Are Personalised Number Plates Pointless or Worth It?

meowsers on 08/08/2023 - 10:06
Last edited 08/08/2023 - 12:23

I've always wondered what people think about personalised plates.

Do you find them worth it? Have you seen any ridiculous ones?

Are they wanky? Are they douchey? Are they cool? A waste of money?

Please discuss.

Edit:

Do you think some number plates could increase the risk to your car being keyed or scratched?

Automotive Number Plate

Comments

  • Ocker on 08/08/2023 - 10:08
    +77

    It's a personal(ised) choice

    • HeWhoKnows on 09/08/2023 - 07:52
      -6

      I think OP doesnt like 'freedom of Choice"

    • reactor-au on 09/08/2023 - 08:38
      +1

      Don't forget it comes with 200 extra kw at the wheels

  • Cheaplikethebird on 08/08/2023 - 10:09
    +32

    If it's your thing then great but literally nobody else cares.

    • Jaduqimon on 08/08/2023 - 10:15
      +41

      I do. They pay more for rego but use the road the same as us plebs. So yes I want more people to get persnalised plates so I can leech off their contribution lol

      • RockyRaccoon on 08/08/2023 - 11:50
        +3

        Agree, laugh away, although you can substitute rego with

        Apple, Nike, Coke, Coffee, Uncle Toby’s, BMW, Dior, Wagu, and so much more.

        If bread (rice) and water works all the rest are just personal preferences

        Although my personalised plates cost me almost nothing (bought before they changed the rules) there is no annual fee, and I can sell them for a very good profit.

        • Naigrabzo on 08/08/2023 - 13:40
          +11

          Does it say ASSMAN or ROCKYRAC?

        • supersabroso on 09/08/2023 - 23:03

          Once you sell it, I imagine that they'll charge the new owner an annual fee? I think it's worth it if you're a business or rich enough not to care. Otherwise it's an absolute waste of money.

          • SteveM on 10/08/2023 - 07:25

            @supersabroso: Annual fee is only in some states. In Victoria, it's buy once and they are yours for life and the only extra you pay is to change the car they are on, or if you want a different design.

      • iDroid on 08/08/2023 - 14:18

        Expert leech!

      • Poor Ass on 08/08/2023 - 15:01
        +1

        lol NSW gov money grab

        there's no cost to use them in QLD

        • resisting the urge on 08/08/2023 - 16:37
          +1

          They just allowed us a way to invest even more in our high yield investments, without calling it a tax. Beforehand, custom plates were a one-time, up-front fee.

          My guess is that some team of leeches over at Deloitte or PwC came up with a way to spend taxpayer funds on this truly ingenious offering.

          Must be a bargain. After all, it cost so much to implement that they now charge as much per year as they used to charge as a 'one off' fee.

          Next step will be to charge the peasantry for standard plates- and really claw back some of the wasted Beelions back.

          • Poor Ass on 08/08/2023 - 21:09
            +2

            @resisting the urge: NSW gov always been a money grab

            They even clawback tax savings when employees salary sacrifice.. no other state does that

            • No ONE on 09/08/2023 - 16:40

              @Poor Ass:

              They even clawback tax savings when employees salary sacrifice

              This. What a thief!

      • Naigrabzo on 09/08/2023 - 09:15

        Doesn't make sense for them to pay more for rego?? What logic is that"??

  • Fredfloresjr on 08/08/2023 - 10:14
    -6

    Common OP. Seems you are bored.

    • meowsers on 08/08/2023 - 10:17
      +15

      I am trying to come up with reasons to convince the wife not to buy one. Easier if others do the work.

      • Seraphin7 on 08/08/2023 - 10:26

        Think of it economically … put the price in terms of how much you would have to invest to "buy" the plate for life (let's call that 30 years for the purposes of this exercise).

