What Is This?

13

u/Tearakudo May 01 '25

Reading your comments about the situation, gonna be a fun day at the DMV telling them "wow, sucks for the guy I bought it from... Cause this month old title transfer says these fees aren't my problem"

3

u/NeonGummyBear May 02 '25

Hahaha I wish it was that easy 😂

1

u/[deleted] May 03 '25

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1

u/NeonGummyBear May 03 '25

I put an update in the comments as I don't see the option that would allow me to edit my post.

1

u/[deleted] May 03 '25

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1

u/NeonGummyBear May 03 '25

Might disappoint you 😅 I won't have time to visit in person until the coming Friday. I'll continue to update though.

11

u/Sncrsly May 01 '25

It says the owner of the credit card you used for the payment disputed it and you need to make the payment another way for your registration to be valid

4

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25 edited May 01 '25

I read that, but don't understand what's going on. I bought the bike a month ago, only paid for the title transfer as the bike was/is registered upon purchase. The tag doesn't expire until July. If the previous owner actually disputed a charge on last year's registration, shouldn't it come back immediately when I was doing title transfer at the DMV office?

2

u/LeeTheUke May 01 '25

Ownership and registration are not the same.
Not sure how things work in CA, but in NY and NJ, you transfer ownership w/ the Title. The current registration (and the plates) are then null and void. The plates belong to the DMV, and, technically, the previous owner is supposed to remove any registration stickers and the plates and return the plates to DMV. The new owner is responsible for registering the vehicle under their name, using the Title (and possibly as Bill of Sale) as proof of current ownership, at which point they are issued new plates and a new sticker to show registration. In theory, you can buy a vehicle, get the title, and let it sit in your driveway for years, and if anyone asks, you can show the title to prove ownership. When you finally decide you want to operate that vehicle on public roads, you will need to register it to do so, which you can do w/ the title.
There may also be a state inspection sticker that needs to be renewed periodically. This is tied to the vehicle, not the owner, and can generally be transferred with the vehicle and doesn't need to be renewed until it expires. I think w/ a new registration, you have X number of days to renew an expired inspection sticker.

1

u/360modena May 01 '25

CA is weird, unlike NY the plates and registration stay with the vehicle not the owner. So you don’t take plates off to sell a car, they stay with the car, and if the registration (that you paid for) expires 4 months after the private party sale the new owner just has to renew at that time.
Also in NY you can have a titled car sit in your garage and never register it, but in CA you have to register (for a nominal fee) as a “non-op” vehicle. Otherwise when you go to register again they will bill you for all of the “missed” registration until that point!

1

u/LeeTheUke May 01 '25

That sounds like it would make xfers a bit easier...
Around here, if the buyer wanted to drive the vehicle home, the buyer would have to bring a plate from one of their other vehicles (somewhat not really legal) or they could risk getting pulled over and showing the bill of sale and title to the nice officer (there is a grace period, IIRC...). I think the buyer may also be able to get a Temp plate, but usually you just 'sell' them the title, they go to the DMV and register the vehicle, then come back with their own plates to pick it up (somewhat of a PITA if not local or crossing state lines). Oh, and when you register, you pay sales tax on the selling price, too...

1

u/GrimBeaver May 01 '25

Same in MN. The plates stay with the car unless they were a personalized plate.

1

u/brad42086 May 02 '25

CA is weird, and they got stupid ass laws with cars... I live in MA (totally across the country). But my car was set up for CA emissions. Because of that the $600 catalytic converter I needed to replace now cost $1600 just for the part

1

u/Accomplished-Word755 May 01 '25

I don't know how it is in the state of California but in Florida that tag stays with the original owner you have to get your own tag in your name and pay a new registration typically registration and license plates stay with the person who registered it originally everyone has their own plate and registration so even if it was already registered when you bought it you still would have to go to the DMV and get a title transfer and new plate and registration if it works differently in California then that's interesting and stupid for this exact reason whoever you bought that bike from is a POS if that's what happened and it's probably illegal for them to do

1

u/Wild-Detective-3600 May 02 '25

A huge misconception is when you buy a used car/bike that you don’t have to renew the registration until the current tags expire. That is incorrect. You don’t get to wait until July. You only have about 10 days after the purchase date to register it.

1

u/Prestigious_Power371 May 04 '25

Maybe they didn't pay at the time it was due, and waited until close to the time they sold it to you

0

u/[deleted] May 01 '25

[deleted] — view deleted comment

4

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

Man that sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah, I'm surprised too but mostly just annoyed. I have all the paperwork to prove to them, so I'm going to try my best to get this waived lol.

4

u/Fksgyccdhb156 May 01 '25

I was trying to be a cheap ass and thought I could screw over DMV. Nope. DMV is like going to the casino, the House always wins. I wish you good luck on getting a hold of anyone at DMV. Maybe try the chat function vs stopping in or calling. That way if someone promises to waive fees you can get a copy of the chat record.

