Massachusetts Environmental Trust
LOW-NUMBER WHALE PLATE AUCTION
If you are a winning bidder, you DO NOT have to go to the RMV! If you have questions about any aspect of the auction, please contact Kim Tilas at [email protected] or call (617) 947-1227.
WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE ONLINE AUCTION?
The Low-Number Whale Plate Auction to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the whale plate started January 30, 2025. Bidding will close at 12:00 pm on February 20, 2025. This first auction will premiere our 30 WHALE PLATES FOR 30 YEARS campaign offering 30 low-number plates. The online auction will continue over the next 2-3 years where we will auction the remaining low-number whale plates (RW and RT plates 1-999) by holding online bidding opportunities every 3-6 months.
HOW WILL MY CELL PHONE AND EMAIL BE USED?
Your cell phone number and email address will be used respectfully and only for the auction. Your contact information will be used to share the opening of auction items for bidding and information about the event, assist you with the self-checkout process, acknowledge your support of the auction, and make sure you get your plate! You will receive updates from the MET about our grant programs and other events. You may unsubscribe from text messages at any time.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE WHALE PLATE LICENSE PLATE AUCTION?
All are welcome to bid! Anyone with a car registered in the state of Massachusetts may bid/buy a Whale Plate.
ARE THE WINNING BID AMOUNTS ELIGIBLE FOR A TAX DEDUCTION?
Yes! Your contribution is truly appreciated! MET is a state Trust set up to receive funding from individuals, foundations, corporations and gifts of Wills and Bequests. Please consult your tax advisor regarding the tax-deductibility of your donation.
- Winning bid amounts are donations to the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) and do not include fees to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).
- The WHALE PLATE fee of $40 will be added to your regular RMV registration fee of $60 for a total of $100 paid every 2-years.
- The RMV will provide a link to pay additional fees including a plate swap fee, WHALE PLATE special fee and depending on your registration status there may be a prorated registration fee.
As a whale plate holder, you are helping to save whales and other aquatic life and safeguard our streams water habitats.
CAN I PUT A WHALE PLATE ON MY LEASED VEHICLE? Yes. You will need a Power of Attorney letter from your leasing agent in addition to a Registration and Title Application form signed by your car insurance provider. You must provide both to the RMV when registering with the new plate.
CAN I PUT A WHALE PLATE ON MY COMMERCIAL VEHICLE? Unfortunately, commercially registered vehicles are not eligible for a charitable organization specialty license plate
CAN I GIFT OR TRANSFER MY PLATE TO ANOTHER PERSON?
Yes. If you are the winning bidder for a license plate configuration, you are allowed to transfer the plate configuration to any person of your choosing upon the completion of the payment as long as the person's car is registered in Massachusetts. To do this, you must write a letter assigning the plate to the other person and that person must present the letter to the RMV when registering with the new plate.
IF I AM PURCHASING THE PLATE AS A GIFT, WHOSE NAME DO I ENTER ON THE FORM? Please enter the information of the individual that the car is registered to. The form information should match the information associated with the registration of the car (the car must be registered in Massachusetts.) *If you are gifting the plate to a spouse/partner/child, in which you are on the same car insurance - you would be able to do these steps yourself prior to gifting - as long as you have all of the recipients information.
HOW WILL I VIEW THE VIRTUAL EVENT? If you are registered, we will email and text you the direct link to join the virtual event. Dress code is couch comfortable!
HOW DO I BROWSE, BID, & BUY?
All bidding will be done electronically on any mobile device or computer. You will receive a text or email when the auction is open for bidding. Simply click on the link to access your personal bidding account and enjoy the auction. Browse the auction by going to "Items" on the home page, and start bidding on your favorite items! Place your bid on selected items, set a maximum bid if desired, and Givesmart will continue to keep you in the running until you reach your maximum bid. You must be registered in Givesmart and give your Credit Card information to participate in bidding.
CAN I BID ON MULTIPLE PLATES, EVEN THOUGH I ONLY WANT TO PURCHASE ONE?
At the end of the auction, we will process payments on all winning bids, so you will be responsible for purchasing any plates that you have the winning bid on. If you only want one plate, we suggest choosing your top priority plate. If it seems like you are losing that plate in the final auction countdown, you can make a bid on your second preferred plate.
HOW CAN I KEEP ACTIVE AND KNOW IF I AM OUTBID OR HAVE WON AN ITEM?
