Buying ex MOD car from Excalibur Fleet Services ?

[ExPat2B]

I went to buy a car today from a dealer, all was good until we got to the paperwork. Despite being described as "full service history" the service history was one printed sheet of A4, marked with "Excalibur Fleet Services" and single lines saying

"5 year service" and mileage
"6 year service" and mileage

No further detail, like cambelt or what was changed etc.

No MOT's

No service book. Nothing except the V5 which was also marked with "Excalibur Fleet Services"
Dealer says it was bought from auction.

I can't seem to find any googleable details apart from this reference :

http://wikimapia.org/5762898/Excalibur-House

Where other people say they have bought a car - quote from the above page " I just bought a car and the service hostory was on a sheet of paper with this address on. I tried to get in to ask them to fill my service log book and was promptly told to get lost "

The car itself appears good condition, in line with mileage/age, and I was ready to do a deal there and then until I saw the paperwork.

Any advice ? My gut says to walk away, I can always find another low mileage car that has been privately owned, its not exactly a very rare car, but maybe I am being too fussy and maybe a fleet car has been very well maintained ? or maybe its been thrashed every day from cold by burly squaddies with lead boots and had only oil services done ?

[Krikkit]

Walk away, unless you want to buy your own service book, get a fake stamp made and stamp it up according to Excalibur's piece of paper.

[DuraAce]

Run for the hills unless its very cheap.

I'll bet the belts haven't been done.
Some MOD vehicles get a very easy life, others not so much (/voice of direct experience).

[mgv8]

That is not full history so if you what that (some cars need it) then get price dropped. If its a car people will not look at with out history then walk away. Any one will think the same as you do when you sell it.

[clarkey]

They appear to do MOTs too: http://www.motonline.co.uk/index.cfm/motbooking/20...

[ExPat2B]

You can't actually book an MOT through them on that link- if you try it just says "Garage is not available on this date" for all dates. I assume that is down to them being a MOT station but not open to the public.

[PorkFan]

I thought all MOT stations had to be open to the public? I'm sure there was a bit of money saving advice going around a few years back to use your local council ran MOT centre as they have no incentive to try and fail you as they didn't carry out repair work

[TooMany2cvs]

PorkFan said:

I thought all MOT stations had to be open to the public?

They do - and that link above allows you to book with them.

They don't have to make your life easy, nor do they have to make you welcome. They do have to do a fair test according to the book. But there's a lot of things that are "tester's opinion", and the tester may be in a VERY bad mood at having to test Joe Public's car...

[baldy1926]

I looked at a car from them earlier in the year that also had no service history. It was odd as the mod was the 3rd owner. I didnt buy it but had visions of hoping it was not flagged up on some dodgy database.