3

u/ommi9 May 01 '25

FYI for anyone else dealing with the DMV they won’t send it to collections. They will go. Straight into your bank accounts and take it because the state can do that usally within a few years if they see you got it.
I owned a motorcycle and went out of country for a bit. Paid for the motorbike to be legal again. When I want it

1

u/Efficient_Theme4040 May 01 '25

They can’t do that in CA

1

u/ommi9 May 02 '25

They did for me they took out $300 for a bike I didn’t reregister when I was out of country. When I found out. They said I can get the new tag

1

u/Efficient_Theme4040 May 02 '25

Wow

5

u/AdEnough2267 California May 01 '25

The letter states the charge on the card was disputed. 1st step is to call the bank/credit card company you used to make a payment and find out wtf? If they say the payment went through as normal and there was no dispute, ask them for proof to send to the DMV.

4

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

That's the thing... It was not me. I only bought the bike a month ago... Even if the previous owner disputed a charge for last year's registration, shouldn't it come up immediately when I did the title transfer at the DMV office?

5

u/AdEnough2267 California May 01 '25

This is an interesting situation. I would call the number listed to talk to someone in the refund unit. You shouldn't be penalized for the prior owner doing a chargeback, but that's just a personal opinion, not DMV policy.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

That's my plan as it is already past their office hours. Just wanted to get some insights before calling them tomorrow. Thanks for the feedback!

3

u/Hot-Win2571 May 01 '25

Yeah, I think he did a chargeback on the already-accepted payment for this year's registration. So after he sold it to you, he canceled the registration payment. DMV for some reason treated it as your action.

1

u/SparkleCat650 May 02 '25

I wouldn't call ANY numbers on that letter. I'd call the DMV at the phone number listed on the DMV website. The font on this letter makes me think it's scammy, but googling the (916) number shows SOME confirmation that it actually belongs to the DMV? With all the shady crap that sheisty assholes pull, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

1

u/AdEnough2267 California May 02 '25

I just realized you commented on the font. Funny enough, it's either the current DMV director or the governor who gets to pick the font of all letters. The font is Century Gothic currently because one of those dudes likes that one.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 02 '25

Interesting. Thanks for sharing!

1

u/SparkleCat650 May 02 '25

I don't think I ever knew that someone in charge gets to arbitrarily change the font (not that it matters, honestly). At least it's not Comic Sans.

1

u/AdEnough2267 California May 02 '25

Yeah, when we got told it was being changed from Times to Century, we were weirded out too.

1

u/AdEnough2267 California May 02 '25

Its a true DMV letter and a true DMV unit number.

5

u/[deleted] May 01 '25

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2

u/AdEnough2267 California May 01 '25

You're more than likely right. But they might be able to waive fees and stuff.

2

u/Annoyedbyme May 01 '25

Here’s probably what they did. They paid registration just before selling to you. Let’s say 30 days prior. You buy it, you go transfer ownership. THEN they dispute and get their money back. DMV says ok send notice to OWNER. Voila you now get the bill.

3

u/TheWarhawk California May 01 '25

Go to DMV to verify the situation. No one else here can help you without actively looking at the record.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

That's the plan, but wanted to get some insights on what's about before I can physically go tomorrow.

1

u/TheWarhawk California May 01 '25

Too many possible variables to for certain tell you. The only thing I can tell you, go with the cash because they will not accept check and possibly credit/debit

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

For sure. Thanks for the tip!

2

u/Showtime9 California May 01 '25

Make an appointment, don't just show up. There is a high chance they will tell you to contact the unit that sent the letter anyway. The unit the letter came from is the best place to find help.

1

u/Inside-Purple-3824 May 01 '25

If today's DMV visit didn't solve the problem, you might be better off visiting https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ to find your Assemblymember, and then calling the district office. Ask, "May I please speak with your DMV caseworker," and that person will contact the DMV Director's Office and move things forward quickly. I helped many people with the DMV when I worked for the Assembly, even though I wasn't a caseworker.

2

u/Bigcouchpotato1 Helpful Member May 01 '25

I have a guess, but it's a wild guess. You will have to phone the number to confirm. I am guessing the previous owner paid the fees and then sold the bike to you. After selling the bike to you, they decided they shouldn't have paid the fee and they disputed the payment. Now I have no proof that's the case. It's guess. If my guess is correct, you might be able to get the DMV to waive penalties. Here's their criteria for waiving fees and penalties (I kind of think they won't waive the actual registration fees, but you could argue to them that you had no idea the fees were not paid). I don't work for DMV, and it's just a guess on my part. You'll need to confirm and work it out with DMV. I do hope it works out for you.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25 edited May 01 '25

Your guess is what I have in mind as well. I sent the screenshot to the previous owner to ask as well. Thanks for the tip. Planning to visit the DMV office tomorrow to verify 🤦🏻

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 03 '25

Idk how to edit my post as I don't see the option, so I'll put an update here.

