Sold a car, no buyers details kept and now DVLA questions.
Discussion
In March I sold a car, got paid (bank transfer) and buyer collected all good.
When the Buyer collected he signed a receipt - all good.
As he wanted to get on his way he offered to do the rest of the paperwork as he was "a retired car dealer" and knew what to do - at the time I thought all good.
However, we've now been contacted by the DVLA as "there appears to be no insurance on your car sir".
We've gone through everything and can't actually find where we wrote the buyers details down, we've even checked phones call logs to see if they give us numbers to no avail.
What do we do??
When the Buyer collected he signed a receipt - all good.
As he wanted to get on his way he offered to do the rest of the paperwork as he was "a retired car dealer" and knew what to do - at the time I thought all good.
However, we've now been contacted by the DVLA as "there appears to be no insurance on your car sir".
We've gone through everything and can't actually find where we wrote the buyers details down, we've even checked phones call logs to see if they give us numbers to no avail.
What do we do??
This time last year I had the same from the DVLA regarding a car I sold in February.
They claimed I owned a car without insurance and wanted to charge me £100. I hadn't owned the car for 5 months at that point, and furthermore it was insured by the new owner. He sent copies of his insurance and a 30 second check on the MID showed it was insured.
This was explained several times but the message never seemed to get through. They (the DVLA) even got to the stage where they were planning to take me to court. I stood my ground, explained the facts again and again and eventually they dropped it.
However... I sent the V5 back myself. This might be where you come unstuck. Why did you not fill it out there and then? It takes a couple of minutes at most.
Have you received the 'You are no longer the registered keeper' slip?
Can you access the Insurance Database to check the reg number – http://ownvehicle.askmid.com
They claimed I owned a car without insurance and wanted to charge me £100. I hadn't owned the car for 5 months at that point, and furthermore it was insured by the new owner. He sent copies of his insurance and a 30 second check on the MID showed it was insured.
This was explained several times but the message never seemed to get through. They (the DVLA) even got to the stage where they were planning to take me to court. I stood my ground, explained the facts again and again and eventually they dropped it.
However... I sent the V5 back myself. This might be where you come unstuck. Why did you not fill it out there and then? It takes a couple of minutes at most.
Have you received the 'You are no longer the registered keeper' slip?
Can you access the Insurance Database to check the reg number – http://ownvehicle.askmid.com
DrSteveBrule said:
Why did you not fill it out there and then? It takes a couple of minutes at most.
Seemed like the buyer was trying to be helpful and both he and we wanted to get on our way (he'd got a 150miles drive to get home)DrSteveBrule said:
Have you received the 'You are no longer the registered keeper' slip?
No didn't know were supposed to.DrSteveBrule said:
Can you access the Insurance Database to check the reg number – http://ownvehicle.askmid.com
Marcellus said:
As he wanted to get on his way he offered to do the rest of the paperwork as he was "a retired car dealer" and knew what to do - at the time I thought all good.
FWIW- You are supposed to do the Paperwork and send the V5 off, Not the buyer- they only take the New owner slip. A "retired car dealer" should know that... or perhaps that's why he did it...This is the process by which your surrender ownership, obviously the buyer hasn't submitted the paperwork either as a scam or by accident.
You will have to prove to the DVLA you no longer own the vehicle since it is clearly still in your name.
Once you find his details and supply them to the DVLA give them to his local Police as well as he is committing Fraud.
There is a whole section on the back of the V5 stating your responsibilities and liability to be fined if you don't keep the DVLA upto date.
Unfortunately, by handing over the whole V5 which the buyer then doesn't appear to have completed means you are still liable for that car.
The buyer gets the bonus that he can sell the car on without it being registered to him or his "business" therefore being one owner light of the truth.
Unfortunately, by handing over the whole V5 which the buyer then doesn't appear to have completed means you are still liable for that car.
The buyer gets the bonus that he can sell the car on without it being registered to him or his "business" therefore being one owner light of the truth.
Sorry to say you are on the hook for this.... it is your responsibility to inform the DVLA if you transfer the vehicle to a new keeper - failure to do so is a registration offence resulting in a penalty notice.
The information is all there on the V5C and you should have taken the time to familiarise yourself with it before handing over the car. Still, its history now so you have to think where you go from here......
The evidence seems to suggest your charming buyer has turned out to be a cad and you are being shafted as a result.
Admitting to the DVLA that you haven't completed the new keeper section confirms you have committed an offence. It is amazing how often V5s sent to the DVLA properly completed fail to arrive or get 'lost in the post'.....
Only you can decide which tack to take with the DVLA, but you now have a hole to dig yourself out of.
The information is all there on the V5C and you should have taken the time to familiarise yourself with it before handing over the car. Still, its history now so you have to think where you go from here......
The evidence seems to suggest your charming buyer has turned out to be a cad and you are being shafted as a result.
Admitting to the DVLA that you haven't completed the new keeper section confirms you have committed an offence. It is amazing how often V5s sent to the DVLA properly completed fail to arrive or get 'lost in the post'.....
Only you can decide which tack to take with the DVLA, but you now have a hole to dig yourself out of.
Afraid I can't help OP but I am curious - if he genuinely does not have any record of the buyer's details, how is he ever going to be able to update the V5?
Short of putting a flag on the number plate and pulling over the driver if spotted, does the DVLA suggest that the OP remain the registered keeper forever?
Short of putting a flag on the number plate and pulling over the driver if spotted, does the DVLA suggest that the OP remain the registered keeper forever?
So, to update.... as I know I have no memory I tend to write everything down in a notebook and then keep the note books (sad I know but i have my note books going back to 2003) so having dug them out and trawled through I found a Christian name and number which I rang and low and behold it was the guy.
