euro plates

[actletpone 43]

So I was reading through the euro plates for sale thread and saw allot of talk about people getting pulled up in Auckland recently. What is the actual difference between the ones people have got from overseas and the official ones from plates.co.nz. Or do the police check the database and see your car is not approved for a euro style plate?

Are there any laws prohibiting the use of frames?

[pldubs 308]

They are made of different material?

Its really really easy to tell the difference, Legit have the NZTA Kiwi Hologram thing on them, the fakes dont.

Buy fakes, run the risk, carry your legits if things get sketchy.

[kingkarl 136]

Seems it's only a problem north of the bridge... too many cops and not enough meth there

[ando 2]

I think the main issue was the font is slightly different on the overseas ones because plates.co.nz complained and said "their" font couldn't be used. And our speed cameras can only read the font used by plates.co.nz.

Plate surrounds are therefore ok.

[blonky 2]

The biggest difference is the font used especially the number 0, as I found out when I had mine confiscated. Don't think there's a database on who has approved euro plates.

Most seem to get caught on the northern motorway on the shore, but as you're in BOP should not be a problem

[kingkarl 136]

I think the main issue was the font is slightly different on the overseas ones because plates.co.nz complained and said "their" font couldn't be used. And our speed cameras can only read the font used by plates.co.nz.

Plate surrounds are therefore ok.

I wish - Have had 2 camera tickets with the euro plates...

106km/h on a long weekend and 61km/h in a 50 area...

"Safer communities together"

[Tristan 338]

The font is different.
They don't have the watermarks.
And from memory the traffic cameras (like if you car gets stolen) won't read the plate.

And I'm fairly sure if you look up a car's rego and it's got a "euro plate" on it, it says so.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

Ok so because you guys are really good FINALLY starting a thread thats not in the forsale section, ill give you the story.

Disclaimer: I must stress, i do not recommend or condone or anyway responsible if you choose to use replicas on New Zealand roads. This post is inteded to inform only, not to recommend one way or another, you can make your own decision

Similarities:

Both Pressed Aluminium

Both Reflective

Genuine plates.co.nz Plates:

• Ferns are lazered on, and stretch right to the very edge of the plate, leaving one single silver filled rectangle where you combination is.
• Have additional reflecting silver ferns when held in the correct light, just like your standard govt issue plates.
• Hew New Zealand specific font that it used on both wide and narrow plates.

Replica ones that you can buy through me here on bimmersport

• Ferns are a sticker that i put on personally when the plates arrive here in New Zealand. Stickers leave a slight gap between them and the outer edge of the frame. This is due to copy right reasons i will say below
• Do not have the additional ferns
• Have the font used right through the European union apart from the United Kingdom which has its own Font again. (AFAIK)

My understanding of the reason New Zealand changed to the new font midway through the Dxx### series is because the new speed cameras could not read the old style number plates because it wasnt a font programmed by the machine. They reprogrammed it, but it still had issues differentiation some letters, such as O and Q and 0. So the font was changed to a "better" font. I have been told that as time has marched on, some speed cameras rolled out now cannot even read the old font at all anymore, but roughly half of NZ's fleet are already on the new style font.

ALL of the Euro letters are slighlty narrower than the NZ ones, because NZ plates have 6 letters, whereas the european ones have up to 9 characters (less two for the flags at each end gives 7). Other differences include the numbers 7 and 0 (zero), and quite a few of the letters are different too, such as C, I, J, Q and Y. But many of them are the same or so close to the same it would be hard to tell such as A, B, D, E, F....

Now, there are three reasons why the replica ones are illegal to run on the road in New Zealand. (not illegal to possess)

• Speed cameras are not calibrated to read the european font. Thats not to say they won't, as I say, some letters are very similar, and remember the cameras are catching your car speeding so they do have a margin of error built in.
• For example, I own the combination ETHRTY in genuine european style on my BMW E30. I hope it wont happen to me, but there is nothing stopping Joe Criminal from importing a set of fake europlates with the same combination, and putting them on a stolen E30 and robbing a petrol station. Someone hands the registration to the police, and the police think its me that robbed the station. The victim or witness knows nothing about cars and dont notice they are replica plates, thats the last thing on thier mind. Hell, the plates could be on a Corolla or whatever, red sedans are red sedans to some people. I get jailed or whatever.
• The third one is what most people think is the main reason, and thats that Plates.co.nz designed the europlate style etc and its a copyright infringement. Everyone has their own opinion of this. I should probably check with him before i post this, but basically, Chris at Germanplates.com was the only crowd at the time to produce them as a replica of the plates.co.nz ones. P.co.nz didnt like that and complained and threatened legal action etc. So he changed them and thats why the ones people have brought from me have the thin white rectangle right round the edge of the plate. Chris (or any other 3rd party) has (edit: never) sold them with the New Zealand Font before. I have discussed this twice with Chris, but 2x die sets to have made up for the printing machines is in excess of $5k. NZ isnt a big enough market for them, and even if it was marginal, the chance of P.co.nz coming after him or me or both is just too high.

As for getting away with them, well i have been doing them here for about 4 to 5 years now (that thread was started after about the 5th group buy), each buy is roughly 10 sets, so there are easily 200 sets out there JUST through Bimmersport. Add in everyone here that has imported themselves, and then all the people on eurosport.org.nz, all the VAG and Merc forums, etc etc etc, must be a few thousand cars on our roads now with them. I am sure most of them arent on garage walls as art etc..