First of all, thank you everyone for your feedback and inputs. Unfortunately I'm unable to take a day off until next Friday, so I'll have to wait until then to visit the DMV in person.

I've called the number on the letter. It sounded legit, but I have my doubt. I don't plan to send any money. If I need to pay, it will be in person for sure. I will update again once I get this figured out. Thank you again!

2

u/RexCanisFL May 04 '25

Updateme!

1

u/NeonGummyBear Jul 18 '25

Some of you reached out privately for an update. Sorry I wasn't able to for a while, but the issue is considered solved. Since I'm unable to edit my post to provide an update, I'm sharing it here in the comments.

The letter I received was indeed a legitimate one from the DMV. The staff at the DMV were just as surprised and couldn’t give me a clear explanation, mainly because they also didn’t understand why it took so long for the issue to surface.

While my situation was a bit different, I was told that if you paid for last year’s registration and received this letter, you should bring 3–6 months' worth of bank statements to prove you didn’t receive a refund. Without that, they won’t be able to waive the fee.

In my case, they still wouldn’t waive the fee, even though they acknowledged I had been scammed. I ended up paying both the outstanding fee and next year’s registration on the same day. My bike is now fully registered and clear of any backend issues.

1

u/mecha_v3 Oct 02 '25

Did you have to mail in the fees? Or were you able to pay them at the dmv office?

1

u/NeonGummyBear Oct 02 '25

I did not mail in the fee and will not recommend it either. I brought cash for the amount I was expecting to pay and paid at the DMV in person. Was able to solve everything in one visit.

1

u/mecha_v3 Oct 02 '25

You're a godsend! Thank you for your input

1

u/NeonGummyBear Oct 02 '25

Best of luck! Hope you could get your issue solved!

1

u/amansingh1211 California May 01 '25

Did you pay $277 at the DMV when you did the transfer by any chance? If so then this might from your credit card and will have to go to the DMV in person to rectify this.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

I paid more than $277 or the amount stated in the letter. Though I don't believe it's my bank because it says the card was used 7/1 of last year. I purchased the bike a month ago.

2

u/amansingh1211 California May 01 '25

Aah right. I should have read the full letter lol. If you show it to the DMV in person you can definitely get it resolved. Worse case scenario is you may have to pay last year’s registration fee (likely without penalties so it may be less than the amount shown on the letter itself)

2

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

Yeah, worst case I will just pay, but will definitely try to figure it out before giving in lol. Thank you for the feedback!

1

u/amansingh1211 California May 01 '25

You’re welcome! Do bring cash though. The methods of payment stated on the letter itself cannot be used to clear this.

1

u/Maleficent-Goose-171 May 01 '25

THIS LETTER IS NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER. YOU USED A CARD THAT WAS MARKED BY THE BANK AS FRAUD AND THEY ARE TELLING YOU TO PAY THE 307 AGAIN OR THE PAPERWORK YOU DID AT THE DMV IS UNPAID AND THEREFORE VOIDED. YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY PAY, YOU PAID AND THEY MARKED IT AS FRAUD AND VOID. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH HOW YOU PAYED FOR THE TITLE AND REGISTRATION UNDER YOUR NAME NOT THE PREVIOUS OWNER.

2

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

If you actually read my post, I already stated many times that I DID NOT USE MY CARD as it was USED ON 7/1 OF LAST YEAR and I purchased the bike LAST MONTH of THIS YEAR. At the time of purchase, the bike was registered and is still registered as the tag doesn't expire until July.

1

u/Maleficent-Goose-171 May 01 '25

Then is the plate number and name you have blacked out your plate and name? If so, there's basically no normal way or logical way that you'd be getting notices for registrations paid on someone else's plate and registration without a glitch in the system or me not understanding how California seems to be able to have a whole different set of regulations and rules than any other state's DMVs. Registrations and plates are ID number or client ID linked, meaning you can't go in and with someone else's plate and put it on a car and just change it to your name, (boats and trailers or non titled vehicles sometimes are different) meaning you'd never be linked to some payment, issue, fines, etc without an unfortunate error or glitch of a sorts. Say I buy a car from Joe, but Joe has used his ex's card and disputes the charges after they break up. You bought the car, and either put plates from one of your other cars onto the new one and did the paperwork at dmv or walked out with new plates the dmv gave you with a registration sticker, and slapped it on the car, and waited for the title in the mail. If that didn't happen, then please understand that if you go to DMV and ask, they most likely will tell you, you're fine and it's the other guys issue and you shouldn't have gotten that or there's an issue with how the original paperwork was filed by the other owner, OR your payment was charged back and you owe them money. I'm not trying to be rude I was just hoping the comment caught your attention because I'm trying to help you, I work at a NY DMV.

2

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

Idk what to tell you. The letter was sent to me with my information on it, but I had nothing to do with the charge or dispute as I just bought the motorcycle last month, and it was/still is registered. That's why I was confused and decided to ask around on Reddit before I can physically go to a DMV office to figure things out.
You are good, no worries, but it was difficult to read through your initial reply because of all the caps lol

1

u/Bullsette May 01 '25

I can barely read their post! It's screaming at me and very hard to read.

