Dodgy car dealer

mc gripen

Hi all, I bought a car a month ago from a shady character. Being an idiot, I drove away with no receipt. The car went for two days and stopped. Tried ringing him but no answer. No log book came so I had a family member check the vin. It was in the name of a different dealership. When I rang said dealership they said they never had the car. Has anybody experienced this before? Why would one dealer put a car in another dealers name? Tax evasion? I can't get my head round it.

mc gripen

Anybody???? Sorry if I posted in the wrong section.

slimjimmc

Patience is a virtue, it's only an hour since your OP.
I'll move this over to the Motors forum which has a wealth of experience with dealers good and bad.

Moved from Consumer Issues

mc gripen

slimjimmc wrote: »

Patience is a virtue, it's only an hour since your OP.
I'll move this over to the Motors forum which has a wealth of experience with dealers good and bad.

Lol, sorry. I think I need to go do some calming down before Mrs mc gripen chokes me.

visual

Was it a garage or side of road car park you bought the car from ?

mc gripen

visual wrote: »

Was it a garage or side of road car park you bought the car from ?

Side of the road. I know I was stung. Just can't understand why it's in a dealers name. I wonder does said dealer offload bad trade ins this way.

JPCN1

Try SIMI. They may be able to help.

Atlantic Dawn

How did the family member find out who owned the car?

visual

Car was probably taken in as trade in and garage sold through auction as it wasn't good enough or right type for their forecourt.

There is a lot of back street guys buying these up cheap , clean them up as best they can and flip for a few quid. There is no warranty no comeback as these guys sell at side of road or car park with only contact details being mobile number.

coylemj

JPCN1 wrote: »

Try SIMI. They may be able to help.

You are joking, right?

Even if the OP bought the car from a guy with a permanent (i.e. not a pre-fab) premises and he was a member of SIMI, they would do nothing for him. SIMI exists solely to represent and lobby on behalf of the motor trade, they don't give a sh1t about consumers.

Our role is to represent the views of the motor industry by campaigning to the Government, state bodies, the media and the motoring public.

http://www.simi.ie/About+Us.html

Special Circumstances

JPCN1 wrote: »

Try SIMI. They may be able to help.

Lol

mickdw

Ok. The issue of the car having a mechanical problem is your problem at this stage and there is nothing to do about that only fix it as cheaply as you can.
In relation to the log book. Did you buy the car without seeing or signing the logbook? If you did, how did you know the person selling it even owned it and had not stolen it for example?
If he did have the book, well it takes a few weeks to arrive. Failing that, you can complete a declaration of ownership that allows the registration people to issue you the book. That involves getting a garage to certify the identity of the car.
At this point, you should check that all is well with the cars identity as a start point.

mc gripen

mickdw wrote: »

Ok. The issue of the car having a mechanical problem is your problem at this stage and there is nothing to do about that only fix it as cheaply as you can.
In relation to the log book. Did you buy the car without seeing or signing the logbook? If you did, how did you know the person selling it even owned it and had not stolen it for example?
If he did have the book, well it takes a few weeks to arrive. Failing that, you can complete a declaration of ownership that allows the registration people to issue you the book. That involves getting a garage to certify the identity of the car.
At this point, you should check that all is well with the cars identity as a start point.

The car is not stolen. The vin matches the reg matches the car. I could check the vin because of a member of the family working in the tax office. Also have 2 family members in the force. It's funny how the dealer won't acknowledged ever owning the car. Sure if it's in his name he must have received something. Il just get a rf134 and hope he doesn't contest it.

mickdw

mc gripen wrote: »

The car is not stolen. The vin matches the reg matches the car. I could check the vin because of a member of the family working in the tax office. Also have 2 family members in the force. It's funny how the dealer won't acknowledged ever owning the car. Sure if it's in his name he must have received something. Il just get a rf134 and hope he doesn't contest it.

Well if you are happy is not stolen, how could the registered owner contest it?

mc gripen

mickdw wrote: »

Well if you are happy is not stolen, how could the registered owner contest it?[

The registered owner is the dealer I was talking to earlier who says he has never seen the car. If he is dishonest enough for that he may start looking for a free car, running or not.

mickdw

mc gripen wrote: »

mickdw wrote: »

Well if you are happy is not stolen, how could the registered owner contest it?

