Dodgy Dealer?

[facebook]

Just had a bit of an awkward experience....Ended up feeling like a total knob.

Went to 'see' a car which looked like it was being vaguely sold by a dealer. Ended up being located in a up market neighborhood on the drive of a very large posh house with a bunch of other for sale vehicles parked up.

So the guy isn't a dealer in the traditional respect. Yet, is like a pseudo dealer. Apparently, the vehicles sold are ex-fleet and come directly from the company. So the log book is in the name of a company miles and miles away.

I very, very nearly handed over a deposit but flaked at the last moment. Here I was doing business in the chaps (very) nice Kitchen. Insisted on driving me to the cash machine. Felt very pressured at this stage. Didn't expect to be buying on the first view at all. Although I was very interested in the vehicle. Tonnes of paper work and test drive was fine.

Having said that, all the paperwork in terms of servicing, parts etc was generated by the company that owns it. No prices or garage listed.

In the end, the gut instinct kicked in. Something felt dodgy but I couldn't put a handle on it. I felt pressured (lots of interest tactic) My nerves totally got the better of me and I put down the pen and made an embarrassing exit.

Looking back now, it felt odd that there wasn't any paper work verifying the transfer of the vehicle from the company to this individual. And that the chap was a dealer but wasn't, in the traditional sense. No VAT. Yet claimed to have been a self employed dealer for almost twice as long as I've been alive.

I just feel incredibly awkward at this point about it all.

Very near disaster, or really good lost opportunity. Thoughts?

 

[jrkitching]

Thoughts?

Very near disaster

That.

I'd say you did the right thing, and had a lucky escape.

Trust your gut instinct. If it felt wrong, it probably was.

There are plenty of other secondhand cars you can buy.

 

[g8rpi]

Just had a bit of an awkward experience.

Very near disaster, or really good lost opportunity. Thoughts?

Lucky escape I think.
If the car was not registered to the person selling then they must be a dealer. A car must either be register to an new owner, transfered to a dealer or declared as scrap. Looks like yours was none of these. Since the sale of goods act (fit for purpose, quality, as described etc)was confirmed as applying to used cars more and more used car sellers are trying to avoid their responsibilites by posing as private sellers.
Did you HPI the car?
As a rule of thumb don't buy a car on the first viewing. Never pay cash on a first viewing on a even slightly dodgy looking deal unless you can afford to lose the money and the car.

Robert G8RPI.

 

[portland_bill]

This is not a unique situation.
We've all seen 'dealers' masquerading as private sellers, with cars on the street, each having a different mobile number, and are right to be cautious.

However, there are some people who specialise in trading ex-fleet cars, often without premises. Some also act as specialist car finders, for private individuals or businesses who want a specific model. Lots of small businesses use such a service to find used cars for their 'fleet'. My Panda came from one such trader, not his usual fare, but selling it for a neighbour in the village.

Trading from his own home makes it difficult to disappear, but such sales will often have little or no warranty. Service records from a company will often be their own printout, as the original invoices form the servicing garage are kept for their own accounting purposes. Only those from private sellers are available to pass on with the car.

This guy is likely to be genuine, but with any purchase, any doubt at all will only grow and spoil the enjoyment of the car, even if works well for a long time. So the decision is right for you.

 

[facebook]

Thanks for the heads up.

You know that feeling when a sale just seems somehow too perfect. And the chap selling comes off with that stereotypical salesman feel complete with all that glass friendless that comes with it. Yet, you're not on a forecourt. Plus, the vehicle seems a bit too much of a bargain. I just couldn't cope at the given moment to complete.

As someone who has sold a vehicle I can now appreciate the opposite end of the transaction. I had a lot of 'time wasters' and 'tyre kickers' but I never labelled them as such. I always sent them on their way to have a 'think' and let me know.

I know you can get 'dun' by a private individual, but at least you've got their blinking address on the V5 and not some company that's over 60 miles away.

All too strange. But I really loved the motor. All seemed to good to be true.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Do you recall the name of the company who were named on the V5?
If so you could always call them and ask for the fleet manager and ask if this guy has the authority to sell their vehicles perhaps?
They might answer your question.
But beyond that if you are expecting any sort of back up like you might get from a proper dealership then I wouldn't hold your breath. But presumably you would be paying below the odds anyway, so it would be a calculated risk.
My son bought a car once, and in the service book there was the name of a dealership (in Glasgow) that had done some servicing on the car. Then there was the entry that was supposed to show that the timing belt had been changed, but it looked a bit odd to me. So I phoned them up. They were very happy to check the reg and their records, and to tell me that to the best of their knowledge the had NOT changed the timing belt on that car.
My son had already bought the car by then of course and I honestly thought, is the grief I will get going back to this Pseudo dealer worth the cost of getting it done? So like a soft Dad I paid for it to be done by a garage I could trust.
So maybe the phone could help you ?