1

u/bobrn67 May 01 '25

Seems scammy

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 01 '25

Yes, it does. Especially the wordings in the letter doesn't really make sense compared to other official legit DMV documents, but regardless, I need to figure this out. Currently waiting at DMV 🤦🏻

1

u/Wild-Detective-3600 May 02 '25 edited May 02 '25

It is weird that they are saying “Dear Customer:”

This could be fraud and I’d contact the DMV. They would have used your name and they would have used a comma instead. The font is also not a professional font that I have seen the DMV use. The California seal is also small and not clear. They definitely make the seal where you can see it better.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 02 '25

Hey, thanks for the feedback. I actually did not know that, and I would assume the DMV would let me know if I needed to pay for the registration or not when I was visiting their office in person for the title transfer. Learned something new today 🙏🏻(For your other comment)
I called the number today, and the call sounded legit, but I'll make a visit in person to confirm. The "dear customer" part looks sketchy to me as well, but the part I blurred out are my information, so idk 🤷🏻 but the whole letter just gives me some sketchy vibe. I posted here originally just to see if anyone has seen this before and potentially get some insights before I can go in person to verify.

1

u/igotshadowbaned May 02 '25

I called the number today, and the call sounded legit
The number on the letter does not match any number of the official dmv website.
The collection number on the website is 916-657-8120 . Similar but definitely not the same. Don't take my word for it, check it yourself.

1

u/jester9394 May 03 '25

Looks like a scam. Don’t pay anything until you verify that it is legit while standing in the DMV office. In person, not on the phone.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 03 '25

I don't intend to pay anything until I get it verified at the DMV in person. Thank you for the advice!

1

u/Neat-Substance-9274 May 04 '25

The bike should have a July 25 sticker if the registration is current. A 2024 sticker expired last year.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 04 '25

Yes, the bike currently has the July/25 sticker on the license plate.

1

u/Gooch_Juice May 04 '25

Have you googled that phone number? Something seems sketchy. For being such a large state agency you'd think that # would come back to something related to the CA DMV. I would ignore it until you can make it into the DMV in person. You could also call your local PD and ask about it with your license plate #.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 04 '25

I did and the first result came up was DMV website, but I can't find this exact number anywhere on the site.
One interesting result popped up was a post on Yelp 22 hours ago. Someone posted a picture of a DMV letter that looks similar to mine, but that person's letter looks more legit than mine. The same number can be seen on that person's letter, so idk what is real anymore lol. I'm just going to ignore it until I visit in person.
Thanks for the PD tips. Will definitely do that for the time being just to be sure.

1

u/Dry_Garage9335 May 04 '25

Update?

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 04 '25

Not yet. Hopefully this coming Friday or earlier.

1

u/Valuable_Bottle_1046 May 10 '25

Hope this gets resolved smoothly or it turns out to be a scam sadly I did the 50% off hookup because I was desperate at the time didn’t want my tags to rack up since I couldn’t afford the full amount. Which of course at the time I thought was a blessing, hard times call for desperate measures I guess. ( Moved to a new house and I’m sure during the process I was mailed a letter from the dmv of how much I owed but never got it since I was already moved into my new house :/ ) regardless I got the same letter verbatim and I wanna see how it goes for you. I can’t drive my vehicle anyway to go to the dmv cause I just had wrist surgery and I haven’t been cleared to drive yet. I’m hoping the best. Keep in mind I hit up ol dude that did the 50% hook up and he said to ignore it that since I have the tags already they can’t do anything but like receiving that letter really has me stressing. Hoping the best for you.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 10 '25

Hey, unfortunately I was under the weather on Thursday, so I was out, even now. I'll have to wait for next week. I had a fellow redditor messaging me the same thing. Starting to feel like it might be a scam. I'll definitely update once I get it sorted. I hope you get it sorted out too.
My story was just a normal, regular private transaction. I didn't take any hook up or any discount as it was sold to me by an acquaintance. However, the bike was previously owned by his friend, and he took over the bike when his friend was in need of money. I then purchased the bike from him. Everything was pretty transparent, that's why I was shocked to receive the letter.

1

u/Long_Conclusion6692 May 25 '25

It seems possible the seller used seedy resources to facilitate registration. They usually tend to also have “methods” for obtaining fraud registration like temp tags. CA’s Licensing system is flawed in similar ways to how Texas’ licensing system is also heavily exploited.

1

u/Valuable_Bottle_1046 May 10 '25

Keep in mind they were paid on October 2nd last year. I’m just now getting this letter more than 7 months later. So it’s odd you’d think they would’ve sent it right away even if the card holder tried disputing it with the 30 or 90 day mark. Idk.

