License plate lost or stolen in the mail! I need to scream.

[Chairman Kaga]

This is impossibly frustrating. I bought my Fit from a Honda dealer in San Antonio back in early November. I got temp tags good through Dec. 8, but they assured me my permanent plates and registration would arrive long before. Nothing, then more nothing, then finally a call on Dec. 11 that the plates had arrived, and would I prefer to pick them up (2 hour drive) or have them mailed? Ship them, please. So they sent the stuff certified mail and gave me a tracking #.

I wait a week, and nothing has arrived. I try the tracking number. Nothing. I call the post office. No help. I call the dealer to confirm the tracking number. They fax a copy of the USPS receipt and my registration. I call the post office again. They refer me to internal affairs. I file a complaint. The guy says there's a good chance they were stolen to be used for "unsavory activity". I call the dealership, they say too bad, it was my choice to have them ailed, I'll just have to go to the Travis County tax office and have replacement plates issued... on my dime.

So now I'm worried. It's been a month and who knows WHAT has become of the plates. Drug trafficking? Illegal border crossings? Theft? The tax office said the old plates will automatically cancel once I apply for replacements, but it's been almost a month since they went missing. The post office seemed less than concerned about the situation and the dealership couldn't care less about a $13,000 car sale (it took them a month and about 500 phone calls to get them to replace the windshield that should have been fixed before I even took delivery of the car).

I sort of hate people right now.

[sonicsc1]

better report those tags you are responable for them until you report them missing .sorry but are they atleast giving you another set of temps?

[Chairman Kaga]

I just talked to a couple of attorneys I work with and they suggested I file a report with DPS. However, DPS won't accept the report because title and registration is handled by the Dept. of Transportation and mail theft is a federal offense, so I need to call the FBI. Really? I'm gonna head to the tax office in just a few, but if they can't give me SOMETHING that indicates I'm absolved of any wrongdoing by whomever has stolen the plates, I'm calling the San Antonio PD and filing a report.

The USPS internal affairs office just called back. They claim the dealership never mailed them in the first place, even though I have a copy of the certified mail receipt in my hand. About to fax that to them.

[FitStir]

Originally Posted by Chairman Kaga

So now I'm worried. It's been a month and who knows WHAT has become of the plates. Drug trafficking? Illegal border crossings? Theft?

The same thing happened to my deceased Integra. I had left the car on the street for a few months trying to find a replacement engine, computer, etc. and some one stole the plate right off the car. By the time I realized it, atleast a month passed by. I was told to report it to the local police precinct just in case any illegal activity was done. Everything worked out well, filed the police report, and then went to the DMV.

It definitely was nerve racking to say the least, as I was filing the police report I kept thinking they were gonna lock me up for some crime I didn't commit...

Just be sure to let them know approximately when the plates went missing just in case though.

[kenchan]

yah, just get with your DMV or Sec of State and let them know
wats going on...and get new plates sent to you.

usually those places 'stock' new plates.

[Firebat666]

dude sorry to hear about this... and it sucks getting the run around from everyone... im sure ti will work out in the end... keep us posted!

[jelliotlevy]

The State of South Carolina has recently been updating their plates with a new series. We, and several hundred thousand other folks, got ours in the regular mail. The envelopes are distinctive in shape and feel. I wonder how many of those have been misused? At least we have a P.O. box, so the plates were not sitting around in a street box.

[binaryh4x]

Isn't it on USPS for losing certified mail?

[Chairman Kaga]

According to USPS, it doesn't exist. I faxed over the copy of the certified mail receipt to the internal affairs officer, but he still claims since they never scanned it in and therefore the confirm number was never logged, it doesn't exist. I'm trying to get through to the DPS, but since it's not determined to have been actually stolen, they won't open a file. ANYWAY, I made it to the tax office and got all new plates, which will cancel out the old ones within 48 hours. The lady there concurred I should try to file a report with anyone, whether it's San Antonio PD, state DPS or the dept of Transportation (they have their own investigative unit). I was thinking I might call the FBI and report it as possible terrorist activity! That should do it!
But seriously, when the dealership finance rep exclaims, "Oh crap, not again," when I reported the plates hadn't arrived and the confirm number didn't exist...

