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Sun 29 Nov 2015 17:17

Buying a car not from the owner - Ryuk

Hi all,

I want to buy a car but there is a little problem.The owner of the car,the guy whose name is on V5C document,lives outside UK.He left the car here and told a friend of him to sell the car.

Is there any way to verify the deal since there is no authorisation from the owner written down?
I am confident about the seller as I've been to his house and met his family but i want to be 100% sure that I wont have any problems in the future.
Please help this is my first buy here in UK.

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Sun 29 Nov 2015 19:22

Buying a car not from the owner - Palcouk

Name on the Registration doc is not proof of ownership, the person named on the doc has to sign the Reg transfer slip.

A simple email from the registered keeper to his friend should suffice, and the friend forward that to you.

You have undertaken an HPI and other checks?

Edited by Palcouk on 29/11/2015 at 19:24

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Sun 29 Nov 2015 19:36

Buying a car not from the owner - bathtub tom

A simple email from the registered keeper to his friend should suffice, and the friend forward that to you.

That could be easily faked!

V5 is no proof of ownership, only the registered keeper.

I'd be very careful in these circumstances and probably 'walk'.

If you're determined to buy this car, I'd at least want to see a receipt for its purchase by the current owner. I'd also do a check on the V5 - there's a serial number on it that can be used for this, although that's still not 100% proof.

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Sun 29 Nov 2015 20:04

Buying a car not from the owner - Ryuk

No I didn't undertake an HPI test.

But I have checked the VIN number,the MOT,the Road Tax and that the car isn't stolen.

I think that the car is clean about all these things.

My only fear is that because the seller dont have any documents that proves the authorization he has from the owner to sell it how can i be sure that the owner agrees for the deal.

I mean,none can ensure me that someday the owner will return from France and tell me that he never authorized anyone to sell his car.

Is there any goverment office that can help me about that?

Thanks for your help

Edited by Ryuk on 29/11/2015 at 20:05

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Sun 29 Nov 2015 21:46

Buying a car not from the owner - Vitesse6

The question you have to ask yourself is

"Can I afford to lose the money if the deal does turn out to be dodgy"

If you can then proceed, if not walk away.

The fact that you are asking the question indicates you have a worry about this. In you position I think I would look elsewhere.

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Sun 29 Nov 2015 22:05

Buying a car not from the owner - RT

No I didn't undertake an HPI test.

But I have checked the VIN number,the MOT,the Road Tax and that the car isn't stolen.

I think that the car is clean about all these things.

My only fear is that because the seller dont have any documents that proves the authorization he has from the owner to sell it how can i be sure that the owner agrees for the deal.

I mean,none can ensure me that someday the owner will return from France and tell me that he never authorized anyone to sell his car.

Is there any goverment office that can help me about that?

Thanks for your help

You can't get that reassurance unless you buy it from the owner! Only they can authorise, in writing, someone to sell the car on their behalf - since you can't see that authorisation yoy need to walk away and find another car to buy.

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Sun 29 Nov 2015 22:27

Buying a car not from the owner - RobJP

No way in hell. Never. Run away NOW.

Classic scam. If the owner really needed to sell before moving away, they could have easily contacted WBAC, or one of a myriad of similar companies, to sell it and get him the money.

Do not touch this. You are asking to be ripped off, and end up with neither the car nor money.

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Sun 29 Nov 2015 22:51

Buying a car not from the owner - Ryuk

I am sorry but i am a bit confused.

Can you explain me how a v5c transer made?

What i have to do exactly?

What is the procedure?

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Sun 29 Nov 2015 23:39

Buying a car not from the owner - RobJP

I am sorry but i am a bit confused.

Can you explain me how a v5c transer made?

What i have to do exactly?

What is the procedure?

I'll say it again.

THIS IS A SCAM.

If you buy it, you will end up with no car AND no money.

If buying a car privately, then only EVER buy the car from the owner, NOT a 'friend', or 'relative', 'brother' , or anyone else. ONLY from the PERSON named on the V5, at the ADDRESS listed on the V5.

NO exceptions, NO excuses. Walk away NOW, or you will get ripped off.

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Mon 30 Nov 2015 08:14

Buying a car not from the owner - Dwight Van Driver

Musing on this one and Rob talks a lot of sense but is there a way round this?.