        Some rough maths …

        • You invest an amount of money upfront to pay for the plate over the next 30 years such that it runs down to zero after that time
        • You pay out $499 immediately for the first year and this increases by 3% each year
        • Your investment is earning 5% p.a. interest, but you need to pay 33.3% tax on those earnings
        • You need to invest ~$14,700 now for the above to work out

        Up to you/the missus on how you might like to spend ~$15k.

        • meowsers on 08/08/2023 - 10:35

          Well it's a once off cost in VIC so that's the thing.

          • Seraphin7 on 08/08/2023 - 11:02
            +2

            @meowsers: Yeesh … you might struggle then.

          • cookie2 on 08/08/2023 - 22:24

            @meowsers: Push her towards something else that will fill whatever the reason she wants a personalised plate.
            What will it do for her and what latent need will it provide? Then find and divert it elsewhere.
            Can I ask though, why are you trying to talk her out of it? I mean what are your reasons that you DON'T want to get it? Financial or otherwise?

          • Antikythera on 09/08/2023 - 00:16

            @meowsers: Vic rego is more expensive with personalised plates though?

            I looked into keeping the plates from my first car and moving it to my second car. not even personalised plates but would have been considered so after the swap and i'd be paying higher rego.

            in the 90s my brother was a cop and arranged to get "normal" plates FAT065 for his 65 Chev when they came available. so he didn't have to pay for personalised plates. VicRoads closed the loophole eventually.

            • Belistic on 09/08/2023 - 09:55

              @Antikythera: You pay ~$110 to 'swap' the plates to your new car, but the rego stays the same… Well, at least for me it did and I've had the same custom plates for nearly 20yrs.

              Edit: I'm in Vic

        • lordra on 08/08/2023 - 11:16

          Plus, don't forget, it also pushes up your rego cost too. Every year. In NSW at least. I think about $115 ish.

      • boomramada on 08/08/2023 - 10:27
        +2

        As long as its worth more than the car. Its okie.

      • Drpepper666 on 08/08/2023 - 10:37
        +1

        Tell her it's stupid and only idiots want them

      • Broke-Ken on 08/08/2023 - 11:43
        +1

        I think personalised plates are a personal choice, but to help you convince your wife. There is a facebook group called "Stupid Number Plates Australia", let her check out the roasting that goes on in there, and if she's ok with it, then so be it.

      • freefall101 on 08/08/2023 - 11:44
        +9

        Easier if you just let her buy them. Unless it significantly impacts your budget then who cares?

        Pointless shit is what makes life enjoyable. If she gets a kick out of it then she should do it, screw what anyone else thinks.

      • iDroid on 08/08/2023 - 14:20

        Not sure about your friends, but all of mine would think I'm a douche if I got one (they probably do anyway) - if she wants to impress someone then I'm not sure it's the right way…

      • mjdau on 09/08/2023 - 10:35

        Can't she just get a "my stick figure family" sticker, like every other unique individual?

      • [Deactivated] on 09/08/2023 - 16:17

        Try a non economic one since she has already justified the price in her mind.

        Why would you want strangers to be able to easily recognise your car?

  • Seraphin7 on 08/08/2023 - 10:17
    +1

    Each to their own, but I just don't understand the justification for the cost. In NSW, it seems to be $499 per annum (no doubt ratcheting up annually) for the fully personalised jobs. If it were something like this as a one off cost, then yeah, I could get it … but it just seem like little more than paying extra for something you would otherwise be getting with your registration.

    • meowsers on 08/08/2023 - 10:29
      +13

      I'm surprised that VIC only charges once-off. you'd think they'd get their grubby little tax fingers in everything.

      • Seraphin7 on 08/08/2023 - 10:30
        +15

        Shhhh … Dan is listening.

        • EightImmortals on 08/08/2023 - 11:37

          It's about the only time he does.

      • BillyG687 on 08/08/2023 - 11:06
        +10

        QLD, WA, SA, NT, TAS and ACT too.

        So it seems like NSW is the only state or territory that charges an annual fee. All others allow you to purchase and own them outright.

