Top Mistakes People Make When Buying Private Plates (and How to Avoid Them)

Buying a private number plate should be fun. But because there’s money, DVLA rules and paperwork involved, it’s very easy to get caught out.

Some mistakes just waste time. Others can cost you real money or leave you with a plate you can’t even put on your car.

Here are the most common mistakes people make when buying a private plate – and how to avoid them, especially if you’re bidding or buying through AuctionMyPlate.

1. Not checking if the plate is legal for their vehicle

This is the big one.

DVLA rules are very clear: you cannot use a private plate to make your car look newer than it really is.

Examples:

You can’t put a “23” plate on a 2016 car.

You can’t put an “09” style plate on a 2003 car.

If you ignore this, DVLA will simply reject the assignment and you’ll be stuck with a plate you can’t use on that vehicle.

How to avoid it

Before you bid, check your car’s original registration year.

Only buy plates that are the same age or older than your vehicle.

If you’re not sure, assume you need an older style (cherished / dateless) plate or ask the seller / platform before bidding.

2. Falling in love with a plate and ignoring the budget

Another classic: someone sees the “perfect” plate, starts bidding, and then forgets the number they actually planned to spend.

Suddenly a fun purchase turns into a nasty credit card bill.

How to avoid it

Decide your maximum total spend before you start:

Final bid or Buy Now price

Any platform fees

DVLA fee (often £80)

Write that number down. Stick to it.

If the auction goes past your limit, walk away. There will always be another plate.

3. Choosing a plate that’s hard to read or explain

Some people try so hard to force a name or word that the plate becomes awkward:

Weird letter/number swaps

Random spacing in their head that doesn’t exist in real life

Plates that only make sense once you’ve said, “No, look, it’s meant to say…”

These plates are harder to resell and don’t look as good on the road.

How to avoid it

Ask yourself: If this car drove past me at 30mph, would I read it straight away?

If the answer is no, it’s probably not worth it.

Use simple, natural substitutions only:

1 → I

3 → E

4 → A

0 → O

If you need to “explain” the plate, it’s probably too forced.

4. Forgetting about DVLA fees and transfer steps

A lot of buyers only look at the headline price and forget the boring but important stuff:

DVLA assignment / retention fees (often £80)

Whether the plate is:

On a vehicle (needs to be removed), or

On a retention certificate (V778)

If you don’t understand how the transfer works, you can end up waiting longer than expected or confused about who does what.

How to avoid it

Before bidding, check the listing:

Is the plate on a vehicle or on certificate?

Is the DVLA fee included or added on top?

After you win:

Make sure you understand who is handling the DVLA paperwork – the seller, you, or a mix of both.

Don’t fit physical plates until DVLA has confirmed the transfer.

5. Buying from people who can’t prove ownership

This is where things get risky.

If the seller can’t provide proper DVLA documentation:

V5C (logbook) for a plate on a vehicle

V750 / V778 certificate for a plate on retention

…you may be dealing with someone who doesn’t actually have the right to sell the plate.

How to avoid it

Only buy through platforms that require sellers to confirm ownership and documentation, like AuctionMyPlate.

Be very wary of:

“Too good to be true” prices

Sellers who dodge questions about documents or transfer process

If something feels off, walk away. There are plenty of legitimate plates out there.

6. Fitting the plates before DVLA confirms the transfer

This one is more common than you’d think.

People get excited, order physical plates with their new registration, and bolt them on before DVLA has actually approved the assignment.

Until DVLA confirms the change, the plate is not legally on that vehicle. You’re effectively driving around with the wrong registration.

How to avoid it

Wait for DVLA confirmation:

Email from the online service, or

Updated V5C / official letter

Only once you’ve got that in writing should you:

Order physical plates from a registered supplier

Fit them to the car

No confirmation = no plate on the car yet.

7. Ignoring resale value completely

You might think, “I’m never selling this plate”, but life changes – cars get sold, tastes change, finances change.

Some plates will always hold better value than others:

Clean initials

Common names

Dateless or shorter plates

Plates with clear, timeless meanings

Others are so specific that hardly anyone else will ever want them.

How to avoid it

Even if you’re buying for yourself, ask:

Would anyone else realistically want this in future?

Is the name / initials / word reasonably common?

If two plates are similarly priced but one has stronger general appeal, that one usually makes more sense long-term.

8. Not checking how the plate looks on the actual car

On paper, a plate might look fine. On the car, with real spacing and bolts, it can feel totally different.

Common gotchas:

Characters lining up strangely with the plate’s fixing points

Misreading because of the shape of the vehicle or plate holder

Plate looking “lost” on a particular model

How to avoid it

Use any preview tools available on the platform to see the plate in a realistic DVLA-style format.

Visualise it on your actual car:

Does it suit a small hatchback, big SUV, sports car?

If it doesn’t look right in a preview, it probably won’t magically look better on the road.

9. Rushing into the first plate they see

Because there’s a bit of emotion involved, people sometimes jump at the first plate that’s “close enough” without checking what else is out there.

Weeks later, a much better plate appears at a similar price and the regret kicks in.

How to avoid it

Don’t panic buy.

Watch a few auctions before you start bidding seriously.

Get a feel for:

How often plates matching your initials or name come up

What they typically sell for

When you do bid, you’ll know you’re making a measured decision, not a rushed one.

10. Not using a specialist auction platform properly

Buying through social media, random adverts or mates-of-mates is where a lot of the horror stories start.

A proper platform like AuctionMyPlate is there to:

Provide a clear buyer and seller record

Make sure listings carry the right information

Set expectations around DVLA fees and process

Offer a structured auction environment rather than a wild west negotiation

But even on a good platform, if you don’t read the listing or understand the rules, you can still trip up.

How to avoid it

Read the full listing, not just the headline.

Take note of:

Reserve prices

Extra fees

Whether the plate is on a vehicle or certificate

Use the platform as intended – ask questions before bidding if anything is unclear.

Quick checklist before you buy

Before you place a bid or hit Buy Now, run through this:

✅ The plate is legal for my vehicle’s age.

✅ I know my total budget and have included all fees.

✅ The meaning is clear and readable, not forced.

✅ The seller/platform has proper DVLA documentation in place.

✅ I understand who handles the DVLA transfer and what I need to do.

✅ I’m ready to wait for DVLA confirmation before fitting plates.

✅ I’m confident I won’t regret this in 6 months.

Get those right, and buying a private plate becomes what it should be: a fun upgrade for your car that you can enjoy for years – without the nasty surprises.