How many registered keepers?

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rsvgreg

Active Member
Joined
May 5, 2007
Messages
260
Location
Newmarket, The home of Horsepower
Car
CLK63 AMG, CLK55, Audi Q7-4.2, A6-4.2, Ducati Monster 1200S, Aprillia RSV1000R, A210 LWB
Any help on this would be much appreicated.

Background: Reputable dealer has used rare Mercedes. Car was first sold and supplied in GB, however last registered keeper was in Northern Ireland and log book shows no detail of UK Keepers prior to being registered in NI. I did not know that if you take a GB car to NI, you get issued with an NI version of the DVLA Logbook which simply says 'Previously registered in GB'

HPI does not define the number of past UK keepers (the website claims it does) but I subscribed and got nothing more than what was on the NI logbook. Service book indicates that it has had just one former GB keeper, but it is not definative.

Spoke to DVLA whose advise was that if I write to them they might be able to respond in two weeks, no paying service offered to shortcut the process.

I am concerned that when the car gets re-registered (by me perhaps) in GB it will suddenly throw up a string of past owners. The advice no doubt from some will be walk away, but I have spent months looking for this model and it fits the bill in every way apart from the lack of clarity re past owners.

Sorry it's long winded but any thoughts or advice on how to determine the number of past owners would be great.
 
Why not phone the DVLNI in Coleraine and see what they have to say?

230k
 
What car is it? Have you inspected/driven said car? It's only a number on a document that you'll never look at for the entire time you own the vehicle - so unless it's some real exotic/collectable speciality I would just buy with my eyes - on condition itself :thumb: :)

Some types of cars (sports/convertibles) etc tend to change hands far more often than family/utility type vehicles. I think my AMG had 4/5/6 owners before I bought it when it was seven and a bit years old with full MBSH and 70k miles. What does that mean exactly? - I've had it nearly four years now :eek:
 
There's two trains of thought on numbers of former keepers. Mine was six on a nine year old SL55. First thought is the car's a PITA and has been passed on for being troublesome, so avoid.

Second is the type of car whilst being desirable, isn't very practical, certainly for daily use and with 20mpg if driven carefully, hardly economical. It may have been bought to scratch an itch, mid life crisis etc. The positive about frequent change is, it's probably been well looked after as most people will lavish a bit of care and attention to their 'new' acquisition.

I'm hoping mine's the second type. After almost a year, I haven't found anything to think otherwise :)

A detailed inspection and overall condition might give a good indication.
 
There are a number of members here who like to indulge themselves with some fantastic cars, and I get the impression that it's too many cars, too little time for them, so they don't keep them long, and they usually improve them within their short ownership!

To help with your dilemma, have you written to DVLA yet (another day has already gone by)? If not, get the ball rolling with that, and speak to the seller. DVLA may respond quicker than you expect. If you are worried about the car being sold, offer a deposit based on what you believe to be the ownership status, with the sale being completed on confirmation, or a refund if ownership is a list of who's who (but Will offers sound advice - as always!). I'd be surprised if a reputable dealer wouldn't agree to this. If they don't, make them do the donkey work, and ask for a defintive history of ownership as part of the sale.
 
Does it really matter?

Depending on age the number of keepers makes very little difference so long as the car is in great condition.

Did you call the HPI customer service team to discuss the keepers point?
 
Thanks all for your input I seem to have used something from everyone, which must be a first.

230K, DVLA in NI were super helpful and gave me some valuable feedback over the phone.

Will, Take your point and I tend to keep cars a while, my 2000 CLK55 has been taking pride of place on the driveway (long story) since 2006. However you never know what life is going to throw at you so I always ask myself 'what if, for some reason, I had to turn this car/bike around quickly'?

I really had not thought about Aitch55's lavishing attention on the new toy angle, and I like it. I had however landed on the negative 'what if it a PITA'?

MD5 took your advice and put down a deposit this morning right after I spoke to HPI's customer service team (Moff-cheers fella) who called DVLA and confirmed the picture on all the vehicle owners.

So next week I pick up my new (to me) CLK63. I have been looking for more than 18 months for the right car, I have even collected a few choice parts to fit one, as I just knew that if I kept the faith (and many hours searching Autotrader/Ebay/Pistonheads) that I would come up trumps.

But guys I just want to thank those of you who responded at all hours of the day and night. In a hectic week my dream car turns up wth just one fly hovering over the ointment, so it great to get such advice and views. I hope I can help others on this forum in the same way in the future.

Excited, you bet, pictures to follow.

Greg
 
Best of luck Greg :) :thumb:
 
Car sounds great by the way, it's actually very rare to find low sports/fast cars nowadays, I should know because I barely keep them any longer than six months!
 
Glad your wait is over, Greg, and good luck with the car. Look forward to seeing the pics.
 
Nice one Greg..
I can see you're a real petrol head looking at some of the goodies you own..
I think your new car will fit the bill very well indeed..

I see you like your Bikes..I used to have a Kawasaki ZZR1100 !
Fabulous engine which was a gentle GIANT !
 
Sounds like a nice car. As mentioned above the number of owners isn't a major concern (although I did rule out buying a 5 owner 2 year old 7 series)

The BMW I just bought had one owner and it was first registered in Northern Ireland.

I spoke to DVLNI and like yourself I found them to be extremely helpful, they confirmed date of plate transfer and document issue dates.

As an aside I transferred my plate to my car and the V5 has come back showing number of previous owners as None but also includes the statement 'previously registered elsewhere in the UK'. It's a bit odd that the DVLA and DVLNI seem to be so disconnected.
 
Thanks guys, I can't wait to collect this car.

A-AvantGarde, the dealer told me the log book would appear this way, and DVLA contradicted him, but your real life experience suggests he could be correct.

Whatever the case I making plans alreay for a few choice mods, although she who must be obeyed will no doubt frown on such things.

sspeed. Had a whole string of Kwackers, from an iconic Z1B :D when I was eighteen, to a couple of ZX10's, before having a a Yamaha phase (6 week old R1 stolen at the Bol' :() before finding my way to Aprilia. My mate has just rebuilt a Z1 (featured in StreetFighters in Dec 2012) and it lead me back to the GPZ1100B2, about the only model I never owned (GPZ1100B1 with lunch box clocks was closest).

Ridden a few ZZR's, monster power and comfort, and in the right hands can hustle down the back roads.this would be the case.

Hard to find the time for both bikes and cars, but heck you gotta try.
 

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