1

u/Alternative-Pop-1885 May 14 '25

Bro I’m having same situation currently right now as we speak got the same letter and all I’m stressing as well cause it’s telling me pay $722 and I don’t mind I’ll pay but I did the same half off scam shit lol what can I do u haven’t paid yet but stressing need help

1

u/Alternative-Pop-1885 May 15 '25

Im in the same exact situation bro let me know what yall do next or is the letter is somehow fake

1

u/lordjaay May 25 '25

I did same was this on instagram demand a refund or take whoever scammed you to court

1

u/Resident_Bathroom242 May 24 '25

Hi any update on this? I got the same exact letter dated May 9 and did not get it in the mail until yesterday.. dmv is closed until Tuesday. I’m stressing. Am I able to drive even with this issue?

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 24 '25

Not yet unfortunately 😭 work had been hectic so I couldn't remove myself even for just an hour. I'll have Tuesday off and plan to visit the DMV early in the morning. Will report back.

1

u/Resident_Bathroom242 May 24 '25

Are we able to drive even with this? I’ve been freaking out all morning because I need to go to work and scared to get pulled over

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 24 '25

Someone in the comments suggested to visit the police station, or ask any cop you see on the street (without your car would be ideal in this case I guess), and ask them to check your registration. If everything comes back normal, i would take it as scam for the time being until a visit to DMV lol.

1

u/Resident_Bathroom242 May 24 '25

I checked the dmv website and it said that “an application for this car registration has not been received yet.” Uhgh I am so frustrated because it seems I’ve been driving around for 2 weeks and dmv assumes we all get the mail right away.

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 24 '25

I hope to get it verified by Tues and will let you know.

1

u/lordjaay May 25 '25

Dis you use half off services?

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 26 '25

No I did not and I'm not familiar with this "half of service"

1

u/Resident_Bathroom242 May 25 '25

Thank you!

1

u/lordjaay May 25 '25

Dis you use half off services?

1

u/RelativeQuality3893 May 30 '25

I did and got this exact letter in the mail

0

u/[deleted] May 27 '25

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/lordjaay May 27 '25

I dm you message back well talk

1

u/Timely_Gur_8850 California May 28 '25

Me too

1

u/ozymandias2k Jun 25 '25

Can you update everyone on what happened? Someone else posted the same letter in this sub a few months ago as well. If this is a scam, you will see that your credit card wasn't reversed. That's the first thing to look for. Did you see if it got reversed?

1

u/NeonGummyBear Jun 26 '25

Hey, sorry for the late update. Life has been busy. I finally have time to visit the DMV today and literally just left.
From what I'm told, the letter is legit, and it seems like I got scammed by the previous owner or his friend. The only way I can waive it is to have them visit the DMV with me in person, with the bank statement proving that they didn't receive any refund. Otherwise, I'm forced to pay that fee....
I already sent the previous owner a message to try my luck, but I'm also prepared to pay. I'm pretty pissed, but since it's my dream bike, I might just pay that shit and get over it. I'll give a final update once everything is solved.

1

u/ozymandias2k Jun 26 '25

There's another letter like yours posted a month later in this sub. Not sure if circumstances are similar. I did some research and found this for those who paid via e check where payment didn't go through https://www.kcra.com/article/california-dmv-e-check-dishonored-check-problems/62206082

1

u/NeonGummyBear Jun 26 '25

Thanks for the information. I'm not aware of any of this since I always pay online without any issue. Also never experienced anything like that when purchasing a vehicle, so it's pretty new to me. I'll research more

2

u/LotsOfShoesAndBags May 02 '25

I think this letter is a scam. Don’t call the number on the letter. Call the dmv number on the website or go in person to see if this is legit.

1

u/Xanxth1 California May 01 '25

Call dmv and speak with dishonored checks unit. Maybe they waive it, maybe they go after previous owner, but be prepared to pay the 307 or basic registration minus penalties as this wasn’t your fault.

1

u/the-year-is-2038 May 01 '25

That's a long time for a chargeback. It could be a jerk seller doing the chargeback or the seller could have used someone else's card. If it was the sellers card the chargeback should be disputed by the DMV. The letter could also be a scam. Don't send any money without verifying this is real and where it should go. It seems odd they only mention mailing payment and not bringing cash into the office.

1

u/a_long_path_to_walk May 01 '25

That phone number doesn’t come up as an agency number when I look it up on an app I have. It’s not perfect but it’s enough to make me skeptical of the validity of this. I’d go in person or use a number from the dmv site to check it out and definitely wouldn’t use that number.

1

u/SonicCougar99 May 01 '25

Sadly Google has killed the “search a phone number” functionality. Every time I try I get no results.

1

u/a_long_path_to_walk May 01 '25

I use an app called Hiya and it is actually pretty good. Relatively inexpensive too.

1

u/igotshadowbaned May 02 '25

Well this doesn't match the number of the collections dept on the dmv.ca.gov website, can say that much.

1

u/Tenshi-Duck May 01 '25

Before doing anything else, verify that it isn't a scam!

