UK car purchase advice needed

Crochet

Hi,

I have made contact with a private seller in the UK regarding a car I am interested in purchasing. The value is around £15K. Everything seems good apart from the fact that the seller informed me that he selling the car on behalf of his son in law. It appears the seller does sell agricultural machinery based on his website and ebay history. (The car is actually listed in the autotrader uk and not on ebay.) However I am assuming you cannot sell a vehicle on someone's behalf, since you are not the registered owner of the vehicle. What documents can prove he is allowed to sell such a vehicle? Is this a scam - how can I make sure that it is not?

Thanks,

Mike.

Crochet

Just to add some more information, the seller indicated that he would accept payment by BACS, debit card, cheque or Bankers draft. Not sure which would be safest? (Not sure what BACS is)

BuffyBot

Crochet wrote: »

Just to add some more information, the seller indicated that he would accept payment by BACS, debit card, cheque or Bankers draft. Not sure which would be safest? (Not sure what BACS is)

BACS is a bank transfer.

Crochet

Its been a while since I bought a vehicle from the UK. Can you tell me if the owners name is on the V5C document? If I make a bank draft payable to the name on the V5C document would that be a fool proof method of making sure only the owner gets the payment?

CiniO

I wouldn't buy a car from a person who is not registered owner.
Not for £15k anyway.

Mintoe

Crochet wrote: »

Hi,

I have made contact with a private seller in the UK regarding a car I am interested in purchasing. The value is around £15K. Everything seems good apart from the fact that the seller informed me that he selling the car on behalf of his son in law. It appears the seller does sell agricultural machinery based on his website and ebay history. (The car is actually listed in the autotrader uk and not on ebay.) However I am assuming you cannot sell a vehicle on someone's behalf, since you are not the registered owner of the vehicle. What documents can prove he is allowed to sell such a vehicle? Is this a scam - how can I make sure that it is not?

Thanks,

Mike.

Walk away, not worth risking..... U.K. Car market is huge and plenty of choice elsewhere

Crochet

OK so I asked the seller what is the name on the V5 document. He told me it is his company name 'BeechDale Matlock ltd' . This is his website http://www.beechdalematlock.co.uk/ or http://www.agri-mech.co.uk/. So it seems this is a company car used by his son in law and nolonger needed. The Bank Draft would be made payable to a name different to the company name. He will arrange transport of the car for me.

Crochet

If his company was in liquidation /went into liquidation would this show up on the HPI check?

Stephenc66

Crochet wrote: »

OK so I asked the seller what is the name on the V5 document. He told me it is his company name 'BeechDale Matlock ltd' . This is his website http://www.beechdalematlock.co.uk/ or http://www.agri-mech.co.uk/. So it seems this is a company car used by his son in law and nolonger needed. The Bank Draft would be made payable to a name different to the company name. He will arrange transport of the car for me.

Crochet wrote: »

If his company was in liquidation /went into liquidation would this show up on the HPI check?

It would appear that the company is active, check out the company info here

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03579382

I would want a HPI check to make sure that there was no outstanding finance due and would still be dubious about making a payment to a third party even if the check came back clear

Crochet

Hpi check came back clear. Not sure whether to go ahead or not.

Stephenc66

Crochet wrote: »

OK so I asked the seller what is the name on the V5 document. He told me it is his company name 'BeechDale Matlock ltd' . This is his website http://www.beechdalematlock.co.uk/ or http://www.agri-mech.co.uk/. So it seems this is a company car used by his son in law and nolonger needed. The Bank Draft would be made payable to a name different to the company name. He will arrange transport of the car for me.

Crochet wrote: »

Hpi check came back clear. Not sure whether to go ahead or not.

Are you intending to go and view the car or buy sight unseen? As another poster has pointed out the UK is a huge market and unless it is a particularly rare car you might be able to buy the same car elsewhere with less risk attached.

Maybe best to line up a couple and go have a look?

Marcusm

Crochet wrote: »

OK so I asked the seller what is the name on the V5 document. He told me it is his company name 'BeechDale Matlock ltd' . This is his website http://www.beechdalematlock.co.uk/ or http://www.agri-mech.co.uk/. So it seems this is a company car used by his son in law and nolonger needed. The Bank Draft would be made payable to a name different to the company name. He will arrange transport of the car for me.

Has he said he'll accept a bank draft? Very unusual in UK for car purchases.

Crochet

I would get the rac to check the car out alright. The car is a mazda 6 2015 new facelift model...full leather.


Why would a bank draft unusual?

Crochet

Ok he wants me to make the draft payable to his son in law who has the same surname as one of the company directors.

Marcusm

Crochet wrote: »

I would get the rac to check the car out alright. The car is a mazda 6 2015 new facelift model...full leather.


Why would a bank draft unusual?

I've just moved back from the UK; no one uses bank drafts for car purchases, if oh have the funds for a draft you can simply use your debit card and the dealership gets a fraud guarantee from that which it doesn't get from the draft. The fact that he wants it paid not to himself or to the registered owner but to another family member confirms my suspicion. The car might be very straight but the deal is not.

