We are pleased to have been included in the latest edition of The Parliamentary Review as a Best Practice Representative.

“The Parliamentary Review is an indispensable guide to industry best practice, which demonstrates how sector leaders have responded to challenges in the political and economic environment.”

You can read the article here.

 

*Click more to see news article*

*To Enlarge Article Image Click Once More*

Courtesy of the Daily Mail.

Three men were handed suspended prison sentences and left thousands of pounds out of pocket after admitting selling illegal car number plates on the Internet from a business based in Newton Longville. Steven John Clarke,32, his father John Charles Clarke,70, and their associate David Bagnall, 50, appeared at Luton Crown Court on Friday for sentence, after

previously admitting conspiracy to commit Trade Mark Act offences under s1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977. His Honour Judge Stuart Bridge, described Steven Clarke as utterly brazen and “breathtakingly contemptuous” after hearing how Clarke continued to trade in illegal number plates despite having a prosecution pending for similar offences.

Clarke, now of Pulham St Mary, Suffolk, was given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work. John Clarke, of Harkness Close, Bletchley, and David Bagnall, who now lives in Newmarket, were both sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and each ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.

Steven Clarke was also ordered to pay £200,000 to Milton Keynes Council for prosecution costs and was made the subject of a £25,000 Confiscation Order, under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.Confiscation orders were also granted against John Clarke and David Bagnall of £25,000 and £10,000 respectively.

The court had heard how the business ‘number1showplates’, which was set up with the help of Steven Clarke and run by John Clarke, other members of the Clarke family, and David Bagnall, sold vehicle registration plates via the internet. The problem was that the business offered to apply car trademarks (logos) to the number plates without the authority of the trademark holder, an offence under the Trade Marks Act.

The unlawful additions of these logos actually made the number plates illegal to use on the road. The judge’s criticism came after Steven Clarke had previously pleaded guilty to similar offences of applying trademarks to vehicle registration plates in December 2011, while a director of the business No1 Showplates Ltd.

The investigation was carried out by Milton Keynes Council Trading Standards supported by the National Trading Standards, tri-regional scambusters. In setting up number1showplates, the defendants went to great lengths to try and ‘hide’ their business to ensure that they wouldn’t be detected by Trading Standards. They put a fake Irish address on their website, didn’t put their business name and postcode on the plates (as required by law), operated the business from a unit in a garden in Newton Longville and had deliveries of blank number plates sent to an address in Buckingham.

Councillor Mick Legg, MKC’s Cabinet Member responsible for Trading Standards said;“In applying unauthorised trademarks to vehicle registration plates, the business ‘number1showplates’ sought to gain a competitive advantage against reputable, law abiding, number plate businesses. Moreover, unsuspecting customers of ‘number1showplates’ may have believed that the number plates bought from the business were legal to use on the road when in fact they were not (only certain flags and the Euro symbol are permitted to be displayed on a vehicle registration plate). I am pleased that Milton Keynes Trading Standards is continuing its valuable work to maintain a level playing field for businesses in Milton Keynes and ensuring that consumers are protected.”

[Published by Milton Keynes Citizen, 12:48  Tuesday 02 February 2016]

 

Click here for DVLA information on older style plates

 

 

Aside from the industry’s highest standards in number plate quality and service provision, another unique benefit of being a Bestplate customer is access to our motor trade range of high quality, custom-branded promotional, clothing and signage products.

As part of the Zell-Em Group – we offer over 60 years’ experience in promotional product manufacture and supply; and have grown to become one of the UK’s leading trade providers. Whether its vehicle window stickers, ice scrapers, MOT wallets, air fresheners, pricing units or keyfobs – we can supply it.

Through our specialist apparel division, we manufacture and supply all the corporate clothing and workwear products necessary to kit out your sales, reception and service teams. All our logo embroidery is performed in-house and we can source or custom-manufacture garments to suit all working conditions, corporate identity and legislative requirements.

Key buyer benefits:

• Buy Direct from the Manufacturer – Save Time & Money
• Fast Turnaround and Delivery Times
• Trusted by Manufacturers, Dealer Groups and 1000’s of businesses throughout the UK
• Low charges for Artwork Set-up on all Printed Products.

 

For further details on our extensive range of motor trade promotional, corporate clothing and workwear products – please visit our website at: www.zell-em.com or why not obtain your FREE copy of our new 2015 brochure to see our best selling products? To get your FREE brochure – just contact us or your local BESTPLATE Account Manager.

Not only is the law taking a hard line on perpetrators of serious crimes. It is also taking an increasingly harder line on fraudulent number plate suppliers who facilitate such criminals and their criminal activity.

In this latest case, John Duckworth, 46, set up a fake business in order to con a legitimate company into supplying him with equipment to make the plates. He then went on to sell the plates to armed robbers and burglars across Merseyside who used them to evade the police.
Details of the case can be found at: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/jail-merseyside-man-who-supplied-7595531

Bestplate urge all suppliers to perform all appropriate entitlement and identity checks. Also to check their registration details with the DVLA. You can check your SID details in seconds via the SID check site: https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier or through a quick call to the DVLA on 0300 123 0797.

The actions taken by the DVLA and the Police will, and is being extended into much more rigorous checks for all suppliers of number plates to make sure you all comply with the current legislation.

If you’re not registered or your details are incorrect you can resolve the situation on the telephone. If you are a Bestplate customer, we do need to keep an up to date copy of your Registration Confirmation – V942 Form.