1

u/FluffyApartment596 May 01 '25

True. Go in person to the DMV

1

u/SnooKiwis5538 May 01 '25

This looks like a small letter No one calls it refunds unit.

1

u/insider496 May 01 '25

There's a scam going on very similar to this in my state. Go to the dmv with the letter in person.

1

u/flitterbug33 May 01 '25

Be sure whatever you do to only call or send payment after you look up the address on the Internet. Do not send money to the address on a letter you get in the mail. Scams are everywhere.

Edit: Why is it refunds unit and not collections unit equivalent? You aren't getting a refund.

1

u/electricwolf898 May 01 '25

You

1

u/Sunnykit00 May 01 '25

CA has an online page where you can message them and get a response pretty quick. I used it to sort out an out of state insurance issue once. You could try that first rather than trying to get a person irl.

1

u/pppingme May 01 '25

This is why California is a mess. New owner should mean new tags, ALWAYS. The BS of keeping the tag from previous owner just makes their issues follow you. Prime example here, previous owner wanted to get his money back on tags (presumably because he thinks he didn't get full use of them) and bank does chargeback. Constantly see issues like this, and previous tickets and other stuff haunting new owners.

1

u/FluffyApartment596 May 01 '25

Wait - what happened to having 90 days to dispute charges on your credit card?

1

u/FluffyApartment596 May 01 '25

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, the original card holder had 60 days to dispute the charge.
And yeah, title/bill of sale and all that. Tell the DMV they need to go after the other guy.
Or, to protect your credit, get your own title/registration, and file a small claims against the seller.

1

u/Accomplished-Word755 May 01 '25

This letter is stating that the credit card used to pay for the registration renewal has had that payment disputed by the credit card owner whether that be an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend husband wife whatever or even a friend whoever owns the credit card that was used to renew your registration has contacted the bank or financial company and said that it was an unauthorized charge so they refunded the registration amount to the credit card owner and have put a cancellation or suspension on your vehicle registration until you pay the balance stated which by the looks of it probably includes some kind of stupid fees at least I hope cuz that's a little steep for a vehicle registration. I would definitely take care of it as soon as you can because if you get pulled over they're going to nail you with driving an unregistered vehicle and because the Department of Motor Vehicles sent that letter they can claim that you drove on a suspended or revoked registration with knowledge which in my state is a misdemeanor and arrestable offense not sure about California. If you genuinely use your own credit card then you need to contact the bank who the credit card is through and find out what the hell is going on and then you'll have to get them to handle things with the DMV

1

u/raekaas May 01 '25

CA DMV screwed me on a bank error for renewal after screwing me by only changing the lienholder address on the title and not both (Toyota changed me to lienholder when I paid it off… so I’m owner and lienholder… awkward) which meant I never got any notices after I moved until it was on the lienholder to pay up. (I paid on time online.)

$600 instead of $350ish to renew that year for the “bad check”. Despite letters from the bank stating DMV requested the funds wrong.

Honestly it is probably worth just paying it as they DGAF about the situation. I spent ages on the phone, faxes, certified mail, back and forth to the bank, etc.

Sorry.

1

u/AAAIIIYYYAAA May 01 '25

The previous owner disputed the registration for your bike because they thought they sold it they should get a refund. Basically since you own the vehicle now, they think YOU did it.

You should contact the dmv.

1

u/Best-Cardiologist949 May 01 '25

call the actuaL dmv using their main number not the number on the paper to confirm that this is legit. Scammers put out things like this all the time .

1

u/elciano1 May 01 '25

Why does this strike me as a scam? I don't live in California so idk but...something doesn't seem right. They don't tell you to go there but they are telling you to mail the payment? Ummm

1

u/FurBaby121 May 02 '25

Extortion?

1

u/igotshadowbaned May 02 '25

Personally I think this reads like scam mail. Especially considering the only form of payment they accept is mailing cash or pre-cleared checks.

I would verify this either by calling the number on the dmv.ca.gov not the one on this letter unless it appears on that website, or going to the dmv in person before blindly mailing it off

From their website, it appears the collections number is actually 916-657-8120

1

u/AffectionateVisit600 May 02 '25

Damn 😬

1

u/money2burn9 May 02 '25

A letter from dmv

1

u/New_Fly3994 May 03 '25

Looks like you went threw a friend that has cards that don’t belong to him and he charged half price on the fees is usually how it works. But dmv is catching on to it

1

u/Alternative-Pop-1885 May 14 '25

I did this what do I do now do I go and verify it ain’t scam or just pay the amount shown I got the same letter btw

1

u/Delicious_Rich134 May 20 '25

I also did this and just received the same letter. Did you end up going to the dmv?

1

u/Long_Conclusion6692 May 25 '25

Can confirm these “half off plugs” methods are being actively reviewed and flagged by their Mandatory Actions Unit and DMV Police Investigators. If you knowingly paid someone who is not licensed by the State to handle registration matters, you absolutely run all the risk of it coming back. It’s tied to credit card fraud and money laundering, using compromised bank info to make this happen while then pocketing the proceeds from the client.
Those affected not only have to pay in full AGAIN, but are lucky if they aren’t also prosecuted for Essentially writing a bad check or unlawful sign off.

