It seems to be my month for buying old bangers, but would anyone care to hazard a guess as to what happened here (I've included no details which would enable anybody to identify anyone/thing).
Rang a man about a cheap 4x4 in the autotrader for my Father's use running around on some old land. Regrettably possibly sold, customer gone home to get money.
Get phone call back, car not in fact sold. I arranged to go and see it.
Go and see it. Not as per description, pretty awful actually, but still ok for the job except for broken rear window.
Story around broken window is a bit iffy.
V5 shows one owner from new. Clearly not accurate. Red section of V5 used for sale to trader or salvage is missing, but car has not been re-registered in any new name. Presumably was used for taxing car, but how come it didn't get into a new name ?
Vehicle has 11 months MOT and had been given 6 months tax at the same time, still got 5 months to run. Not unusual except the car would appear not to have been used for a couple of months.
Petrol cap flap has been prised open and bent back flat. Rear door lock has been hacked off the frame and welded back on as had one of the hinges. Ignition lock original and undamaged, ditto door locks. One key still fits all locks.
Car is not stolen, not subject to any known claim and unknown to police for any crime or tickets. Not a 100% certain answer, but probably correct since I have a useful uncle.
All engine numbers, chasis numbers, V5 etc. check out with no sign of tampering.
If car blows up tomorrow I'm not losing much money. So agree to buy if window is fixed. Man agrees window to be fixed (albeit with perspex) in 2 hours and recommends pub to wait in.
Hand over small deposit and take documents.
Arrive in pub maybe 1 mile away. While still in car park man rushes in and states not able to sell me the car since window will not be ready for 4 hours. I reply that I'll wait. Then man says not likely to be ready until tomorrow. I say I'll pick it up tomorrow. Man says not really going to be ready until Monday. I say I'll take it without glass. Man says no, he doesn't want to do that. Man hands back deposit, retreives documents and hands over further £20 "for my trouble" & leaves in cloud of dust with me left gobsmacked in the car park.
You can assume that nobody had given him an increased offer for the car (you had to see it to know). It was him who had advertised it in the autotrader. Advert gave his home number and mobile number and business address.
What happened ?? I have no idea and have thought of many alternatives, none of which seem to fit. But it was somewhat surreal. The seller didn't strike me as dishonest, although probably open to the odd "deal".
He didn't seem to be unwilling or nervous about selling the vehicle beforehand, but definitely did not want to sell it by the time we were in the pub car park.
He had already suggested I could take the car without the window when we were negotiating.
|
|
Had the BBC just offered a handsome fee to show it on Top Gear as a replacement for the Toyota Hi-lux in another 'How can we destroy this car' feature? :-P
|
|
Did he think you were an undercover cop?
|
>>Did he think you were an undercover cop?
I did wonder if he suddenly decided I was an undercover something or other. Be that C&E, Police or IR.
|
Could it be that the MoT was very iffy? Stolen or bent? If he thought that you were likely to be difficult about it after closer inspection of car or cert and did not want the car to be investigated.
The MoT was obviously used to get the vehicle taxed, was the vehicle being kept on the public road? Did you note the garage that gave the Mot? Was it local? Maybe worth a visit, just for interest, you could always take them the Reg No and say you need a duplicate cert. That would put the cat amongst!
pmh (was peter)
|
I did note the garage, and its one that I pass occasionally - it looks respectable, although I realise that's somewhat of a superficial judgement.
Given where the car was previously registered, it was a garage reasonably located to there.
No, the car was not on the public road it was in a yard.
I did think about cats and pigeons, but then decided I didn't want the hassle.
I don't know how you would tell a bent MOT, but it looked ok with the watermarks and embossing from the garage. I did ntoice that it didn't have a little tag in the wondow with the MOT date on it, as some of my other cars have been awarded this year, but I didn't know whether or not that was wide-spread now.
|
|
|
|
Mark,
I don't know what happened but I would not have even contemplated taking this motor.
Sounds very 'iffy' and if you don't have to get involved why do so.
Any slight suspicions on a deal and I'd just walk away.It makes life so much easier.
|
MLC/Full Chat
Is there a Force that collates details of stolen test certificates?
Seem to recall in my day it was Kent.
Cannot get anthing on a search for VOSA to see if they publish anything which could be checked against.
DVD
|
As you were -
It appears that you can check on Stolen/Forged Test certificates
by telephoning:
0845 600 5977 during Office hours.
VOSA Customer Help Office.
Any help Mark?
DVD
|
|
|
His wife found out.
|
lol!!!
That's the most 'accurate' answer so far, I fear!
--
groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
|
Mark
To be honest I think you had a VERY lucky escape!
I suspect that the car was perhaps not his to sell and you could have been legally removed of your car plus your money by the insurers (as no doubt you know all too well in your line of work).
Hugo
"Forever indebted to experience of others"
|
>>as no doubt you know all too well in your line of work
CIO of a telecommunications company. Insurance was a while ago.
|
|
|
|
