Buying car advice!

[dailydriver]

Hi everyone!

Seeking advice for my father. Found him a new car. Hpi checks out. Car is in good condition.

The original owner lost the V5 when we decided to buy it. So he has had a new one issued. Had to wait a few days.

So on the Hpi the V5 issue date didn't match. I'm know it takes a while to update. So I just backdated to a few weeks after he origanaly bought the car and found it was issed about 13 days after he got the car. Issue date is always the day they issue the V5 and not the day you actually received the keys. So I'm guessing in a week, or so the HPI check will tally up with the issue date of the replacement V5. Or will just go straight into the new date again if my father buys it.

Now the question.

The car is in the sellers mother in laws name. I'm sure it's safe to buy if he has the replacment V5. So will check with DVLA tomorow morning the details on the new V5 and make sure that they matched and they issued a new one.

Or you think walk away?

Thanks in advance

[Conniff]

Hi dd. This is the only website recommended by the DVLA for checking cars, and at only £3.95, it's a bargain. You can do it online and get an instant response.

https://www.mycarcheck.com/

If everything don't tally then walk away, there is no excuse for an owner not to have a V5.

Ring DVLA and check, V5 can be reproduced and fake.

If everything turns out ok, make sure you have a good test drive even if you have to put some fuel in yourself.
At least five miles to get the engine up to temperature and lift the bonnet and have a good look around as soon as you get back from the test while it is still hot.
Don't purchase without a test drive and test all things in and around the car work.

If you do the carcheck and DVLA check, then go here and do a free VOSA check:

MOT Information - Introduction for the MoT and advisory.

[dailydriver]

Hi,

Thank you for the reply. Everything does tally out. Phone call to the DVLA confirms the details. Just the name on the V5 is his mother in laws name.

All of a sudden the only thing that concerns my father is that what if he's taken the car off of the driveway of a houe tht he rents out, or something. Extreme I know, but that's what has enetered his head.

The mother in law lives in another country now!

Starting to think if we have doubts even if documents check out then walk away!

[patdavies]

The V5 only records the name of the registered keeper.

It has no connection whatsoever with ownership of the vehicle (ie a V5 does not prove title).

If you had bought through a garage. it would still have the MIL's name on it as the garage would not get a V5 issued in their name.

[gwc1000]

Hi, dailydriver. Did the seller claim that the vehicle was registered to himself before he lost the V5? Have you checked the new V5 to see who the previous keeper was, and how long they owned the vehicle, and was it the seller? If it was the seller, then alarm bells would ring with me. Why would he apply for the replacement V5 in his MIL's name? I have had a few cases when somebody has bought a car had it registered to themselves and then immediately re-registered it into a family members name. This is done so the person they bought it off disappears off the V5, so any purchaser cannot get in touch with them to ask any embarrassing questions, such as mileage. Have you been on the motinfo website to check mileages of previous MoTs?

[dailydriver]

Hi,

Thank you for the replies.

He did say it was in the MIL's name when we first phoned. Always has been and she is staying abroad. So I was wondering how he can even sell it if she is the registered keeper. Her name on V5. I think that I understand what you mean about owner/keeper now though.

Will phone today and get MOT details and check mileage. Only registered in July. So they've had it a few months. Now I am starting to wonder.

[dailydriver]

Hi again. Thank you for the advice.

I really appreciate all the help and need to get my head around it.

I decided to wait on the car purchase and wait and see what other advice I can get.

I'd really appreciate anymore thoughts. I know it's Friday and pub time!

Hope I make this clear.

I phoned the DVLA up and asked them to check the V5 is valid. They said that they can confirm the details of the car, but not the V5 serial number and document reference number. Although they did say they change both numbers when a new V5 is issued for a replacement.

I have reason to be believe he has given me false details and is producing a fake V5.

When I do a hpi check with the date of 09/09/08 and the document serial number he supplied (top right of V5). The date 09/09/08 is the date of the replacement V5. It comes up a mismatch. So I can understand that perhaps it has not been updated.

DVLA did confirm a replacment was isssued on that date for this car. That's the date on the V5. So that seems legitimate.

Here's the catch.

I then done another hpi (using the free update serice) with this document serial number on an older date. Guessing the date around the time he bought it. Eventually I found the right date. So that was the date of the original V5.

So I think that he has a fake V5 with the new date 09/09/08 and old V5 serial number from the old V5 so it tallys up when I back date it.

Surely if it's legit the same V5 serial number shouldn't work?

That sound right?

Sorry if I'm accusing him and he's clean. I think it's a dirty car. My head hurts trying to explain.

[Conniff]

If DVLA say they change the numbers on V5 changes then I think your answer is there. It's a shame, but as car sales go at present, there is definately another 'bargain' waiting for your father out there.

You would be wise to try a dealer and then you will be covered by the sale of goods act should anything go wrong with the car, you have no recourse with a private buyer even if the engine blows up 100 yds down the road.

Have you checked the VOSA site yet? it's free and easy.

[dailydriver]

Sorry. I haven't as I was going to go get the MOT details today and check it. But since I'm not going then I won't even get them details. The V5 been lost I could have accepted. I will try the hpi again and see if that number does eventually match up to 09/09/08 then DVLA would be wrong. However they have twice confirmed that both numbers change.

Edit: Sorry just had another look and used the VRM and document serial number ffrom v5. You don't need Mot number and I get the following.

So two things don't add up. I'm glad I did try that serial number with the old registration date, otherwise it may not be noticed.

MOT Status Check - Incorrect vehicle or document details



We are unable to process your request because of one of the following reasons:

• The Document Reference Number from the V5C Registration Certificate issued by the DVLA does not exist or does not match the vehicle registration mark supplied,
  or
• the test referred to by the test number does not exist or does not match the vehicle registration mark supplied.

[Conniff]

It's not likely that DVLA would be wrong if they say they change the numbers and if you should eventually match that number to that date when DVLA have said twice that they change them, then even more reason to be suspicious and walk away.