SEAT Altea XL 2011 - V5C name doesn't match(old one?)

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 10:55
SEAT Altea XL 2011 - V5C name doesn't match(old one?) - Dan13

Hi everyone,

I'm a key worker who used buses until now, but I work with people who are very vulnerable so I've been walking to work for a month now. But now I'm getting a lot of shifts with a 9pm finish and the trek home isn't very safe and takes me almost an hour. I got an especially unpleasant experience last week. I had been looking to buy a car before that, but the fear of using the same bus as dozens of other people and the night encounter of groups of drinking young men pushed me over the edge over the weekend and I got a car on Sunday.

Being a key worker also means I don't get paid very much, so I was looking for the cheapest possible option. I bought it off a private seller nearby, as I don't currently have a car and am not to keen to be spending time on a bus, so that I can avoid spending time on a bus. When I got home I looked at the V5C and noticed that the name on it matched the name of an ad for a similar car 30 miles from here. That first ad was posted on the 14th of April and the seller I got it from posted it on the 18th. The first ad was £550 lower than that of my seller, so I'm guessing they were just "wannabe traders" making a quick buck.

What worries me is that the V5C has the name of the previous owner(the guy from the old ad), not the guys that I bought it from. I realise now that I should have checked that before buying, but I didn't. They said that I should text them my name and address and I'll get my V5C in the next 3 days.

My question to you guys is should I phone the police about this? I read somewhere online that if the name on the V5C doesn't match the one of the seller I should phone the police. It does match to the seller of the old ad - I did message that guy and told him I had his car(same licence plate) and asking him if it was stolen or just resold. No reply yet, and I did pay via bank transfer so have quite a bit of the seller's details, so I assume they didn't steal the car.

My other question is when should I pay the car's tax? Also when should I expect to get a V5C? Is there a way of knowing whether the seller actually passed my details onto the DVLA(they said they would do it this morning) or if they're just not going to do it and I should send a V62(although I have a V5C it doesn't have neither my name on it, the name of the seller I got the car from(they definitely weren't registered traders), or the correct date on it.

Many thanks in advance for any help and advice.

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 12:32
SEAT Altea XL 2011 - V5C name doesn't match(old one?) - SLO76
Sounds like you’ve bought from a very unprofessional fly trader but he shouldn’t have given you the V5, it’s his responsibility send it off and you should receive only the green new keeper section. He posts the rest off to be changed into your details and normally you’d get the new one in your name within two weeks.

You should always ask before even going to view a privately advertised car how long they’ve owned it (2yrs minimum) and if it is registered to the seller at their own address. If it isn’t then you know that 99.99% of the time it’s a fly trader trying to sell without complying with his legal obligations. A trader should tell you he is what he is, accept no excuses (selling for my auntie/father in law etc) and walk away.

That said, you have bought it now and seem to have the V5 in hand so get it filled in with your details and post it off today but keep hold of the green new keeper section. You’ll probably notice the yellow trade section is missing too, the trader will have had to fill this in when he bought the car. If he hasn’t then both he and the last owner have broken the law.

I wouldn’t be overly concerned however as long as the car itself is ok but you want it in your name as soon as possible and don’t make the same mistake again. You may be lucky but I’d get someone to look the car over as these sort of sellers usually buy at auction and bodge faults to sell for a profit.

Not all home traders are the same of course, I did it for years and often advertised cheaper cars as private sales on Gumtree because it was free but everyone enquiring about it were told and also told that any car under £1,000 was sold as seen. Despite unrealistic regulations giving people false expectations to the contrary you cannot guarantee a cheap old car. I was honest and only sold cars I had confidence in however unlike 99% of traders who’d sell anything for a buck.
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Mon 20 Apr 2020 13:35
SEAT Altea XL 2011 - V5C name doesn't match(old one?) - Dan13

Hi SLO,

Thank you so much for all the advice. I've copied it in a folder and will definitely refer to it next time I'm buying a car.

I only got sections 3,4,5,6(so I do have the new keeper slip). Section 3 is filled in with the old owner's details of having changed his address. Does that mean that the reference number on the whole V5C might not be valid, because it was used for something else before?

Can I use the green slip to tax and insure the vehicle so I can drive it to a garage to get it checked, to make sure it's safe to drive? Do I need to wait to get the new V5C to do that, or can I start doing that with just the green slip?

I have accepted the fact that I have been swindled and that the car could have issues, which could cost me a bit, but that's due to my own naivety and lack of proper research.

Thank you so much for your advice!

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 13:54
SEAT Altea XL 2011 - V5C name doesn't match(old one?) - pd

You haven't necessarily been "swindled". The seller should have probably declared they were trading but it doesn't necessarily mean it is a bad car. All cars, good and bad, go through the trade at some point. ANY cheap car will have some issues and have significant wear on it, it is why they are cheap. Doesn't mean it can't give good service.

Just fill in the V5 and put it in your name. Yes, the seller should have done it, don't why they didn't as takes 2 minutes online.

Assuming it is the latest V5 you can tax it on the green slip using the number online.

Edited by pd on 20/04/2020 at 13:55

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 15:01
SEAT Altea XL 2011 - V5C name doesn't match(old one?) - Dan13

I just realised that I don't have the whole V5C. First time buyer/owner, so I've never even seen a V5C before. I don't have section 1 and 2. Section 2 is the one for selling it, so maybe the previous owner did send it. I'll wait 4 weeks and fill out a v62 if not. I used the number on the green slip and it did let me tax it.

It's all been quite confusing to me, so I think I am overreacting a bit. I got thrown off by the fact that someone else was advertising this same car 5 days before, so I thought there must be something wrong with it. Thank you for keeping a level headed and unbiased perspective and helping me out.

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