The registered owner is the dealer I was talking to earlier who says he has never seen the car. If he is dishonest enough for that he may start looking for a free car, running or not.

So you bought without seeing logbook. That was foolish in the extreme.

mc gripen

mickdw wrote: »

So you bought without seeing logbook. That was foolish in the extreme.

Obviously it was foolish. I started the thread asking if anybody had come across that kind of thing before, not your opinion on foolishness.

bcmf

Sorry for the thread hijack.
I am in the market for a car.Spotted two I liked. A few phone calls with both sellers and no mention of dealer's. A quick check on the revenue site popped up that they were both sold onto dealership's but were being sold privately.
Dealers have them and are probably warranty nightmares so try and sell privatley!
Its a nightmare out there at the min with cars being flipped.

mc gripen

bcmf wrote: »

Sorry for the thread hijack.
I am in the market for a car.Spotted two I liked. A few phone calls with both sellers and no mention of dealer's. A quick check on the revenue site popped up that they were both sold onto dealership's but were being sold privately.
Dealers have them and are probably warranty nightmares so try and sell privatley!
Its a nightmare out there at the min with cars being flipped.

I think my guy forgot to change the ownership over. Then when I called the dealership his boss/friend/ whatever, went into panic mode. Have to fix it quick to make a few trips through the toll :-)

George Dalton

What kind of car is it? How old and what kind of money are we talking?

mc gripen

George Dalton wrote: »

What kind of car is it? How old and what kind of money are we talking?

2005 Saab 93. 1700 plus my battered old mg zr. He was asking 2500. I'm so stupid buying cars, a comedy could written about it.

bcmf

mc gripen wrote: »

Have to fix it quick to make a few trips through the toll :-)

Guaranteed to speed things up dramatically

mc gripen

bcmf wrote: »

Guaranteed to speed things up dramatically

Also forgot to take the mg off my toll account, just remembered now......idiot.:-D

Special Circumstances

mc gripen wrote: »

2005 Saab 93. 1700 plus my battered old mg zr. He was asking 2500. I'm so stupid buying cars, a comedy could written about it.

Diesel or petrol. Shur you don't know yet whats wrong, there might be a cheap fix. Saab doesn't fill me with optimism, but hey hope for the best prepare for the worst.

My current car was bought off a "sold as seen" trader who got it from the main dealer it was traded in to. Now he's not a small time guy, he must have moved 60k worth out of his farmyard that weekend alone.

So yeah, just cos a main dealer doesnt want to stand over it doesn't necessarily mean it's a crock.

coylemj

mc gripen wrote: »

Obviously it was foolish. I started the thread asking if anybody had come across that kind of thing before, not your opinion on foolishness.

No, even after reading the threads on Motors for many years I have never come across this - someone who handed over his own car and cash in return for a car with an unknown provenance, without carrying out a basic mechanical check and with zero paperwork from a stranger on the side of the road.

Nothing will surprise me any more after reading this thread, this takes the biscuit.

mc gripen

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Diesel or petrol. Shur you don't know yet whats wrong, there might be a cheap fix. Saab doesn't fill me with optimism, but hey hope for the best prepare for the worst.

My current car was bought off a "sold as seen" trader who got it from the main dealer it was traded in to. Now he's not a small time guy, he must have moved 60k worth out of his farmyard that weekend alone.

So yeah, just cos a main dealer doesnt want to stand over it doesn't necessarily mean it's a crock.

1.8 petrol. I'm hoping it is just something small. It starts but is really rough. I tried driving it and it blew the coil pack. I replaced that and the plugs but to no avail. I think it's wise to have the log book in my possession before I flatbed it to a garage. Hopefully the timing just slipped a notch.

bazz26

JPCN1 wrote: »

Try SIMI. They may be able to help.

bazz26

OP, chances are the guy you bought it off of was not a dealer or not a registered dealer. He is one of thousands out there on the likes of donedeal who buy and sell on cars to make a quick buck and stay below Revenue's radar. I'd say you have little or no chance of finding this guy as he probably disposed of the SIM already.

mc gripen

bazz26 wrote: »

OP, chances are the guy you bought it off of was not a dealer or not a registered dealer. He is one of thousands out there on the likes of donedeal who buy and sell on cars to make a quick buck and stay below Revenue's radar. I'd say you have little or no chance of finding this guy as he probably disposed of the SIM already.

