Buying a used car from a trader in the UK

[menoy]

Hi

Apologies if this sounds straightforward to most, but would appreciate if someone could throw some light on the process of buying a car from a trader in the UK. Being from abroad, I'm not familiar with the system, I've tried to read up on the net and getting quite lost in the sections of the V5 and its different coloured bits!

If I buy a car from a trader, should his details be anywhere on the V5? Or would I normally just get the V5 with (only) the previous owner's details + an invoice from the trader? Thing is I will be exporting the car out of the UK to Poland, where sometimes the registration office likes to be quite anal - especially around 'continuity of ownership'. I.e. there should be a traceable line of ownership back to the last person in the registration document. So if I only have a V5 with the previous owner's details and an invoice from the trader there is a gap (i.e. no proof the trader has come into the possession of the car lawfully). Just want to make sure I get this straight - untangling the issue might be hard from 2000km away!

Thanks for any help/insight.


PS Is this law or general gassing?

Edited by menoy on Tuesday 1st December 23:26

[menoy]

Thanks everyone for the help - never seen a V5 in my life, so was not aware of that top part of it. Indeed, makes things a bit clearer.



PS Have confirmed I will be getting the whole V5 from the trader. Car is also SORNed and will be trailered back to Poland, so understand tax and insurance are not an issue.

[menoy]

CDB1983 said:

(...)

If you need any other help let me know as we've done this a few times and will be doing it again very shortly to replace the car we've just had stolen.
(...)

Any company you can perhaps recommend to transport the car to Poland? Or did you always drive?


Also - assuming I only come to the UK to buy the car and leave with it the same day (not the case this time, but lets hypothesise). Does the Polish registration office expect the DVLA to send a V5 in my name to Poland? Does this work for cars being exported immediately after purchase at all?

[menoy]

Breadvan72 said:

OP, you are Joseph Conrad AICMFP. Or should that be you are Konrad Korzeniowski and I claim my five zlotys?

Prefer the latter, much cheaper!

CDB1983 said:

Unfortunately they seem to expect a v5 in your name, (Different registration offices may operate differently but the one in Bydgoszcz are really pedantic) When you buy a car in the UK you usually only get to keep the green slip which isn't accepted in Poland, They only seem to accept the full v5.

In terms of shipping I usually drive as its easier and much quicker as my sister still lives in the UK (I have the v5 sent to her address),

You could try a website called shiply, the quotes for transport usually seem quite reasonable. 1000 ish PLN to Poznan/Bydgoszcz from the south of England. I've had a few quotes in the past but decided to go back to the UK as I usually have things to sort out in any case so just combine the trip.

Unless its a RHD only car ie Japanese import I personally would buy in Germany (We are looking now) as the GBP is really quite strong compared to the Zloty, 6 as opposed to the average 5 over the last 10 years.

On another note, What the hell is wrong with the used car market in Poland! I've looked at 5/6 cars this week all described as "Jak Nowy" and "Igla" which turned out to be badly repaired accident damaged vehicles from Switzerland and Austria

Not sure if you should bother looking any further then, vast majority will probably be of that type - from western Europe, odometer turned back, accident repaired and advertised as the holy grail of used cars. It's like a needle in a haystack.