interesting afternoon yesterday...

ciarsd

Brother met up with my parents yesterday afternoon. Noticed their car parked neatly in car park space...as he got closer, he noticed some damage to the car.

When he met my parents, he queried the damage with my dad. Dad was shocked, his car is/was not damaged.
So my brother brings my mam and dad to the car. As he got closer, pointing towards the car, my dad says "I didn't leave my car there, it's around this corner (on another road)". My brother says, "no it aint, there it is there". So they both go and inspect.

Same car, same spec, same colour, same REGPLATE!!, same everything...except for the damage & a tow hitch, my father aint got a tow hitch and didn't damage his car. Immediately went to his car, and sure enough it was were he left it undamaged.

The other car was a ringer...a complete fake, probably written off in a previous life or stolen to order and given a new clean identity.

Crazy sh!t when it happens so close to home...you hear and read about it everyday.

Father immediately headed to the local garda station - were he met a lazy fat fooker who didnt do the real Garda any favours. He explained the situation to the desk copper, who replied with "ah, right we will look into it". My dad, quite stunned replied, "would you not head around there now seen as it's parked up and only 2mins from the station?", desk copper says, "were too busy at the minute but we'll get a squad car onto it at some stage".

At this point my dad gives up and leaves the station, noting the desk coppers badge #.

There was nothing my dad could do to intervene, and was given no advice. So he is just calling his insurance company this morning to notify them of what has gone on and to fish out this duplicate car, that either some unfortunate totally innocent person has bought or some scanger waiting to make a quick buck by deceipt.

Beware people...

bmoferrall

Invasion of the Car Snatchers?

Seth Brundle

get photos of the two together if possible

Peace

kbannon wrote:

get photos of the two together if possible

Photoshop TBH...

Seth Brundle

not if it is an ordinary photo

ciarsd

insurance company are now looking into it.

the whole point of getting the garda around yesterday ASAP was to cease the car and speak with the driver/owner....however as they were too busy, or "we'll look into it" attitude, the car was not there later that day nor today for that matter..

prospect

Man, I just can't believe that. Feckin hell, if someone is prepared to do that, then they are quite obviously up to no good, and it could have been an easy chance for the guards to pick up someone who is likely/potentially a serious criminal.
I bet if your dad every gets a penalty points notice, and goes to court, he'll be asked why he didn't contact the guards when he spotted the car!

That really isn't good enought service by that guard, he gives the whole force a bad image...

Alfasudcrazy

I have often come accross cases like this - its not always deliberate. It happens especially if cars are being registered in batches (ie:rental car companies) when several models are the same make and colour.
These car reg numbers would only be separated by one digit.
The paperwork is almost always correct whereas the guy making the plates does up two identical sets of plates by mistake and no one spots it.

Its amazing how some owners do not compare the reg no on their cars documents with the reg no on the car especially if they look almost identical.

It depends on the make of your car and was it ever owned by a company / garage etc. It would have been interesting if you had established if this 'fake' car was taxed and to compare the reg no on the tax disc with the number plate.

If any of the above conditions are not present I would write a report on the matter to my local motor taxation office sending a copy of same to my local garda superintendent. That way if any 'misunderstandings' occur later you have it on record that you reported it and its up to them to sort it out.

ciarsd

bit crazy alright prospect. there hasnt been any tickets issued to my father out of the ordinary, and certainly no points - which leads me to think that maybe the owner is legit and was sold a dodgy car and has been fooled out of quite a lot of money.

the (original, legit, genuine) car (my fathers) was bought brand new from a well known main dealer in dublin and was never anything but a privately owned car. my dad picked it up with 30miles or something on the clock and was registered in his name/address etc

unfortunately, my brother and father didnt get a chance to check much more out on the car comfortably as they didnt want to draw attention to both themselves and the added interest in the car.

BrianD

Don't suppose you get the tax and insurance details off the car? Maybe the dealer sticker. Having said that they might be as genuine as the reg plates!

jhegarty

so I car that is either a) stolen or b) about to be used in a crime, and they can't be bothered calling around...

Be fair now, I am sure there was someone doing 52 in a 50 zone ... they have priorities your know...