Forum Experience and Advice

[NormanB]

I have just seen an interesting 320CDI Estate for sale here:

http://www.cobham-station-garage.co.uk/vehicle-details.asp?intMax=&intMin=&RSPage=1&ID=19141

They used to trade as Cobham Station Garages but since the new year seem to be sailing under the banner Carlians.

So two questions:

1. Does the car look pukker at this price (mileage seems low to me and they are not flagging up FMBSH).

2. Anyone have experience of this outfit?

Please PM if you do not want to go public

Thanks
NormanB

 

[vito113]

1. Does the car look pukker at this price (mileage seems low to me and they are not flagging up FMBSH).

No full MBSH = Walk Away!

 

[jimmy]

It's got to be worth a look or at least a phone call if it is what you want and the price seems right.

Could be a genuine reason for the low mileage and you can find out about the service history, it does not have to be FMBSH there are other (possibly better?) places to get an MB serviced.

 

[lotusmark2]

Got to agree with Jimmy on this one.
So long as it has been maintained well (by who ever) it's got to be worth a look.

 

[Ian B Walker]

When it all comes down to it its what you think it is worth. Advice here is usually very good and informative, but it is advice only. Go look at the car, ask all the questions you want answered and then haggle. A MBSH is desirable but I dont think essential. ( I am going to get shot to peices now). It must have some history as in initial service etc. It may just be the buy of the year?

 

[pluggers]

Personaly I think its quite high milage for the year,Possibly a company car or even a directors car,As for service history maybe the previous owner had a contract going with another service agent though the buisness.

EDIT....I also think its expensive

 

[Satch]

Depends if it is a "local" car. There are quite a few E class Estates & similar in this part of Surrey and a lot of them simply do not get to do big miles. School run, shopping trips, days out, hols in France. Maybe Mummy or Daddy works in the City and there is a second or third car. (On reflection I think that might only hold up for the higher spec cars)

But: watch out for signs of careless use such as parking scrapes, kerbed wheels & underbody damage. There are some really crap "big estate" drivers in this part of the world. If it has a towbar that has signs of having been used seriously, think hard. (And if you even suspect a horse box has ever been attached, IMHO no barge pole is long enough.)

 

[jimmy]

**ALARM BELLS**

Just checked the reg no and it should be a Honda CB1100 SF Motorcycle registered March 2001!!

Could be a different car in the photo, or had a plate transfer or the DVLA info is incorrect, (sometimes happens!).

If you do take it further then please do get an HPi check done yourself, not from the selling garage.

 

[vito113]

Run!!!!! Could be a 'Ringer'

**ALARM BELLS**

Just checked the reg no and it should be a Honda CB1100 SF Motorcycle registered March 2001!!

…oh! oh! Very cheap, appears to have a dodgy plate… 'What do you mean It's stolen Officer? but I bought it from…'

 

[Big Ed]

Am I the only one who thinks it doesn't look cheap? You can buy same car, same spec, same year from a MB dealer for the same price (there's a 2002/51 reg with 32k for £25995 at MB Manchester which souns a better buy for a start).

Given the choice, I would normally prefer to buy at a MB dealer unless there is a substantial cash saving from buying from an independent dealer.

And Vito's comment about 'What do you mean It's stolen Officer?' brings back some memories of a car I bought at an independent dealer once..........

 

[jaymanek]

its prob had a recent plate change. DVLA are V slow when it comes to updating systems after a plate change.
About the s history, most likely they just dont list it as its standard to all their cars. None of their cars list SH in the descriptions on the site.

Jay

 

[jaymanek]

In fact, thinking about it, im pretty sure they have to have FMSH to be able to offer warranties. Most warranty companies do not cover without full history. That car looks ok to me... think you need to go give it a look. Im sure you wont be paying that price.

 

[Gizmo750]

Just a quick thought but as I was under the impression that you cannot take a number plate from a bike and transfer it to a car - or is it the other way around? ? ? ?

Guy

 

[vito113]

… possibly, but…

its prob had a recent plate change. DVLA are V slow when it comes to updating systems after a plate change.

It could be perfectly genuine, but I would be 100% wary of any Y plated car that was swopped for another 'Y' plate. Now that I know the plates have been changed I would personally not go near this one with a bargepole, but if you do, make sure you get your own independent HPi check done and have the RAC/AA check it over as well. They also show a 2000 reg ML wearing a P plate…

Take care & remember, Caveat Emptor

 

[vito113]

Bike to Car is OK

Just a quick thought but as I was under the impression that you cannot take a number plate from a bike and transfer it to a car - or is it the other way around? ? ? ?

Guy

Other way round Guy, you can't put a Car registration on a Bike.

Andy

 

[Dieselman]

It could be perfectly genuine, but I would be 100% wary of any Y plated car that was swopped for another 'Y' plate. Now that I know the plates have been changed I would personally not go near this one with a bargepole, but if you do, make sure you get your own independent HPi check done and have the RAC/AA check it over as well. They also show a 2000 reg ML wearing a P plate…

Take care & remember, Caveat Emptor

What is wrong with this? My car has had three numbers on it, two private and one DVLA issue, between the privates.

 

[Dieselman]

**ALARM BELLS**

Just checked the reg no and it should be a Honda CB1100 SF Motorcycle registered March 2001!!

Could be a different car in the photo, or had a plate transfer or the DVLA info is incorrect, (sometimes happens!).

If you do take it further then please do get an HPi check done yourself, not from the selling garage.

Don't be surprised if the DVLA details are wrong. It took them three attempts to issue me with a correct V5 for my car. If I hadn't spotted the mistakes they would have carried through to data checks.

 

[richy]

I don't see anything wrong with plate changes as long as you can get all the records on the HPI. This way all the numbers are checked against finance etc... after all it's really people's whims about the number were talking about nothing else related to the car has actually changed.

The one I just bought from MB dealer had three plate changes and only two owner - suspicous ? Turns out MB had it for display and demonstrater for 6 months with a particular plate ( not it's supplied number) on before selling to a doctor with it's real plate on and then the doctor puts his own on straight away !

Nice ! but it's all checkable so as said it wouldn't put me off.

 

[vito113]

What is wrong with this? My car has had three numbers on it, two private and one DVLA issue, between the privates.

Well Dieselman, Nothing in itself, but…

The plate is shown as currently being attached to a 'Y' reg Honda motorbike.

Now I know DVLA are often slow and innefficient, but it seems to me that if you do a registration check and it comes up suspect you should immidiatly be suspicious! After all that's the point of doing the check. I would not give someone the benefit of the doubt and assume it may be DVLA's fault if I was stumping up £25k of my money

Andy

 

[jimmy]

Thought I had better clarify.

The registration number I typed into my system was Y917 WKH as seen in the photo, I also tried Y917 MKH in case my eyesight is poor. The sytem I use connects to HPi to get info about a vehicle, it does not bring back any personal info nor can it be used for checking cars ownership, history, finance etc, just technical info about the car. The registration came back as a Honda motorcycle, no plate transfer, no import marker, nothing unusual.

It is quite possible that the DVLA info is wrong, it happens. We use the system around 60-80 times a day and usually get 1-3 irregularities per day, not recorded, wrong vehicle, correct vehicle but wrong technical info etc. My own car comes back as 5000cc engine capacity, I have told the DVLA twice but nothing has been done.

I still think the car is worth looking at, the mileage is about right, the spec is OK not sure about the price other than it is out of my range.