So im not surprised the police are starting to take notcie of them, probably being subsidesed by plates.co.nz as thats how the world works (yes there is corruption in New Zealand, you are blind if you think there isn't)

In that time, I have only heard of people getting tickets for them in the past year or less. and yes, all in Auckland.

Wow i wonder how long that took me to write

Edited October 31, 2013 by _Ethrty-Andy_

[5amchris 45]

Well said.

[slideways 44]

Very interesting regarding the the whole speed camera thing. Last xmas eve, i received my first speed camera fine (108kph) for the ten years ive been hooning around. I have the german made euro plates and the thing that surprises me is that I have a zero which is supposed to have a line through it here but the euro font doesnt. The guy in the speed camera van must have first tried to search for my car with a "O" then tried a "zero" when it didnt come up with my car.

Took photos with the original plates on the car and was gonna fight it but thats as far as i got.. it was only $30 at the end of the day.

Also, people need to paint in the gaps/slashes that some of the characters (like on the zero) have so they arent so obvious. its a dead give away and can be seen from miles away.

Edited October 31, 2013 by slideways

[Arma 134]

I've been pretty lucky so far. Got pulled over in Orewa region for speeding - plates were not mentioned by the officer. Few days ago I got pulled over in the city (Symonds st) for no reason (cop said 'random license check'), he let me off after his check with no mention of plates there either.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

not only plates, but speeding or anything else they pull you over for, if you are a wanker to them, well dont expect any favours.

[Arma 134]

not only plates, but speeding or anything else they pull you over for, if you are a wanker to them, well dont expect any favours.

Yep. Unfortunately I was doing 132 in a 100 zone (friend was driving behind me and I thought he started tailgating me.. so I stupidly sped up. Turned out to be a cop). Fairly hefty fine and demerits :doh:. Was almost sure the plates were gonna get a mention, but that was as lucky as it got.

[Driftit 1956]

I have had numerous friends from all over Auckland have their plates removed or fined and told to remove them.

Beachlands, Howick (Same guy two different cars)

Papakura

West Harbour

Avondale

Albany x 3 (Myself and two work mates same f**kwit cop who treats you and your car like sh*t)

And it seems once you have been warned you getting targeted the 2nd time around. Both an Audi driving mate and myself have had this happen.

Its a risk. Just have to weigh up if it is worth it to you. I didn't get demerit points taken but my two work mates did a few weeks back.

[allan 295]

That is interesting did you bother to challenge the ticket and explain that you felt concerned about the danger the tail gating created?.

[HaNs 226]

Had mine stripped from my A3 in Gleneden, officer AK47. Only got a warning as i didnt know

[kingkarl 136]

What design of plates are you guys referring to?

The NZ style ones with southern cross and fern?

[slideways 44]

Im surprised all you guys are letting them take your plates. No way in hell id be giving mine to them.

These ones that have been picked up on, are they the NZ reps or other more noticable designs?

[M5V8 337]

at the end of the day.

plates are a legal requirement, and are restricted to certain authorities for control purposes.

Whether you like plates.co.nz or not.

if you don't want to get pulled over and hassled. don't put anything illegal on your car.

**wisdom I learnt along time ago**

[Driftit 1956]

Im surprised all you guys are letting them take your plates. No way in hell id be giving mine to them.

These ones that have been picked up on, are they the NZ reps or other more noticable designs?

I had no choice. Mine was taken by the Albany Nazi. A pom import cop who does nothing other that traffic duty.

I argued that he was not able to take my property and I did not give him authority to do so. He did anyway. Leaving me on the side of the road with no plates. His reason was that I could use them to steal fuel. Going to use my own rego to steal fuel. Muppet.

This caused another issue. I did not have the original plates. So had nothing to put back on the car. I was not able to get new plates as I had nothing to surrender to VTNZ. I had to get a police report from the Albany police station from a Sergeant who knew nothing about the the plates nor why the Nazi would want to take them. This is also when I found out there was a fine to go with it.

I challenged the ticket twice. With the result of too bad criminal scum pay up.

[Arma 134]

Currently on southern motorway northbound in front of market rd, pulled over getting plates confiscated. Lasted a little while.

Edit: Got let off with a warning, but the plates were confiscated.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Arma

[euroriffic 602]

Good old Dunedin! Never been done down here and I've been running them for about 3yrs and numerous wofs with no mention of them...

[antil33t 90]

I got a parking ticket in bloody Mosgiel for the "D" plates....

the cocksucker must live out there, saw the car and came out and ticketed me. As there's no reason for a parking warden to go there.

[pldubs 308]

f**k, The parking wardens down here are a bunch of wankers, I have been in an argument with that handlebar mo dude like 4 times now, trying to fine me for parking without paying at 550pm n sh*t. I guess he got the last laugh though, got me for parking on the curb outside home,

To relate this to plates,

When I got my e30 reregistered they took my old plates. Easy fix, Screenshotted the number on Plates.co.nz Printed it at the same size as normal plates, Laminate and tickity boo were ready to drive home.

Just gota be clever and not live in Auckland I think.

[Phil-540i 166]

I got a parking ticket in bloody Mosgiel for the "D" plates....

the cocksucker must live out there, saw the car and came out and ticketed me. As there's no reason for a parking warden to go there.

Leave his missus along & he'll stop picking on ya.............