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Why blur plates on car ads?

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  1. #1

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    Why blur plates on car ads?

    I've been wondering about this for a long time. As far as I know there is no public database where people could just look up car plates so what's the deal?

    I've just seen this again in an ad here on Geo today, so couldn't resist posting and get this answered once and for all

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  2. #2

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    It's a UK thing, like tea with milk. Senseless...

    No, the fear is that somebody could see your ad and then clone your registration and rob a bank or drive in the carpool lane or something. I understand completely. Which is why I always cover up my number plates when parked in public--as well as when driving on the public roads. You can never be too careful!


  3. #3

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    If the car was traded in at a franchised dealer, then off loaded to a smaller used car dealer, then re advertised, they don't like showing how much more they are advertising it for compared to how little the person who traded the car was given. So they blur the plates out, so it lessons the chance of the previous owner stumbling upon their car online/in the classifieds, if it is advertised by a totally different car yard ( other than the one they originally did the trade in with ), it could be just any other car, not theirs... Makes the HK customer feel better. It also removes questions like: ' how come my old car has 100,000km less mileage on your advert than when I traded it in with you ? ' Winding clocks back is a prolific habit out here...

    Example: Customer has a 10 year old BMW 5 series to trade in on a new Mercedes Benz E350 at Zung Fu, they trade it in for 9/10ths of stuff all, the dealer rings around the used car trade and off loads the old Beemer to the highest bidder. The Beemer ends up in the hands of Vins/Vincent Motors/Expat Motors, European motors lets say and the plates are smudged out in any new used adverts with a MUCH higher price than what the original owner was given at the time of his/her purchase.

    It is a bit of a childish practice, but that's how it works in the HKG..

    Last edited by Skyhook; 08-12-2012 at 09:36 PM.

  4. #4

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    That make sense Skyhook.

    While I have you here in this thread, let me ask you something else about second hand cars. Not that I am looking or one, but this also bothered me for years.

    Every time I asked for service records or manuals (or looked for the chop of the maintenance shop in the service book) it was either 'don't have', 'will call you on Monday' (which never happens of course) or a 'Hong Kong don't have'. Was I just at the wrong shops or is it really common around here not to keep any records or put the details in the log book?

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  5. #5

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    Most people have records, the problem is, if the car has been bought and sold a number of times the history goes missing because those records validate mileage as it is recorded by the franchised dealer.

    One habit I have always maintained, I always buy 0riginal owner cars ie the first person that was registered to the car that I am buying. That way I get all the service history, and can reconfirm via the authorised agent as 9 times out of 10, the car would have only been serviced by the agent from new. I know the mileage on both my cars is 100% legit because I had it confirmed by Zung Fu and Crown Motors when I purchased a couple of spare parts.

    once the car has had 3 or more owners on the reg document, you can pretty much kiss any chance of knowing what the real mileage is.

    Last edited by Skyhook; 08-12-2012 at 10:08 PM.

  6. #6

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    Its very common not to keep records, like I change stuff in my car, Battery (recently), oil changes, gearbox oil change, I dont keep receipts. Never have even for my previous 4 cars, The locals dont ask for these or keep so I never bothered, although my garage does keep records for me but never ask for it either.


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skyhook:
    once the car has had 3 or more owners on the reg document, you can pretty much kiss any chance of knowing what the real mileage is.
    Yep this is right as most of mine was 2 owners or more
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  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skyhook:
    If the car was traded in at a franchised dealer, then off loaded to a smaller used car dealer, then re advertised, they don't like showing how much more they are advertising it for compared to how little the person who traded the car was given. So they blur the plates out, so it lessons the chance of the previous owner stumbling upon their car online/in the classifieds, if it is advertised by a totally different car yard ( other than the one they originally did the trade in with ), it could be just any other car, not theirs... Makes the HK customer feel better. It also removes questions like: ' how come my old car has 100,000km less mileage on your advert than when I traded it in with you ? ' Winding clocks back is a prolific habit out here...
    Interesting to learn that used car dealers in HK have so much concern for other dealers' (former) customers' feelings...but this doesn't explain why private party sellers do it, too.

    I like your buy-only-from-original-owner rule, though!
    Last edited by Lootoo; 09-12-2012 at 09:58 AM.

  9. #9

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    And just to add, sometimes the plate will be retained and people do not want to get asked if included in sale or get knocked down in price because it isn't!

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  10. #10

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    Actually you can trace back to the owner if you have the license plate, cost you only about 50 bucks or something, all you need to do is to fill out a form and hand it in Transportation Department.


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