NIP for cloned plates - how to respond?

[GinG]

Happens more than you think.

Check out the website of the force which had sent you the NIP and they will have an email there.

Just send an email with the reference number and just explain on there. You can also provide any photo evidence mileage etc.

Please don't just sit on it, the sooner you raise the less change you have to then needing to go to court and explain.

P.S what force is it out of interest?

 

[Haggisman]

Happens more than you think.

Check out the website of the force which had sent you the NIP and they will have an email there.

Just send an email with the reference number and just explain on there. You can also provide any photo evidence mileage etc.

Please don't just sit on it, the sooner you raise the less change you have to then needing to go to court and explain.

P.S what force is it out of interest?

Yup we've done all of this - the irony is that having to go to court to defend it would probably cost us more than just taking the points

It's West Midlands Police, the alleged offence happened in Coventry (well, as far as I can tell, it just says "on <RoadName A> between <RoadName B> and <RoadName C>", which matches a road in Coventry)

 

[Terminal_Boy]

My partner has just had a NIP come through for a speeding offense on Christmas day.

We were about 400 miles away at the time using my car, with her car sat on the drive the whole time (although I'm not sure how we can prove this ).

However, I have an MOT certificate from 7th December, with the mileage at the time on it, and the current mileage on the car is only 2 miles more (basically the distance from the MOT centre to home), whereas the distance to the location of the offense is 14 miles by the shortest possible route - I assume this will be sufficient evidence that we couldn't possibly have been there at the time.

She is currently on the phone to 101 to report the plates being cloned, however wanted to check how we should respond to the NIP - there's no option for "it wasn't my car and I have no idea who was driving".

Yes we have tried contacting them, however it's an answer phone only number with an estimated response in 3 working days (so middle of next week at the earliest), and she's understandably a bit ****** off and worried about it

Registered letter to the issuing agency explaining the situation.

Had this happen some years back when the Met told me they were taking me to court for illegally parking my white Peugeot registration XYZ in Kensington. I just replied by registered post that XYZ was a black/red Suzuki motorcycle which was 200 miles away at the time. It was either a cloned plate or a data entry error and the Met dropped the charge.

 

[Havana_UK]

Similar happened to me once a few years back, bus lane NIP. When I asked for the photographs it was a white 1 series BMW with my plates on, but mine was LCI and the one in the photos was pre LCI. I sent them a photo of my car saying something along the lines of "look, this is a different car to mine. I've reported the plate cloning to the police, here's the crime ref number". I got a response of "no, that's you". I sent them a very snotty reply suggesting they get their eyes tested if they cannot see they are different cars, plus "...I'll see you in court". Two weeks later I got a further reply with "we've cancelled the NIP".

In short, it'll be fine.

 

[GinG]

Yup we've done all of this - the irony is that having to go to court to defend it would probably cost us more than just taking the points

It's West Midlands Police, the alleged offence happened in Coventry (well, as far as I can tell, it just says "on <RoadName A> between <RoadName B> and <RoadName C>", which matches a road in Coventry)

Sorry can't help with it being West Mids

 

[Lmg80]

Yup we've done all of this - the irony is that having to go to court to defend it would probably cost us more than just taking the points

It's West Midlands Police, the alleged offence happened in Coventry (well, as far as I can tell, it just says "on <RoadName A> between <RoadName B> and <RoadName C>", which matches a road in Coventry)

And get charged with purgery! Sufficient evidence, just hold out post sending as suggested cover letter with 101 reference number.

 

[Gaygle]

My partner has just had a NIP come through for a speeding offense on Christmas day.

We were about 400 miles away at the time using my car, with her car sat on the drive the whole time (although I'm not sure how we can prove this ).

However, I have an MOT certificate from 7th December, with the mileage at the time on it, and the current mileage on the car is only 2 miles more (basically the distance from the MOT centre to home), whereas the distance to the location of the offense is 14 miles by the shortest possible route - I assume this will be sufficient evidence that we couldn't possibly have been there at the time.

She is currently on the phone to 101 to report the plates being cloned, however wanted to check how we should respond to the NIP - there's no option for "it wasn't my car and I have no idea who was driving".

Yes we have tried contacting them, however it's an answer phone only number with an estimated response in 3 working days (so middle of next week at the earliest), and she's understandably a bit ****** off and worried about it

CTO's normally take a pragmatic view of this sort of stuff as long as your email isn't picked up by a biff.

Just send them an email letting them know about this and the various ways you can prove you were 400miles away. Request a photo as the cloned car will likely be different visually to yours in some way.

