Does it really cost $399.00 to have your plates redesigned?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Does it really cost $399.00 to have your plates redesigned?

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#1293255 29-Apr-2015 08:02

Kyanar:
scuwp: Any profits from PP go to the road safety trust for road safety projects and research. IIRC PP are a not for profit organization, or at least they use to be. That's why there is no 'competition' because there is no money to be made other than operating costs. Fees are set by government in legislation.

Uh, no. A "percentage" of every plate sold goes to the Road Safety Trust. It's most definitely not a non-profit with wording like that.

http://nzta.govt.nz/about/media/releases/2670/news.html

Kyanar:

Actually... it doesn't say it. Anywhere. At no point is there actually a statement in the legislation (or, for that matter, any other legislation) that only authorised sources can produce plates. It only states that only the registrar can issue the unique identifier.

In theory, as long as you comply with the legislated format, the NZTA can't do a damn thing to you.

Actually the "Registrar" (i.e the NZTA) holds the final approval for all registration plates. Only plates approved by the "registrar" and authorized for use may be used.

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/registration-licensing/number-plates/personalised.html

PP costs are set under regulation but are only loosely worded as "Reasonable cost of manufacturing and distributing each pair of plates". Who establishes the 'reasonable cost' would be interesting to know, I guess by negotiation with PPL. Looking at the legislation the "registrar" would have to approve the charges. PPL won't be able to just charge whatever they want.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Xile

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#1293382 29-Apr-2015 10:44

From Part 17 of the Land Transport Act 1998:

registration plate—

(a) means a plate issued under—
- (i) this Part; or
- (ii) the Transport Act 1962; or
- (iii) the Transport (Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing) Act 1986; and

(b) includes ordinary plates, supplementary plates, personalised plates, and trade plates

also:

(3) An enforcement officer may seize and destroy any facsimile plates.

(4) For the purposes of subsections (1)(c) and (3), facsimile plate means any thing that is not a registration plate but is made to appear as if it is a registration plate.

BlueShift

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#1293448 29-Apr-2015 12:03

IIRC, personalized plates were originally sold as an 'investment'. The way they attempted to guarantee a return was to put up the price of a new personalized plate by a percentage every year. That way they can point at the stats and say "look, this plate cost $600 in 2008, the same one purchased today would be $800, therefore, profit!"
Of course in practice, if you want a plate, but not a totally specific one, you can pick one up on Trademe for $100. Very, very few people actually make money by reselling their plate.

Geese

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#1293466 29-Apr-2015 12:21

BlueShift: IIRC, personalized plates were originally sold as an 'investment'. The way they attempted to guarantee a return was to put up the price of a new personalized plate by a percentage every year. That way they can point at the stats and say "look, this plate cost $600 in 2008, the same one purchased today would be $800, therefore, profit!"
Of course in practice, if you want a plate, but not a totally specific one, you can pick one up on Trademe for $100. Very, very few people actually make money by reselling their plate.

I'd agree.

I've had 8 personalised plates, 2 new. The "cheapie" plates are easy to resell, haven't lost money, but never made any money off it either. The new plates were massive loss even though they were good designs.

Now actually can't be bothered due to the significantly increased administration fees to put plates on vehicle, and to remove again compared to past. Used to be 20 cents to put on (for a new rego sticker), now is $4.11; the replacement standard plates were somewhere around $14 (?) , now is $23.15.

Kyanar

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#1293878 29-Apr-2015 21:17

scuwp:
http://nzta.govt.nz/about/media/releases/2670/news.html

http://www.plates.co.nz/service/in-the-community/

"A percentage of every personalised plate sale goes to the Road Safety Trust which funds community-based road safety initiatives, education and research"

Doesn't sound like the words of a non-profit to me. And why would the Lubeck family want to run a business that makes them no money?

scuwp:
Actually the "Registrar" (i.e the NZTA) holds the final approval for all registration plates. Only plates approved by the "registrar" and authorized for use may be used.

