Buying a car but unable to sign logbook on handover

[Tom Newton]

Evening all, bit of random question here,

I'm potentially looking to buy a car this weekend (190e) but it's in Blackpool and I'm South Wales, the car looks great and ticks all the right boxes.

I work for a dealer in Swindon and we have a empty truck coming back from Scotland on Monday that could also potentially collect the car for me on the way through. Would mean buying it blind but that's a risk i'm willing to take.

Payment would be easy enough, but my question is, am I able to buy the car even though I'm not physically there to sign the logbook?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[pimpdriver]

Just get your driver to fill in your details and scrawl a signature.

 

[Giantvanman]

Give/send the lorry driver a photocopy of your licence to show/give the seller as well as a covering note (or written on the photocopy) explaining the circumstances (including authorising the lorry driver to sign for you) to give to the seller to send away with the V5 and have the lorry driver sign pp you………….

 

[Dieselman]

Of course you can buy it without signing the tear off slip.

The seller sends their bit off for their protection, you register it in your name independently.

 

[sl55plymouth]

I bought three cars last week and didn't sign any of the documents, bought all of them blind, apart from a few pics, worked out really well :bannana:

 

[MancMike]

I've sold a car under the same circumstances, the dealer bought the car, and sent a truck to pick it up. The guy had a quick check of the car then signed the form.

 

[paul_c]

To be pedantic, its not your (the buyer's) problem, its the seller. They are the ones who have responsibility for filling in the new details and sending off the V5, and its also in their best interests to do so (avoid speeding fines and other motoring offences etc, avoid fine(s) due to not paying road tax). Its between you and the seller on the arrangements to make given he can't verify you in person. In fact, come to think of it whenever I've sold a car I've always trusted that whoever is buying it is telling me the correct details! I've never asked to see their driving licence etc. In fact I've let a few sold cars be driven off when I'm 95% sure they're not insured for it and 100% sure they weren't taxed.