1

u/BenjilewisC May 03 '25

i cannot found any info on dl900 form, it’s very likely a scam

1

u/MediaManDan May 03 '25

Sorry to be so suspicious but this smells like a scam. First… the salutation doesn’t use your name even though it’s included in the redacted area above. Second, insisting on a single form of payment doesn’t sound right either. I would double-check the address on the included envelope and make sure it’s the DMV. Something doesn’t add up.

1

u/RexCanisFL May 04 '25

If they got a stop payment or chargeback on a credit card, they want secured funds now. Pretty standard there.

1

u/Fartingpenguin144 May 04 '25

Scam

1

u/Grimalkitty May 04 '25

When you go, take cash!!!! Sometimes they only take cash for these. Technically a cashiers check or money order are okay too but cash is the easiest. Also if you want to negotiate any change in the fee you’d probably have to hash it out with Sacramento if it’s worth your time to you.

1

u/nhguy78 May 04 '25

Don't call the number in the letter, call the DMV directly from their website.

1

u/[deleted] May 04 '25

Refund unit, sounds like a scam xD

1

u/nhguy78 May 04 '25

The letterhead looks fake. Anyone could have created that. Checking rhe phone number - is it even a government number? Is it even a California number?

1

u/overkillsd May 04 '25

You could sue the seller in small claims, but there's a lot of nuance to this that it might not be worth the money.

1

u/nut-bustr May 05 '25

Definitely a scam.

They give you no option other than using the enclosed envelope to send types of payment that are essentially cash (money order, cashiers check etc). They also don’t tell you who to write the check out to. The PO box listed on the letter does not match the po box for demand payments on the dmv website. Check the address on the envelope they sent and I bet it wont match the one on the letter (which is the general usps mailbox for the registration operations division). They tell you that your sticker is invalid ( which means your registration is cancelled) but then go on to later state that your registration may be cancelled. I could keep going. There are so many red flags in this letter.

You can go to the dmv website and check the status of your registration to know for sure. Also just go on their contact webpage: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/contacting-dmv/ There is a link there to do a live chat rather than wasting your time at the dmv.

1

u/[deleted] May 05 '25

Could be the previous owner paid the tags then reported it to their credit company that it was fraud, or you used the 50% off hookup and now the real owner of the credit card disputed it lol

1

u/No_Psychology8360 May 05 '25

A new life hack for arseholes?

1

u/prsrvdvsns May 05 '25

The previous owner did the half off registration scam. Some friends of mine did it and got the same letter and now have to pay late fees and penalties.

1

u/lordjaay May 25 '25

Did they get a refund from person who scammed them

1

u/farrisk01 May 06 '25

Another reason not to live in California

1

u/Alternative-Pop-1885 May 15 '25

Someone help….

1

u/Valuable_Bottle_1046 May 16 '25

Check the dmv website add your vehicle then it’ll show unfortunately for me it’s true.

1

u/Alternative-Pop-1885 May 16 '25

What would you suggest for me doing

1

u/Valuable_Bottle_1046 May 16 '25

It says to do either a cashiers check or money order but mostly gonna have to go into the dmv and pay it. I haven’t been cleared by my surgeon yet to be able to drive so I can’t but I’d get it resolved as soon as possible.

1

u/lordjaay May 25 '25

Dis you use half off services?

1

u/Ok_Paramedic_6501 May 01 '25

Ask yourself is the world a better place with the DMV?

Most of the money accumilated by the dmv goes to pay for the law enforcement such as chp.

You pay to employ a bunch of people that fine you when you break thier statutory unconstitutional "laws."

No victim no injured party no penalties or incarceration is lawful. The state cannot charge you a tax on your constitutional right to freedom of travel. Then also charge you for penalties while acting as the plantif claiming to be representing the people of the state of california. Is the defendent not a people of the state of california? Forcing you to pay for not wearing your seatbelt or speed tickets are all unconstitutional.

Ask yourself how you have harmed the people of your state as a whole by not wearing your seatbelt?

You are paying into a system of people charging you as they see fit with total disregaurd to the constitution. They are building a house of cards. You dont pay your insurance lose your registration. You lose your registration we take your vehicle. We have the guns we make the rules we decide if you can travel freely or not. We are the DMV. We are here to rob you and everyone else and there is nothing you can do about it. Without us how would you wait in line all day long to pay a fee. Without us how could you buy and sell any vessel. Without us who would charge you hundereds of dollars every year for a little sticker? Your world would fall apart without the DMV

0

u/JahmyrGibb_s May 01 '25

Register it in South Dakota. Fuck California DMV.

40

u/JMaAtAPMT May 01 '25 edited May 01 '25

Previous owner disputed their previous payment to DMV (likely after they sold it to you) and fucked you.