He said he "must have forgotten" but will ring up and transfer it over now........ how can I check he does?
He said he "must have forgotten" but will ring up and transfer it over now........ how can I check he does?
Marcellus said:
DrSteveBrule said:
Why did you not fill it out there and then? It takes a couple of minutes at most.
Seemed like the buyer was trying to be helpful and both he and we wanted to get on our way (he'd got a 150miles drive to get home)You can do the transfer on line if I recall, or at least notify the DVLA you are no longer the keeper.
Edited by DrSteveBrule on Wednesday 22 June 13:13
Marcellus said:
So, to update.... as I know I have no memory I tend to write everything down in a notebook and then keep the note books (sad I know but i have my note books going back to 2003) so having dug them out and trawled through I found a Christian name and number which I rang and low and behold it was the guy.
He said he "must have forgotten" but will ring up and transfer it over now........ how can I check he does?
You can't.He said he "must have forgotten" but will ring up and transfer it over now........ how can I check he does?
Only hope that he gets it insured or sells it on soon to a legitimate buyer.
He's pulled the wool over your eyes and is very possibly a small time trader who wants to sell the car on for a profit with the same number of owners on the V5 and, most importantly, without his name and address as the last keeper.
Just hope he doesn't start racking up parking fines, speeding tickets, congestion charges etc...
scubadude said:
FWIW- You are supposed to do the Paperwork and send the V5 off, Not the buyer- they only take the New owner slip. A "retired car dealer" should know that... or perhaps that's why he did it...
This is the process by which your surrender ownership, obviously the buyer hasn't submitted the paperwork either as a scam or by accident.
You will have to prove to the DVLA you no longer own the vehicle since it is clearly still in your name.
Once you find his details and supply them to the DVLA give them to his local Police as well as he is committing Fraud.
Do it online and there's none of this tedious mucking about with sending bits of dead trees through the post.This is the process by which your surrender ownership, obviously the buyer hasn't submitted the paperwork either as a scam or by accident.
You will have to prove to the DVLA you no longer own the vehicle since it is clearly still in your name.
Once you find his details and supply them to the DVLA give them to his local Police as well as he is committing Fraud.
Rubin215 said:
Marcellus said:
So, to update.... as I know I have no memory I tend to write everything down in a notebook and then keep the note books (sad I know but i have my note books going back to 2003) so having dug them out and trawled through I found a Christian name and number which I rang and low and behold it was the guy.
He said he "must have forgotten" but will ring up and transfer it over now........ how can I check he does?
You can't.He said he "must have forgotten" but will ring up and transfer it over now........ how can I check he does?
Only hope that he gets it insured or sells it on soon to a legitimate buyer.
He's pulled the wool over your eyes and is very possibly a small time trader who wants to sell the car on for a profit with the same number of owners on the V5 and, most importantly, without his name and address as the last keeper.
Just hope he doesn't start racking up parking fines, speeding tickets, congestion charges etc...
Isn't there a section on V5 where you sell it to a trader so they don't appear as a registered keeper so none of the above would apply (??).
If I was the op I'd pass this together with the buyers name & phone number just in case.
To update further/respond to some comments;
- possibly he was intending to sell it with one less owner on the book,
- possibly he is an "unregistered" trader who knows
- why didn't I do the paperwork? (wish I had now, but at the time after all the horror stories you hear I was more concerned about getting the cash safely than the buyer not actually completing the paperwork to say he'd bought the car)
I spoke to the guy a week ago and he was "ohh did I forget I'll get straight on to it" however a week's passed and I've still not had a notification from DVLA (yes I have chased him)
So, all I have is;
- a name (christian not surname),
- a mobile number,
- a landline number,
- a credit to my bank account which may or maynot have a genuine "beneficiaries reference"
- a sales receipt
- a copy of the old V5.
Any suggestions on what my options are and what can I do next?
- possibly he was intending to sell it with one less owner on the book,
- possibly he is an "unregistered" trader who knows
- why didn't I do the paperwork? (wish I had now, but at the time after all the horror stories you hear I was more concerned about getting the cash safely than the buyer not actually completing the paperwork to say he'd bought the car)
I spoke to the guy a week ago and he was "ohh did I forget I'll get straight on to it" however a week's passed and I've still not had a notification from DVLA (yes I have chased him)
So, all I have is;
- a name (christian not surname),
- a mobile number,
- a landline number,
- a credit to my bank account which may or maynot have a genuine "beneficiaries reference"
- a sales receipt
- a copy of the old V5.
Any suggestions on what my options are and what can I do next?
charltjr said:
Phone DVLA?
It can often take a few weeks to get the notification through but if you speak to them and explain the situation they should be able to help. They must get hundreds if not thousands of similar queries a month.
just worried about what to say to them without opening my wife (who the car was registered to) in getting points!It can often take a few weeks to get the notification through but if you speak to them and explain the situation they should be able to help. They must get hundreds if not thousands of similar queries a month.
Ring the buyer and explain the situation and ask for his full details as you are responsible for providing them to the DVLA. Any reasonable person would provide them.
Get the DVLA to issue you with a new V5 and fill in the details.
If the buyer refuses to provide details, suggest the only other course of action is to report the vehicle stolen (it should focus his mind, especially if he's dodgy).
Hope you get it sorted.
Get the DVLA to issue you with a new V5 and fill in the details.
If the buyer refuses to provide details, suggest the only other course of action is to report the vehicle stolen (it should focus his mind, especially if he's dodgy).
Hope you get it sorted.
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