Friend, with letter of authority from owner and V5 and buyer visit solicitor, where friend has contract drawn up stating he has authority to sell and will hold himself responsible should anything untoward occur and will re emburse buyer.

Just a thought you understand.....

dvd

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Mon 30 Nov 2015 09:07

Buying a car not from the owner - RobJP

Agreed - in theory, yes, and that would be entirely legitimate.

But the 'friend' doesn't have anything at all in writing to say that he actually has authority to sell the car, so it falls at the first hurdle.

I've heard of this scam plenty of times. The buyer is sucked in by the car being an absolute bargain (think a car which is usually £20k, being sold for £13k), and they therefore think they're cleverer than the 'friend' or the 'seller'. As such, they switch their brain off, and go stupid-greedy, thinking that they can run the car for a couple of years for free, or even sell it on at a profit. And because they've already, in their own mind, decided that they are more intelligent than the seller, then they don't look too deeply.

The OP is already in this position - he's decided that he is more brainy than the 'friend'. Now he has to reset his thinking. That, for most people, is incredibly difficult.

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Mon 30 Nov 2015 09:15

Buying a car not from the owner - gordonbennet

Yep, walk away.

It must be one hell of a bargain because you're trying to think of all sorts of ways to safeguard the purhase of this particular car, when unless its a rare or classic there will be dozens if not hundreds of others out there without Scam written all over them.

That's how scams work, feeding on people's addiction for what appears to be an unmissable bargain to cloud their right thinking.

Edited by gordonbennet on 30/11/2015 at 09:15

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Mon 30 Nov 2015 11:42

Buying a car not from the owner - Ryuk

We talk about a Toyota Yaris that costs 800£.

The reason i have second thoughts about the car isn't the money.

Is that i dont like to be tricked.

But according to the legislation here in UK anyone can trick me about this matter.

As far as i know to do the transfer on DVLA the buyer has to fill his personal details(such as date of transfer,name,surname,number of driving license etc.) on the V5C form.On the other hand the only thing that the seller has to do is to sign the V5C and then to send it to DVLA.Here is the problem.The buyer dont have anything to prove that the seller sold the car with his permission.

I will give you an example.

We are roommates and you have a Lamborghini Gallardo.You decide to go for a trip with an airplane.So you go to Heathrow and park your car inside airports parking.

Then i go there,i find your car and with the second key i take the car.I have the key,the V5C and i sell your car privately.You return from your vacations and call the cops.But i have taken the money,went to Cayman islands and the poor buyer has no money and no car.

With this legislation i can even sell my car to you with cash and then go to the police and tell them that i was forced by you to sign the papers without giving me my money.So you dont have the money,you dont have the car and you maybe have troubles.

In my country when we want to do that kind of transfer we go to a Goverment Office.The buyer and the seller must give them their id,their personal number of tax authorities,the V5C,and the insurance of the car.If i have to sell anothers guys car i also must have with me an authorisation that is validated from the police.And a goverment employee make the transfer.So everything is clear.Noone can cheat the other.

Maybe i am wrong with all these,maybe i dont know the procedures about car V5C transfer.This is the reason i asked you to explain to me the whole procedure.

Sorry for my poor English and thanks everyone for the help.

Edited by Ryuk on 30/11/2015 at 11:55

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Mon 30 Nov 2015 12:55

Buying a car not from the owner - skidpan

I will give you an example.

We are roommates and you have a Lamborghini Gallardo.You decide to go for a trip with an airplane.So you go to Heathrow and park your car inside airports parking.

Then i go there,i find your car and with the second key i take the car.I have the key,the V5C and i sell your car privately.You return from your vacations and call the cops.But i have taken the money,went to Cayman islands and the poor buyer has no money and no car.

In this country that is known as theft. Your room mate would report it to the police and claim off his insurance.

If it was proven that you had taken and sold the car without the owners permission the car would be reclaimed from the buyer via the courts or they would be paid out by their insurers who would then reclaim the car from the buyer.

In both instances despite potentially being guilty of nothing other than stupidity the buyer would be out of pocket by many thousands of pounds.

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Mon 30 Nov 2015 13:58

Buying a car not from the owner - RT

In one sense, it doesn't matter who's name is on the V5C - as the document clearly states that it's not proof of ownership.

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