Dear Customer
Our records show that you have recently been in contact with the seller of a Mercedes Benz E Class for £22999.
We are writing to advise you that this advert has been removed from our website as we have concerns in regard to the adverts authenticity.
If you are considering purchasing this vehicle please ensure you have visited our online Safety & Security centre
Safety and Security Centre - Auto Trader UK - Buy & Sell New & Used Cars, Car Loans, Car Insurance and reviewed all the advice offered.
If you have already entered into any transactions with the seller, please contact us on the number below.
Customer Security Team – 0845 071 0487 / 0845 345 3450
However, please note that whilst we have policies in place to deter and prevent unethical and fraudulent activities, we have no liability in respect of any loss and/or damage that you may suffer as a result of your dealings with an advertiser and/or your purchase of a vehicle advertised on our website.
Our advice to motorists who are buying a car, is to follow a few simple steps:
Vehicle check
If you do one piece of research, do this. A vehicle data check is the smartest investment you will make when buying a car. The check will reveal if the car has been reported stolen, has outstanding finance on it, has been written-off or scrapped, and what the full spec of the vehicle should be.
Seeing the Car!
You should never buy a car without seeing or driving it first! Make sure you’re fully insured to drive the seller's car, and take evidence of this with you.
The payment
Never wire money abroad – it is almost always a ‘fraudulent’ seller. Pay for the vehicle when you are collecting it from the seller. Get a receipt for any payment you make, especially if you’re paying cash. Get two copies - one for you and one them. Make sure the car's details and the seller's address are on both, and that both copies are signed.
Vehicle Valuation
Check the market value of the vehicle.
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
The visit
Always visit the seller at their home address. Don’t arrange to meet them at a motorway service station, a lay-by or any other address aside from the one where they live. Check the address is the same as the one listed on the V5C document.
Take the original advert with you, plus the notes you made during you phone conversation will the seller. This will enable you to check details like mileage and tax are the same as you were told during the call.
The paperwork
You must see the V5C document, the service history, the MOT. Everything must be present and correct, or you should walk away from the deal.
Make sure all the documents are original – don't accept photocopies.
Examine the logbook (V5C) carefully. Check the seller is the recorded keeper in the V5C. If not, they're not legally entitled to sell you the car. Check the registration number is correct, as well as the vehicle identification number. Lots of dealer stamps in the logbook means it's likely the car is well maintained. It's always worth calling the garage to check they did carry out the work.
The DVLA has released stolen V5C document reference numbers as follows:
- BG8229501 to BG9999030
- BI2305501 to BI2800000
Checking the car
Look under the bonnet and check the vehicle identification number (VIN) is the same as that on the V5C. The VIN number is commonly found on the chassis, on the windscreen or on the floor by the driver's seat.
Kind regards
Customer Security Team
Auto Trader
