Eurotunnel reg change at check-in

[blurredman]

Once a year I go with my wife/kids to France to stay with extended family who have a place near Orleons.

Last year we went on the Ferry but this year we wanted to go on the EuroTunnel which I have done countless times in the past in my specific example below.

The car in question I always use to go on these trips never appears in the registration make/model entry - it being an American import that's no surprise but after checking my other (european) car for prices on leShuttle website there was a difference in price providing a registration vs not providing one.

I noticed in the only optionable requirements for those unable to enter registration (or make/model) that is no longer gave the option 'under 5.5m/18ft' or 'over 5.5m/18ft' with regards to length, but still had options for the height (plus or minus 1.85m/6ft).

After phoning it seems like there is no longer a flat rate fee for any vehicle less than 5.5m/18feet long and a database has been compiled/in the process of being made based on whatever database information they source these specifics from.

Any registration not recognised or manufacturer not already listed finds itself in an uncategorised price that covers any vehicle and that happens to be the more expensive prices. So If I couldn't provide reg/vehicle details when I booked on-line, or was under the impression that it didn't matter when booking (which in the past it didn't, you provided it when you got to the check-in booths (and still can)) then you are artificially paying more than you need to without realising.

Changing registrations is permissible when you get to the Eurotunnel, however I was informed by the man on the telephone that you pay the difference in price between the vehicle you originally booked for and the one you arrive in if the size is noticably different but I could detect doubt as to whether you paid extra for this requirement change on-top of the price difference.

Does anyone actually know this? I legimitately this time am not sure which vehicle I want to use for this year's trip so if I wanted to go to france in the smaller car and pay the smaller amount that you get charged for booking under it's registration on-line, but it happened that I decided not to use it (or it was not capable of being used) and attempted to check in with a vehicle of significantly different proportions and change the registration, are the marshalls likely to want to charge me in the difference AND a charge for requiring to do so bearing in mind the vehicle is not even on their database? Or not care?

In my experience of both the ferries and the eurotunnel I've not had anyone get tape measures out etc to specifically check whether my vehicle is less than or greater than 18feet in the past, with regards to the old rules. But i've also not had to change vehicles at the check in where they might necessitate doing this sort of thing and esspecially now that they are actually charging for classes of size as opposed to a simple less than or greater than flat rate.

This is all curiosity - I want to see if anyone has actually gone through the process recently? I might phone them again and see if I get through to someone else who can categorically declare an answer to the query.
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 39k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 50k.