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/registration-licensing/number-plates/personalised.html

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2011/0079/latest/DLM2938362.html
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/DLM3705398.html

(In fairness, you could interpret 257(3) to mean that you can't swap the plates given to you for any other plates)

Now here's an interesting catch - http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/DLM3705513.html - apparently nothing says replacement plates for damaged ones have to look the same. In theory you could destroy your government issue plates, and then apply to Licensys for replacement government issue plates in a different format. Including euro format. In theory.

BigPipeNZ

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BigPipe

#1293881 29-Apr-2015 21:24

Just parallel import them. Should be totally fine :P

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lchiu7

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#1300919 8-May-2015 18:44

Interesting discussion.

A friend of mine imported a vehicle from Hong Kong and would like to continue to use the existing plates which are similar if not identical to the UK style (black on yellow at the back, black on white on the front).

He likes the registration number it has (something about lucky numbers) and is prepared to have to pay for a personalised plate number but was wondering if he could also keep the existing plates on the car as they look cool!

I guess call to NZTA if they can possibly answer this question. It seem very complex.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

ScuL

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#1305926 15-May-2015 16:07

The chance that you can keep on driving with HK plates is extremely small. VTNZ inspection doesn't deem the car roadworthy unless it has NZTA approved plates.
I am going through a similar process with my UK registered vehicle that will be arriving to NZ in a few weeks :)
I also want to use that black silvern euro style plate rather than the NZ standard plate as it suits the frames on the car much better. Plus I want to cover the holes that were made to hold my GB plates.
Going to have to fork out $399 for it..

Haere taka mua, taka muri; kaua e wha.

Kyanar

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#1306501 17-May-2015 10:19

lchiu7:

I guess call to NZTA if they can possibly answer this question. It seem very complex.

It's not complex. The answer is no. NZ plates are specifically made of a specific material in specific colours and specific fonts, and police equipment calibrated to identify those plates (speed cameras, red light cameras, in car recognition systems if they have any). And there's a "security hologram" on NZ plates as well. You will not be allowed to use foreign plates that don't meet the exact design specification.

lchiu7

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#1306644 17-May-2015 14:37

Kyanar:
lchiu7:

I guess call to NZTA if they can possibly answer this question. It seem very complex.

It's not complex. The answer is no. NZ plates are specifically made of a specific material in specific colours and specific fonts, and police equipment calibrated to identify those plates (speed cameras, red light cameras, in car recognition systems if they have any). And there's a "security hologram" on NZ plates as well. You will not be allowed to use foreign plates that don't meet the exact design specification.

Maybe so but what gave him the idea was setting a car parked in a hotel parking lot with what appeared to be UK plates and they matched the registration on the windshield.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

lxsw20

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#1306657 17-May-2015 15:15

Which are not legal.

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TonyR1973

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#1311212 25-May-2015 12:16

lxsw20: Which are not legal.

Says who? Nobody seemed able to say where the requirement in the legislation is to even register a vehicle with the NZTA, despite the Judge's apparent assertion.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11073625

TonyR1973

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#1311216 25-May-2015 12:19

ScuL: VTNZ inspection doesn't deem the car roadworthy unless it has NZTA approved plates.

Having registration plates is not a part of the WoF requirements and never has been.

ScuL

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#1311221 25-May-2015 12:25

TonyR1973:

Having registration plates is not a part of the WoF requirements and never has been.

I'm talking about the compliance check not WoF

Haere taka mua, taka muri; kaua e wha.

TonyR1973

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#1311255 25-May-2015 13:01

Kyanar:
http://www.plates.co.nz/service/in-the-community/

"A percentage of every personalised plate sale goes to the Road Safety Trust which funds community-based road safety initiatives, education and research"

Doesn't sound like the words of a non-profit to me. And why would the Lubeck family want to run a business that makes them no money?

I'd be interested in finding out what that percentage is and what it is actually calculated from.

In any case, even if it was "all profits go to The Road Safety Trust", there's possibly nothing to stop Personalised Plates paying director fees equal to any profit, thus meaning no money, although I'm sure they'd make a token gesture to ensure their ongoing monopoly cash-cow.

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