Any way of tracking down the previous owner??

[MetzC63]

Hi All,

I recently picked up a 09 C63 AMG from an independant dealer.
As the dealer did all the paperwork, I didn't really see much of the V5C other than the transfer slip.

The previous owner left a few CDs in the car that I am happy to post back, plus it would be great to get some additional knowledge of the car i.e. any known niggles, things to watch out for etc.

The current reg is: RV59BZR

 

[m80]

When you get the V5 from Swansea the previous owner name and address will be on it.

 

[219]

When you get the V5 from Swansea the previous owner name and address will be on it.

That hasn’t been the case since GDPR

 

[m80]

What be GDPR?
I contacted a previous owner in late 2017, have things changed, again?

 

[m80]

I sit corrected,
I've just checked the V5 from March 2019, no such info anymore.

 

[219]

What be GDPR?
I contacted a previous owner in late 2017, have things changed, again?

General Data Protection Regulations - governing the retention and sharing of data in just about every sphere of life .

 

[219]

What be GDPR?
I contacted a previous owner in late 2017, have things changed, again?

General Data Protection Regulations - governing the retention and sharing of data in just about every sphere of life .

Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation

 

[Chrishazle]

Did you get any servicing invoices with the car? They often have owners details on them. The print-out from the MB DSR is useless, but the dealers invoice would be good!

 

[MetzC63]

Did you get any servicing invoices with the car? They often have owners details on them. The print-out from the MB DSR is useless, but the dealers invoice would be good!

Good point, plenty of service invoices!
I'll take a look over those to see if I can get a name / address.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Maybe you might be better off not knowing ! look forward, not back and all that...

 

[219]

Also look at the MOT history , from which you can see where it was last MOTD , sometimes they might tell you who the previous owner was , if the dealer won’t .

 

[David404]

Also look at the MOT history , from which you can see where it was last MOTD , sometimes they might tell you who the previous owner was , if the dealer won’t .

Or you may be able to persuade somebody to forward your contact details to a previous owner, no GDPR issues there.

 

[LXA]

I got the previous owners details off servicing invoice records he provided with the car to the independent dealer I bought the car from. Tracked his email down via the internet. It was his company email address. Wanted to ask him about 2nd key as MB wanted £300. Funnily enough he is a GDPR consultant and his 1st response was wanting to know how I'd got his contact details - oh how I LOL'd.
Next question is going to be what kind of pray has his wheel bolts ( especially licking bolts!!!) Impacted up and not torqued when having new tyres fitted!!?????!!!!! ( No LOLing now grrrr)

 

[LXA]

( that should be 'prat' and 'locking' )

 

[Piff]

Is it possible to find out anything about previous owners? I'm not after names & addresses.
Have just received the V5c for our new car and where we thought it was 1 previous owner, turns out there were 2.
The car was 1st registered 01/03/17.
We know the second owner was a retired gent who owned from 08/05/17 until we bought.
We suspect that through March & April 2017 it was likely to be the main dealers demo but the salesman claims "no knowledge"

Only after the info for completeness of history of the car.

 

[Gollom]

Is it possible to find out anything about previous owners? I'm not after names & addresses.
Have just received the V5c for our new car and where we thought it was 1 previous owner, turns out there were 2.
The car was 1st registered 01/03/17.
We know the second owner was a retired gent who owned from 08/05/17 until we bought.
We suspect that through March & April 2017 it was likely to be the main dealers demo but the salesman claims "no knowledge"

Only after the info for completeness of history of the car.

I believe that dealers sometimes pre-register their cars to hit sales targets from MB - and increase profit. So it could be that it has only had one owner in the sense that someone used it

 

[Deleted member 159894]

If you bought from an independent dealer ask for the service history invoices, they will probably show the previous owner if private rather than leased.

 

[markjay]

If you bought from an independent dealer ask for the service history invoices, they will probably show the previous owner if private rather than leased.

On the occasion that I asked for the previous owner's invoices, they were provided with the owner's details redacted.

I do have previous owner's details, however, because I asked to see the old V5C (which you don't actually get) before buying the car, and took a photo of it on my phone with the dealer's permission.

 

[Dippo]

A dealer would not pre-register a car to hit target on the 1st of March. They would always wait for the end of the month to see what they required to hit target. Conversely, they would be pressured by MB to change their demonstrator fleet at the start of the month, so that MB had a clearer picture of what they already had 'in the bag' for the month and quarter. So it may be ex-demo, but probably not a pre-reg. As the second owner did not buy until the car was over 2 months old, I would strongly suspect ex-demo. The dealer would lose the demonstrator allowance paid by the manufacturer if the car was moved on too early - once over two months old, they might look on it more favourably.

 

[Piff]

If you bought from an independent dealer ask for the service history invoices, they will probably show the previous owner if private rather than leased.

No, it was a main dealer. Didn't see the V5c at time of purchase or MOT. Everything kept to a minimum - covid to blame for that. Wasn't until I got home that I realised the absence of the "new keeper" part of the V5c & the MOT. Contacted the main dealer the next day and was told that they had applied for the new V5c and the MOT certificate was available online.
Service history is all stored in the cars infotainment system, including lists of what was done.

My truck was bought as an ex demo at 2 - 3 months old. Main dealer was a bit coy over details and reluctant to hand over paperwork at the time. I deduced afterwards that they were not supposed to sell the demonstrators at that age.