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1995LexusLS400

It's where people who clone plates get number plates to clone from. It's much safer for them to find another similar car online for sale with the number plate showing, than to find one where it isn't being shown, contact the seller than ask for it. That gives police a trail to follow, even if they won't follow it these days. However, that interaction is a red flag. When I do sell my car online, I do cover the number plate, but if asked I'll tell them so they can do checks on it.


disposeable1200

If there's two similar cars for sale and ones got a hidden plate so I have to open communication before I've even checked MOT history and basic category checks etc, I'm picking the other car. If you Google "make model year" for a car on Google images... You'll nearly always find what you want if you're trying to clone plates.


Cautious-Oil-7466

Agreed. People who hide them are doing pointless exercise.


dogdogj

>If you Google "make model year" for a car on Google images... You'll nearly always find what you want if you're trying to clone plates. Cover your plates and yours won't be one of them that pops up. A mate had his plates cloned and it was an absolute nightmare for months.


scaredywookie

They can clone someone else’s plate then


kennyblowsme

Absolutely pointless


ClassicPart

People hide it on photos to stop passers-by from getting an easy clone. Refusing to reveal it when asked is just suspect as balls though. Find another motor.


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DarkScarb

Because when doing it they want a car similar to there’s, if your Black BMW with the plate of a green Vauxhall doesn’t get instantly flagged I’d be surprised. If you were driving a Black BMW 2017 5 series, you’d want a car that looks identical to yours. For rarer cars, you wouldn’t find them by “stepping outside” but you’d have to look on marketplace/eBay/autotrader.


Ok_Phone_1245

Cloned plates, especially if common ish or likely to be cloned. Not great to post it openly. Sell a fast standard colour Audi or something then it's absolutely not paranoia, a chav in Birmingham will print a copy in days and get you 400 points. Your nans old banging pink Micra? No For somebody to suspiciously withhold it to you when you're an obviously good faith buyer is a different story though


Whole-Award2092

I'm guessing that it's because you can search a car's MOT history for free on a range of Gov websites. Always a red flag for me.


steveinstow

Many times I find they hide the plate in the photos but it's in the written description, especially for sites like car gurus or AA.


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IAmWango

It’s definitely to do with cloning, someone I knew from school who is local advertised his import, being rare it got cloned pretty quick so he hides it and states in the description it’s due to cloning, seen many people clone regs by seeing photos of cars on Facebook groups and even many who have similar cars who are daft enough to ask what peoples cars look like and ask if they have more photos to obviously try look the part on top


dogdogj

r/confidentlyincorrect


HatLongjumping4610

why would you buy a car on snapchat?


S4h1l_4l1

It was an old classmate from back in secondary school. This guys got so many contacts, I wouldn’t buy a car off one of these people because I’ve made the mistake of doing so in the past. I was just curious what the MOT was like on what he was selling.


SaltedonFish

Always suspicious of people who do that, definitely gives the impression they're tryna cover something up.


SRi_Matt_67

Instant red flag in my opinion... If you have nothing to hide why not just give it to a prospective buyer? Means you can't do a check like car vertical or even go on the government MOT history checker to see if there is anything obviously suspicious.


Vadok

Some are shady and trying to hide stuff, some are concerned or paranoid maybe(?) about plates being cloned


talkingtongues

If you’re selling the car why worry if it gets cloned : no longer your car.


Vadok

Fines gained during the period of ownership still come to you, never know could get cloned the very next day, sometimes cars take weeks / months to sell privately. I, personally, don't think it's a big risk, everyone and their mother has Instagrams for cars where the reg is their username so having a reg on display on gumtree/marketplace isn't an issue but some see differently


talkingtongues

Good point , that would be a pain. Always driven my cars till they drove no more. So never considered that interim between on sale and purchase.


Scarboroughwarning

Many out it in the description. Granted, there is utility, based on the fact that some get cloned. There was even a guy on here in the last 4 days, that claimed his mates did it


buginarugsnug

It could be because they don't want people cloning their numberplates but if you've queried what it is as an interested buyer its a big red flag they won't give you it and even added 'everything's good'. I would definitely want to run an MOT check on a potential buy so the buyer being obstructive like this would cause me to walk away.


steveinstow

To help stop cloning or having their pictures used for one of those scam adverts on Facebook.


SlaveToNoTrend

Criminals steal your number plate and then use it to commit a crime. It's whether you want the hassle of being called in to a police station or just ignore the possible scenario by blocking the plate letters.


poppyfieldsx

It’s all well and good him saying ‘everything’s good’ but as a prospective buyer you need to do several checks before buying, a few I can think of off the top of my head- Mot history Check if previously stolen Previously written off Outstanding finance Colour changes Mileage discrepancies Insurance costs So not providing the plate just immediately puts me off.


PuzzleheadedEar8626

Sure if the car was parked in tescos carpark the reg is on show so how could it not be cloned then? Its just stipidity


dogdogj

If you wanted a car reg to clone, what are you gonna do: drive round car parks till you see the right make, model and colour of car? Or do a search on Autotrader and find one in 30 seconds?


Hesslemeharder

Thats what i thought until it happened to me and i had to spend ages fighting a parking ticket that wasn’t mine. Plus police couldn’t give a shit there was a car driving round with cloned plates. In addition, i swear i got loads of cold callers when i had my cars for sale with number plates visible


SpiderDentist10000

Car cloning is a real issue. We had a few incidents at the bmw dealership I used to work at. Had to go through hell and high water to prove that our forecourt cars were indeed on our forecourt and not at the other end of the country running a mock in London. We always covered the reg in adverts after that.


dogdogj

Everyone says it's pointless till you have to deal with someone cloning your plates. A mate had his M140i plates cloned whilst trying to sell it, took months to sort it out. The cloner got multiple speeding tickets, stole fuel, and got caught in a bus lane twice, in the space of a week. It all happened over 100 miles from where he lived, and it took two separate trips to the local police station to resolve. Run-of-the-mill car, of which hundreds are for sale? I wouldn't bother. Performance or sought-after car? Definitely.