[Cat]

Sorry to hear you are having such a time in getting your plates - I would get a vanity plate and maybe then you
might actually get them. I had no trouble having my vanity plate come through the mail once my application was paid for at the local DMV.

Cat :x

[doctordoom]

omg f*ck the damn runarounds! sorry this happened to you. i wouldn't be surprised if somebody screwed up and your plates are still sitting around somewhere waiting to be mailed. try not to worry about it though; you'll get your new plates and everything will be ok.

[DeeZeex]

This is a very upsetting situation to be sure, but I still don't understand why most States and Provinces are still living in the Dark Ages when it comes to vehicle registration. Talk about making the process more difficult than it has to be. In Alberta, you go to a privately owned Registry Office, show them your bill of sale and your proof of insurance, pay your fee, and walk out a few minutes later with your plate (no front plate is required). The government gets their share of the money, and they don't have to operate any offices. It doesn't get any more simple.

I am sure that in some States, it is less difficult to purchase firearms, than it is to register a new vehicle. Jeeze Louise...

[TaffetaWhite]

Originally Posted by Chairman Kaga

According to USPS, it doesn't exist. I faxed over the copy of the certified mail receipt to the internal affairs officer, but he still claims since they never scanned it in and therefore the confirm number was never logged, it doesn't exist. I'm trying to get through to the DPS, but since it's not determined to have been actually stolen, they won't open a file. ANYWAY, I made it to the tax office and got all new plates, which will cancel out the old ones within 48 hours. The lady there concurred I should try to file a report with anyone, whether it's San Antonio PD, state DPS or the dept of Transportation (they have their own investigative unit). I was thinking I might call the FBI and report it as possible terrorist activity! That should do it!
But seriously, when the dealership finance rep exclaims, "Oh crap, not again," when I reported the plates hadn't arrived and the confirm number didn't exist...

I'd also file with the Better Business Bureau. Something is going on at that dealership. And I would send a note to Honda too.

I know that the last thing you want to do is file more reports and complaints and do more paperwork. But you could be the last person who has to do all that, which is good for everyone else. So that no other person ever has to go through this again.

If someone had done that before your experience, maybe YOU wouldn't have to go through it now. It's one of those things where you don't really benefit from doing extra work, but it will benefit the rest of the people that come along afterwords.

[Raaaaaaaaaay.]

My plate has been stolen off my car. *shrugs*

[Chairman Kaga]

Resolution, and it's somewhat ironic. After spending three hours on the phone with a half dozen different agencies yesterday, I finally decided just to drive down to a county tax office and try to get replacement plates. See what happened... I explained the situation to the lady at the desk, she tutted and handed me new plates and registration. She said the old ones would be deleted within 48 hours. I asked if I should report it to DPS, just in case I end up on the hook for running 100 kilos of Colombian across the border, but since the plates aren't technically STOLEN, they won't accept a report. She did note the reason for the replacement in her system, however. That SHOULD be enough, given the investigation at USPS and my numerous complaints with the dealership. My attorney friends agree, although I shouldn't get too cocky.
So in summary, my weeks of agony at the hands of the worst customer service I have ever experienced was relieved by a jaded, frazzled government employee.
I'm wondering what sort of complaint, if any, I can file against the dealership. Aside from doing absolutely nothing to resolve my predicament, they didn't really do anything wrong. As far as I can tell, all of the blame resides on USPS. Somewhere along the line, one of their employees lost or stole the package, and somehow their system doesn't not allow them to rectify the situation, or even acknowledge it. Frustrating.

[kenchan]

sounds good. that's wat i would have done too (per my post above).

good job. it's just a clerical 'error' they dont really care. you got
new plates, have fun with your car.

[j5ive]

when I had my plate stolen off my old car, I thought I'd call the non-emergency police number to ease 911 load. but when I got through, I was told to call 911, they had to tag the plate stolen immediately in case it was used in a crime.

I then had to take the police report number and go to a local auto insurance broker to get a new plate, and pay them the replacement plate fee.