You will be notified via text if you have been outbid. Keep an eye on your favorite items! If you are NOT receiving the text messages make sure you have the correct mobile number under your profile. The texts will continue to notify you when you have been outbid or reached your maximum bid. When the silent auction closes, you will also receive a text message if you won any items.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF I WON AN ITEM?
Winners will be notified via text and email after the auction category closes.
HOW DO I GET MY WHALE PLATE?
We will send the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) a list of the winners with their winning plate number.
You will need to:
- Contact your insurance agent to receive a completed Registration and Title Application (RTA).
- The RTA must have the insurance stamp applied and all owners must sign the application.
- Ensure section D9 on the RTA is completed, including a contact number and email.
- Fax the completed RTA to the RMV via the secure E-Fax system at 617-507-8303.
- Upon receipt of the valid RTA, the RMV will process a plate swap transaction and send a payment link to the email listed on the RTA.
- Applicable registration swap and special plate fee are required.
- Once payment is made, the plate will be mailed to the address on file. Please allow 10 days to receive the plate after registration payment.
- Once awarded, you will have 90 days to complete the plate swap. Customers can recycle their old license plates after the new one is received. Do not cancel your old plate. It will cease automatically.
- Unclaimed plates will be forfeited after 90 days.
You can contact the Specialty Plates Department at (857)368-8031 or Kim Tilas for assistance
HOW BIDDING WORKS
Single Bid v Autobid
A single bid can be placed as a onetime bid for any amount. An autobid can be placed and set at your maximum amount you are willing to spend. With autobid, our system will place your bid at the minimum amount needed to lead. When you are outbid, our system will bid automatically for you until your maximum is reached.
Who wins?
When two bids are placed for the same amount, the bid placed first based on the timestamp wins. Timestamps are set when the initial bid is placed, for autobids this is when a maximum was set not when the system prompted the bid to win.
Why are there bids with the same amount?
We list competing bids of the same amount to indicate what prompted an autobid to be placed. Otherwise, it would be unclear as to why an autobid was increased. For Example, Item 100 has a current amount of $100 and a bid increment of $50. John placed an autobid at 7:00pm with a maximum amount of $200. John is winning at $150. Jill placed a bid for $200 at 7:30pm. John's bid is increased to $200 by our system. John wins because he committed to the amount earlier than Jill. The list shows both John and Jill at $200 so we can see what prompted John's bid to increase.
MORE DETAILS ON BIDDING
How to Place a Bid
After registering you can place a bid one of two ways:
Via Text
1. Once the auction is live, you will receive a text message with a blue link directing you to the auction page
2. Select on the item of interest to view the description and the current bid
3. Choose to bid at the system's set amount or type in a higher amount and click the "Bid" button
4. If your bid was accepted, a box will appear congratulating you on the leading bid
5. If it was not accepted, someone else may have entered the same bid right before you. Simply hit the back button and enter a higher bid
Via Homepage
1. Select the Items tab at the top of the homepage for this website. Once there, you can search by item name or category
2. Select the item of interest to view the description and the current bid
3. Choose to bid at the system's set amount or type in a higher amount and click the "Bid" button
4. If your bid was accepted, a box will appear congratulating you on the leading bid
5. If it was not accepted, someone else may have entered the same bid right before you. Simply hit the back button and enter a higher bid
Auto-Bids
You also have the option to place an auto-bid. This will automatically place a bid for you up to a certain level when someone outbids you.
1. Select the "Auto Bid" tab
2. Input the maximum amount you are willing to pay for that item and hit bid
3. If you are outbid, another bid will be made on your behalf up to the maximum amount that you entered
If you are outbid at any time, you will receive a text message notification and a "Losing" banner will appear across the item.
HOW TO CHECKOUT WHEN AUCTION CLOSES on February 20th
When you win an auction item, you will receive a text message congratulating you on your win! There are a few different ways to pay for your winnings and check out:
Via Text
- You will receive a text message congratulating you on your winnings. Click the blue link within this text message to be directed your personal payment page
- Review your cart and select the "Click Here to Pay" button
- You can either use the credit card information you added upon registration or enter new card information
- Once payment is complete, a red paid stamp will be placed on your order summary. You can email the receipt to the email address on file or download it
Via Home Page
- Select the Pay Tab at the top of the event website
- Review your purchase summary and select the "Click Here to Pay" button
- You can either use the credit card information you added upon registration or enter new card information
- Once payment is complete, a red paid stamp will be placed on your order summary. You can email the receipt to the email on file or download it
After the Auction closes and you have paid for your item, a representative from MET will be in contact with you to coordinate receiving your new set of whale license plates. For this reason, please make sure that your contact information when you register is correct.