What to do when you find your old car on e-Bay and it's been clocked?!

[neilrr]

The Ebay listing has ended (but is still up).

 

[kickin'fm]

£50 says they've read this post...

Does anyone know if this person is a trader or not?

 

[Alfie]

The Ebay listing has ended (but is still up).

Smacks of guilt to me!

Seller hasnt answered any of my emails either!

 

[The _Don]

He just text me and said he sold the car

 

[Mad4Coupes]

Add the sellers ID to your favourate sellers and check every few days to see if it the car re-appears in a few days time.

 

[The _Don]

His response when i told him the true mileage "omg r u being serious i took it in part ex and didnt know im gonna get it sorted i aint a rip off"

 

[A-AvantGarde]

His response when i told him the true mileage "omg r u being serious i took it in part ex and didnt know im gonna get it sorted i aint a rip off"

Classic 'innit' - would be interesting to see what happens...

 

[christopherwk]

£50 says they've read this post...

Does anyone know if this person is a trader or not?

I'm being a little quiet about the person I sold the car to here, although he said he did come from Nottingham. As he knows where I live, and if he gets found out, I don't really want any trouble from someone who buys fake knuckle dusters and hair growth shampoo (his previous eBay feedback spotted earlier).

He was a motor trader, since I gave him the rest of the V5, and he filled out the motor trader section (V5C/3) which I retained to send off to the DVLA.

His response when i told him the true mileage "omg r u being serious i took it in part ex and didnt know im gonna get it sorted i aint a rip off"

 

[kickin'fm]

sold the car my ****

totally rumbled.

 

[NISFAN]

Sadly slipped through the net.

 

[NW_Merc]

I don't really want any trouble from someone who buys fake knuckle dusters and hair growth shampoo (his previous eBay feedback spotted earlier).

Is he hoping to make a clean knockout?

I'll get my coat

 

[SilverSaloon]

His response when i told him the true mileage "omg r u being serious i took it in part ex and didnt know im gonna get it sorted i aint a rip off"

why did you tell him? now its unlikley Christopherwk will be able to continue pursuing this easily via the correct channels as no doubt the car will go into hiding or a story made up in advance...

 

[christopherwk]

Hmm, it could now be sold as spares or shipped overseas if the seller knows he's rumbled?

 

[Alfie]

This is still worth reporting to DVLA and HPI so that at the least if someone does buy it or check it there will be some evidence of whats happened. It will also make it a bit more difficult to sell on.

 

[Scott_F]

why did you tell him? now its unlikley Christopherwk will be able to continue pursuing this easily via the correct channels as no doubt the car will go into hiding or a story made up in advance...

Unfortunately the "correct channels" all appear equally ineffective:

DVLA/VOSA - should have quickly picked this up but didn't do so despite their hugely expensive computerised systems.

Trading Standards - not interested (see post 74).

Police - don't make me laugh.

Ebay - may have been worth a try but the last owner would say the car has been clocked, the vendor would say it hasn't been clocked to his knowledge and Ebay would probably do nothing.

It's easy to see why so many people get away with these things right under the noses of the authorities with apparent impunity.

 

[SilverSaloon]

yes the MOT history, where it suddenly looses all those miles baffles me why it cant flag up a warning of some kind. so easy to do with the system.

 

[NISFAN]

Apparently, changing the mileage on a vehicle is not against the law, so DVLA, etc will not be jumping up and down whenever a vehicle owner replaces a speedo.

A crime is only commited when an individual advertises an incorrect mileage as being the correct one.

Have you not been to used car dealers where there are stickers on the dash stating that the displayed mileages may not be accurate, and the buyer should carry out their own checks to ensure they are? This gets the dealer out of trouble if he happens to have a clocked car on his forecourt.

If the same clocked car is put up on ebay stating, indicated mileage = 94000, but buyer must carry out their own checks to verify, then the seller hasn't done anything illegal. Sucks I know but is the law.

 

[jaymanek]

Its true, pretty much every dealer I know will write clearly on receipts or other documentation "mileage cannot be guaranteed"... Unfortunately mileage fraud is very common and if done in the cars early years, no one could ever be the wiser and so no one can really ever warrant the mileage unless they are the only owner from new.

 

[Scott_F]

Apparently, changing the mileage on a vehicle is not against the law, so DVLA, etc will not be jumping up and down whenever a vehicle owner replaces a speedo.

A crime is only commited when an individual advertises an incorrect mileage as being the correct one.

Have you not been to used car dealers where there are stickers on the dash stating that the displayed mileages may not be accurate, and the buyer should carry out their own checks to ensure they are? This gets the dealer out of trouble if he happens to have a clocked car on his forecourt.

If the same clocked car is put up on ebay stating, indicated mileage = 94000, but buyer must carry out their own checks to verify, then the seller hasn't done anything illegal. Sucks I know but is the law.

The DVLA should at least advise the new owner when (or even before) the new registration document is issued. The victim could then pursue the vendor for some sort of recompense.

Otherwise what's the point of them asking for mileage information when someone sells a car and keeping extensive computer records ?

 

[NISFAN]

It is why you need to do HPI checks on EVERY car that you buy.

People who don't HPI are running the risk of being de-frauded in this manner, but just as many cat C D cars being sold as 'mint, owned by little old lady to go to church' etc etc. There are too many crooks out there trying to part you of your cash.