This all sounds very risky. Lots of little things would make me very uncomfortable if it were me buying the car:
1) The car isn't in the seller's name
2) You aren't buying the car at either the seller's or registered keeper's address.
3) Insistence on cash. It's untraceable. If you want to pay cash, fine, but why did he insist on it? Builders do work in cash, but a banker's draft could have been banked, cleared, and drawn on the same day. Hardly a major inconvenience.
4) Seller's willingness to not only let you see personally sensitive information, but take copies of it! Seems highly unusual.
None of us are perfect. I will confess to breaking rules 1 and 2 when I bought the Golf. It was from a private trader who happened to be working from a friend's garage on the day I wanted to look at the car. I decided it was safe to proceed because:
1) If I'd gone any other day than the one I chose, I could have seen the car at his address. In fact, when I'd initially arranged to view the car, it was a weekday and he would be at his address. Only when I moved it to the Saturday did he say he was helping a mate out and would I mind going to the dealer or leaving it 'til Sunday. He gave me the choice. A con artist wouldn't/
2) The deal was done in the showroom of a large, well established car dealership.
3) He would have been happy with a banker's draft. Again, a con artist wouldn't be.
4) The owner of the dealership and the trader I bought the car off were clearly well acquainted.
5) It was a £1850 car. Not an inconsiderable sum of money, but if you're going to risk this kind of thing, you're going to do it with something that will make you a bit more dough than that.
EDIT: Oh, and 6) I'd spoken to him on a landline on a number that matched the original viewing address he gave me.
Edited by DP on 16/02/2010 at 17:15
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I didn't comment much on the various threads surrounding the OPs original loss/scam with his Discovery... but I did allude to the fact I'd never have fallen for it for so many reasons.
So the OP asks for marks out of ten for this second attempt... I'd say between nothing and 2 at max. If this is a genuine vehicle much of it is down to luck because as others have said you didn't see the seller or their home.... and yet again there is no HPi insurance protection because the OP wilfully ignored a condition that is there for very good reason... buying at the sellers home address as on the V5.
Having said all that I hope it turns out fine as the OP deserves a break!
Edited by M.M on 16/02/2010 at 17:31
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AND it was a five day listing. Short listings are the mark of a scammer. Never buy a car that's not on a ten day listing - gives them more time to be caught by the real owner of the eBay account.
Putting a car like that up for sale at such a low price is the mark of a madman, or a scammer, surely...? He's sold it for less than a garage (that was using Glasses) would have given him in px.
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When I buy items from eBay costing five HUNDRED pounds I want a landline number, that I can find on bt.com, on which I have spoken to the person.
Nine THOUSAND pounds... from a mobile phone from a nice bloke who is selling somebody else's car with photocopies of all his photoshopped documents, who is just off to find the wife and kids...
How do you think that talking to the servicing garage, who confirm the name on the stolen V5 (and stolen car) helps? They remember the bloke who brings it in, but this is no help as it is the son you are meeting.
I really hope this turns out OK for you; I really really do. I merely post this so that others might think twice about the car that is too cheap to be true.
On second thoughts... surely this must be a troll post.
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The OP had a proper, full-price HPI check done which gives him some comeback.
He checked the car with the supplying and servicing dealers who both said what he expected them to say.
Cash transaction under the bank's cameras, suggesting the seller is not trying to hide his identity, or at least his likeness.
Likewise the information on the seller and his father - it could all be forged, but someone has gone to a lot of trouble if it is.
The seller felt genuine to the OP, who doesn't seem like an idiot to me.
Having said all that, buying privately seems an odd thing for the OP to do after his Disco experience.
I have concluded from this and other threads I only know enough about buying a car privately to know not to do it.
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Sadly no comeback against HPi having broken an important condition...
11.1.6 If the vehicle is bought privately then you must purchase it from the keeper and at the address stated on the V5. You must verify the identity of the seller against those on the V5.
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>The OP had a proper, full-price HPI check done which gives him some comeback.
None, in fact, as he paid in cash away from the seller's address
>He checked the car with the supplying and servicing dealers who both said what he expected them to say.
But if the car had been stolen with the service book then that's all in there too...
>Cash transaction under the bank's cameras, suggesting the seller is not trying to hide his identity, or at least his likeness.
About the only good point, but do we know whose account the money actually went into? No gtee that it was paid into the seller's account, is there? Could have been his mate in Spain with the offshore account in Jersey..
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oldnotbold
he got his cash (over £9k), chose to stuff it in his pockets
quote unquote
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True Bell Boy - I'd assumed they'd gone into the bank together, but no. For all we know the seller sent in, asked for directions to Costco, and left.
Now if he'd gone into Waitrose then I'd have beleived the seller to be a decent chap, but Costco, surely not? No way would I buy a car from someone who shopped there, and worse, lets his wife go there.
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i stopped going to costco as the charge is still £25 a year
im a maccess lover because its free free free
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...No HPI protection because he paid in cash away from the sellers address...
Well, he thought he had protection which must have made him feel better.