      • Ocker on 08/08/2023 - 18:44

        VicRoads has been partially privatised so you can expect and increase in the cost of personalised plates, not just the issuing fee but maybe the introduction of an annual fee.
        There is also talk they may expand the choice from 6 characters to either 8 or 10. That will be a sure fire way to rake in a motza of money.

      • capslock janitor on 09/08/2023 - 00:27

        Victoria the place to be

    • Mysterious Laptop on 09/08/2023 - 18:45

      Only certain fully custom combos are $499. You can use a standard combination and pay ~$110/year.

    • YellowDieselGolf on 09/08/2023 - 19:44

      The “service” has been outsourced to myplates in nsw.

      Pretty nice gig to charge people $400+ for a piece of stamped aluminium and $495 per year to use it.

  • mapax on 08/08/2023 - 10:17
    +17

    How are people going to know that you fuel your Tesla on smugness if you don’t have a douchey personalized plate?

    • meowsers on 08/08/2023 - 10:24
      +27

      NOFUELLOL

    • iDroid on 08/08/2023 - 14:22
      +2

      Saw 2 Teslas this morning. First plates "Y THO", second plates "AMPED"..

      Seem popular with Tesla drivers..

      • [Deactivated] on 08/08/2023 - 22:32
        +4

        We have one locally that has Y OIL

        All I can think of when I see these kinds of plates is the South Park episode about hybrid cars causing a smug storm.

  • Archi on 08/08/2023 - 10:19

    IAM-26C

    can start with that.

    • Ocker on 08/08/2023 - 10:24

      try o140e

      • pegaxs on 08/08/2023 - 10:31

        or; ICUR12

        • bhubb18 on 08/08/2023 - 11:59
          +4

          That one might put you on a bad list tbh

  • holdenmg on 08/08/2023 - 10:24
    +16

    LUV-OZB

    • rodericb on 08/08/2023 - 20:20
      +8

      HI-YLD

      • WeeDeePotato on 09/08/2023 - 01:38

        HODL

        • 911r on 10/08/2023 - 21:42

          pretty sure this is on a model s in vic!

        • yokel on 11/08/2023 - 09:15

          BRODEN

    • kaleidoscope on 09/08/2023 - 07:05

      BUYNTL

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 08/08/2023 - 10:27
    +14

    X1-10%

  • bobbified on 08/08/2023 - 10:27
    +10

    In Victoria, it's a one-off payment of $600, so for me, it was a nice little extra touch.
    But no way I'd do it in somewhere like NSW where it's an annual payment of $500 + whatever style costs… F-that!

  • pegaxs on 08/08/2023 - 10:29
    +7

    In NSW, a waste of money. anywhere up to and exceeding $500 extra… PER YEAR!

    And you know, just to save you a few dollars, hot tip… when you buy a brand new Tesla… it is not a law that you need "LOL-01L" plates to go with the car. It's not mandatory, no matter how many Tesla forums and blogs you are a member of tell you that it is…

    • meowsers on 08/08/2023 - 10:35
      +8

      Sadly I sold my tesla long ago. They are too popular now, can't look elitist in one.

      • bbinc on 08/08/2023 - 10:45

        Especially now they are white

      • schquid on 09/08/2023 - 11:24

        Switched to a black camry, never looked back. All eyes on me. "What's that car?! It's so sleek and fashionable compared to all these white Telsas"

      • tessel on 10/08/2023 - 09:42

        You are truly ahead of the game. Seriously, impressed.

  • Drpepper666 on 08/08/2023 - 10:36

    Let's start with you. What do you think?

    • meowsers on 08/08/2023 - 10:40
      +1

      I think it's a matter of personal choice tbh. I find some are quite funny and then some are very odd.

      I saw "Aryan" on a car a few years ago, not sure how that ever got approved.

      Also saw "FUMF" the other day, made me laugh.

      • Muzeeb on 08/08/2023 - 10:51
        +1

        I had to Google the first one. Maybe vicroads employees don't have access to Google.