He has plenty of cars for sale on the net. Sure I have no comeback anyway. I just can't figure out why its in a big dealers name when he knows nothing about it.

joe912

mc gripen wrote: »

He has plenty of cars for sale on the net. Sure I have no comeback anyway. I just can't figure out why its in a big dealers name when he knows nothing about it.

if you pm me I might be able to help.

mgbgt1978

mc gripen wrote: »

He has plenty of cars for sale on the net. Sure I have no comeback anyway. I just can't figure out why its in a big dealers name when he knows nothing about it.

...and you say you have two Family Members on the 'Force' (Presumably AGS). Surely a meeting to view a car can be arranged and this can all be sorted out quickly.

PS. If it's in a Dealer's name, either they or the seller should have the VLC...although I'd be looking for a Refund.

George Dalton

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

...and you say you have two Family Members on the 'Force' (Presumably AGS). Surely a meeting to view a car can be arranged and this can all be sorted out quickly.

Good point. Surely if the seller can play the system so can the OP....

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

PS. If it's in a Dealer's name, either they or the seller should have the VLC...

Not necessarily. A dealer who can do transfers online (unlikely for one of these chancers admittedly) wouldn't need the VLC at all. I know we don't need one anyway...

Whosthis

Hey OP, what area did you buy the car in?

mc gripen

Whosthis wrote: »

Hey OP, what area did you buy the car in?

Blanchardshown/ finglas

Sam Kade

coylemj wrote: »

No, even after reading the threads on Motors for many years I have never come across this - someone who handed over his own car and cash in return for a car with an unknown provenance, without carrying out a basic mechanical check and with zero paperwork from a stranger on the side of the road.

Nothing will surprise me any more after reading this thread, this takes the biscuit.

He admitted what he did was foolish no need to rub his face in it.

ironclaw

mc gripen wrote: »

I could check the vin because of a member of the family working in the tax office. Also have 2 family members in the force.

Everything that is wrong with Ireland in a single paragraph. The wheel keeps turning.

mc gripen

ironclaw wrote: »

Everything that is wrong with Ireland in a single paragraph. The wheel keeps turning.

Ok, so you say it's wrong that somebody can have a vin checked in this thread, but you told somebody in another thread that they should have their vin checked. Thats a bit hypocritical.

mgbgt1978

ironclaw wrote: »

Everything that is wrong with Ireland in a single paragraph. The wheel keeps turning.

Everything that is wrong in Ireland is somebody having a Family member check out a Vin no.
Really ???? That's everything that's wrong here !!!!! :rolleyes:

mc gripen

We're a nation of few problems. But they're big problems.....apparently.

Wailin

ironclaw wrote: »

Everything that is wrong with Ireland in a single paragraph. The wheel keeps turning.

I'm intrigued......could you expand on that sweeping statement?

ironclaw

Wailin wrote: »

I'm intrigued......could you expand on that sweeping statement?

Its a serious breach of Data Protection, something that anyone in the private sector would probably be fired for. Its quite different to walking into a Garda station, if you have a genuine concern, and its all logged and above board. The most of which you should be told is: Yes / No, the car is / isn't stolen. Nothing more. No further details. A simple Yes or No.

I'm assuming this 'family member' in the tax office ran a VIN check and then told the OP the details. Which is passing sensitive, private and protected data to an unauthorised third party. But our public service don't care for such industry standards and ISO procedures. The correct procedure is formal data requests and the paperwork to cover it. If I wanted to find a specific car or person, should I be able to just have a family member in the tax office look it up?

mc gripen

It lit a fire under the sellers a**e. How else could I deal with the situation? Now all of a sudden the seller rang me because the garage ( who have no knowledge of the car) rang him ( who they have no knowledge of). He has set up a meeting with his friend ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE GARAGE). I have to sign something. It's probably to say I bought the sold as seen. I just want the log book at this stage. Wouldn't want to start trouble with gangsters who know where I live and work.