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PLATEYARD
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Help & FAQ

Quick answers about buying, selling and staying safe.

About PlateYard

1. What is PlateYard? A place for Kiwis to buy and sell personalised number plates. Sellers list, buyers browse and message, and you deal with each other directly.

2. Are you part of NZTA or KiwiPlates? No. PlateYard is independent and isn't affiliated with, or endorsed by, NZTA (Waka Kotahi), KiwiPlates or LicenSys. New plates come from KiwiPlates; official transfers go through LicenSys and NZTA agents.

3. Who can use PlateYard? Anyone in New Zealand. Browsing is open to all; you just need a free account to list a plate, post on the wanted board or message a seller.

Selling

4. How much does it cost to list? Basic listings are free, forever, with no commission. Featured listings (NZ$9.95 for 30 days) are coming soon and will be optional.

5. What does Featured get me? A spot in the Featured row on the home page and a Featured label on your plate's card for 30 days. Featured listings (NZ$9.95) are coming soon.

6. Can I list a plate that's on my car right now? Yes. You'll just need to swap your car back to standard plates (or another plate) when it sells. An AA or VTNZ agent can sort that out.

7. Can I list a plate that's in someone else's name? Only with their OK. The person entitled to the plate has to sign the Transfer of Entitlement, so it's simplest if they list it.

8. What's my plate worth? Our price checker gives an estimate based on the asking and shared sold prices of similar plates on PlateYard (length, category, characters and lookalikes). It's not an appraisal or formal valuation. In the end it's worth what a buyer will pay.

Buying

9. How do I contact a seller? Use the Message button on the listing (or Make an offer, if the seller takes offers). We don't share sellers' phone numbers, emails or addresses, and we automatically remove phone numbers, emails and links from listings and messages. If you both want to talk off-site, either of you can offer to share contact details from the inbox: they're shown only once you both agree, only to each other, only for that plate, and either of you can withdraw at any time.

9a. What happens to my offer? The seller can mark it Accepted, Declined or Pending in their inbox, and you'll see the status next to your offer. It isn't a binding contract: you still agree the details and do the transfer together. Paused or sold plates don't take new offers.

10. How do I pay? You pay the seller directly. PlateYard never holds or handles your money, and we'll never ask you to pay us for a plate. Agree who goes first (you pay first, or the seller transfers first); our transfer guide explains the risks of each.

11. How does the transfer work? The seller fills in and signs a Transfer of Entitlement form and sends it to LicenSys. Then you get the plates put on your vehicle at an NZTA agent such as AA or VTNZ. Full steps are in our transfer guide.

12. Can I check the seller actually owns the plate? Ask the seller to show you their Certificate of Entitlement or the plates themselves (on a video call or in person), with the name matching the person you're dealing with. LicenSys handles transfers, so you could also ask them what they can confirm.

13. What's the wanted board? Can't find the plate you're after? Post what you want on the wanted board. Sellers with a match can message you through PlateYard. See how the wanted board works.

Safety and scams

14. How do I avoid scams when paying directly?

  • Meet in person if you can, ideally at an AA or VTNZ office so you can do the paperwork on the spot.
  • See the plates or certificate, and check the name matches the seller.
  • Pay by bank transfer to a named NZ account. Never pay by gift cards, crypto, money transfer services or into an overseas account.
  • Be wary of prices that seem too good to be true, or pressure to "pay today".
  • Keep all messages on PlateYard until you're happy — they help if something goes wrong.

15. I'm a seller. How do I stay safe? If the buyer is paying first, don't hand over a signed Transfer of Entitlement or the plates until the money has cleared in your account. If you agree to transfer first, only do it with a buyer you've checked and agree the payment deadline in messages (see the transfer guide). Watch for fake payment screenshots and "I've overpaid, please refund the difference" stories.

16. Someone asked me to pay a "PlateYard fee" or "escrow". Is that real? No. We never take payments for plates and don't run escrow. Report it to us straight away and don't pay.

17. How do I report a suspicious listing, wanted post or message? Use the Report link on the listing, wanted post or message. Reports are private and a moderator reviews them; we can hide listings and posts or suspend accounts. If someone has listed your plate, choose "Dispute this listing (I own this plate)".

17a. Can I block someone? Yes. Use Block on their listing, wanted post or in your inbox. Blocking works both ways: neither of you can message or make offers to the other, you won't see each other's listings or wanted posts, and any contact details you agreed to share stop being shown. They aren't told. You can unblock from the Blocked tab in your dashboard.

Problems

18. The deal went wrong. Can you refund me? Because you pay the seller directly, we can't hold or return money. Get in touch and we'll look at what's happened and help where we can. You may also want to talk to your bank, Netsafe or the Disputes Tribunal.

19. Can you give me the seller's phone number so I can follow up? We can't share anyone's contact details — that's how we protect your privacy too (Privacy Act 2020). The seller can choose to share theirs with you in the inbox, and you'll see it once you've both agreed.

20. How do I delete my listing or account? Pause your listing or mark it sold from your dashboard. To close your account, email hello@plateyard.co.nz.

21. Who runs PlateYard? PlateYard is a small independent NZ project. Questions? Contact us at hello@plateyard.co.nz.