In the meantime go onto your local polices website and "report an incident" (don't call 101 unless you like waiting on hold for 36241835252 hours). Report that your car has been cloned etc and that you'd like a marker placed on your vehicle as a result. Chances are the dodgy vehicle has been involved in crime so you might well be intercepted the next time you take a trip on a motorway. You calling up and letting them know your vehicle has been cloned and you're going to stick a decent sized sticker in the top left of your front windscreen so they can differentiate your genuine car from the cloned one should prevent against this.

 

[Resident]

Yup we've done all of this - the irony is that having to go to court to defend it would probably cost us more than just taking the points

It's West Midlands Police, the alleged offence happened in Coventry (well, as far as I can tell, it just says "on <RoadName A> between <RoadName B> and <RoadName C>", which matches a road in Coventry)

My cloned plate incident happened in Coventry also. I know of 2 others, former colleagues, that have had similar issues, again both Coventry.

One would think that some flag would be raised with multiple cloned plate reports being attached to Coventry.....

 

[Cyber-Mav]

No pictures unfortunately,

this will be the deciding factor. had it happen before, they tried to fine me for speeding offence, they rejected my appeals etc. asked them to provide photo and video evidence it was me and my car.
low and behold they sent photo, car was a 2 door mine is 4 door. i replied back to them saying i will take them to court sue for stress etc till the fools bothered to check with the dvla if the car matches the spec its supposed to be. had different wheels too.

 

[Haggisman]

Yes... if it was me I would have pointed out that my car isn't invisible like the one in the photos they provided, but unfortunately I was asked to take that part out of the covering letter

Anyway, received another one this morning, from Christmas Eve, although at least Warwickshire Police actually have the sense to include an option for "it wasn't my car", so that's an easy one to respond to.

Shame there's no online facility to fill it in - waste of paper & time, and makes it impossible to provide any kind of decent quality photo or video evidence... might include a flyer offering my development skills for a very reasonable rate

 

[mjt]

Yes... if it was me I would have pointed out that my car isn't invisible like the one in the photos they provided, but unfortunately I was asked to take that part out of the covering letter

Anyway, received another one this morning, from Christmas Eve, although at least Warwickshire Police actually have the sense to include an option for "it wasn't my car", so that's an easy one to respond to.

Shame there's no online facility to fill it in - waste of paper & time, and makes it impossible to provide any kind of decent quality photo or video evidence... might include a flyer offering my development skills for a very reasonable rate

Have you not contacted the police to let them know that someone is driving around on cloned plates so they can pull them if they're caught by a car with ANPR or something?

 

[Haggisman]

Yes, we did that as soon as we got the first letter on 31st, however I can't imagine they're just going to stop sending the NIPs on our say so

 

[mjt]

Yes, we did that as soon as we got the first letter on 31st, however I can't imagine they're just going to stop sending the NIPs on our say so

Fair enough

 

[BUDFORCE]

One would think that some flag would be raised attached to Coventry.....

Fixed for you.

 

[Haggisman]

Wahey, number 3, and a parking ticket

Unfortunately the photos show a dark coloured car in the dark - does appear to be the same make/model which isn't ideal, but it is missing the dealer details on the number plate which is handy

 

[IAmATeaf]

Wahey, number 3, and a parking ticket

Unfortunately the photos show a dark coloured car in the dark - does appear to be the same make/model which isn't ideal, but it is missing the dealer details on the number plate which is handy

Look if you can to see how the plate(s) is/are attached, most of these scrotes velcro the plate on whereas most cars will have fixing screws with caps over them.

 

[Haggisman]

Look if you can to see how the plate(s) is/are attached, most of these scrotes velcro the plate on whereas most cars will have fixing screws with caps over them.

Unfortunately the pictures are pretty low quality and very dark

 

[hudson86]

You could get a private plate for yours and hence void youre cloned plate. It might increase the chance of them being stopped as well by the plods.

Obviously thats an unnecessary expense, but might cause you less hassle in tne long run.

I guess it comes down to, how long do people on cloned plates keep them, they must expect them to be flagged eventually.

 

[Haggisman]

Well, we are in the process of selling it anyway (probably got the plate from the pictures in the ad ).

Taking it to a car buying place tomorrow to see how much they knock down their offer, and insurance expires in 2 weeks as well - if we don't end up with a decent offer we're going to SORN it anyway, so if they're still using it then they'll get pulled for no tax/insurance

 

[Nasher]

They will get picked up straight away on fixed ANPR cameras with no tax. They are on most of all the major routes in to towns now.

But they have probably ditched them by now.