A VANITY plate lookalike product caused chaos for one driver who couldn’t stop tickets from coming in.
Even though her vehicle was clearly not in the photos, citations from across the country carrying hefty fines continued showing up on her doorstep.
The vanity plate looked eerily similar to a novelty knockoff[/caption]
Zumiez’s listing of the LUVSICK novelty license plate[/caption]
California resident Suzi Kiefer[/caption]
Inaccurate tickets continued to arrive on Kiefer’s doorstep[/caption]
Since May, California resident Suzi Kiefer has received 15 tickets in total for toll road violations, running red lights, and speeding in nationwide areas.
The city of San Francisco, as well as the states of New Jersey, Illinois, and Texas continued to send Kiefer tickets due to her “LUVSICK” license plate being on each of the photographed cars.
However, none of these vehicles were her Dodge Magnum, which also featured a unique and distinct paint job.
In truth, these drivers purchased novelty license plates from online retailers Zumiez and Broken Promises Co., which also read “LUVSICK.”
The plates also used a design and colors which make it very similar in appearance to a legitimate California license plate.
All of the tickets were dismissed, but only after Kiefer tediously called “every single ticket and discussing with whoever answered the phone and explained that this is not my car,” she told local outlet KCAL.
However, she clarified that she won’t rest until all novelty license plates are removed from online marketplaces.
Both retailers have since taken down the LUVSICK novelty license plate from their websites.
However, Broken Promise Co still has two additional plates listed which read “HELLBND” and “OMWB2U,” the latter suffixed with a heart symbol.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles said that state law “prohibits the sale of any product that could be used to defraud, misrepresent, or impersonate a vehicle’s identity,” but clarified it couldn’t enforce the law itself.
The California Highway Patrol clarified that, while it can’t stop retailers from selling novelty plates as decor, they aren’t allowed to be used on motor vehicles per state law.
Darin White, Vice President of Finance & Investor Relations for Zumiez, didn’t immediately return The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
Kiefer’s situation is reminiscent of New York City’s ongoing crusade against ghost cars, vehicles that have license plates and registrations that are either partially or fully covered, or outright forged.
In cases where these vehicles are photographed by various traffic and toll cameras, the vehicle’s previous owner(s) will receive and be culpable for the violation and its fine rather than the actual offender.
Fighting incorrect toll violations
A legal expert says a toll violation notice can be disputed with a few simple steps.
- Double-check the name and license plate number. Violations are finalized by a technician before they’re mailed, and sometimes a simple mistake can be made. If the matter is as simple as someone misreading the plate due to a grainy photo, the matter can be resolved by calling the toll agency.
- If the license plate is correct but the car is no longer registered to you, you can dispute it by contacting your state’s transportation agency (ie. DMV) to provide proof the vehicle is no longer yours.
- If the violation claims it was issued due to a missing account and you indeed have an active account, the violation can usually be disputed on the toll agency’s website. If not, calling is an option.
- Dispute the notice promptly. Many toll agencies will impose a short time limit that drivers can dispute a notice, so it’s important to do so quickly to avoid late fees.
- Be clear when submitting a dispute online. The more details included, the easier it is to have the matter resolved.
- If necessary, drivers can submit a hearing to dispute the charge.
Read more here.
Local Louisa Yeboah found herself receiving tickets for violations she didn’t commit in cars she did not own and had successfully turned in her license plates for.
In Yeboah’s case, her former ride had been converted into a ghost car used in a crime ring’s illegal activities.
TICKETING TURMOIL
As new technology is used in efforts to make roadways safer for everyone, drivers are forced to deal with the fallout of early stage usage.
A North Carolina resident was ticketed for using a parking lot as a cut through, even though the cameras only caught photos of him entering the lot and not leaving it.
Over 80 Florida drivers were incorrectly ticketed for speeding in a school zone thanks to a clerical error which made their configurations inaccurate relative to the timing of school days.
A similar clerical error resulted in a Massachusetts resident receiving a parking ticket despite never having been to the city in which her vehicle was allegedly parked.
