurance? What risk does it pose to me?

You get parking fines and speeding fines sent to your address and spend ages trying to convince the authorities and or debt collectors that you shouldn't pay the fines

 

[GrahamB]

If someone steals a white over bay leaf green Cali they could use your number plate to help avoid detection, private plate or not, it’s just a number plate on a specific vehicle, of a specific colour.
Maybe unlikely, but it does go on unfortunately.

Yeah I get there is a theoretical cloning risk but my point is its so unlikely as to not be worth worrying about. I think!

 

[GrahamB]

DVLA form V888, request for owners details. You need to give a convincing reason for needing the details i.e. an accident and you get the details. This is in the public domain so I'm not giving away secrets.

Ok thanks - I wasn’t aware this was possible. I wonder how well they manage the data breach risks?

 

[Hamish S]

Ok thanks - I wasn’t aware this was possible. I wonder how well they manage the data breach risks?

So do I...........

 

[GrahamB]

You get parking fines and speeding fines sent to your address and spend ages trying to convince the authorities and or debt collectors that you shouldn't pay the fines

Has this happened to any Cali owners on here or is this a theoretical risk? And surely photographic evidence wouldn't stack up?