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Buying gifts for family and friends can sometimes get a bit stressful. How do you come up with something new and different every year? How do you think up something that will genuinely surprise them and make them happy? What do you get for the person who has everything?
Well, there is an answer to these age-old questions: personalised number plates. This idea may have crossed your mind before – especially if you know someone who is a car enthusiast or loves to be unique – but people generally discard the thought because of the assumed expense.
The truth, however, is that it is now affordable – and easy – to buy a private number plate, even if you’re getting it as a gift. Nonetheless, there are several things you need to consider before purchasing one – here are a few pointers.
• Personalised plates make great gifts for big occasions, such as an 18th, a 21st, Valentine’s Day, or a wedding anniversary.
• You can incorporate these big dates into the registration – for example, include the numbers 18, 21, 30, 40 etc to allude to a milestone birthday.
• Also think about including a person’s name, nickname or initials to make it really personal. If they’re self-employed, allude to their chosen career, or if they have their own business, incorporate the name of the company into the plate.
• You can also include messages to your intended gift recipient, such as in-jokes, but just remember – they’ll have to drive around with it on their car, so don’t go too over the top.
• Make sure you’re aware of the rules surrounding personalised registrations: for example, you’re not allowed to make the car look newer than it is.
• No vehicle documents are necessary at the time of purchase. They will be needed for the transfer of the registration, but this can be done by the gift receiver at a later date.
• The registration number will be added to a certificate, with your name as the ‘purchaser’ and the gift receiver listed as the ‘nominee’.
• You can get request to get the certificate delivered to an address other than your own (if you live with the person who will be receiving the gift), such as a work address or a neighbour’s place of residence.
• You can keep this certificate up to a year before handing it over as a gift – the DVLA will then charge you £25 to renew the certificate every year.
For more information on buying a personalised plate as a gift, an online specialist number plate dealer will be able to help. Plate Hunter has a wide range of cherished plates available, and they’ll be able to advise you on the process of buying the plates as a gift for someone else. So, the next time your partner, your parents, your friends or family members have a birthday, consider a personalised number plate as a unique gift that they’re bound to love.