[Closed] Received a penalty charge notice, mistaken ID...

What evidence do you have?

I'd be calling the police non-emergency number for advice about the cloned plates as a matter of more urgency than the PCN. There must be an appeal process detailed on the charge paperwork, just go through whatever that is.

edit - if you've got a police crime number for the cloned vehicle, that would likely strengthen your appeal.

I imagine this will become a regular event for you if someone has cloned your reg to get out of paying the DART toll for their commute.

Contact police/dvla and report that someone has cloned your plate. Get a crime number and then contact the DART people with this, disputing the fine.

Sounds like your reg plates have been cloned. Probably best off contacting the police straightaway.

Have a look at this.

https://klickplates.com/news/22/10-steps-to-take-if-your-number-plates-have-been-cloned/

From that link...

2. What can I do?
... Therefore criminals have decided to opt for real license plates using those that are up to date with MOT, tax and insurance...

So don't tax, insure or MOT your van, that'll learn em!

edit - I've just thought - sensible answer! If you have an Android Phone you can look at a basic track of your location history for the day. That should help.

Guilty until proven innocent?

It's not always cloning.

I had this with a parking charge in central London, the picture showed A very similar van with just the plate border different.
I was working in Scotland for a week at the time.
The company I work for appealed against the ticket and contacted the DVLA.

I had to take the Van (VW Caddy) to the DVLA for inspection.
It turned out that the other Caddy had been issued incorrectly the same registration as mine.

I had similar with Devon and Cornwall Police about 15/16 years ago. I had a bonefide ticket which I was about to pay then I got another, with a black Audi A4 (I had a black A3) with a vaguely similar plate. Kicked off about the second (I was at work in Central London at the time of the ticket). They cancelled them both. Always wondered what gremlins they must have had in the system for me to receive the second!

Got a PCN through the post this morning, Apparently I haven’t paid to go across the dartford river crossing last Tuesday. I was working in Southwest London and Surrey on that day.

The picture they have sent shows a vehicle that is the same make and colour as mine, with the ‘same’ registration plate. The differences being there was no roof rack and ladders on this vehicle, and since mine is an ex-police vehicle, there isn’t any police aerial installations visible on top of it.

What evidence can I provide to prove I was elsewhere that day?

What is more disturbing is that there could be another vehicle with my plates on it.

1. Let the police know about the cloned vehicle, and get a reference number for reporting
2. Send the dartford crossing people pictures of your van highlighting the difference, include the police reference.
3. Tell dartford crossing people where you actually were and if you happen to have any evidence to back up that claim (like witnesses, receipts for things you bought etc) tell them this - you don't need to supply them it just makes it clear you have conviction behind your assertion.

If they persist on pursuing - enjoy your day in court, and be sure to have a copy of the above communications with you so that when you ask the "judge" for wasted costs he can take into account your early cooperation to help them resolve their error.

The police have a list of known cloned vehicles - which presumably show on ANPR. It would be wise to carry some proof in your vehicle that you are the genuine one - photocopy of the V5, personal ID, and the reference number for reporting the clone?

jamesoz
Full Member

It turned out that the other Caddy had been issued incorrectly the same registration as mine.

This does happen- my current car had it (it was imported as a used car so they issue an age-related plate when it gets registered, and they issued it one that was already in use). Luckily the other car's now been scrapped but previous owner had some hassle with it and had a nice letter from teh DVLA about it.

Right, I remembered I was at home at the very time I was supposed to be at the dartford crossing. I popped across the street to my neighbour who has cameras, and it shows the van parked outside the house, though it only shows the bottom half of the van and not the registration. There's a shop further down the road which has a camera facing into my road that shows the van being there as well, although this camera is partially obscured by a tree.

Dialled 101, but it pointed me in the direction of a visit to the local police station.

1) Check the photo closely in case someone has misread the number plate (can happen).

2) If it’s not that, report the plates having been cloned.

3) Email the PCN people and tell them it wasn’t your car, you’ve reported cloned plates and your car looks different.

4) It’s up to them to prove it was you, not the other way round so if it wasn’t you don’t lose any sleep over it.

Cloning plates is quite common so it’s not like they will think “yeah right” when you tell them. Don’t get too annoyed if you get stopped a few times by the police trying to catch the bad guys.