I'm about to list my girlfriend's SVTF on the 'bay and such (of course GRM/RacingJunk classifieds, too), which got me wondering: why do you see so many plate numbers obscured in online ads? Anybody who drives by on the street is going to see the plate. Why is it dangerous for the internet to see it?
I can think of a couple of reasons:
you don't want to be pestered by folks who saw your ad and who then just "drop by" when they see the same car in your driveway.
you are hiding assets from a spouse/the tax man/someone who you owe money to/the REAL owner of the car....
I realize that NONE of the above is your case.
But basically, it's a feeble attempt to hide your identity.
Also for privacy. In many states, tag traces can be obtained by the general public.
That one. License plates can be traced to an address, and the car can disappear.
I've heard of that happening with non-photo ads, too. Someone calls, you give them an address, they don't show up until about 2am.... or while you're at work.
In reply to Klayfish:
As the OP pointed out, it's silly to do this for privacy, as the info is available to anybody who sees the car on the street, at the grocery store, etc.
I think it's because they're idiots.
Mostly fueled by friends who had issues with Subaru of America voiding warranties by reading time trial results... I figured the insurance companies wouldn't be far behind on HPDEs... so back when I used to drive to the track I would smudge the plate in photos and take 'em off once I got in the gate. More than once I've seen the Progressive & State Farm cars driving around the paddock at NJMP. Maybe they are fans... but best to do what you can to make their job a little less easy otherwise.
I thought that the ability for the public to trace a tag to an address had been "turned off" almost everywhere; it's still really possible some places?
I've pulled my tags at car shows (for cars like my former 1971 MG Metro Turbo...none of which I own any longer) and a couple of track events... insurance being the primary reason for the latter... the former being more self-evident.
In TX, I do it all the time. I run a repair shop and I have two resources that I can get every last bit of info from a plate number:
I can call the tow company I use and in 30 seconds know your address, phone number, name, age, lienholder, how much you owe, your insurance status, the works.
I can submit a form at the DMV and $2 and they'll pull it up. The only thing on the form I have to put is the plate number and sign a little statement that says "I won't use this for bad stuff."
I don't need to be licensed as a shop to do either. Super simple
wcelliot wrote: I thought that the ability for the public to trace a tag to an address had been "turned off" almost everywhere; it's still really possible some places? I've pulled my tags at car shows (for cars like my former 1971 MG Metro Turbo...none of which I own any longer) and a couple of track events... insurance being the primary reason for the latter... the former being more self-evident.
'71 Metro? I'm guessing '81, and I'll betcha you wished you still had it. I remember a friend had a white one, but it may not have been a turbo.
Definitely not possible in CA.
As I remember it was because the actress (shown on left below in Poltergeist) was killed by her former abusive boyfriend who hunted her down by getting her new address from the DMV.
It just seems like a very bad idea to allow people to do that, I am not sure what the valid reasons for using it are.
just about any insurance agent can get your info from your license plate, then they can look at tax records on your address, and really get just about any info they want on you from your plate number.
dorri732 wrote: As the OP pointed out, it's silly to do this for privacy, as the info is available to anybody who sees the car on the street, at the grocery store, etc.
It's about context. Why make personal information potentially even more available to people - good and bad - who are looking for cars?
I don't worry too much about mine, they're custom.
i just recently had to change my b.of.a online login cuz i forgot it ( i also replaced a lost atm card that day ). they asked a couple of questions to make sure i wuz who i wuz. one of them asked me if any of the four car tags listed had belonged to me - well one did. thing is, it was at least from 5yrs ago, and the account is less than two yrs old.
ya gotta wonder where they got that info from.
I've pulled my tags at car shows (for cars like my former 1971 MG Metro Turbo...none of which I own any longer) and a couple of track events... insurance being the primary reason for the latter... the former being more self-evident.
No such thing, either a 71 Mini with Metro turbo running gear, or an 80's Metro turbo. Any pics? I rememeber getting a ride in one when they were new in 82/83(?) as a 13 year old kid, I was amazed, it was the fastest car I'd ever been in up until that point. A whopping 90(ish) hp!!!
It was a one owner 32k Mk2 D reg with some suspension mods and an autopower bar... but mechanically mostly stock.
I sold to a US MG collector who sold back to the Canadian friend I used to import it in the first place. Now living in Canada as a Metro Turbo again.
Great little car... the engine felt more like a normally asipirated 1600 than a turbo 1300... and the hydragas ride was exceptional... even substantially lowered and firmed.
But the car was a great example of how bad UK cars from this era were... it was the nicest car that I could find in the UK... low mileage, garage kept, etc... and yet had rust everywhere (which is the other reason I sold it... ).
I do have a normally apsirated MG Metro A+ under the bonnet of my otherwise all original MKIII Mini.
This is the best iteration of an A-series I've ever seen... power similar to a Cooper S engine, but more low end torque, etc. I'm pulling a steep 2.95 diff and still have traction issues. (Of course when I drop it in 4th on the track, all further accelleration ceases... but great on the highway)
Bill
Klayfish wrote: Also for privacy. In many states, tag traces can be obtained by the general public.
That's absolutely freaking insane. I'd vote for legislation to put a stop to that.
IIRC, in CT, you could pull up the owner of a car via the plates, but then the owner was notified of who and when the plates were pulled. The law may have changed, but it gave the plate owner a heads-up.
poopshovel wrote:Klayfish wrote: Also for privacy. In many states, tag traces can be obtained by the general public.That's absolutely freaking insane. I'd vote for legislation to put a stop to that.
It's a different world we live in today. Many years ago, it probably wasn't such a big deal. Now, probably not the best of ideas for anyone to be able to go and trace a tag.
The car insurance industry does use tag traces. At my work, we'll use them to try to locate insurance policies, or identification of a hit and run report, etc... Not all states do tag traces, many don't.
wcelliot wrote:
Wow, nice, yes rust ate most of them. I remember looking for one in the early 90's once I was out of my Hillman Imp phase and at less than 10 years old they were as rare as rocking horse E36 M3 as most had returned to basic ore.
You wackjobs are killing me.
If someone wants your tag/car/etc, they will call you setup a meeting look at said car, then say they have other ones to look at.
Now along with having your tag, they know your address (if you didn't meet them at a parking lot), and have a face as well.
Damn, I forgot what happens when I put on my tinfoil hat and they aren't inside my brains stealing mah thoughts.
But if Mother doesn't let you drive, you likely wouldn't have made it to the meeting with the wackjob in the first place. ;-)
z31maniac wrote: You wackjobs are killing me. If someone wants your tag/car/etc, they will call you setup a meeting look at said car, then say they have other ones to look at. Now along with having your tag, they know your address (if you didn't meet them at a parking lot), and have a face as well. Damn, I forgot what happens when I put on my tinfoil hat and they aren't inside my brains stealing mah thoughts.
"Officer, the car I was trying to sell was stolen. Only one person came to look at it, here's his description. He was driving a '94 Maxima, license plate EA-TM-E."
It's not paranoia if they really ARE out to get you.
My neighbor two houses down lost her son when he 'met someone' in a parking lot to sell his car. This was 15-20 years ago, he went down to Detroit and was murdered for his car (no quips about Detroit, there were plenty of more dangerous places then and now) I'll take my risks on loosing a car later to theft and have some one come to my place rather than meet at an unknown third party in a spot where no one knows me.
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