Stolen car being broken for parts?

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clk320x

Hardcore MB Enthusiast
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Tesla Model S, Model X & Mercedes W212 /// Previous: Jaguar XFR, Mercedes E320 CDI, C32 AMG, CLK 320
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272742662235

Seems fishy that a GB reg vehicle is being parted out in Lithuania???

But would they make it so obvious without blanking out the plate etc?

Hmm either way seems a bit iffy?
 
Still showing as MOT`d on the Gov website. Maybe these cars are worth more in bits on the continent than they are over here.

Buy a car with a months ticket on it and drive it to Eastern Europe then break it for parts,very plausible.

Kenny
 
I've sold a few cars to a couple of breakers from Lithuania.

Very straight forward, they come in a transporter pick up about 10 odd cars and driver pays for the car, they load it on and away they go.

Even easier than WBAC
 
Maybe you can buy a CLK cheaply in the UK, drive it to Lithuania, and make the money back on parts they can't get there?

EDIT: Too slow! :rolleyes:
 
Many 'UK-based' breakers on eBay are actually just fronts for the same chaps - if you look at details at the bottom ... I suppose this is similar to many Chinese suppliers, that have setup UK warehouses to ship directly.

No idea why so many car breakers are from Lithuania / Latvia ... maybe they just like taking things apart :dk: your conclusion seems equally plausible though.
 
Interesting

I've never heard of that before.. guess you learn something new everyday

Thanks chaps
 
I've been considering upgrading from the basic audio in our Golf to one of the units with sat nav (RNS 510). Most of the units I've seen on eBay have been shown as being in Lithuania. Just feels a bit dodgy to me.
 
My local breaker has for some time now been completely devoid of any Merc's simply because as soon as they come in they get containered-up and leave for eastern Europe.
 
Yep, it's offshoring....

Well established business now. (Legitimate) Cars go off to Lithuania where they're broken down for parts and then distributed all over Europe.

Labour's a fifth of the price, Land's a fraction of the price, and the physical distribution of the donor vehicles and resulting parts isn't that great.

And it's broader than the motor trade, it's going on in other sectors too.
 
Also earlier MB's go sometimes for peanuts on trade only auction sites- I have seen prices as low as £100- so a fairly cheap source of cars.
 
I would suspect from the colour scheme that that particular car would have been cheap to buy.

I've had parts from Lithuania for both an E-class and the Jaguar, with no problems at all.
 
You see loads of these on the continental motorways - not jut heading for Lithuania. Car transporters mostly registered in the former Soviet block heading home with Uk registered cars on board. The labour rates and cost of land must make it economically viable even if the parts are then posted back to the UK
 
I'd still rather buy from someone in the UK if I can. - If something goes wrong, can you get your money back from Lithuania, or do you just accept the part you receive?
 
I used to work in the car trade years ago (mid 90's) and had a few contacts from out that way that bought up Ladas by the transporter load..... They took literally hundreds if not thousands of cars back home. But they stripped them on the ships and apparently threw the chassis overboard.

Sent from my EDI-AL10 using Tapatalk
 
I used to work in the car trade years ago (mid 90's) and had a few contacts from out that way that bought up Ladas by the transporter load..... They took literally hundreds if not thousands of cars back home. But they stripped them on the ships and apparently threw the chassis overboard.

Sent from my EDI-AL10 using Tapatalk

Indeed. I worked in the marine trade and attended hundred of Soviet bloc ships with hatches decked out with Ladas all heading home. Good riddance.
 
This was going on as far back as 2004. We had several Lithuanian lads working for us and they kept us well informed on some of their mates money making schemes.
 
I'd still rather buy from someone in the UK if I can. - If something goes wrong, can you get your money back from Lithuania, or do you just accept the part you receive?

If you pay with Paypal, you may have some comeback. I don't know whether UK regulations, where if you pay over £100 by credit card the seller and the credit card company are jointly liable if the goods are not up to scratch, apply to purchases from abroad.
 
I've sold a few cars to a couple of breakers from Lithuania.

Very straight forward, they come in a transporter pick up about 10 odd cars and driver pays for the car, they load it on and away they go.

Even easier than WBAC

I've had the exact same experience with Polish breakers.
 
A young polish apprentice I worked with recently went on a road trip to Poland with his dad in an old Mercedes Benz.

Came back on a plane, minus the Benz.

He said his dad was getting the car 'done up' in Poland and would be picking it up in the new year.

The kid was a bit sketchy on the detail of the car and what needed doing, But one day a shiny MB will appear on Ebay in the UK...could be this one.
 
When my house was being renovated I stayed with my sister's Romanian ex-au-pair in a house in Slough for two months. In that time two young men came over, bought a Sprinter van, filled it with Mercedes parts and drove it home, there to break it. Labour and land is very cheap, but parts are dear.

I've bought parts from all over Europe, via ebay and paypal, had only one problem, which was sorted by Paypal and I was refunded in full. The only place where I have consistent problems with breakers not returning calls, emails or supplying goods that meet expectations are in the UK.
 

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