Hi guys,

This is a long read, I know, but I believe that not only have I purchased a car with a fraudulent MOT, I have also uncovered a rather large fraud involving a very well known scrap collection company.

I bought a 52 plate (2002) Ford Mondeo on eBay on 10th July. The car was advertised as having 12 months MOT and it was stated that the car passed with zero advisories on the 6th July and that it had been 'fastidiously maintained'. I checked it's MOT online and it showed that it had indeed passed with no advisories. This obviously gave me the confidence to bid on the vehicle without test driving, which in hindsight was very stupid! (Lesson well and truly learned)

I collected the vehicle on the 11th and on the drive home there was considerable knocking sounds coming from the rear of the car so I took it straight to my local garage to have it looked at. The mechanic who looked at the car stated that it was physically impossible for this car to have passed an MOT just 5 days previous, let alone passed it with no advisories. He said there were a number of dangerous faults and he advised me not to drive the vehicle home.

He told me I could leave the car there for a few days and said that I should contact the DVSA to complain about the MOT carried out on the 6th July. I filled in the necessary form and the DVSA inspected the vehicle yesterday (22nd). The inspector phoned me to inform me that he had discovered a very long list of failures which included 5 dangerous faults. He immediately, and understandably, issued the vehicle with a Prohibition Notice and told me in no uncertain terms that not only had the vehicle been incorrectly passed on the 6th but that he believed the tester who passed it hadn't even seen the car before issuing the pass certificate.

Thing is now, the car has cost me £450 so far (not a lot to many people but it is to me) and I'm left with a vehicle with a scrap value of £65! Now here is where it gets interesting. I've looked into scrapping the car and I've been shopping around for the best prices when I found a site called Car Take Back. They arrange for a local company to collect your vehicle for you and it is supposedly taken away and recycled. That's what their website says, anyway.

But the company they list as being my local collection agent just so happens to operate from the same unit under the same owner with the same telephone number as the company I purchased the Mondeo from on eBay. Could it be that he is collecting scrap cars from members of the public via Car Take Back, sticking fraudulent MOT certificates on them and then listing them under his other company name on eBay?

Almost all of the cars he lists have 12 months MOT with no advisories, which is very suspicious.

If this is the case then this obviously needs to be stopped. The chap from DVSA must have done his research, too, as he also mentioned that the company I purchased the vehicle from also collects scrap for Car Take Back. He never came out and said it but he's obviously thinking along the same lines as me. He has assured me that in addition to the company that wrongly passed the vehicle, he will also be fully investigating the company that I bought the car from. Whilst I welcome that and hope justice is done, I'm still out of pocket.

So, for those of you that have stuck with me this far; what do you think is the best avenue for me getting my money back?

I have today written to the previous owner listed on the logbook explaining what has happened and asking them to confirm whether they did scrap the car via Car Take Back. But, I am unsure of my next steps. Trading Standards? Contact the seller with all of the evidence I have so far and ask him to refund me? Last time I spoke to him he denied any knowledge of the MOT and said it was nothing to do with his company. Contact the MOT station that issued the MOT and ask them to bring the car up to MOT standard? Wait for the DVSA to finish then pursue the seller with whatever evidence they uncover?

I'd really appreciate any advice or help from someone that might have been through this before and might be able to advise the best route to getting my money back.

You could open an ebay dispute, unless it's not allowed for motors, not sure.

Once you submit the dvsa findings to ebay they should refund you straight away.

Hopefully you paid via credit card or PayPal.

Unfortunately I paid cash on collection, so eBay/Paypal won't help me.

I think you can still open a dispute with ebay and at least disrupt his dealings

I wasn't aware you could do that having paid cash. If that's the case I'll open a dispute if nothing more than to just disrupt him and his dealings, as you say.

Almost all of the cars he lists have 12 months MOT with no advisories,

So he is a trader. In that case, you reject the car for a full refund to be with you in 48 hours or you will take further action.

Court action isn't very dear and you would claim that back plus any other expenses this has cost you.

The Consumer Forums: The Consumer Rights Act 2015

Do it in writing, email is fine and back it up by sending it signed for.

DVSA, like Trading Standards, don't take someone to court on your behalf, they will do their own prosecution,

so contact them again and ask if that are intending to take any action against the trader.