The fact I was unaware of that demonstrates why I will not buy a car privately.
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...No HPI protection because he paid in cash away from the sellers address... Well he thought he had protection which must have made him feel better.
Well no, after the last apparent escapade I'd think the OP would read the hpi terms and conditions very carefully before proceeding, but it appears not.
Almost beggars belief.
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One out of ten. You've taken a chance but hopefully you'll be OK. I was very interested in buying a Subaru Forester from someone on this forum but he lived in Scotland and I lived in the South, he offered to drive the car down but I refused to proceed simply because it would have broken one of the essential rules of buying privately- ie see the car at the address on the V5. I'm 99% sure he was genuine but I wouldn't chance it. In the end I bought from a main dealer and am very pleased with the purchase.
Why did you not buy from a dealer after your last experience?
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the main thing is he has bought it from a very respectable area of the country
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the main thing is he has bought it from a very respectable area of the country
Chester?
Have you seen some of the council estates round there?
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Well,
I certainly hope that your purchase will give you many years of trouble-free motoring. However, after your tale of woe with your Disco, I think it beggars belief that you paid cash to a bloke selling someone else's car, and didn't view it at the seller's address!
As others have pointed out, the HPI insurance is invalid due to the above, and obviously you have no comeback if the car's a complete dog.
One thing I'd like to ask though - do you like the thrill of purchasing high value items this way? I know money can be an issue obviously, but I think I'd rather buy either a 55 plate car from a dealer for the same money, or stump up some more for a similar aged car.
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Utter madness.
Is it possible that this chap is a gambling or drug addict who has just sold you his dad's car to which he has no rights ?
Yes.
Probably not, of course, but if he was then you would have no comeback. Trying to sue someone who has no money is not going to go far.
Even a 2 or 3% chance of this being the case is too much of a risk to take, IMO.
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Well, good luck, B, on your new purchase... but you're a braver man than I!
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Good luck.
As a seller I would be VERY concerned about walking out of a bank with 9K in my pocket - even if it was not my bank I would pay it in . . . . .
Who signed the V5 ? Was it the person named on it?
If someone will give you copies of information that would allow you to clone their identity/borrow money in their name either they are stupid (haven't we all had the identity theft leaflets though the door?) or the documents are false.
Having sold a car for my son the V5 was transferred to MY name and the car sold from MY home adress (photos on the advert were taken at that address). I had a landline number which matched his nameand address from 118118 and a car registration number (for what it was worth).
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Well I did the same thing about 5 years ago with my Bora TDI, bought from an ad on Ebay, except I paid £10000 with a bankers draught.
I travelled about 270 miles to get mine and did less checks than you.
Met the young lady at the railway station, had a look around the car and went to the bank.
All this was after various emails and telephone conversations.
Despite what the naysayers might think, not everybody in this world is crooked and everything has been fine.
Sometimes, people do actually want to sell their cars for hard cash rather than getting ripped off at the dealers.
Best car I ever bought.
Good luck.
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Marks out of 10?
Well on the face of it dodgy.But given the garage checks and the story.. uniqueish circumstances.. 7..
Would I do it? I doubt it...
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One out of ten!
Sorry, Bazomis, but you don't learn, do you! No registered in sellers name, met in public place not at sellers or owners home, paid in cash, allbeit at a bank. No HPI protection (again!) because you haven't bought at the address car is registered at.
I personally will never, ever, buy another car from a private seller.
Good luck, I don't wish to be unkind, but I still think you are taking chances.
I hope this one does work out for you.
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Bazomis - you're just waiting to see how many broken golden rules of buying a used car backroomers can spot in your ficticious post, yes? I hope I'm right and if not, I genuinely hope this doesn't go pear-shaped for you a second time.
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Bazomis - you're just waiting to see how many broken golden rules of buying a used car backroomers can spot in your ficticious post yes?
Well the ebay link indicates an Audi A4 estate was bought by someone called 'bazomis'...
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Well the ebay link indicates an Audi A4 estate was bought by someone called 'bazomis'...
for £9,188
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Well the ebay link indicates an Audi A4 estate was bought by someone called 'bazomis'...
But it doesn't confirm to us that he paid cash in a pub carpark. On the other hand, he seems to have gone very quiet on us, so maybe he's feeling sheepish...
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>> Well the ebay link indicates an Audi A4 estate was bought by someone called 'bazomis'...
How can you tell that?
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How can you tell that?
If you mean how do I know who the buyer is, if you click on the seller's feedback score, the latest feedback (last time I looked) is from bazomis and the item is the Audi.
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Right. Thanks.
I don't use e-bay much.
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There was a recent court case where an organised gang were "selling" cars, think it was on Gumtree, buyers were turning up at the meeting point with wads of cash only to be done over and get their cash nicked.
Helluva risky way to go in my opinion but as some have said before, seeing a deal come sometimes cloud the better judgements.
Never go food shopping when you are hungry and always try and buy cars when you don't desperately need to, that way you can be a lot more rational.
[Thats actually good advice - I must pay attention to it sometime] :)
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