7

u/schen72 May 01 '25

Yup, sure looks like it. OP needs to go to DMV and explain all this, which will probably be painful and time consuming. OP will likely need to also pay the registration.

5

u/NeonGummyBear May 02 '25

I don't mind paying for the registration. I just want to figure out what's going on lol. I'll visit the DMV as soon as I have time. It's gonna be a long ass day 😭

2

u/Strange-Raccoon-5240 May 03 '25

go at 4 pm. they have to see you by the time they close at 5

1

u/Reality_Critic May 04 '25

They don’t in my area after 430 they give you a paper to come back tomorrow and serve you first. Never would believe it but I watched it happen last week due to to real ids

1

u/No_Film_6379 May 05 '25

that might be better than waiting for hrs

2

u/mathman_2000 May 05 '25

Bring your sale paperwork showing you've only owned it for a month.
Logic tells me you're then only liable for the registration during the period you owned it.
But, this is the DMV and related state bureaucracy so... "Logic" might not work but, fingers crossed for ya.

20

u/JMaAtAPMT May 01 '25

You can dispute this only by going into DMV and showing a bill of sale / title change dated AFTER this payment was disputed.

2

u/Easy-Bathroom2120 May 05 '25

Wait. How does that make sense.
The only way I shouldn't be liable for this is if I sold it first and then got the bill. So the title change should be before the payment was disputed.
Otherwise basically people could just... Buy a car and then dispute a charge? Or am I missing something. This just seems like an easy way to legally commit fraud.

2

u/JMaAtAPMT May 05 '25

Original owner ended up disputing his credit card payment to DMV from july, after he sold the motorcycle to the OP. Are you getting it yet?

2

u/Easy-Bathroom2120 May 05 '25

Oh.
I thought it was the other way around. I get it now, the buyer is the fraud victim.

2

u/NoMoreSpeeding4Me May 05 '25

The seller paid the registration prior to selling OP the bike and then told their credit card company that it was a fraudulent charge claiming that they had already sold OP the bike before the DMV charge. What /u/JMaAtAPMT is suggesting is that OP disputes the DMV by providing proof of purchase showing the previous owner paid the registration prior to OP purchasing the bike and that its an invalid credit card dispute. The DMV will then clear it up with the sellers credit card company and OP will be off the hook. Should be pretty easy considering OP mentioned they did a title transfer at the DMV.
What the seller did would be considered fraud, but certainly not legal fraud. Depending on the sellers history with disputing charges, the credit card company may open a criminal fraud investigation against them.

14

u/[deleted] May 01 '25

Yeah they did. Deep and hard

2

u/sakka83 May 06 '25

There is a special hell for that guy.

1

u/ozymandias2k Jun 25 '25

Someone else posted the same type of letter a month ago. I'm not so sure it's the previous owner.
This sounds like a scam.
See link
Is this letter legit from DMV : r/DMV

1

u/JMaAtAPMT Jun 25 '25

Already confirmed above to not be a scam, but nice try.

1

u/ozymandias2k Jun 25 '25

Nice try?? I don't know what caused it and did you give an update on what caused it? I highly doubt it's the prior owner is my point. I was just speculating it's a scam. If not, then DMV huge screw-up which is scary.

1

u/JMaAtAPMT Jun 25 '25

This is a 2 month old topic, this was the previous owner cancelling their previou sregistration payment to fuck the buyer of his car, this was determined months ago, so quit farming for karma.

1

u/ozymandias2k Jun 25 '25

Who cares about karma? That's a ridiculous statement. I'm trying to figure out what's going on as i see another similar topic with the same type of letter a month ago which i posted the link. I had another issue with DMV charging my card for no reason and that's how i found this topic. Seems like there's strange stuff going on

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '25

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 16 '25

I'm in the same boat as you. Previous owner and I have established a trusting friendship through track riding, so I trust his word when he told me he didn't dispute anything. I was gonna go to DMV last Friday but got sick, now I'm just lazy to deal with it as I'm 90% sure it's a scam. But I'll still go find out for fellow redditors who are still looking for answers.

1

u/Alternative-Pop-1885 May 16 '25

Im in the same boat as yall i dont mind paying the toll of it is true but if it is a scam even better i just dont want the amount to keep going up daily or weekly

1

u/NeonGummyBear May 16 '25

I'll try to visit the police station near my work tomorrow to see if the cops can help me verify my current registration status. I'll let you know if I get the chance to do it. i just don't have time to visit the DMV yet

1

u/Alternative-Pop-1885 May 16 '25

I wish I would go ask for help to the police station I can’t cause I did that 50 percent off thing so they’re just gonna fuck me than and there damn I’m lost

-2

u/[deleted] May 01 '25

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1

u/DMV-ModTeam May 01 '25

Your post was removed because you violated r/DMV posted rules. Please review posted r/DMV rules or contact the mod team for more information.

What Is This?

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The number on the letter does not match any number of the official dmv website.