        • capslock janitor on 09/08/2023 - 00:31

          i saw one recently and thought to myself how tf they got away with that?
          damn forgot what the plate was

      • geek001 on 08/08/2023 - 11:30
        +1

        Apparently Aryan is also an Iranian boy's name according to Google….

        • Muzeeb on 08/08/2023 - 11:39

          My result came up with some Jewish white supremacy reference.

        • s1Lence on 09/08/2023 - 02:57
          +1

          Could also be easily confused for a delicious savoury drink if you're dyslexic.

      • nwa on 11/08/2023 - 11:08

        HITL3R is available in NSW if anybody wants to take it.

        • mapax on 11/08/2023 - 14:34
          +1

          Probably not too many Toyota 3R engines still getting around…

  • bbinc on 08/08/2023 - 10:45
    -1

    I liked FUN101

  • Brian McGee on 08/08/2023 - 10:50
    +5

    BMW12C or BMW14U
    Nobody cares about your poverty spec 10 year old 1 series with ///M badges

    • websterp on 08/08/2023 - 11:46
      +2

      Tell that to this OP

  • Gunnar on 08/08/2023 - 10:55
    -3

    As the owner of a personalised plates (my initials and DOB that fit within typical NSW plate style so it's not the $500ish premium). Regardless they are definitely not cool.

    Wanky? Yes, regardless of content they are wanky

    Douchey? Depends what you have. LOLOIL, 4DACHX, KEYPUP*, NOGAS, WILRUN et al definitely a douche

    • 87percent on 08/08/2023 - 11:13
      +14

      initials and DOB? did you also put your first street you lived on, name of your first pet?

      • Muzeeb on 08/08/2023 - 11:22
        +4

        Mothers maiden name is Greek heritage. No way that would even fit on WA plates.

        • 87percent on 08/08/2023 - 11:24
          +1

          spread it over multiple cars

        • Protractor on 08/08/2023 - 12:05
          +1

          H3L3N

  • GordonD on 08/08/2023 - 10:58

    I think you paying extra tax voluntarily is a great idea.

    • Stopback on 08/08/2023 - 11:19

      Scarcity drives the market.

  • Bid Sniper on 08/08/2023 - 11:04
    +13

    WANC4R

    • smartazz104 on 08/08/2023 - 13:51
      +1

      ON3C4R, then less people will get it…

  • emblurr on 08/08/2023 - 11:09
    -1

    Best ones to have are your initials plus 000'

  • Euphemistic on 08/08/2023 - 11:15

    I got personalised plates many years ago when it was a once off fee for custom letter/numbers in a standard format (NSW). Was related to the vehicle. If you wanted full custom there was an annual fee.

    Considered doing it again, even had a couple of options selected but they whacked an annual fee for ALL new personalised plates. No way I’m paying for that, but I did pay a bit extra for premium plate format to get white instead of yellow.

    • RockyRaccoon on 08/08/2023 - 12:03
      +1

      Exactly now my plates are worth more than the car. (NSW)

      Given also that they won’t even allow plates with my digits to be issued even for a fee.

      An owner of heritage plates or Personalised Plus plates can transfer ownership by paying a fee and filling out a form. Other custom plates can only be transferred to employees, family members, or to a deceased estate. Alternatively, the owner of a custom plate can sell the plates attached to a vehicle.

      • Save Medicare on 08/08/2023 - 14:37

        Don't leave us hanging. What are they?

        • RockyRaccoon on 08/08/2023 - 21:05

          OO… I cant say

          • Save Medicare on 08/08/2023 - 21:16

            @RockyRaccoon: Nice! I'm surprised that there rae still maseratis driving around from the 90s to be honest

  • yoonibear on 08/08/2023 - 11:15
    +5

    Great idea. Sometimes I can't tell what model their car is, despite the badge on the back. The MK6GTI, GTI2NV and all other variations clears it up for me.

    • randombrick on 08/08/2023 - 11:23
      +1

      :-)

      I find these "badge" plates funny for the exact same reason.

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