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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not see the point in personalised reg plates?

402 replies

Flexilexy · 07/02/2025 10:17

As I sat in traffic this morning trying to work out if someone's reg was their initials or if it was meant to spell a word out, I wondered why they even bothered.

If you have a personalised registration plate, why?

This is one of those things I've just never understood why anyone would spend money on it. I'd have to have a LOT of disposable income before this is something I'd part with cash for.

Google says "The cost of a personalized number plate can range from a few hundred pounds to hundreds of thousands of pounds."

I'll be honest, and show my judgemental side. Most (not all) of the people I know with personalised reg plates are skint, or just scraping by month to month. So it really baffles me that this is something they'd chose to do with their money.

But also, even if I could afford it, what's the appeal? I'm genuinely interested to know what makes you want one?

And yes, I'm fully aware it doesn't have any impact on my life at all, but one is allowed to ponder. This entire site is full of people complaining about things that aren't relevant to them, it's just a discussion.

YABU - Personalised reg plates are wonderful and not just an expensive bit of plastic that collects dead bugs
YANBU - They're totally fucking pointless

OP posts:
BuffaloCauliflower · 07/02/2025 10:41

DHs one, bought for him as a child, paid for a 3rd of our wedding when sold. So that was handy.

riverislandjeans · 07/02/2025 10:42

You don't have to 'get' it.

LuckysDadsHat · 07/02/2025 10:43

Pennnyforthright · 07/02/2025 10:20

FFS is that all you have to think about?

Shock horror that people can have more than one thing to think about at the same time!

toastofthetown · 07/02/2025 10:43

They don’t have any value to me, but I don’t care about them either. Just another example of different people like different things, and that’s ok. People might look at my fountain pen and ink collection and think it’s a waste of time and money as well 🤷‍♀️

myplace · 07/02/2025 10:44

DH is irrationally obsessed with people who have them- as aggressive as he ever gets about ‘knobs’ who have them.

I’m totally neutral. I have no interest in their choices, as long as they can afford them. I wouldn’t get wildly excited about one myself but would happily accept one as a gift if someone had troubled themselves to find something I would like.

DH however…. Luckily he’s not a driver so doesn’t have any opportunity to act on his irrational dislike.

thisfilmisboring123 · 07/02/2025 10:44

Personally, I think unless you're some sort of celebrity it looks tacky as fuck and screams to me that someone wants people to think they’ve got money.
To each their own though.

rivalsbinge · 07/02/2025 10:45

My dad's meant everything to him, it was his radio call sign.

He wouldn't have given a flying fuck if you cared about it or not!!

Surgarblossom · 07/02/2025 10:46

You really have too much time on your hands. You buy what you like, others buy what they like - simple!

iamnotalemon · 07/02/2025 10:46

I have an irrational hatred for personalised number plates 😂

naemates · 07/02/2025 10:47

I'm not sure anyone thinks it makes them look like they have money? Mine cost about £180 and is on my Nissan Micra?

MyIvyGrows · 07/02/2025 10:48

I thought I had neutral feelings about them but I got serious ick with someone I fancied when I realised they had one.

I also don’t understand why they cost so much

Catza · 07/02/2025 10:48

Snowmanscarf · 07/02/2025 10:20

One of the advantages is that it de-ages a car. If you see a car with a normal registration plate, instantly know it’s three years old, for example. With a personalised reg, you don’t know if it’s new or five years old

How is this advantageous in any way?
When you sell your car, the age will be abundantly clear from the documentation.

youlied · 07/02/2025 10:50

I have one, had it years. It's personal to me and I love cars.
Makes it easier to register my car on reception as I travel alot with work.

festivemouse · 07/02/2025 10:50

We've got a couple - they mean things to us! We bought them because we liked the idea of the plates, they meant something to us and tbh it wasn't cost prohibitive.

I also get things monogrammed for the same reason 😂

It only de-ages a car if you don't know about that particular car so I've never understood that argument, if you like cars it's quite easy to spot the signs of newer vs older models regardless of the plates.

verycloakanddaggers · 07/02/2025 10:50

naemates · 07/02/2025 10:25

I love having my name on my stuff, my car included

I totally understand this, even though I do not feel this way at all, I prefer not to have named things.

Plenty of people just like having personalised things.

cheezmonster · 07/02/2025 10:50

Catza · 07/02/2025 10:48

How is this advantageous in any way?
When you sell your car, the age will be abundantly clear from the documentation.

Show quote history

I guess if you care about status. I don't move in those circles but I know that some people care about the age of their car and how others think of it, etc.

NetballHoop · 07/02/2025 10:51

Well I don't see the point in wearing clothes which advertise a brand.

So I don't. If others want to it's no skin off my nose.

wipeywipe · 07/02/2025 10:51

I thought people often have them so you can't tell the age of a car?

NattyBeaker · 07/02/2025 10:51

My parents bought me one and I didn't really get it. But I saw one that would be great for my daughter and almost bought her it! Doesn't really help you 😂

Anothershittydayinparadise · 07/02/2025 10:52

My friend's have them. Between them they own 4 cars and they each spell out their surname and each run in sequence 'ie SMITHY1, SMITHY2...'

I personally think they are as tacky AF but each to their own.

Worldgonecrazy · 07/02/2025 10:52

Have three, like two of them, one of them was inherited with the vehicle. I don’t actually give a flying fuck if people like them, get them, or feel nauseous when they see them.

I find some of the ‘almost’ ones quite funny. Coolest one I ever saw was a black Porsche with dark windows, driven by a guy with a goatee, obviously wannabe Crowleyesque, with a 54 TAN number. That is next level ego!

HelpMeGetThrough · 07/02/2025 10:54

We have one on my OHs car and it was on the previous car. I've got a company car so can't and wouldn't bother anyway.

The plate wasn't expensive, 20 odd years ago it was £60 plus transfer fee. It's just something we fancied. Has a couple of letters and 4 numbers, which are the years we were born.

Didn't get it for any other reason apart from just fancied it at the time.

wipeywipe · 07/02/2025 10:54

It only de-ages a car if you don't know about that particular car so I've never understood that argument, if you like cars it's quite easy to spot the signs of newer vs older models regardless of the plates.

How many people like cars in this detail though? My neighbour has the same model as my car, mine is a newer and some sporty trim or something. Looking at them externally I cannot see a difference. My other neighbour has the new updated model & I can see a difference but manufacturers wait a fair few years before redesigning a model.

wipeywipe · 07/02/2025 10:55

My mums neighbour who is a dentist has a variation of "TEETH" which I find amusing.

mindutopia · 07/02/2025 10:56

There is someone in our village who parks near ish the church with a number plate B7ESST (which to me spells blessed) and I’ve spent years thinking it was the vicar, who is like a 65 year old man, and i thought that was a little wanky but actually quite sweet.

A couple months ago, I saw the vicar get out of an entirely different car with his totally normal number plate. So now I’m just trying to work out who in the village is wanky enough to have paid for that plate. Like which of you have loads of Live. Laugh. Love. tat in your house?! 😂