Stephenc66

Crochet wrote: »

I would get the rac to check the car out alright. The car is a mazda 6 2015 new facelift model...full leather.


Why would a bank draft unusual?

Crochet wrote: »

Ok he wants me to make the draft payable to his son in law who has the same surname as one of the company directors.

Marcusm wrote: »

I've just moved back from the UK; no one uses bank drafts for car purchases, if oh have the funds for a draft you can simply use your debit card and the dealership gets a fraud guarantee from that which it doesn't get from the draft. The fact that he wants it paid not to himself or to the registered owner but to another family member confirms my suspicion. The car might be very straight but the deal is not.

As Marcusm says the deal is not straight, lets say you like the car it all checks with the RAC mechanically and you buy it.

At a later date the company goes into receivership/liquidation or there is even a falling out among the directors. The director (if he is) you paid turns out to have misappropriated a company asset and at best the the car is involved in a legal dispute or at worst reported stolen. Ok you have the car registered to you in Ireland but do you really need to potentially be dragged into someone else's problems

You don't need the hassle a quick google shows the UK Mazda dealer network have over 50 Mazda 6's in various configurations for sale and that does't cover all the independents, car supermarkets etc.

If it were me I would be looking elsewhere

Crochet

Ok i spoke further with the seller. He says that i can make the bank draft payable to the name on the v5 document. He says all the families vehicles are insured under the company policy. So on the V5 it basically says , david malone, matlock ltd as the registered keeper. I can make the draft payable to david malone. Should this allay my concerns?

bazz26

What's so special about this particular car as the whole thing so far just asks more questions than it answers? Why not just move onto the next one?

Crochet

bazz26 wrote: »

What's so special about this particular car as the whole thing so far just asks more questions than it answers? Why not just move onto the next one?

The facelift interior only came out in 2015 so even a lot of 2015s have the old interior.. That coupled with the fact that this is the sport model (full leather plus top of range features) for 15k represents excellent value. The same model at uk dealer is 17/17.5k.

Crochet

There seems to be a distinction between the owner of a car (whoever paid for it) and the registered keeper (name on v5 , person who get penalty points etc ). Only the owner can sell the car but it doesnt seem easy to find out who the owner is. (Have i got that right?)

In this case the owner would appear to be matlock and the registered keeper is the employee. Who should i actually be making the bank draft payable to?

bazz26

Crochet wrote: »

The facelift interior only came out in 2015 so even a lot of 2015s have the old interior.. That coupled with the fact that this is the sport model (full leather plus top of range features) for 15k represents excellent value. The same model at uk dealer is 17/17.5k.

Cheap cars are cheap for a reason. You need to not let the cheap price blind your judgement. If it represents such excellent value then why hasn't it been snapped up by someone else already?

Marcusm

bazz26 wrote: »

Cheap cars are cheap for a reason. You need to not let the cheap price blind your judgement. If it represents such excellent value then why hasn't it been snapped up by someone else already?

I suspect it's cheaper because it's a private sale rather than the dealership values he's quoting otherwise. It's not surprising that there are few 1 year old cars on private sale and it may very well be the case that with the manufacturer's warranty that there is little downside to a private purchase from that perspective.

It's the messing about with the name on the draft etc that pisses me off. If the OP can live with that then proceed.

Soarer

Crochet wrote: »

The facelift interior only came out in 2015 so even a lot of 2015s have the old interior.. That coupled with the fact that this is the sport model (full leather plus top of range features) for 15k represents excellent value. The same model at uk dealer is 17/17.5k.

Why not offer the dealer £15k and see what they say?

Even if you got it for £16k, it'd be a better/safer buy than what you're doing at the minute.

Stephenc66

Just reading from a V5C registration document

Across the top it says

"this document is not proof of ownership, it shows who is responsible for registering and taxing the vehicle"

in a separate yellow box on the front it reads

Buyer beware
Do you know how to avoid being tricked into a stolen vehicle

For tips and advice go to
www.gov.uk/checks-when-buying-a-used-car

OP I see where you are coming from now on the price, you have done all your checks proceed with caution and maybe consider collecting the car yourself rather than have it transported to you. That way if when you are there you feel uncomfortable you can still walk away (unless he is holding the car until the draft clears)

Crochet

Thanks for all the input. I am a little on cautious regarding the sale but am hoping for the best. The RAC cant inspect the car till monday. If it checks out and hasnt sold in the meantime i think i will go with it. Fingers crossed.

bazz26

Hope it goes well for you.

Crochet

Ok for anyone who is interested
...I got the car and its in perfect condition.. really happy with it.... no messing on arrival...he had the car and paperwork for me on arrival. Its now registered and taxed in my name in ireland. I have a signed receipt etc. The nonsense he was going on with seems to be linked with ( from my deductions) the fact that he has kept this vehicle on his companys books as a tax write off. Should his tax avoidance bother me. Do I really care?