A recently prosecuted Southport-based number plate supplier narrowly escaped a two year custodial sentence having printed 13,277 number plates without performing appropriate customer identity checks. In addition to being sentenced to two years – suspended, the offending business owner was ordered to complete 300 hours unpaid work, made the subject of a three-month curfew and banned from driving for six months.

Details of the case can be found at: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/merseyside-businessman-andrew-shaw-spared-7004740

More and more offending number plate suppliers are being taken to court and are facing large fines. Non-observance of your legal obligations can be extremely costly and damaging especially when it is a simple matter to rectify.

All Bestplate customers producing number plates are aware of the relevant statutory requirements and regulations they must follow. Not only must a supplier be registered with the DVLA under the RNPS scheme, but that registration must be maintained with fully accurate information about the name of the producer and location of the supply. Non-Registration or inaccurate registration will leave a supplier open to prosecution and fines.

We as a Company are constantly auditing our records to try and detect any inaccuracies so we can assist customers in rectifying any inconsistencies, and we will not supply anyone who does not have an RNPS registration. The DVLA are becoming more and more proactive in checking this information themselves, and actively seeking out inaccuracies in registrations and deficiencies in compliance with regard to keeping appropriate records.

We therefore strongly recommend you check your own registration with the DVLA to ensure your registration is still 100% accurate as to your business name, address and post code. Your registration can easily become inaccurate if you change business name or location. We also recommend you review your sales process ensuring you are fully compliant with the regulations as to proof of identity and entitlement checks before any number plate is supplied by yourselves.

Bestplate urge all suppliers to perform all appropriate entitlement and identity checks. Also to check their registration details with the DVLA. You can check your SID details in seconds via the SID check site: https://www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier or through a quick call to the DVLA on 0300 123 0797. If you’re not registered or your details are incorrect you can resolve the situation on the telephone. If you are a Bestplate customer, we do need to keep an up to date copy of your Registration Confirmation – V942 Form.

Bestplate, the UK’s leading manufacturer and supplier of acrylic number plates and number plate printing systems announced today it has officially launched a new website.

The new website, which offers quick and easy access to information on Bestplate and its products, is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance the quality and availability of product information and aftersales support to its motor trade customers.

Created with their customers’ user experience firmly in mind, the website has been designed using the latest technology so its compatible with the most current internet browsers and without the need for Adobe^® Flash or the requirement to download plug-ins to view its contents.

The website boasts a modern design, easy-to-navigate functionality, and provides more product information relating to Bestplate number plate systems, number plate components and its wider range of in-car promotional items and automotive apparel. Customers can quickly enquire upon any product featured by clicking on a neighbouring link which generates a contact form in which the relevant product description is pre-completed in the ‘subject’ line.

Customers wishing to purchase number plate components can order 24/7/365 through an Online Ordering System which is accessible from the ‘Order Online’ link present on all webpages.

The website introduces an FAQ section with embedded YouTube ‘how to’ videos that respond to common customer questions on the maintenance of number plate printing equipment. This new feature will not in any way replace Bestplate’s on-site and phone based technical support, but instead provides customers with an alternative method of receiving technical assistance.

Visitors accessing the news section can stay informed with company news and legislative developments concerning number plate manufacture and supply. As part of the Zell-Em Group, visitors can also link to the Group’s social media pages where they can remain in-touch with number plate developments as well as product updates and special offers on motor trade promotional items and clothing.

Zell-Em Group’s growth as a leading automotive supplier is attributable to maintaining face-to-face relationships with its diverse range of motor trade dealers and suppliers. Deployed through national field-based teams, this customer-centric and personal approach has remained part of the Group’s strategy since its inception 68 years ago. Whilst Bestplate continues to pursue this strategy, it also recognises the importance of constantly innovating and evolving its online sales and support channels. To this end, Bestplate are proud of the new website – and hope it provides a useful, informative portal for its customers.

One of the main drivers for the increased demand for Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) and its derivative, Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), has been the Flat Screen Monitor Market which has taken a disproportionate share of PMMA output over the last 12 to 18 months.

During May of this year, there are signs that this market has slowed somewhat, but industry experts consider it unlikely that demand will slow sufficiently to ease pressure on prices as worldwide demand still outstrips production.

There are global plans to increase capacity of MMA and PMMA but they are not projected to come on line until late 2012 and into 2013.

There are of course other factors which are continuing to impact on contract pricing, such as a recent increase in Acetone of 25% in addition to increase costs of energy, packaging and distribution. These factors alone have increased costs by around 8% in the last month.

Despite legislative changes to extend the Register of Number Plate Scheme (RNPS) and a change to regulations regarding non-compliant ‘show plates’, the DVLA continues to identify and prosecute those number plate suppliers who flout the law.

In a recent DVLA communication to BNMA members, the DVLA highlights how the legitimate industry is being hit and is shedding labour as a result of this illegal activity, as well as the problems that plate abuse brings generally in the areas of vehicle and other crime.

Like other BNMA members, Bestplate supplies only to businesses registered under the RNPS scheme and all our employees are well aware of our obligations under the law. In addition to this, the BNMA is in the process of preparing a Code of Practice which will incorporate this.

Members are taking the opportunity to circulate the recent DVLA communication widely and as part of this process have supplied a copy of the letter which can be viewed by clicking on the link: DVLA Letter – Register of Number Plate Scheme (RNPS).

As a Member of the BNMA, Bestplate and other legitimate players within the industry appreciate the DVLA’s efforts in addressing this problem and by stepping up our efforts to work together in conjunction with the DVLA, aim to eliminate plate abuse.