Aibu re personalised number plate? Yes or no

[RocketQueenP]

DH has bought me one as a surprise, it's just a random letter and number followed by my initials (wasn't mega expensive)

But I'm just not sure about it! He thinks it's the best gift ever 😳 But he says we can just not register it and sell it on if I don't want it. I don't want to be ungrateful but what's the general consensus? Are they for twats or not?

I have an initial one, bought it last year when I got my lovely (not at all flash) newish car. It's very simple, just like A100ABC but my initials. I love it to bits and I stare at it as I'm walking towards the car. It's my pride and joy. Couldn't give a toss what anyone else thinks. Buy handbags if you want, I'd rather have my number plate and a £40 Accessorize bag!

I wouldn't buy one but if someone got me one I'd use it. It is quite a thoughtful gift (unless you hate them and the giver knows that!)

I hate them in principle. But I bought one last month to disguise the age of my one year old car (to make it look older obviously). But you wouldn't know it's personalised as it follows the standard format of the current plate system.

Bear in mind that if anyone has to look your car up (breakdown service for example) they might not find your plate easily. Please be able to find your VIN in that case. And not repeatedly call me a liar when I tell you where it is you ignoramus.

Seems I am a twat in the eyes on MN too as I have a couple, one for my car and one for my motorbike. Even worse is that they kind of match!

Mine are a M5 and a M155 then sort of my initials - also the name of my business - but in a subtle way. So if my name was Pauline Crossen (it's not!) it would be PXN. P Cross-N - geddit?

I like mine, I don't care if they make me identifiable and neither of my vehicles is flash. Strictly speaking although they both cost the minimum from the DVLA as they don't spell anything that most people would recognise they are an asset of my business (which in the example would be PXN Services Ltd) so I do sometimes get the odd client smiling and saying "doing well are we" when I rock up with them!

I think it's a bit like tattoos, if you like them get one, if not you can just ignore them.

Imho there is a big difference between a £250 bit of fun, numberpate and thousands of pounds worth of cherished number. I hate the ones that are made up to look like names, but the ones with one or two numbers and and letters are more of an asset proposition.

I have one (a gift, but I have always liked them / had no issue), I also love it! It's my initials which also spell a word that is my nick name. I have no care what others think of it-it's on my car after all

However my car is a total banger, I don't think anyone thinks I'm hiding it's age . Weirdly 2 other people I spend a lot of time with through a hobby also have similar ones, also on pretty old cars-people must think we're in some sort of club down there.

In order of crassness.

Make of car
Surname
First name
Initials
Occupation
Anything misspelt, which is most.

Acceptable:
Business
Amusing

Loved being overtaken by adios
The Land Rover Defender with eieio
Best though was driving into Newcastle behind diave. You need to say it aloud to get the Georgie accent.

Everyone locally with personalised plates seems to drive like twats. But, there are probably lots of people that drive like twats, it's just I don't remember them due to their totally indistinct licence plates. I think that, in order to get them, you need to be confident that you will never drive like a twat because people will never forget,

I've got two. One on my Audi and one on my L200. Not even sorry

Personally, I think they are crass. I'm from a fairly poor background, and personalised plates were one of those things you got to show that you'd 'made it' in life. Yuk.

I've seen a lot that were X5 ABC or a variant on cars like Range Rovers or other big 4X4s.

Like there was a spate of people that all had BMW X5s with special plates and then got different cars, but inexplicably kept the X5 themed plate .

I don't look & think, oh look it's JAM1E, I think, fucking TO553R

oh argh. awkward. mega naff sorry DP 😐

but it's your car... (your reputation 👀) ¯(ツ)/¯

My husband bought one to match our business name when we set up but when we changed the car we didn't transfer it. I think they're ok and I certainly wouldn't think the owner was odd in any way.

Navy yes....... plenty of people buy them with the intention of hiding the age of their car. Sheet vanity but it's very common!

Googling 'hiding car age plate' brings up numerous links and discussions about using the plate to hide the age of a car.

It most definitely is a thing.

Navy unless you are some sort of car fanatic you couldn't possible know every variation of every car and thus its age just by looking.

And some models don't change that often anyway. DH's car can still be purchased new (if we had an extra £20k)

I had one on my Nissan figaro (Japanese import retro convertible) was FIG 91(year of car) then year of my birth i loved it but it was a special car

Not sure I'd get one for a Honda Jazz 😄

I've just been on the site and had a look at what I would pick for a bit of fun. I now have 3 on my wishlist Only £250 ones and you wouldn't really know it was personalised but it would mean something to me IYKWIM